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#11
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Karen Chuplis wrote:
in article , Jean B. at wrote on 1/22/05 8:42AM: ---MIKE--- wrote: This sounds like all the symptoms of a blockage. DON'T wait until Monday. Take him to an emergency vet right away. If you wait, you could lose him! ---MIKE--- Yup! I have an appointment for ca an hour from now at an emergency vet hospital. To the degree I do things right and quickly, it is because I have absorbed things from this group. (Thank goodness!) Poor baby. It is about zero here, and we have a blizzard warning starting at noon.... Good timing, but I just have to take care of Mingy, who hates the vet and is going to hate this whole experience. Poor Mingy. I'm glad you found a vet!!! He would hate it worse if he could not get help. Keep us posted. Yes, I figure this is like dealing with a baby, who you can't explain things to. He doesn't understand, but it has to be done. The tech thought he wasn't blocked, but it turned out he was partially blocked, and it was wise to unblock him and leave him overnight*, with an catheter and an IV. So that is what I have done. The big problems are 1) he is so shy and scared of other cats, this this has to be extremely traumatic for him, and 2) this is complicated by the fact that we are about to be hit by a major blizzard in the Boston area, so I am not sure I will even be able to rescue him tomorrow, if they say he can come home. I have already warned my friend that if he can come home, and it is humanly possible to get him, I will need help doing so. (He is a lot more comfortable driving in the snow than I am.) I have to say I was very upset when I got this news, because I know this is going to be so hard for Mingy.... I guess they see a lot of this though................ -- Jean B. |
#12
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Rhonda wrote:
Poor guy, has to get sick during a blizzard. Please let us know how he's doing. I'm glad you noticed this right away and are getting him in so quickly! You're a good cat-mom. Rhonda Jean B. wrote: Thanks, Rhonda. To the degree I am a good cat-mom, I owe it to this group and the information I have (miraculously) absorbed, and to my friend, Dave, whose cat almost died from a blockage a few years ago. In a way, the blizzard also played a role, because I knew I could not afford to wait to see what happened, because I wouldn't have been able to get Mingy anywhere if I did. Other mitigating circumstances: Mingy is an indoor cat, so I can see what is happening in his litterbox; and said litterbox is in the kitchen, so I frequently see him using it. One thing I can say, which may be useful to others, is that although I didn't see Mingy straining (which is what I always read), he had started spending a LONG time in the box. That is one thing I now will be on the lookout for and will advise others to file away in their minds. If you know your cat is usually in and out of the box pretty quickly, and you notice him/her staying in there a lot longer, your antennae should go up. Really, though, I caught this very early. He was partially blocked. It could have been much worse. (Now, we need the reports on the cause....) Just pray Mingy is not too, too freaked out while he is at the Veterinarian Hospital. -- Jean B. |
#13
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Mary wrote:
Yes! Hope youcan get him in today. Most vets have limited Saturday hours. At least call their emergency number and see what they say about the symptoms. My vet is, indeed, closed on the weekend, but I recalled he said I should call a Veterinary Hospital in the next town. I could actually find that card and did so. I am glad I did. Much better to catch this before it is a total crisis--esp. now when a blizzard will be upon is in an hour or two (timing keeps getting pushed back). -- Jean B. |
#14
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Mary wrote:
"Jean B." wrote: Yup! I have an appointment for ca an hour from now at an emergency vet hospital. Wonderful. It is great that this 24-hour hospital is nearby. It seems like a nice, caring place. I am also glad I have emergency funds, because this is EXPENSIVE! To the degree I do things right and quickly, it is because I have absorbed things from this group. (Thank goodness!) Poor baby. It is about zero here, and we have a blizzard warning starting at noon.... Good timing, but I just have to take care of Mingy, who hates the vet and is going to hate this whole experience. -- You're a great cat mom. ONLY because I have learned a lot here. That is actually what I hoped would happen when I joined this group, and I actually DID learn enough to deal with this quickly!!!!! So, while I am sad and upset that Mingy is not here right now, I am happy that I could get him treated before he was really sick. -- Jean B. |
#15
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"Phil P." wrote:
Hiya Jean! Long time no see! How's Spot? Well, I hope. No Spot here, so maybe you are thinking of someone else? I think you made a very, very wise decision having Mingy checked right away. Without a lot of experience and expertise in palpitating a cat's bladder, its very difficult to distinguish stranguria that's induced by interstitial cystitis from a partial urinary tract obstruction - which can become a complete obstruction very quickly. A complete obstruction produces a situation equivalent to oliguric acute renal failure - which can be fatal if not treated in time. Yes, my fear of rapid detrioration prompted me to get him to the vet's ASAP--especially since I knew I would not even be able to if I waited. I LOVE this cat. Male cats are prone to obstructions because their urethra narrows - kinda like a funnel - where it passes over the pelvis and into the penis. (see: http://maxshouse.com/anatomy__urogenital_system.htm). Once a crystal or plug lodges there, smaller crystals that would normally pass become trapped and accumulate and can easily and quickly produce a complete obstruction. Females have a wider and almost straight urethra that practically eliminates the possibility of obstruction. I did remember male cats are especially prone to blockage. Also, the longer a cat (females, too) experiences pain while trying to urinate, the greater the chances become of developing an aversion to the litter box (he begins to associate the pain with the litterbox - he thinks the pain comes from the litterbox. On your way home from the vet, you might want to make a quick stop at the pet store and pick up another completely different litterbox. Oooh, good idea! I hope I can get back out. I want to wait for the vet to call, and that's supposed to be soon. Many people have called me "extreme" or "paranoid" (or worse, "pecker checker") because I constantly advise people to make sure they actually *see* their cats urinate (and poop) at least once or twice a day - especially in multicat households where its difficult if not impossible to tell who is and who isn't peeing without actually watching. Your observations and quick response have probably saved Mingy's life! I am SOOOOO glad I see him in the box and saw he was behaving strangely. I have been thinking about that ever since my friend almost lost his cat who was totally blocked. His cat spends a lot of time outside. How would he know whether his cat was sick or not? Also, this might be a good reason not to put the litterbox someplace out of sight. Yes, it would be more appealing from an esthetic point of view, but it is useful to see your cat's behavior in the box. Mingy was spending an enormous amount of time in the box, but still (at that point) producing what looked like reasonable pee and poop. But then when he peed on the floor several times, I knew he must be sick................. Its nice hearing from you again - I just wish it was under better circumstances. Best of luck. Phil. "Like a graceful vase, a cat, even when motionless, seems to flow" -George P. Will Feline healthcare http://maxshouse.com http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Feline..._and_Behavior/ -- Jean B. |
#16
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On Sat 22 Jan 2005 03:56:54p, Jean B. wrote in
rec.pets.cats.health+behav ): Really, though, I caught this very early. He was partially blocked. It could have been much worse. (Now, we need the reports on the cause....) Just pray Mingy is not too, too freaked out while he is at the Veterinarian Hospital. I'm very glad that you did catch it early! Good job on your part! We're going to send prayers and purrs that Mingy is just fine at the vet hospital until you get to bring him home. Hopefully you don't get as much snow as they are calling for. I'm in Maryland and it's already stopped here. It moved very quickly out, and we ended up with only about 6". -- Cheryl |
#17
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Jean, after you get Mingy home, you want to consider how to prevent this
from happening in the future. If you are feeding him a dry food diet, try to switch him to canned food for his main diet. Preferably use a good quality food such as Wellness or Innova. Even if they drink water, they would get more useful water from the canned food. ---MIKE--- |
#18
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Cheryl wrote:
I'm very glad that you did catch it early! Good job on your part! We're going to send prayers and purrs that Mingy is just fine at the vet hospital until you get to bring him home. Hopefully you don't get as much snow as they are calling for. I'm in Maryland and it's already stopped here. It moved very quickly out, and we ended up with only about 6". -- Cheryl Oh, I sure hope we only get 6 inches. That would help. I would feel so bad if I couldn't retrieve Mingy the second he is allowed to come home. He will be so much happier here. (I wish the vet would call, so I can go back out and get a new box.............) -- Jean B. |
#19
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It makes me glad I live in the Phoenix area and don't have to face this. I
hope Mingy gets better. -- Cat Galaxy: All Cats! All The Time! www.catgalaxymedia.com Panther TEK: Staying On Top Of Your Computer Needs! www.panthertekit.com "Jean B." wrote in message ... I am in the Boston area--one or two feet of snow, with up to six-foot drifts predicted. The worst thing about this is I may not be able to retrieve Mingy tomorrow, assuming he is ready to come home in the afternoon. I am so upset about his having to stay, because he is very shy and is scared of other cats. I think when the doctor calls (soon--which is why I didn't go back out while I could), I may suggest they cover his cage a bit so he can feel safer.... -- Jean B. |
#20
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On Sat 22 Jan 2005 04:33:09p, Jean B. wrote in
rec.pets.cats.health+behav ): Oh, I sure hope we only get 6 inches. That would help. I would feel so bad if I couldn't retrieve Mingy the second he is allowed to come home. He will be so much happier here. (I wish the vet would call, so I can go back out and get a new box.............) Oh, you might get more than 6". lol But, it looks like NYC might get hammered and the storm go out to sea from there. Stay safe and warm!! -- Cheryl |
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