Speaking of Cats. . .

. . . The Cat went in for tests on Thursday, to see how her thyroid is doing and also to check her kidneys. She's still acting a bit off to me. Not eating was the main concern; however, her weight has stayed the same in a month.

I mentioned to the vet that I thought her eyes looked funny the other night, as if one pupil was dilated more than the other. He did a couple of quick checks (some like the light/motion tests for blinking here) and she was more responsive in her right eye than in her left. He said that hyperthyroidism could lead to high blood pressure (hypertension), so it was possible that she "blew out a retina."

Now there's a comforting expression. (Mind you, I like this doctor because he actually talks to The Cat and doesn't sound like a textbook when he's explaining things to me. But that was one time I wanted some safe, cold jargon.)

Then he took her to the back workroom to take her blood/urine samples. I went back out to the waiting room and joked with the receptionist about how I knew The Cat hadn't left the building because we could hear her complaining meows all the way out front. Anything not to think about her losing her eyesight.

When the vet tech brought out the carrier, The Cat was quiet, probably stewing about all the annoying touching and poking and--her most hated thing--claw-trimming. The vet came out and told me that he is suspicious about her eyesight even more, because when he let her go to jump back in her carrier (her M.O. every time she is freed from the grasp of anyone at the vet's), she went the wrong way first. He had moved her carrier from one side to the other, and she apparently didn't see it--just went for where it had been last. Now, it could be that she was just on auto-pilot and retracing her steps so to speak, but still that's upsetting to hear.

He would have checked her BP after having observed that mistake, but she had just gotten all those tests done. Ticked-off cats, like ticked-off people, really have their BP up, so the reading would have been less than accurate.

So, Monday I should get test results, and sometime during the week I have to take back in for that BP reading. Oh, and return the special cat food she refused to eat so I can get a refund. I wish I hadn't tried for so long; a lot of uneaten food went down the disposal.

But, hey, now that she's back on her regular food, and I gave her a little extra last night, she let me sleep in until 6:00 this morning. I'll take what I can get.

I expect test results on Monday, and I have to bring her back in to get her blood pressure checked. I feel guilty that I didn't do the thyroid tests sooner and am hoping that waiting didn't create this problem. If it turns out she has either kidney or BP problems, most likely she'll have to eat different food.

It had better be tasty.


Comments

pamlovesbooks said…
Wow poor puss and poor kate such alot of work!
Lindsay said…
Poor kitty. :o(
ccr in MA said…
Oh, dear, that's no fun for either of you! I'm so sorry. Try to let go of the guilt (not that it's easy to). I'll keep my fingers crossed for a good diagnosis.
Dave E. said…
Good luck with the treatments for the cat. Hopefully things will settle down soon. On the bright side, it's always a good sign when a cat or dog eats normally.
Kate P said…
Thanks, gang. It is so hard to watch a pet get older and get sick. She had a slightly better day today--we'll see what the tests say.
Amy Giglio said…
Hope your kitty's OK soon.

I've been around. Just lurking....
Amy Giglio said…
that last comment was me. long story....
Kate P said…
Amy--well, hello there. . . and I'll take your word for it. ;)

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