All Clear for Toro

Toro sitting pretty for his usual dose of pills...

His test results ...

I brought Toro to the vet today for his overdue review. He was supposed to go last week but we had an emergency at home and so it got delayed. I had made an appointment for this Saturday but decided to go today as I was nervous when he was not playing last night. He sat on the couch and did not even harass Bujang when it was time for bed. Then he just sat quietly in bed. This was very unusual for a self-declared boss of the amigo house.

I was more than relieved when his test came out positive and all his numbers are within the normal indicators, especially his creatinine and BUN. Hurrah for Totoro and us! However, his red blood cells are low as evidenced also by his pale gums and so he has to do the eprex route again and we will have to go back in 2 weeks. Also Dr L said that we can reduce his subq sessions to twice a week, from every alternate day. It was a matter of looking for the right combination. I'm sure Toro would be pleased.

But for now, I am thankful that he is ok.

Review and Gotcha Day Wishes

I am glad to be 14th (on Sunday) and be safe at home with san, grandma, ms akira and my bruffers...

We went for our m0nthly review at ARCV and saw Dr L. He said Megat's gums were a healthy red considering his condition, his fur was shiny and he certainly looked very well. He checked him for lumps and found none. HURRAH!!

I asked him if he thought Megat was a little fat. He certainly looked it and we certainly felt it. Dr L just laughed and said " Its ok. He is ok as he is." So we have to just follow the same regimen as we had before and to see him again next month.

Megat has certainly bloomed into very bossy kitty and would give no one, not even Bujang much space. He would be the first one to rush at anyone that he deems to be trespassing and everyone keeps a wary eye out for the new BOSS. Sometimes he forgets and allows the other kitties to walk past him. The one who is not afraid of him is Tanaka who ignores him. They have been seen to touch noses though :)

He certainly has become a cleanlines freak and just now he was yelling from inside his cage. I thought it was just a case of him wanting attention but not so. He had pooed in his litter and had had a little accident so the poor kitty had been asking me to help him clean up. Once he got cleaned up and I had changed his bedding and litter, he very happily settled down for the night :)

It has been 7 months since his first vincristine injection. I sometimes forget that he has had a harrowing experience with lymphoma but I am glad that eventhough he is very bossy these days, he is still happy and going on strong.

Happy 14 years Megat :))

Vet Review for 2 cats

No more hiding from pills...

Toro also had good news and his bladder is no more swollen. Dr L sniffed at his bottom (HUH!) and was pleased. He poked about Toro's abdomen and congratulated Toro on his good health (Good job boy!) :) But he said that the bad news is once a kitty had UTI, the kitty would always get it again. So he suggested some homeopathic care just to take care of this and we left with cranberry and some UTI crystals that I had to rub onto his gums.

Dr L said the cranberry is sour but cats cannot taste anything sour so it should be ok. I should have known better as Toro can smell something fishy in his food from 1000 miles away and refused to eat the cranberry laced wet food, no matter what. I also tried to give the cranberry to Megat as Dr L said it would be ok for Megat to have them too and even Megat, whose sense of smell is rather awry, did not like his food :( After he ate his wet food, he promptly threw up. I decided for megat at least, I would have to include it in his supplements but he did not take that too kindly. But slowly does it for Megat.

Dr L recommends that Toro eats more wet food instead. Toro likes kibble more than anything so I guess that would also take some adjustment on both our routines :)

I am so happy I dun have to go to hospital fur a whole long month...

As the news from Dr L is very good, I decided to use his happy picture. Dr L did a short blood test and so Megat did not have to endure a long session. It was for his PCV and TP only. Dr L was very happy and so was I when it showed 30% (very good) from the 7% for his PCV 3 weeks ago. HURRAH!! His TP was so much better and now is at 7.7 (this is excellent). All in all it was a very good day for our house.

Dr L said his fur was very soft and he looks very good and jokingly recommended all and sundry to take whatever it is that Megat is taking for good skin and general health :) It is true that Megat has the best fur texture compared to the rest of the amigos. When it comes to things like this, it would be Megat, Akira, Toro, Tanaka and Bujang. Bujang is last because he refuses to allow anyone to brush his fur.

I asked Dr L if we could stop the sub-q for Megat and if I can just give him water in a syringe instead. "NO!" he said quickly. "The sub-q is very different from just water." So it looks like the sub-q would be a permanent feature of his care. I really would have to practise and see if I can give him the sub-q by myself. Cousin R has been helping me with the sub-q all this while, just to hold him while I put in the needle.

So its the same regimen of sang hwang suppositories, colloidal silver, shark cartilage and milk thistle. I have decided that I would give him milk thistle for his liver instead of the hepavite as THAT is nasty. So I think eventhough he would never be free from his cancer, at least it is at bay for the time being.

Dr L also asked me if he was happy and I was very glad to be able to say it aloud. Yes he is :) I think things are really looking up for Megat :)

On an even lighter note Dr L said that he tries everything that he gives his patients and one of these days if he does not appear, I would know what had happened to him :) Aiyoh!

What time is it?

Time for shut eye san....

Grandma is still very disturbed about the fact that Megat has these scars close to his eyes. She kept asking me if this was eye gunk and I keep telling her that it is just his skin without the fur. He may have been in a fight before and something horrible must have happened. Its too bad> he would look much more handsome if he has fur there :)

I have completed the 2nd dose of Eprex 3 weeks ago but he is till on sub q. Dr S said I would have to bring him for a review in 2 months so he would be going to the vet again in early March. He is getting more and more sleepy though he still drinks water from his cup enthusisatically, even after his sub q sessions.

And for this too I give thanks...

Megat sleeping the morning away...to conserve energy for his vet visit...

After the vet...hrumphh...more of the same...

His rock bandage where the vet got blood for his blood test...

Megat drinking his evening water ration :)

His tests numbers are a little better but there is still a long way to go yet.

His PCV was 31.5% and his TP at 9 in Aug . Then in September it was PCV 27% with his TP was 8.2 when he was on 2x sub q. Today after 6 weeks of Eprex and 1x sub q, the numbers are PCV 29.7% and his TP is still at 8.2. ( The normal numbers are PCV 30-55% and TP 5.4 - 8.2)

So although he is a cheerful little thing with an unfailing spirit and affectionate heart (for the beans; not for the cat citizens in the household), he is not out of the woods yet. He will still be on Eprex 2000 and his sub q. I have not gone to the pharmacist to ask about the Eprex yet and am still nervous at the idea of putting it in needles myself. Thanks to anonymous for telling me that I can actually get Eprex 2000 from the pharmacist in the 1st place. But for now, I will still get it from the vet where they can put it in the syringes for me this saturday.

The vet gave me a prescription for the ringers solution and IV too. I saw that she has written "Indefinite" on it. So that I guess will be long term for sure except I am puzzled that she has also written "To be given sub q daily". I am sure that that was a mistake. I will have to see her about that again when I bring Ms Akira and Tanaka for their vaccinations this Friday. Of course I could have made a point of looking at it before I left the vet but I just assumed that the sub q will be 1x as usual since she didn't tell me verbally that she wanted me to make any changes.

He has to see the vet in 2 months for his next review. Poor fella.

Megat in review

Megat trying out a new seating area...

Megat: I am not all that much into reading san...

You can see from the pictures that he is rather thin for all the food that he is eating. But his coat is still healthy and shiny and he does groom himself steadily. So he is not losing so much energy at all. He still does play and is still the champion at Da Bird :) He has very good predator instincts but I suspect that he tries to catch Da Bird not because of his predator instincts but he has found new joy at sliding across the smooth floor. :)