Monday, February 26, 2007

Max Again

The Saturday visit to the fill-in vet was good. She didn't charge an office visit or half the meds she sent me home with. She also was very gentle with Max. I love this practice because (except when X-Rays are being taken) clients are allowed in the "back room."

Max's blood pressure was normal, and the bloodwork showed that he had internal bleeding, but the vet agreed that was likely from the past bleed, and not an active bleed. Again cautions to do clinical exams at home.

Max isn't himself. He's finding new hiding places, and didn't sleep with me last night (although he took a nap with me yesterday afternoon). He's also doing the meatloaf hunch. He rarely comes up to his bed on the desk, although he is here now, bless his heart.

So now we also are a cat Hospice. Keep Max as comfortable as possible until he tells me it's time to check out. Giving him SubQ fluids daily is really a chore. He hates them and too often I pass the needle through the "tent" and end up "wetting" the bed and Max.

I will be talking to the regular vet today about what we do now, including maybe "de-bulking" the tumor through chemo. I am not interested in surgery for that purpose. I don't think Max would survive it, and I don't want him to pass that way.

The fill-in vet suggested regular BP and blood tests to see whether he is bleeding internally. I will talk with the mobile vet about whether she can help me do that. Depending on how he responds to the massage and acupunture on Tuesday (or maybe later in the week because we have "weather" now), if we return to the Alternative vet on a regular basis, she likely can do the tests he needs.

I'm now getting used to calling him my little cancer cat. He is eating well on the Hills A/D I got for him. Part of that might be the cypro he gets to stimulate his appetite.

I am so sorry, Robin, if you are reading this. Robin recently lost her dear cat Peri to this same sort of thing, although she didn't get much of a Hospice period with him.

People say take lots of pictures. I got a digital camera for my birthday last summer, but I haven't really figured it out. I also hate the delay between pushing the shoot button and it actually capturing the picture. I can't get a face shot, just a profile.

For those who haven't seen a pic of Max, here's a link. This shows why I have always called him my fat faced fellow.

2 comments:

{Steve Rapaport} said...

We'll always be grateful to Max to bringing you to meet us, Venita!

Give the fatface a big headskritch from me and Sabina, and another from the whole FDMB!

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