Kitty Update

I am currently watching Bear on web cam at the Vet's office.

I took Bear to the Feline Hospital. Apparently, his bladder was so
full it was rock solid. It was also inflamed with kidney stones. Both of these were shown on his x-ray, yet the Emergency Hospital still discharged him. Because he was with me for 15 hours before going to the vet, and did not drink or eat, or was ABLE to pee. As a result, when I brought him in he was deemed Critical.

I was so angry at the Emergency Hospital. Why would the evening vet discharge him and send him home with me? Apparently, they thought his seizure was cranial, and did not think the kidney issues were severe. I read the the kidney issues relating to age can CAUSE seizures. They gave me some Valium and liquid potassium and some low-protein food. Apparently, this was all I needed to care for him at home.

The vet put him on oxygen, IV drip, and draining his bladder (lots of blood). She injected his bladder with saline to try and dissolve the kidney stones. She canceled her next 5 appointments to help him. Wow. She was amazing and honest. This took one and a half hours. I decided to do these much to see how much he would recover over the next 24 hours.

He rested on IV drip under the Bair Huggy blanket (insulated and heated). His body temperature and blood pressure dropped, but second Vet managed to sustain him. He had a quarter of electrolytes and peed (blood) with the catheter. I sat with him for 7 hours. The primary Vet told me he needed to be IVed and catheter for 4 days to bring his electrolytes up, rehydrate, and heal his bladder. Day 1 of 4. She said I would be living by his cage.

I wish he had been transferred to a vet immediately instead of staying with me overnight for 15 hours in distress and pain. I remember when he crawled from the hallway through the kitchen to lay by my air mattress in the living room.

I think about pet insurance. How a monthly $10 a month for fourteen years can be cheaper than $2500-$3000. But which insurance is the right one without limitations? It is a lot of money to pay monthly. Also, would annual check ups have helped? I think when cats reach old age, around 12 or so, maybe charting drinking, eating, peeing and pooping habits is a good idea.

I go back tomorrow morning.