Ash

[rowyn]

I think she's dying.

She hasn't been eating well, the last few weeks especially. She never has eaten a lot, despite being a distinctly tubby cat. A few weeks ago, I switched her to canned cat food, hoping that would perk her appetite. It seemed to work, for a little while. But then she was eating less and less. Barely half a can a day. This morning, she wouldn't eat a bite.

Lut took her to the vet. He said, "Well, she's getting old." That's what he said about Branl, before she died.

He gave Ash an injection that was supposed to stimulate her appetite, and said if she still wasn't eating normally by Friday to bring her back and he'd do blood work. There didn't seem to be anything else wrong with her. No bad teeth or anything. Just old.

I don't know how old Ash is. I've had her for seven years, but she was a grown cat when I got her. I always thought she'd been young then. But maybe she wasn't.

When Lut got her home, he gave her some cat milk, her favorite treat. She lapped at a little of it, but didn't even finish the saucer.

My parents came over, and she was out and about to greet them, sitting in each lap in turn. She always has loved attention. But before we left for dinner, she retreated to the bedroom to sleep. She was still there when I got home. Usually she'll come and hop in my lap for attention, but she hid under the bed for a while instead. Then lay on top of it and napped some more. I picked her up and carried her into the office to lay her in my lap.

She's sleeping now, half under the covers, against me. When she wakes up and I pet her, she doesn't purr. Just seems tired. Maybe she just is tired. Maybe it's nothing. Maybe I'm just paranoid.

Maybe she's dying.

Shit.

I don't want to lose her, too.

Comments

[richardf8]

About 6 months ago I went through a really scary time with Grendel. He was vomiting a lot, had no appetite and wasn't drinking. We took him to the vet, and never got a diagnosis. However, we put him on subcutaneous fluids, reglan and zantac, and once the vomiting stopped we force fed him daily. This went on for two weeks. Eventually I suggested to the vet that it might be IBD and asked him to write me a prednisone script. He began eating on his own shortly after that, and has been healthy since. At this point he gets about 1 prednisone tablet per week. What's more, a chronic vomiting problem he had for years stopped.

I'm telling you this because you sound pretty low - don't resign yourself to the notion that she's dying just because of appetite loss. Get a blood panel done. Se what you can learn from that. And see what other support you can give her; she may surprise you.

[rowyn]

Yeah, if she's not better by tomorrow, I'll certainly have Lut take her back. At least she's got more reserves to draw on than Branl ever did -- Branl never topped six pounds in her life. She was always a painfully thin cat.

[oceansedge.livejournal.com]

The bloodwork may very well turn up something.

My mom's old cat Cuddles quit eating due to thyroid problems related to age, she lived very well for the next 4 years on a daily dose of a half a tablet of thyroid medication.

[rowyn]

Thanks -- that's good to hear. It seems like last year, everyone I knew who had a cat with health problems had the cat die within weeks. :/ (And I knew at least three other people who lost cats last winter.)

[octantis.livejournal.com]

Hoping for the best. I'll say a little prayer.

[rowyn]

Thanks -- I appreciate that.

[sandramort.livejournal.com]

*hugs* It's been a rough year, I'm sorry. I don't think Sarah will be with us much longer, either.

[rowyn]

Wah. :( Poor Sarah. *hug*

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

Ack. I hadn't read this entry when I wrote the other comment. Hopefully the bloodwork will turn up something. *huggles*