Yemala and urination

Yemala is now 18.5. She's been in remission since 2007, with a brief relapse in 2011 when she was given steroids for an ear infection. Her latest bg was an 86, taken late morning after having eaten appx. 1/2 cup cooked chicken. I realized the number is a little low, which is why I feed her a lot during the course of the AM and early afternoon.

In the past 2 weeks, we've been finding mysterious puddles in the pantry next to our kitchen. The puddles are clear and look like water, but we find no source. Yesterday, my son saw Mala, waiting on breakfast, lift her tail and spray urine across the room. The urine was clear and lacked easily discernible odor. Later that morning, I found her in the pantry caroling with a similar puddle behind her.

She had blood work done in June, with VERY slight indications that she is beginning to step into renal failure. Her BUN levels were very minorly elevated, with similar readings in other factors, but her A1C was 131.

Mala went to the vet yesterday, and he said it's either a bladder infection/UTI or her kidneys are failing. When palpated, her kidneys are roughly half the size they should be. She was given an injection of antibiotics, but I have not authorized another round of blood work - yet.

Her weight has remained consistent for the past several years, her appetite is strong, she has good energy, she is quite mobile with some signs of early arthritis which keep her from jumping much. Otherwise, her coast is shiny, her eyes are bright, she has all her teeth, and she is not filling up the cat box with lakes of urine.

We intend to start her on lactated ringers tonight, and I think we will do this about every two days. If this is a UTI, extra liquid could flush her kidneys and get her healthy again. My analysis of the urination in the pantry is that she is having trouble holding her bladder, which I've not seen with my other elderly cats as they face renal failure.

Given all this - and yes, I know it's a lot of information - is there anything I'm missing? Should I get the blood work done sooner rather than later? to be honest, I'm fearful of doing it - this kitty has my heart.

Thoughts?

 

I would have blood and urine tested. With the potential of any of the above mentioned conditions, the lab results can provide valuable insight on what is going on.

Glad to hear that Mala is doing well, other than the mysterious spraying issue!

 

Personally, I would want to get the blood work done. I would rather know and face the boogeyman so I have a chance to fight him off rather than hide my head while he sneaks up on me and takes me down. (Wow, not sure where that came from, but I guess it gets my point across. )

 

You may want to rule out dropped ice cubes. If the puddles are clear, someone may be getting sloppy with ice-cube handling. Just saying...it's happened here.

Kudos (and envy) to you for having a healthy 18.5 year old kitteh. I hope that happens to me someday.

 

We lost Mala's sister Zuli to a combination of liver disease and congestive heart failure. She was 18.

Mala went to the vet on Tuesday, and they convinced me to get her a rabies vaccination. I can't be certain, but I think she's showing signs of side effects this morning. Her appetite is very low, she's lethargic, and she was showing signs of pain and distress when touched on her left shoulder. She growled when picked up. She was running a low grade fever - her ears and paws were warm to the touch.

Around 10 AM, she drank water for about 5 minutes, then vomited up much of what she drank. She went downstairs to the cat boxes (her pain in the left shoulder diminished), and she peed outside the box. Literally - her body was inside, and she peed outside the confines of the box. I checked the urine as I cleaned it up and, unlike the previous findings, it was yellow, stinky, and appropriate. She only peed about 4/5 of a cup - appropriate amount.

After that, she demanded cuddles and showed no further sign of pain in that leg. I persuaded her to eat some chicken - she refused her breakfast - with a little broth poured over the top. After eating, she claimed a spot in front of the kitchen heating duct, where she is snoozing now.

Normally, this time of day, she aggressively demands a LOT of chicken. Her cries are plaintive and loud. Her vocalizations today are weak, rather puny, and sad.

I THINK this is from getting her vaccinated. I really should have refused - she's an entirely indoor cat with no contact with animals outside. As she's geriatric, the vaccine was more of a risk than a preventative. She was also given a shot of Convenia, which also may produce vomiting, lethargy, and loss of appetite. She received these two shots appx. 48 hours ago.

I won't take her to the vet just now, as she is eating again. If the fever returns, if she stops eating or vomits again, I will.

Updates as I have them.

 

Thanks for the update. Our vet complies with state law. They won't see a cat unless the cat is properly vaccinated. I think it is asinine for indoor cats to get vaccines.

I hope your kitteh perks up and eats some food.

 

I believe now that her adverse response was due to the Convenia. Side effects include lethargy, low fever, vomiting, and loss of appetite. As it's an injection, there's no getting around the complications.

I called the vet, and he gave me a pre-mixed syringe of B12 with an anti-nausea drug. I have not given it yet. Little girl is doing somewhat better. She ate some this afternoon - boiled chicken and broth - and ate about half what she usually does for dinner. She urinated in the box appropriate amounts.

The vet recommended that we give her sub-q fluids daily instead of every other day. She got roughly 80 mg into her, then shrugged the needle out. Within 5 minutes of getting fluids, she was up and scavaging the dinner bowls. I gave her another 1/4 can of cat food, which she ate ravenously, and she's napping again. The fluid bubble went into her system almost immediately.

If she's nauseous and won't eat tomorrow AM, I'll give her the B-12. If not, I'll hold onto it for a future emergency. With this cat, there always is one.

 

Dehydration really can make a cat (or human) feel real bad. I bet she is feeling a lot better now, and it is good she is eating too. Glad to hear the positive report.

 

Sometimes, it's nice to get good news on these boards. There's always bad news. Far too often.