Update On Fanny And Her Steps

Fanny seems to love her new steps. 

She feels more independent.

But she knows her limits and does not attempt to climb if her pain level is high.

But we have progressed!

And she is taking her medication much easier now. I am happy about that because I feel so bad when I have to force her to take it or trick her.

So happy that she seems more comfortable and interacting with us more.

Thanks to all of you for supporting Fanny. She feels the love.

Remember: Hug them!

Darlene

 

Fanny Uses Her New Steps

Well, we bought Fanny new steps because she can't get up on the beds. 

The spare room's bed is important to her because that's where her best friend (AKA:my husband) goes to watch movies and videos. Fanny loves to be with him and they are so cute together.

The homemade steps I had made for her worked for quite a while, but now that she is more debilitated I decided she needed something better. I got these steps on Amazon (of course) and they came today. 

I attached a video of her seeing them for the first time. It looks like she was hesitant at first but she was determined to get up on that bed and be with her BFF. She did so much better than I thought she would.

The name of the product (steps) is at the end of this post.⇩

The steps are very soft. And although it is lightweight, it does stay in place and doesn't slide. I read many good reviews on Amazon.

Well, since she has only used it once so far, I will give an update after she uses it for a while. I will withhold judgment for now.

So that's it for now.

Remember: Give your fur baby a big hug!

Darlene

 

Dealing With Fanny's New Situation

I love this poster so much. It was made for me by an illustrator at Best Book Editors, an authors and readers group that I belong to.  

I wanted to share this with you because this book about Fanny has been such a tool for healing since we lost our senior cat, CC, almost 2 years ago. I wrote it shortly after CC died. And it has helped us put into perspective the changes in Fanny's behavior.

CC and Fanny were besties and inseparable, especially towards the end. They had such silly moments together. There were times when Fanny wanted to annoy CC by batting her in the head. CC would let her do it for a while then with one good right hook, knock Fanny over. CC had big paws, so it didn't take much effort.

CC was the one who always let us know when it was feeding time. Her internal alarm would go off and she would whine until the food was set out. 

Now Fanny, she never, ever, begged for food. She just followed CC's lead. She basically just did whatever CC did. So when CC passed, Fanny did not ask for food for months. She didn't know how. She never had to worry about that on her own. We had to practically force her to eat. 

She was lost without her buddy. She was grieving.

There is another reason why I am writing this post. Fanny is dealing with not being able to ambulate well. It's due to severe pain in her lower spine and right leg. 

So now Fanny's world is turned upside down again. She can't walk to where her litter box usually is. She can't walk to where her main feeding dish is in the kitchen. She can't use her steps to get up on the bed to snuggle with my hubby.

Our bedroom has basically become a miniature Veterinarian Hospital.

(see the posts from May 7 and 13)

It's been 2 weeks since she became acutely disabled. Up until the last few days it has been a struggle to get the pain medicine in her. The severe pain happened so quickly that it really freaked her out. 

The usual way of me giving her meds has always been me wrapping her in a blanket and then cradling her between my legs. Well, I was at a disadvantage now because I could cause her more pain that way.  But I had to try and be as gentle as possible. I found out the one medicine was very bitter and it would make her gag and drool (also a sign of possible nausea).

Well, I am sad to say her walking hasn't improved very much but after a discussion with our Veterinarian, I now have the bitter medication changed to a capsule. I open the capsule and split the powder into two Pill Pockets. Then I slip them into her food. Success!

You can find these in any pet store or online.

I feel like she is adjusting a little to her new restrictive lifestyle.

She most likely will have to stay on pain meds from now on. She is too old for any type of procedure and we have to be careful with meds since she has kidney disease. 

I'm also keeping a calming collar on her at all times.

It breaks our hearts to see her decline like this. But she is still our cute little fur baby. Quirks and all.

Anyway, I just wanted to give a quick update. And please leave a comment and share your experiences or if you have any helpful hints on how to deal with a debilitated feline with arthritis.

Don't forget to give that fur baby of yours a hug!!!!

Darlene

PS: You can check out Fanny's book by clicking on the link at the top of the main blog page

Quick Fanny Update

Well, it's Thursday night and I can finally say the X-ray report is finally in. I spoke with the Vet late this afternoon.

Report: Fanny's hips looked okay, Right tarsal (knee) arthritis with soft tissue swelling. And arthritis of the left tarsal.

The jerk Radiologist (sorry) didn't give a reading on her spine since the reason for the X-ray was stated as "pain in right leg" The X-ray was taken with her lying on her back, and it clearly shows degenerative disc disease. I mentioned that in my previous post. 

The Vet looked at it again today and still says she sees degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine with spondylosis. She was shocked the Radiologist didn't mention it just like I was.

We had a long discussion about the plan of care. We're going to continue the Gabapentin (which Fanny dispises) especially since her pain may be caused by a pinched nerve. We're also going to give her another 3-day course of the anti-inflammatory medication, Onsior, for the inflammation in her leg. The Onsior is a small pill and she takes it well with Greenies Pill Pockets.

The new thing is that we added the synthetic opiate, Buprenex. The Vet thinks we need it at this point because since she is not walking on her right leg, she is putting all or most of her weight on her arthritic left knee. It's weakening that leg and can be the reason she flops down. The leg just gives out.

She definitely has tenderness when I palpate her lower spine and touch her right knee.

Besides the cost of the Veterinarian visit, the cost of all the meds is going to add up. So far I have been using the Pharmacy the Vet office uses. But, I want to give you all a tip. I know from experience with our other cats that you can ask your Vet for a written prescription. 

After you get the prescription you can call around, or look online (ex: Chewy.com), for prices at different local or online pharmacies. Most pharmacies will fill the script for you. It will have your name on it but it will also indicate that it is for a feline, canine, etc. Don't be afraid to call with any questions. 

One time I had to give Fanny an antibiotic and the Veterinarian Pharmacy was going to charge around $60.00 for the bottle. I called around and finally found that Sam's Club could make the solution and they only charged me a little over $20.00.

And don't be afraid to discuss the necessity of tests/treatments with your Vet. Make sure you know what the tests are for and make sure they are necessary. Pet care can be very expensive. 

I was paying for pet insurance for a few years but I never met the deductible to make it worth my while. Plus they have so many things they DON'T pay for. So if you do decide to get pet insurance, be sure to compare companies and pay close attention to what they do and don't cover.

I have a great group that we have been with for many years. The staff is familiar with our pets and with "me". That's important. Build a rapport with the practice.  I have their app on my phone.

And I also have my own notes on my phone just in case I have to take Fanny to the emergency room during off-hours. I can answer most of their questions from those notes. Include conditions your pet has been treated for, any medications, vaccination dates, important lab results, etc. 

I hope I have provided some helpful information regarding how to communicate with your Veterinarian and also some cost-saving tips.

As always, give your pets big hugs as often as you can. They love hugs.

Until next time.

Darlene

PS: Don't forget to check out Fanny's book. It chronicles her bff's struggle with end-stage kidney disease and how it has affected Fanny. The Link is at the top of this blog or you can go to:

amazon.com/author/d.colaianni

Fanny Can't Walk!

Poor Fanny. All of a sudden yesterday, Fanny couldn't walk. She would try to walk a few steps and then flop down because of pain. And she cried in pain when I picked her up.

If you remember from one of my previous posts, I built her steps so she could get up on our bed. We knew she was having trouble jumping. In fact, she had quit jumping altogether.

I had to bring her litter box, food, and water into the bedroom so we could keep an eye on her and help her. She would eat lying down or sitting. Couldn't stand. Had to lift her in and out of the litter box.

She spent the night in her bed in the closet. When cats don't feel good, they like to be alone. They isolate themselves.

So this morning we went to the Veterinarian to get her checked. Western Veterinarian Group in Torrance, California is always great with her.

Her weight is stable. That's important. You have to watch for weight loss in cats with kidney disease. She weighs 9.6 pounds.

They gave her a little sedation so x-rays could be done. This view was taken with her on her back. The lower part of her spine shows arthritis. Loss of space between the last vertebrae.
 Very tender to touch.

This view shows her right leg. There is what looks like a shadow around the tarsal (comparable to our knee). It is soft tissue swelling and inflammation. 

She was given liquid Gabapentin (Neurontin) for pain. I can give it to her every 12-24 hours. We also have to give her Onsior (an anti-inflammatory med)

The Vet and I discussed that there is not much else that can be done due to her age (17 1/2) and her kidney disease. She is going to call me in a few days with the final reading of the Xrays by the radiologist. 

But for now, the goal is to keep her as comfortable as possible and continue with her renal diet.

Here is hubby welcoming Fanny home. They are very close buddies.

I'll have to keep all her stuff in our bedroom for a while so we can help her when needed. 

It's tough when your pet ages and develops age-related issues. It's extremely important to trust your Veterinarian and be able to have those difficult discussions with them.

That's it for now. 

I'll update everyone on Fanny's journey soon.

Give your pets a big hug!

Darlene