Happy 18th Birthday, Fanny

This edition of my post is dedicated to Fanny's birthday and how we love our senior feline friends.

Fanny became 18 years old on December 4th and we were so appreciative of all the birthday wishes she received from her Facebook and other social media friends. She has friends from all over the world.

I personally appreciate that so many of Fanny's friends love cats and respond so kindly to her.

Since she is a senior, she has some medical issues that we are dealing with. A couple of years ago, she was diagnosed with Stage 2 kidney disease. Her Veterinarian follows her lab work closely and has her on a renal diet. My job is to watch her closely to make sure she drinks enough water and that she is peeing enough. We can't let her get dehydrated.

She loves her water fountain. If your senior cat starts to lack interest in drinking water, try a fountain. They like the running water.

 Another medical issue Fanny has is osteoarthritis in her lower back. You can look at an old post from last year where I talk about how Fanny was becoming less active and not jumping up on the bed like she used to. She wanted to be picked up so she could join us on the bed. At first, we thought it was that she was just spoiled but that wasn't the case.

Then in May of 2022, she suddenly couldn't walk and appeared to be in a lot of pain.

We initially thought she broke her leg or dislocated her right hip. But X-rays showed arthritis and she also had severe inflammation in the part of her leg which is comparable to a human's knee. 

The Vet ordered her anti-inflammatories and pain medication.

Right now she is getting a once-a-month injection of Solensia and it seems to be working well.

(Solensia is a newly approved drug for cats with osteoarthritis)

It is expensive, but the other meds she had to take made her lethargic.  Her other meds costs $30 each (Gabapentin, Buprenex and Lactulose) and Solensia costs $75. But her quality of life is so much better with it. She interacts with us more and is walking better. She uses her steps to get up on and down from the bed. I'm happy with her progress.

So one thing she hasn't recovered from is losing her best friend, CC who was 20 years old. As you probably know we had to put CC to sleep in 2020 when she deteriorated from end-stage renal disease. It was difficult for Fanny because they had been together for 16 years. She was lost without CC.

Anyway, I just wanted to mention how we have to help our little friends to adapt to old age. 

*Watch their food and water intake.

*Make sure they are using the litter box. And make sure the box has a low entrance so they can get in and out easily.

*Get a dental check-up. With age they may have decayed and loose teeth.

*Watch to make sure they are grooming themselves.

*Don't skip their regular Vet check-ups. Talk to your Vet about what your baby needs and what your options are.

Our senior cats are precious. They're part of our families.

I want to wish each and every one of you, a very Merry Christmas and a safe and happy 2023.

🎄🎅🤶

Hug your pets!

Until next year.....

Darlene