Smooch news.
Smooch got some weird bloodwork back yesterday, and we are waiting on new bloodwork to learn more. idney disease, hyperthyroid disease, and cancer were all mentioned. They're testing thyroid and kidney stuff now. I should have the results early next week. But, basically, it's pretty likely to be bad news.
I mention this because the step after this is likely to be imaging. An x-ray will be $230, and I will need to ask for help with part of that, as well as for ongoing treatment if it's necessary/possible, or, god forbid, euthanasia. Care Credit is something I will not hesitate to deploy, but I would prefer to pay for as much of it up front as possible, to minimize future monthly payments. So if y'all could have my back on that when the time comes, I would be very grateful.
He has lost 1.8 pounds in the last year or so, most of it in the last couple of months, and if this weird bloodwork had cropped up without that, I wouldn't be as worried as I am. But with cats, weight loss on this scale is associated with very poor outcomes, so I am not tremendously optimistic. To put it in perspective, 1.8 pounds is the same as if I lost 40 pounds, proportionally. That's frightening. He was a cinderblock of a cat, built thick and powerful, capable of physically pushing me backwards when braced against something, and now he feels a little below merely average, and has lost a lot of strength.
This is somewhat tempered by the fact that I knew going in that he would probably live a shorter life since whatever inbreeding or genetic abnormalities led to his messed-up face are hardly likely to have stopped there, and I honestly only really expected him to live about 10 years. I was willing to take that hit that going in, and I am not sorry nor would I ever change my mind.
It helps that he doesn't appear to be feeling bad. It makes it easier not to worry, moment to moment.
So for now it's wait, and worry.
X-posted from Dreamwidth. Comment count:
I mention this because the step after this is likely to be imaging. An x-ray will be $230, and I will need to ask for help with part of that, as well as for ongoing treatment if it's necessary/possible, or, god forbid, euthanasia. Care Credit is something I will not hesitate to deploy, but I would prefer to pay for as much of it up front as possible, to minimize future monthly payments. So if y'all could have my back on that when the time comes, I would be very grateful.
He has lost 1.8 pounds in the last year or so, most of it in the last couple of months, and if this weird bloodwork had cropped up without that, I wouldn't be as worried as I am. But with cats, weight loss on this scale is associated with very poor outcomes, so I am not tremendously optimistic. To put it in perspective, 1.8 pounds is the same as if I lost 40 pounds, proportionally. That's frightening. He was a cinderblock of a cat, built thick and powerful, capable of physically pushing me backwards when braced against something, and now he feels a little below merely average, and has lost a lot of strength.
This is somewhat tempered by the fact that I knew going in that he would probably live a shorter life since whatever inbreeding or genetic abnormalities led to his messed-up face are hardly likely to have stopped there, and I honestly only really expected him to live about 10 years. I was willing to take that hit that going in, and I am not sorry nor would I ever change my mind.
It helps that he doesn't appear to be feeling bad. It makes it easier not to worry, moment to moment.
So for now it's wait, and worry.
X-posted from Dreamwidth. Comment count: