Comments | dollraves: Stress levels high...

dollraves

Stress levels high...

Jan 28, 2009 11:16

I was concerned about Pooka's excessive drinking, and the vet panicked over her teeny tiny kidneys, so Pooka had an ultrasound scheduled. Now, the last time I had one done, it cost about $250. Given that I still haven't gotten my first paycheck, money right now is damn tight, but I was willing to eat ramen the next few weeks for the cat. When I ( Read more... )

cats

Comments 6

melindadansky January 28 2009, 16:33:50 UTC

Gah! Suckage to vets!

Poor 18-year-old kitty! You are right not to put both of you through the ultrasound hassal. The NCSU vet school has better ultrasound equipment than any vet's office, and they're cheaper. You might check with them.

susandeer January 28 2009, 19:55:44 UTC

Poor PooKitty and you. Yes, time to change vets. That's an outrageous cost for an ultrasound. At that rate, the "ultra" had better mean they've got some guy with x-ray vision and special healing touch powers that can fix internal workings, if he feels like it.

kentamundo January 29 2009, 01:35:38 UTC

All you have to do is tell the jury review panel that you know the defendant personally. That should get you cleared.

Pooka is a lucky cat to have made it to 18 so far. I'm hoping mine will last that long. How would I respond to a $650 bill for an ultrasound? I don't know. I'll keep watching to see how Pooka is doing, and learn. You have my blessing.

Jury duty cfred January 29 2009, 02:07:19 UTC

I've served on one, and it was almost boring.

Then again, I got called for a pre-trial hearing. The defense attorneys said the defendant was too crazy to stand trial. The prosecution attorneys agreed. State law says a jury has to decide that.

On the plus side, 10 minutes in the courtroom, 5 minutes in the jury room, and we were done.

And if I hadn't moved, I'd have had a five-year exemption from jury duty on the grounds I'd served before.

kiinamyllyn January 29 2009, 02:14:24 UTC

Did the vet at least check her glucose and other blood work before deciding to do an ultrasound? Excessive drinking (usually coupled with excessive urination) most often indicates diabetes. Kidney problems can also often be detected on blood work. Plus, I think it's not that uncommon for old cats to have small kidneys. My Misty did and it wasn't kidney failure that got her, but heart failure. Still she made it to almost 20. 18 is a very respectable age for a kitty. If Pooka is still a happy cat, then I'd let her be. I think quality of life is most important. You'll know when it's time. Until then, enjoy her company and her most adorable cuteness.

dollraves February 5 2009, 13:12:46 UTC

I forgot to answer this... yes, we had done bloodwork and her BUN numbers were high. Given that we'd just spent 4 days driving from CA, and that she had a kidney infection, I decided to give it a few weeks then test her blood again before going for an ultrasound.

She had been drinking a lot more water than usual, but after a few days on antibiotics, that curbed to something more normal. Her kidneys are small, which my vet in CA noted, but as he said, "She's old. It's an old kitty thing."

I love my vet, but she errs on the side of aggressive. Pooka's otherwise happy and bouncy. She was more stressed out by going to the vet than by any kidney failure she may be experiencing.