Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Question about medicating my kitty

Collapse
This topic is closed.
X
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Question about medicating my kitty

    I took my kitty to the vet yesterday because her breathing sounds funny. The vet examined her, listened to her heart and lungs, and took a blood test.

    Result: Heart fine, kidneys fine, liver fine.

    The vet said that we could do an X-ray to check her lungs. She isn't sure if it's an infection or something else. She gave my kitty an injection, and gave me five doses of medication in case it's an infection. I opted to wait and see how she does with the medication.

    Now. She's supposed to get her medication every 24 hours. A friend has invited me on a day trip tomorrow, leaving at around the crack of dawn and returning at an as-yet unknown time. This means that I would either have to give her the medication several hours before leaving, or several hours after returning.

    I don't know if anyone here has any veterinary experience; I just thought I'd throw the question out. If you were in my place, would you forgo the day trip and give her the medication on schedule, or would you medicate before/after the trip?

  • #2
    It's okay; I called the vet and asked. The stuff isn't medication, but an analgesic (we can't be sure, but given the fact that she hasn't been jumping very high lately could mean arthritis). The vet said I can give her the analgesic when I come home.

    Comment


    • #3
      Glad that worked out; let us know how she's doing!
      When you start at zero, everything's progress.

      Comment


      • #4
        As mentioned above, her heart, kidneys, and live are fine. Her breathing seems to be a bit less noisy, but she spends almost all her time under the bed. I can't figure it out. When I go to bed, I leave the light on for a while so she can hop up and give me loves. I've been taking a good look at her every day. Her fur is thick and glossy. Her weight is fine. She's eating, drinking, and using her litterbox.

        I wondered - and I told the vet this - if she might have arthritis. She doesn't jump in the window anymore. That's why the vet gave me the analgesic. Kitty seems to feel better after I give it to her, and she spends more time outside the area of the bed.

        I'm puzzled. Why spend all that time under the bed?

        Comment


        • #5
          Cats do like to have a special spot where they can hang out and be by themselves. In my old house, my girl Juniper used to have a place I called her hidey-hole, which was under a chair, between the foot of my bed and the window. In her later years she used to spend hours under the loveseat (even on very hot days!)

          One of our cats years ago used to spend a good part of the day under the blanket on my mom's bed. Some cats just like to be in their own little quiet spot.

          You are probably right about the arthritis. It's pretty common in older cats (after 7 years I think). They don't run or jump as much if their joints hurt.
          When you start at zero, everything's progress.

          Comment


          • #6
            Quoth Eireann View Post
            I'm puzzled. Why spend all that time under the bed?
            It's a predator thing -- "hide your weakness". Cats will actively try to conceal when they're sick, and staying out of sight is in the same vein.

            Comment


            • #7
              Last night, she jumped on the bed, then did another happy bounce. When I pet her, she loves up against me as always. She crawls partially on me, then watches as I give her attention. She's not walking any differently, she still uses her scratching post, and she stretches.

              I did an experiment last night. I picked her up and put her on the windowsill. I wanted to see what she would do. Rather than just jumping down, she looked at me until I picked her up again. I then put her on the laundry basket. She licked herself for a few seconds, then looked at me again.

              I really don't want my baby to be in pain. I wish she could tell me what's wrong.

              Comment


              • #8
                Quoth MoonCat View Post
                Some cats just like to be in their own little quiet spot.
                That's why both of my cats have their own hiding places. While Baxter tends to sleep a lot, sister Abby tends to hide. She's been with me not quite a year...but is still very skittish. Kitties need a place where they can feel safe.
                Aerodynamics are for people who can't build engines. --Enzo Ferrari

                Comment


                • #9
                  Today, I put her in the bedroom window. She jumped down immediately, then went to the bed and jumped on it. So it appears that she isn't suffering from arthritis. Now, I wonder what it is. Did something scare her? Is it that her asthma appears to be worse? Is it due to the pollen that's been coating everything lately?

                  So many questions.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    It could still be arthritis. With that, you can have good days and bad days, depending on humidity, temperature, what position you slept in, things like that.

                    Could be that something scared her, before she starting going under the bed. Loud noises can do that: Thunder, lightning, fireworks, people in other apartments banging around and/or yelling, etc.

                    How is her breathing? You said the vet checked her lungs. If she thought there might be an infection, I am surprised she didn't give you an antibiotic to use for a few days just in case. An analgesic is a painkiller, so if it's been helping, that's good. Just wondering about the asthma/lungs issue.
                    When you start at zero, everything's progress.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      She's had a cough ever since I got her. I was reading about feline asthma recently, and the article described the classic stance that asthmatic cats get - crouching with the neck extended. That's exactly what she does. Some time after I got her, the vet told me that an X-ray showed a shadow on her lung, and his belief was that she had asthma.

                      Recently, her breathing has become noisy, and when she coughs, it's a wet-sounding cough. Her eyes and nose are clear. When I took her to the vet, they did a blood test, which showed no signs of infection. They want to do X-rays, but the cost is high, so I'm holding off on that for the time being. I'm keeping an eye on her right now.

                      Last night, when she was on the bed, I picked up my phone charger and pulled the cord along the covers. She saw it, crouched, wiggled her butt, and attacked. I lifted it in the air, and she was swiping at it with her mouth open. So, she's still doing regular activities, including playing. I'd love to have her completely cured of all problems.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Last night, she woke me up by jumping on the bed and bouncing. This morning, I found that the rug in the kitchen was rumpled, which means she'd been playing with it. (She seems to think it's a toy.)

                        I closed the windows last night, because the weather turned chilly. So, no breezes coming in from outside. And no pollen. There's been a HUGE amount of pollen around lately, and people with hay fever are miserable.

                        So, maybe that's it. Maybe it's the pollen that was doing it.

                        Comment

                        Working...
                        X