Jewel's Not Well

We went to the vet on Wednesday to get Jewel's blood drawn and weight checked.  They are going to need to do this every three months (at least).  

Jewel managed to gain a lot of weight with the a/d mixed into her normal food.  But now that I don't have help to get the Pepcid down her, she can't eat a/d anymore because it upsets her tummy.  The vet said I could try the slippery elm bark for now, but if her phosphorus or calcium levels get high, we can't use it anymore.  I guess the Epakitin is working well because her phosphorus used to be high.  So we will see if that helps any when I get it in the mail.

However, she lost nearly all the weight she had gained.  Still, she's up 1.5 ounces from last time.  She's 8 pounds, 10.5 ounces now.

The vet called today with Jewel's blood work.  It's not good.

Her BUN went up from 41 to 46 - but I don't know what that means.

Her creat. went up from 3.4 to 4.1.  The vet says that means her kidney disease has gotten worse.  It is now in stage 3, and she needs subcutaneous fluids because she's dehydrated.

To say that I'm overwhelmed, stressed out, and extremely sad would be an understatement.  This situation has some very unique circumstances I'm not at liberty to discuss in a public forum. 

I'm nearly blind (yes, my vision is much worse than the cut-off for "legally blind") and I don't know how I'm going to be able to give her these fluids if it's something that relies on vision at all.  

The vet gave her an appetite stimulant, but it's a pill, and I can't pill her.  Even when I had a sighted person help, it took both of us and several tries to get a pill down her.  She's VERY good at getting the pills out, even if they're halfway down her throat.  She refuses to eat Greenies' pill pockets or to eat her pills as a powder in anything.  So, how am I supposed to give her this appetite stimulant??  

On top of all of this, I have some other major stresses going on in my life - mainly financial - and as I move up the waiting lists for affordable/subsidized housing, I'm trying to figure out how I can get BOTH my companion animals (Carmine and Milita) into these places when everyone's "policy" is to only allow one.  Not only would it be detrimental to me, but it would be detrimental to them for either of them to be split from the household after 8 years together, and I am not willing to allow this to happen.  

Jewel: That awful human tried to get me to eat a yucky Greenies pill pocket tonight.  When I refused, she tried to put it in my mouth, so I drew her bloods!  Nobody is going to make me eat a pill if I don't want it!

If someone would kindly like to make a Purrs and Prayers badge for Jewel, that would be nice.  You are welcome to use any of the pictures on the blog of Jewel for it.