As some of you know, Lita made her way to the vet yesterday. Thank you to all who left purrs and prayers for her on Facebook - we appreciate the support very much!
I decided to take Lia to the vet because she has not been herself for a couple of weeks. She is spending a lot of time under the dresser, and she is not as enthusiastic about food as she usually is. She's usually the first one in the kitchen when I open a can, but there have been times lately where she doesn't even bother moving from where she is when she hears a can open.
Given her serious respiratory issues, I thought it best not to guess about what's bothering her and take her to see Dr. S instead.
She weighed in at 12.68 pounds. Dr. S and I agree that while Lita is a little overweight, we would both be happy if she stays at this weight for the rest of her life. I'm glad we're on the same page about this.
He gave her a thorough exam. He said her eyes look great, and her kidneys and thyroid feel just fine. He said there is some bacteria on her teeth, but he thinks the water additive he's created may help with that (we have some here already because he thought it would help Carmine, too).
His comments reminded me once again how severe Lita's asthma really is. It makes me rather sad. I wish there were a way to reverse the damage to her lungs; I'd give anything to reverse it if I could!
He said he can still hear the asthma sounds in her lungs, but we agreed that since she is not coughing, she doesn't need to go back on Convenia right now. While I'd really like to get her down to a lower Prednisolone dose, Dr. S and I agree that now is not the time to try and do that. The air has been just awful around here this summer! So, for now, she will remain on a pretty high dose of Pred.
The issue, we think, is her arthritis. Lita became pretty upset when Dr. S was examining her hips and back legs (where her arthritis is the worst).
We had a discussion about what else we can do to help her. Dr. S gave us some treats to try. The teats are called GlycoFlex. Has anyone tried them? He wants her to stay on Cosequin and Adequan. He sent us home with more buprenophine to give her for pain. We talked about Tramadol, but it is not a good long-term solution, he says, and Lita was really traumatized by getting pilled with the huge pills when we tried it before.
He'd like her to have more blood work done before the end of the year, which I think is a good idea.
I just feel bad for Lita because I know all too well what chronic pain is like, and I don't want her to have to deal with it.
I gave her some buprenorphine last night. She's out here with me right now, which is an improvement. For the past couple of weeks, she's spent most of her time under the dresser or in Jewel's cube. Hopefully this means that she's more comfortable right now.
Thank you all for caring about Lita and for your purrs and prayers for her. We appreciate you all so much!
It is always the hardest to deal with chronic issues. Overall, though, it sounds like a pretty positive vet visit, and that is a good thing!
ReplyDeletePurrs,
The Chans
Arthritis is no fun sweet Lita and we are all sending you purrs and prayers sweetie.
ReplyDeletePoor Lita! It's so hard when you know your baby is hurting. We hope the GlycoFlex helps. We've never used it though. Sending Lita lots of purrs.
ReplyDeletePoor Lita...sending purrs that the new treats and pain meds will give you some relief.
ReplyDeletePurring our best for her. Brat sends sympathy headbonks.
ReplyDeleteWe are sending many, many purrs to Lita and yourself, Sierra! I was so glad to hear that nothing new has arisen, but I also really feel for Lita, because I remember how my Rosie's arthritis would affect her sometimes. Rosie had severe arthritis in all of her vertebrae, as well as her legs. None of the typical pain meds worked for her, because not only did we see little to no improvement on them, but she was also hypersensitive to most of them. What did work for Rosie's arthritis was Metacam (meloxicam). It's a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, and is admittedly often debated. Some people worry that it can affect the kidneys, but Rosie received Metacam for over 2 years even with CKD. She received the lowest dose possible, every other day, and that was all it took to significantly improve her mobility and reduce the pain caused by her inflammation and arthritis. It was so wonderful to see her walk around jump and more like her old self when she was on Metacam. What's more, Rosie's kidney values remained steady while on Metacam.
ReplyDeleteLita really is so blessed to have you, Sierra. You do everything for her that you can, and because of you she is getting the best care possible. Purrs and prayers to both of you!
I am glad Lita seems more comfortable now. That is a sweet photo. XO
ReplyDeleteI've heard some good things about cannabis pain-relieving products for cats and dogs. We purchased some for Chuck years ago, but it turned out that he wasn't in pain; he was constipated and had a bad heart. And I noticed that Angel's jumps aren't quite what they used to be; she'll be 14 in a few weeks, so I think I'll look into something for her soon. Thanks for the update on Lita!
ReplyDeletePoor Lita. I'm sending lots of purrs to her. It sounds like the biggest issue for her is pain management. I will be honest - Boodie has some arthritis (although she still jumps on the bed and table, she is rather stiff), and we've tried mostly everything you have, including the Glycoflex. But the only thing that really seems to make a noticeable difference, if she sits still long enough for treatments, is the Assisi Loop. If they could figure out a way to keep the thing on the animals without them getting up, they'd really have a winning formula. But the animal has to feel really bad or be sleeping really deeply to keep it on them.
ReplyDeletelita....we R knot on facebook N we R sorree ta lurn ya had ta make a trip two de ewe noe wear place.....better safe N sorree tho....while yur reeportz kinda good we hope de medz for arthur itiz helpz.....st francis' blessingz two ewe ♥♥
ReplyDeleteI am sorry Lita is having so much pain from her arthritis. It does sound like your vet is being very thorough though. I hope the pain killer treats help her. Sending hugs to you and Lita.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry to learn Lita has been having some problems, but glad she got a pretty good report overall. I have no advice about pain management, but will continue sending purrayers and POTP to all of you !
ReplyDeleteI a sorry you have to deal with all that nasty arthritis pain, Lita. That is a bummer. Hpe you get some relief from the pain meds. We here really don't have advice about that for you either. Pipo is 13.5, and he gets glucosamine every day, which seems to help him stay pretty limber. (But of course he doesn't have pain either.)
ReplyDeleteSending purrs and lots of POTP.
Thank you for updating us and tagging our mom on Facebook. We all wish there was something we could do to make life easier for Lita and to make you less stressed and sad, too. We hope our friendship can bring you some comfort.
ReplyDeleteHello Sierra! Hello Milita! Hello Carmine!
ReplyDeleteWell the report sounds fairly good all things considered. I relate to the Asthma as mine has flared up due to high heat & humidity. Do you also have humidity issues there? Summer here has not been enjoyable for the most part.....
Your Vet sounds like they really DO care which is 1/2 the battle. I'm glad Milita is coming out of the cube & being more interactive once again. I DO have a question for you: Can the Bupe be given orally? (P SH was on Gabapentine for overgrooming/discomfort but it made him wired & destructive. Had to wean him off. So now wonder what I can try for his problem.)
Sending purrayerss an <3 Love & strength & **nose kissesss** to all of you from us here!
Sherri-Ellen & Siddhartha Henry x0x0
Darn. Arthritis is really tough (so is asthma!). We're purring that the Glycoflex helps your sweet Lita.
ReplyDeleteWe are hoping Lita gets back to her old self really soon. We are looking to hear good news from you in the next week or so. Feel better Lita. Have a great day.
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