Vet Visit

For the past few days, Charlie, one of the cats has not been feeling well. He's been curled up in his "I don't feel good" position. Never actually sleeping but in a constant state of rest. On Thursday he curled up with me on the couch and went to sleep. His ears got warmer and warmer and when I did my paranoid mother attempt to wake him up, he growled at me.

He really didn't like us touching his hind end. I did a pinch test and came to the conclusion that he was a little dehydrated. So a few phone calls later, he was jammed into a carrier and off to the vet we went. Being a farm girl, I was pretty sure he needed antibiotics but not 100% sure what was the source of the infection. As we prepare to move to some place remote, each vet visit is my chance to bone up on my veterinary science. I am pretty confident that I am prepared for most animal related issues. I compare notes with the vet each time I go too.

In my list of kitty killers, I have bladder blockage due to crystals, poisoning, bowel blockage, injuries, infections, dehydration and then a series of systemic shut down as they get older. My goal is to be able to treat 90% of the ailments and stabilize for transport for the rest.

On my preventative side, to prevent another crystals event or FLUTD (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FLUTD), maintaining consistent food is a huge step. When you change your cats’ food, this changes the PH balance in their bladder. If the PH balance in the bladder becomes basey, crystals can form which can cause a blockage of their urethra. This is more common in male cats than female cats just due to the narrowness and size of the urethra. The "special vet food" for FLUTD is quite expensive and I didn't feel it was as good of quality of food as our normal cat food. The special vet food is high in acid, thus keeping the PH balance in the bladder acidic. We add a little bit of vitamin C to their food to keep the urine on the acidic side. No need for expensive vet food.

I am confident if I am able to catheter my kitty to drain the bladder, we can survive a crystal recurrence. I just need a supply of kitty catheters on hand, some topical anesthetic like lydocaine, KY and a really brave soul.

But back to Charlie and his vet visit. (I rambled)

Soon as we get there, they grab a weight on him. 11.8 lbs… pretty much the same as usual. That’s a great sign. Kitties can drop weight really quick when they are sick. Then his temperature… The average kitty temperature is between 38 and 39 degree Celsius (about a degree more than us). Charlie was running around 40.5. This is the root of his “I don’t feel good” position. This explains his crankiness, being tired, not interested in life. Now for the source of the fever…. Poke poke poke poke poke… oooooooh, what’s this next to his bum. His left anal gland is the size of a marble; his right one is barely noticeable.

Anal glands are what doggies and kitties are looking for when they meet someone new. These foul smelling ewies carries their own stinky calling card. They rest at 10 and 2 o’clock around the anus. Generally they drain into the anus under pressure from a movement but if these ducts get blocked, it is a prime spot for an infection. So now we know what is the root cause of the problem.

Treatment…

Antibotics. (What do I win?) The anal gland will drain on its own. It will either unblock the duct or make its own new path. The path of least resistance is out, so the fear of it draining into him and poisoning him with his own calling card is negligible. If Charlie was a better patient, she would have considered attempting to drain it herself with a finger (YUCK) but Charlie would have taken her life. She recommended Charlie permitting, hot compresses on his bum to draw the infection out as well.

This was the first time we have encountered this problem. I now have another diagnosis and treatment in my memory vault (I love vets who will share). I shall update with his progression.