I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Off-Topic => Off-Topic: Talk about anything you want. => Topic started by: aharris2 on January 16, 2009, 07:56:25 PM
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Harry is on the couch with his brother, sleeping. He is in a half-body splint and a diaper and cannot move his legs. I am allowing him to go through 4 weeks of treatment day by day as long as he appears to tolerate it in the hopes of getting some improvement. But I wonder if I am doing right by him...
Harry is my beloved cat who has been sleeping on my pillow every night for the last 15 years. Over the last several months he has developed high blood pressure and lost his eyesight. It was also determined that he was in the earliest stages of kidney failure.
It is a time I had been dreading - what would take him? A stroke? Kidney failure?
Saturday night two weeks ago, Harry got out. He had never left his front yard, but this time he disappeared. I found him Sunday morning lying in the grass of the 15th hole across the street from the house wet with dew and barely able to walk so I carried him home, dried him off, looked for damage, fed him and gave him a drink. He was walking, but barely able to get his hips halfway up. I wanted to give him something for pain but figured I should take him to the emergency vet for xrays first. I did, and she assured me that nothing was broken and that the night out was probably hard on the old guy's body. She encouraged me to get bloodwork done, focusing on the chronic conditions.
I took him home and he got progressively better - not right, but headed there. But, he was staying close to the litter box and not putting out what I thought he should. So I shared his story, brought records and dropped him off at his regular vet. It seems the regular vet ignored the acute condition - weakness in his legs and possible intestinal issues and instead pursued the chronic condition. He did over three hundred dollars of blood work and a urinalysis, then recommended that I take him to a specialist. Harry was returned to me in his cat carrier. When I got him home, he never got up. I figured he had been medicated for the testing, so I kept him comfortable overnight. He did not recover and, for the first time in his life, wouldn't eat. The next day, I got him to the specialist (an internist of course because everyone was focused on the chronic condition.)
This is what they missed:
That Saturday night, Harry broke his back. That's why he had weakness in his legs. He has a fractured vertebra in between his shoulder blades. Vet #1 missed it on Sunday. Vet #2 didn't even consider the acute condition - he took in a cat who was improving - walking, eating and drinking and returned to me a cat who was paralyzed from a mishandled spinal fracture.
If only this had been caught, if only the acute condition had been the focus instead of them wasting their attention on the chronic condition, perhaps Harry would have been spare this. Now I don't know what to do.
Alene
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What the .....................
:'( :'(
This is absolutely terrible for the vets not to diagnose a broken back
Geez mate
Poor Harry
:grouphug;
I don't have any advice
but you will know what to do and what is best for Harry
My dear ol Gemma had kidney and liver failure
She fought long and hard but I was very worried about her suffering the pain
My vet told me "just look into her eyes and you will know what to do"
It was so true
Lots of love mate
:grouphug;
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Oh I am so sorry for your kitty! That is horrible for your pet to have to go through. I dont know what to say....bastards.. :boxing;
your poor kitty... :(
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I am so sorry for you and your beloved pet. As said you will know what to do when it is time.
Ann
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You have my prayers. My hugs go to you and your furbaby.
:grouphug;
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OMG I would be so pissed off. I'm so sorry your little baby is suffering. I don't know what to say but if he is not in pain maybe he will heal but I don't know. Maybe having him put to sleep while showing love would be better. What is life expectancy of his specie? My heart goes out to you because you ultimately have to make a tough decision and I know it will be hard, but know that he depends on you to make the decision. He senses your grief and love. :cuddle; :cuddle;
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Sorry Alene, I've lost two cats in the last year and I know how hard that is. I don't have any advice. It's so hard to tell sometimes how an animal is really feeling. I agree with Jessup about the looking in the eyes part. Are his eyes still bright? If he is not eating, that's not a good sign. :cuddle;
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I am so sorry for your poor cat. Sounds like a terrible situation. Just make sure there is no pain and do your best to care for the little thing. In a day or two you should be able to get a good sense of what kind of outcome your kitty will have and how best to take care of her.
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Oh Alene, I am so sorry! Harry sure hangs tough regardless of the challenges.
What kind of treatment would he have to go through over the 4 weeks?
I am not sure I told you about Woody, our cat who severely damaged his leg, tore the ligaments in his knee when he got caught between branches after a dog chased him up a tree.
This was 5 days after Jenna's transplant - I was 2 hours away and my kids were calling me because Woody couldn't walk.
I had my husband drive to La Jolla to stay with Jenna and I came home to take him to the vet.
The vet said he would need surgery. The cost was over $1000 and would have to be confined for a month. I was stunned. I took Woody home to decide what to do.
My mom encouraged me just to wait and see how he did. Amazingly, he got better. little by little. He cannot jump the same as before, but he has adapted to the situation. Two years later he is ok, still catches mice and lizards.
My point is, we don't really know. Do what makes sense, in your heart. Treat him gently. Sending lots of love to you and Harry. :grouphug;
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I am so sorry to hear about the situation with your cat.
It seems as though Harry is a tough little guy, and I believe he deserves every chance to get better.
Other than that, my only advice is to let those first two vets have a piece of your mind. Hopefully they will be more comprehensive in their future examinations and spare some other animal in need the pain poor Harry had to endure.
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Aww, Alene. Poor Harry. It is so disappointing that two vets missed the problem, especially something like a broken back. And to have spent all that money just to have Harry in worse shape than when you brought him in. Makes me cry. I had a similar experience as Okarol. Our cat his limping bad, probably hit by a car. Took him to the vet and he said he had broken bones in his leg. It would take surgery to fix and cost about $2000. I asked what would happen if he didn't have the surgery. "He will have a limp and someday may have arthritis" We kept him quiet for a couple of weeks and Vinnie went on to live a happy life. Your patient, loving care may be just what Harry needs. You are a wise woman and will know what to do if Harry doesn't improve. I'll be saying lots of special kitty prayers for your sweet boy. :cuddle; :cuddle;
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it took the vet longer to put Sad Sack down because she was so swollen - and I thought Bubba was going to come undone - but the vet was so loving and by the time it was over the vet was in tears - Sad Sack never complained or growled or anything -- I looked into her eyes and knew it was the right thing to do - we could have drained her tummy but it would have filled up again in a matter of days -
I was wishing I would have had them drain her tummy and she would be here with me now at the computer -- but she is better off - we aren't but she is -
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:grouphug;
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:grouphug;
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I'm so sorry for you and your poor kitty, Alene! :cuddle;
What stupid vets! :banghead;
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Poor kitty!
Sadly, like human doctors, vets don't always see the things they should.
Heck, I'm becoming a vet tech..my dog seemed to be having spine problems, but when I took her to the vet in October, she showed no pain. Last week she was in so much pain I made an appointment for 3 days later. Of course, Tuesday she showed no pain. The vet gave the option of taking xrays but didn't say they were necessary. I said give xrays. Turns out she has broken her pelvis in atleast 2 places in her life. No wonder she's in pain sometimes! She probably shouldn't even be able to walk! I would be in pain too! He told us to put her on exercise restriction. Today she was romping around like a puppy. Animals have an amazing ability to heal!
Suggestion: If he's not eating, get some soft food (the stinkiest you can find) and heat it up in the microwave for a few seconds. Cats tend to love that. That is what vet offices try to get cats to eat!
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Love and kisses to you. I hope your cat can get stronger. :grouphug; :grouphug;
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twirl :cuddle;
Jess I hope your kitty improves. :grouphug;
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poor kitty and poor you. that's not the way to treat either of you. i hope things start to get better.
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:grouphug; :grouphug;
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I am sorry to hear about this Alene and a decision on what to do is very hard But you don't want Harry to suffer if you can help it with intervention medically or physically. Loosing a pet is hard and what to do is no easy answer especially with the cost of medical care.
I hope Harry improves though.
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Checking in to see how Harry is today. And to see how you are doing. Love you :cuddle;
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So sorry to read about your poor kitty.
:grouphug; :grouphug; :grouphug; :grouphug;
I will pray it will all be ok,
Anne
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Paris, Harry is hanging in there. He may be depressed, certainly confused by his immobility, but I gotta remember that his favorite activities have always been sleeping with me and waiting for me to sit down or go to bed so that he can sleep with me. He did sleep with me all night last night.
Okarol, His treatment is the splint on his back. They were originally talking 8 to 12 weeks, but now they're talking 4. Can he take it? I don't know. They also have no basis for talking 4 weeks - they haven't seen him since putting the splint on.
There might have been an operation to stabilize the spine. But, they did xrays and quoted the price for the operation - doable, then they said he needs dye injected into his spine because the problem wasn't clear... add that price on, still doable. I implored them not to take me to the point where all my money was used on testing then leaving nothing for the operation... Then they needed a CT scan because the problem still wasn't clear. Not too expensive, so I let them do it. It told the whole story (might it have as the first test? I don't know.) So they knew what to do. But they were unwilling to continue his sedation that night. They wanted to bring him out of it and do the operation the next morning. I told them to give me the quote in the morning. Well because they had kept him under so long the previous night, because there would be additional days of hospitalization, some in ICU, because it was a more complex operation, and because of the additional testing, THE COST OF THE WHOLE PROCESS HAD DOUBLED. I could have handled a 50% increased cost, But doubled is not attainable. They did what I asked them not to do - testing to the point where I could no longer afford treatment. When I realized it, I started screaming at them but to no avail (although, get this, I did uncover a $1000.00 error in my bill in their favor - how dare they! How many times is stuff like that missed?) Harry will be treated conservatively, the displaced bone chip will remain displaced.
Thank you all for your good wishes.
:grouphug;
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Hope he gets better soon.
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Oh dear sweet Harry. I am so sorry for this to happen to him just when he didn't need extra bad stuff. He sounds like the most loving and supportive cat though. It's stories like this (him sleeping with you) that I point to when people have a go at me about cats being aloof and all that. I know my cat is like Harry too she just loves to snuggle with me and sleep and yet she can tell when I'm not feeling so well and SHE will be the one who supports me the best way she can.. not bugging me for food or anything just sitting quiely next to me while I nap or lie down.
The thing is from now is to think of Harry's wellbeing and comfort I feel. I know it is the hardest thing to think about but if he is in pain and discomfort it might be time to think about what is best for him and his quality of life. I think for now though he seems to be doing ok and battling along and wanting to be with you so maybe chat with the vet about their opinion too. You wouldn't want Harry to suffer unduly I'm sure....
My thoughts are with you & Harry at this time. :grouphug; :grouphug; :grouphug;
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Hopefully he will heal Alene. :cuddle;
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Just love on him, sometimes that is what is needed.
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so his name is Harry Harris :rofl; very cute
and how is he today
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So sorry to hear this, Alene. I'm sending lots of love and {gentle} hugs to you and Harry. :cuddle; :grouphug;
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Arlene this is so sad.
But lets be honest for a minute.
Harry has been around for 15 years. That is an extra great life for a domesticated cat of anykind :clap;
he has been by your side all these years and been loyal to you as you have to him.
You say he is blind and has kidney disease. Now on top of it all he has been put thought the wringer with a battery of tests, all to find out the poor thing has a broken back.
Lets say he heals from that and we all wish him the best. he has many other issues Age being one of them fighting against him.
Please dont take me wrong i am one of the biggest cat lovers you will ever find. Make that animal lovers.
Maybe it is time to go with him and have him put to sleep painlessly hard as that is to think or say to you.
One thing that stuck out other then your vets incompetence was what you your self said. And i know this is true cause i have been though it myself.
You say harry never left the yard. But this one night he did.
Did you know cats like so many other animals go away to die alone in peace. Maybe this is what he was trying to do. Maybe HE knows it is time. to often and understandably we dont want to lose our pets. Even when they know it is there time.
Again Arlene please dont think im heartless or cruel or trying to make you upset.
I am looking at it from Harry's point of view. (maybe?)
P&K
:cuddle; Either way you have tough decisions ahead.
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:grouphug;
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One thing that stuck out...was what you your self said....
You say harry never left the yard. But this one night he did.
Did you know cats like so many other animals go away to die alone in peace. Maybe this is what he was trying to do. Maybe HE knows it is time. to often and understandably we dont want to lose our pets. Even when they know it is there time.
Based on where I found him, he was struggling to get home - broken back, barely able to walk, struggling to get home. Poor little guy. :'(
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Sorry to hear what has gone on with this hospital. Geez, seems they just want to make any money as much as they can.. A $1000 eror, I hoppe they charged less for meds. No matter what they'll probably try to make it up in someway.
I wish Harry does get better and back to his normal self.
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:grouphug; Sending more hugs and healing thoughts. :grouphug; :grouphug;
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I have only just caught up with this thread Alene, I am SO sorry to read what has happened to Harry. Mum & Dad had to have their cat Bertie put down on New Year's Eve, he had been with them 18 years so I know how awful it is (he was grown when they had him and the vet said he was well over 20) . The fact that they are old doesn't make it any easier - in fact when they've been with you that long it makes a bigger gap. I wish Harry well, bless his heart. :cuddle;
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aharris, Lord do I know what you mean about these Vets and their costs. It is unbelievable to me. I hope he is doing better. :cuddle; Willie, Winnie and Mouse send their love and best wishes. :waving;
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How is the poor kitty doing? I hope your okay too.
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:cuddle; How's our boy doing? Hugs for Harry, and you too Alene.
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How about an update on the little guy.
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We visited the vet today. There's no significant change yet. We're both hanging in there... Thanks :grouphug;
I'll post a pic of his new splint soon (you'll understand why when you see it.)
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I was almost afraid to read you new post----glad Harry is still with us! What is the vet saying now? Harry is lucky to have you. Give him a very gentle pat on the head for me :cuddle;
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Lots of love and get well wishes to Harry
:grouphug; :grouphug;
Lots of love to you mate - what a great human pet you are
:flower; :flower;
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Here he is, by himself and with his brother Thurgood. How do you like the color on that splint?
He'll be in it for another couple of weeks.
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I love to see the photos, he looks pretty good - thanks for the update! :cuddle;
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Cute Cats.
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Hope Harry is doing better every day.
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Ah the poor little guy...........
He looks much better then the picture i had in my mind.
Any idea how he got injured?
They are both beautiful cats. Hope he heals in full and fast.
P&K
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aawwee cutie cats! Sorry for your situation. How many lives do cats have? :grouphug;
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aharris How is Harry doing? Keep us updated. :cuddle;
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Aw and a purple splint too!! Bless his little heart I hope he's going to be OK.
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Sorry Alene I missed this thread. I am so sorry your Harry is going through this. Looking at the pics though he doesn't look his age at all so I think he will be OK. He doesn't look too stressed either. The costs of vet care is criminal. We have medical cover over here for pets but it is obviously a lot more expensive for older pets. Still, I have saved thousands on vet bills but I still think they put the pets through unnecessary tests to get their fees up. Every time I go near my vet they recommend xrays and bloods. I hope the poor little bloke gets on the road to recovery soon. xx
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Oh, Alene, Harry is adorable! Judging by his appearnce in the pictures, he looks like he is doing well (or as well as can be expected of a kitty wearing a splint and a diaper!).
His brother is a cutie, too.
Please keep us updated! :cuddle;
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Alene, I was ordered by His Royal Highness King Leon to ask if you could please give each of your kitties a kiss from both myself and King Leon.
Hang in there. :grouphug;
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And Alene, if you ever have any vet questions, I'd be happy to phone my brother and ask them on your behalf. Hope Harry heals well. :grouphug;
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Harry's a real cutie. I love the one of the two brothers curled up together! Adorable :)
Hoping he is getting better and better every day!!
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Ahh, Harry has a purple cast! That poor sweet kitty :cuddle; Cast and a diaper---that doesn't seem fair. I hope he heals a little bit everyday. He has the best caregiver :2thumbsup;
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Here's hoping Harry is feeling better :flower;
Anne
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What darling little cats. They are lucky to have you.
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nice pics
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Any more news about Harry?
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Just wondering how the little guy is doing.
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Thanks everyone for your kind words and good wishes. Harry is hanging in there, no better, no worse. He does move his legs, especially during diaper changes but it may be nothing more than reflexes. he still has another week in the splint. He does look good in purple.
I have never had children, so I am not used to this diaper stuff. It is endlessly entertaining. Since his injury, Harry has been greeting me by standing tall on his front legs, eyes open wide. Occasionally his diaper is a good 1 1/2 ft away from him. Shaved butt, standing tall, big saucer eyes... so cute!!! (he's sitting in my lap right now saying '...don't you tell that story...'
:shy;
Maybe I'll get that pic and post it.
Mikey, I passed on the kisses (pthhh... hair in my mouth!)
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Hi
Sending :cuddle; to you and Harry
I sure hope the lil guy gets all better soon,
Anne
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Any news on Harry, Alene? I think about the poor little guy all the time. . . :cuddle;
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Update coming after Thursday. Thanks for thinking of him.
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Here's hoping he is healing.
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How is Harry? :cuddle;
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It's 6 weeks later. It took a week to get properly diagnosed and into a splint. He wore the splint for 4 1/2 weeks and had it taken off on Thursday. He is absolutely thrilled to have it off. He needs another 4 weeks of limited activity and then another evaluation.
There is some good news - he has some limited motor function in his hind legs and there's hope that he will get progressively more function. Enough to walk? Time will tell. He's now able to bathe himself and is making up for lost time.
He's still in a diaper but he's in control of himself, he just can't fully access the litter box. He locomotes to the box, gets his front half in and digs quite diligently. He then uses the diaper. Apparently that litterbox thing is hardwired into him (thank God!)
Pictures coming...
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Oh, Alene, I am so happy and relieved! Sounds like the little guy is coming along nicely! :cuddle;
Yipee! :yahoo;
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:2thumbsup; Wow - that's fabulous!
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:yahoo;
Great news mate
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That's some good progress Alne. I hope he makes a full recovery, maybe being out of the splint will help him achieve that.
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Oh bless him, hope he continues to do well :cuddle;
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So sorry to hear about your cat.
:grouphug; :grouphug; :grouphug;
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Hi,
Glad to read that your kitty Harry is
coming along so nicely! Sending a big
:grouphug; to him, and a bunch of :flower;
:flower; :flower; :flower; :flower; :flower;
to you!
Anne
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His Royal Majesty, King Leon again sends a proclamation of Royal Love and Healing. Get better soon! :grouphug;
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A couple of pics...
First is the boys' Valentine's Day pic, second is Harry's excursion out - he took himself outside to "find a restroom" !!!
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Harry and his brother are adorable!
Thanks for the pictures. So glad to see Harry coming along! :yahoo;
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:flower; so happy that your little buddy is getting better :cheer:
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Good for Harry, he seems to be healing well. :thumbup;
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Oh bless him, I wish I could give him a hug :cuddle;
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:bump;
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Update:
It about 10 weeks later. Harry is getting around taking small, low steps with his hind legs, pausing to rest frequently. He makes a move for the door whenever it opens and can be remarkably fast.
He is out of the diaper finally - it has caused bladder infections. It was a difficult process with occasional accidents. But we're close to accident free now.
Thanks yet again for all of the positive energy coming his way! :grouphug;
BTW - I have found a very nice cat litter, "Yesterday's News". It is very absorbent, keeps those lovely fragrances in check, and it stays in the box, even with Harry (early on) dragging the back half of his body through it and out onto the floor.
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Good to hear of his recovery! :clap;
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wishing all the best for sweet Harry. he's such a trooper and glad he is getting there. I just want to send him big long (gentle!) kitty hugs!
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More good news I see on Harry. :bandance;
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Thank you for the update! So glad to hear that Harry is coming along so well.
Your patience in caring for Harry warms my heart. He is fortunate to have you for his Mommy.
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Dearest Alene,
My heart is with you my friend. I had a cat that was a senior citizen and was suffering from a tumor in her belly. We made the choice to have her put to sleep but it was very bad and the hardest decision to make. I agree with the vet to look into his eyes and he will let you know what to do. I feel your pain my friend. Listen to your heart is my only advice.
love always,
Earlinda
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I am glad your kitty is better. :flower;
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:flower; great news.
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Glad the little guy is doing well.
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Harry is amazing. No doubt the good care he's gotten has had a lot to do with his improvement! :grouphug;