Spring is here....
This is undoubtedly one of my most favorite times of the year!
The memories of Winter are fading quickly - and the trees are in full bloom and the birds are singing!
Here in Ohio, the weather can vary widely during the Spring, one day it may be close to 80 degrees out, and the next day it can have trouble topping 50...
This has not been an easy Spring for us by any means though - it has brought us unexpected concerns and expenses with a urinary blockage issue in one of our male cats.
Rusty, unknown to us, has been collecting urinary stones in his bladder for some time - and one or more recently resulted in his inability to urinate. This can be deadly in a cat as the bladder fills to capacity and the kidneys shut down.
We were very lucky to have mis-diagnosed the ailment as constipation and took him to a local Vet Hospital where we learned what the real cause was.
It was with indescribable joy that we received the news later that evening that they had managed to drain his bladder via a catheter - but that news was tempered with grim news that his bladder had multiple stones that would require surgery to remove.
No self-respecting pet owner ever wishes to hear the news that their beloved pet requires expensive surgery to survive - it can lead to an agonizing decision based on the cost and the age of the pet - whether to proceed or not.
Considering that Rusty is only 9 years old, we decided the expense was worth it - and were glad that it was not one of our older cats - whom making the decision for would have been much tougher.
To further compound events - three days after taking Rusty home from the hospital, we had to take him back since he had blocked up again. This required even more extensive (and expensive) surgery to reconcile - but again - we judged him to be worth it and gave our OK.
As I write this, it is now 8 days since the second surgery, and things seem to be proceeding very well - at least to our untrained eyes.
To protect his incision, he has been fitted with an Elizabethan or "E" collar - a conical device around his neck. The collar has made mealtimes interesting - but Rusty has figured our how to eat within its confines.
We have a followup vet appointment tomorrow night, here is hoping that the prognosis is a positive one - for both Rusty's and our sakes...
posted by Unknown at
10:32 AM
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