The Tests Speak

Late today I heard from Neville’s doctor about the results of the grey lion’s tests. They are not for what I was hoping.

Among the less ominous aspects is that Nev is heading into stage two kidney disease. Another is that he needs a higher concentration of his Methimazole, for his hyperthyroidism. But what is worrying is that many indicators from the tests are elevated. Protein, globulin and liver enzymes are all up, and the doctor stated that there is “something going on in the liver”. She is afraid that what is going on is cancer.

Neville will go back to the hospital next Wednesday for an ultrasound of the organ in question.

I was concerned as soon as I saw the very low blood-glucose number on Saturday that there was some action external to the diabetes at work. Even today, there is evidence that something is amiss: this morning, the Nevsky’s numbers were very high; I gave him insulin. They obviously dropped through the day, reading 15.1 when I returned from work and continuing to decrease, despite eating and receiving no insulin. He is currently at 4.8, just within normal range, but probably on its way lower.

All of this is, as readers may imagine, disappointing, if one can be disappointed at an event that was half-expected. But we will see what the next week holds, and cope with it as it comes.

Of What We Learned at the Hospital

Neville went to his doctor today. His physical examination brought nothing untoward to light, but he was deprived of some blood and urine for tests; their results are forthcoming. The doctor was concerned with Nev’s erratic glucose numbers, and the tests are in part to determine if anything other than diabetes might be the cause.

The weakness Neville is having in his rear end seems nonetheless to be related to diabetes, since he still has some decent muscle tone back there. Neuropathy - the weakness that sometimes afflicts diabetic cats - is nerve damage caused by prolonged unmanaged diabetes. But it seems strange that it is occurring simultaneous with his fluctuating numbers. And then there is the Nevsky’s inability always to put his poop in a litterbox, though he is usually successful. Neuropathy can indeed disrupt bowel function.

But aside from the opportunity to test his fluids, Neville’s visit to the hospital was, I think, beneficial. I value the doctor he has and I feel rather more confident with her knowing the old grey lion’s condition. As well, I bought another glucose monitor - the kind that is attached to the skin and transmits the amounts electronically to a reading device - and the doctor thought that is a better idea to gauge blood-sugar than a fructosamine test. The previous attempt to attach a monitor to Nev ended ingloriously when it simply refused to operate. This one is already working. Whatever the solution to the mystery, we can see that mystery evolve in ‘real-time’, which is a tremendous advantage. If we can better manage his numbers, it might help his bowels, along with other things.

For his part, Neville is just pleased to be back home.

Upward

After his startlingly low blood-glucose number of early yesterday, Neville’s numbers began to climb. I gave him a touch of corn syrup, and by early evening, he had doubled his digits, though he was still not out of the worrying zone, which shows how low he was.

As of this morning, though, Neville was just above the normal range for blood-sugars, so he is out of danger. I suspect that his numbers will climb until they reach the far too high level at which they usually sit. That is only a little better than far too low numbers; he can live with the higher - he has for some time now - but it is not good for him.

Nonetheless, Nev is eating, he is a little steadier on his feet, and I can see that he is feeling improved. This won’t save him from a trip to the hospital this week, however. It’s time for a check-up, and I will request a fructosamine test, similar to what Indigo is periodically given, to determine the course of his diabetes over the past couple of weeks. Maybe this will help find some answers to this latest mystery from my cats.

Medical Advice Needed

It looks like Neville is bound for the veterinary after all. Though I don’t perform ‘curves’ on him any more, as they tend not to be curves so much as straight lines - a straight line of high numbers - I check his blood on the weekends. Its glucose has been very high for years now, with the insulin doing nothing to lower it (though I continue to give it as it may be doing other good). But today when I tested his blood sugar, it was low, even lower than is good for a healthy cat.

This could be a mistake of the glucometer. I will of course test the Nevsky before administering any more insulin. If the reading is accurate, then it might explain how he is currently under the weather. I don’t think it warrants a trip to the emergency hospital; I don’t have a high opinion of the one in our community, and they would merely prescribe something to boost his glucose. I have corn syrup on hand if the numbers drop lower at the next reading, or even if they remain the same.

The cause of this surprising situation is a mystery. Hopefully, it will be solved at the hospital this coming week.

Taking Her Next Chance

Sable continues her ascent to true socialisation and domesticity. She has been on the bed every night for a week now. She doesn’t stay the whole night; she is still unnerved by my proximity - though I can pass by and even do things, such as wipe the floor, closer to her now than ever before - and movement of which she is uncertain makes her anxious. Thus, when I have to get up in the middle of the night, she often drops down off the bed to sleep elsewhere until morning. But last night, she stayed on the bed when I left the room, departing only when I returned and struggled to get back in with cats on either side of me and at my feet.

I believe this latest step, like the others, has been possible because of Moxy. It is next to the Mixer that Sabe lies each night, and it is to be there that she climbs the bed. I think she might have slept on the bed eventually without him, emulating Imogen and Indigo, but it would have taken a very long time. Seeing him snoozing contentedly on the comforter, wanting his company and benefitting from his confidence, Sable has taken her next chance.

A Joyful Noise

This is the sound Neville makes whenever he sees his food-bowl approaching. I think he likes the idea of food, more than the substance of it.

Right now, though, my old lion isn’t eating much. He is throwing up more than he has in a long time, and his crap is more often than not liquidy. I theorised that the latter was due to getting into some new hard-food that I am trying to make available to the others, but now I wonder about that. While he is still able to get in and out of litter-boxes, and even jump up onto the couch in the sitting room - he doesn’t always use the stairs - his rear end sometimes sags and his legs splay, as if he doesn’t have the strength there that he once did. Weakness in the back is a symptom of unmanaged diabetes, which Nev unfortunately has, so these may be problems related to that.

I am not sure if the veterinary can do anything about this, and I don’t know if it is anything but age, so I will observe the Nevsky more before taking him to the hospital, as he finds that a very stressful event. For the time being, I will supplement his Recovery with other foods which he enjoys, but has more difficulty eating, and watch my old man closely.

Door-stop: the Sequel

One of the cats was wrestling with something jammed between the cushions of the couch in the library. I eventually dug it out and found a toy from a couple of weeks ago.

Who was the cat in question? Need anyone ask?