Tungsten's Test Results are In

Tungsten returned to the animal hospital this week for some more tests. She has hyperthyroidism and may be facing kidney disease. The results have come back and they are good.

The orange one’s level from the ‘protein-creatine’ test for her kidneys was previously at 0.2, which was too high. Now it is at 0.1, with which the veterinarian professed herself “very happy”. The T4 numbers, which the doctor would like to see between 10 and 30, are at 13, which is “perfect”, the vet said. Tungsten started out her hyperthyroidism at 59. At the time, I was told that 60 is the limit for a non-hyperthyroid cat. In any case, Tungsten is sitting at good amounts for both her thyroid and kidney.

I intend to call the doctor today, and ask her if anything I may have been doing helped this situation, and if not, what may have done. I have been using a syringe to pump water into the Tiny Terror three times a day (45 millilitres in total every 24 hours), and have provided her with California Natural hard-food to bulk her up, instead of the Orijen that the others get. The latter food is, I believe, better, but it tends not to add weight to the cats. Normally, that is a good thing. Indeed, according to a recent weighing, all the cats have maintained their poundage or lost a bit. Tungsten, however, gained, and now stands, or sits, or lies, depending on her mood, at almost three kilograms again.

I have noticed that she is a bit more active, too. She doesn’t play much, but will once in a while rocket around the house, just for the fun of it. As well, she walks about more. After dinner, for instance, she would almost immediately go to her cat-bed and lie down. She has never been lethargic or even overly tired, from what I can tell, but now she wanders around before settling down; taking her evening constitutional. She has been using my lap just as much as her bed, though that may be due to a change of seasons.

Everything seems to be on the border with Tungsten: I have to be watchful she doesn’t go too far this way or that. But if she keeps on as she is right now, I will be pleased. She is heading toward what I arbitrarily proclaimed her birthday (May 2nd) and will be an estimated fourteen years old. I have a feeling she may be older. But, in any case, for a cat who has always been tiny and skinny, she is aging well.