And That's Progress

I would like to thank all those who commented and thought about Parker during his recent ordeal. Certainly, many cats have been through far worse, but he doesn’t know that, so the good wishes are appreciated.

My orange foster-boy is doing well. He used the litter-box last night for both numbers one and two. What is it about pet-owners that makes us so pleased with regularity in waste-disposal in our animals? There is nothing wrong with Parker’s urinary and intestinal tracts, and that he had nothing to put into the box is perfectly understandable, considering his fast, and the subsequent lag between at last eating and the inevitable disposal of what wasn’t required. Even so, it was a good sight to me.

He continues to receive his medicine, which he finds onerous. On top of the three different doses given orally by syringe, there is his insulin and, because his blood-sugar numbers are up and down right now, I have to poke him for a test before each injection. But the number of such intrusions will diminish today, with the last of his pain-killers given this evening. I rather wish that particular medicine would last longer, as Parker is likely still in discomfort. But as healing continues, the pain will disappear naturally.

His appetite never really decreased and now he is back on his regular schedule, though the small amount of hard-food he had been receiving has been replaced with soft.

I am to report to the veterinary about Parker in a couple of weeks, unless something bad happens in the interval. But all is set fair, and I am grateful for my friend’s recovery.

Then there is this guy…

Tucker, being weighed here, is still heavy. His poundage fluctuates from month to month, but only within half a pound or so; I am not worried. On a definitely positive note, the experiment to stabilize his blood-sugar numbers has not worked the way I had hoped, but has worked. His dosage of insulin was lowered from four units in the morning and three in the evening to two-and-two. This was expected to raise his numbers, but to raise them to where they are even and consistent.

There is still inconsistency, but his numbers are in fact a good deal lower. Too much insulin can affect them as adversely as too little, and Tucker may not have needed so much for so long. So, in consultation with his doctor, I have kept my roly poly on two units of insulin in both the morning and the evening. He seems no worse for it, though I am vigilant as regards other signs, such as weakness in his rear legs.

And on that subject, we can’t have good news without some bad. Tucker is limping, favouring his left rear foot or leg. This, I’m certain, has nothing to do with his diabetes; that would have a different effect. I have examined the limb and he doesn’t flinch from pain. He played very actively last night and is in every other way normal (for Tucker). I was thinking of making an appointment for him to see his doctor, but I suspect she would just feel the leg and offer to take an x-ray, and I’m pretty sure there is nothing amiss that an x-ray would display. So we will see how well the leg does over the weekend.

To finish a hectic, unusual week: a little bad news, but overwhelmingly good. And when steps forward out-number those backwards, it’s progress.