Doctors, Again

Raleigh went to the doctor today, and the findings were a relief.

He had his blood tested and was given some x-rays. His mouth was of course examined, due to his stomatitis, his poundage weighed and his abdomen felt. Though he has lost a little weight since his last examination, which must have been more than a year ago now, Peachy still depresses the scales at six kilograms (13.23 pounds), which I think is a very good weight for his size. He has no fever and no mysterious growths.

There was bad news, though not very bad news. His lungs sounded ‘heavy’, and he may have a touch of upper respiratory infection but, as his breathing is normal, not enough to warrant any medicine for it. His gums are, on the whole, a little better-looking than last time they were examined, but the doctor noticed some increased redness on the left side, at the back.

In short, Raleigh is not facing any major problems, and his appetite’s decrease may be attributable simply to his mouth hurting. A slight increase in his Prednisolone dosage was prescribed, as were a short-term appetite-stimulant (Mirtazapine) and a shorter-term pain-killer (Gabapentin). Strangely, the medicine to increase his appetite is in pill form, and the best way to give it is in Raleigh’s food… I attempted this at dinner, and he was immediately suspicious of his fare. The Mirtazapine evidently has a taste and smell, neither of which Raleigh finds appealing. Tucker had been prescribed the same drug in transdermal form, so if Raleigh doesn’t eat more, I will probably ask about getting some for him. However, the Gabapentin may be enough to encourage my boy to eat, and it is given in liquid form, so, once in my clutches, he has no choice but to take it, the poor guy.

I spoke with the doctor about an alternative to the Prednisolone that Raleigh is receiving. Deximethinine is injected (much like insulin would be) once a month. This would be a blessing for the Peach except for the fact that he would first need to be weaned off his current steroid. That would undoubtedly cause a resurgence in his stomatitis; the less Prednisolone, the more stomatitis and pain. The weaning could take weeks. Then would come the determination of dosage of Deximethinine; it would likely start small, so Raleigh’s relief from the discomfort occasioned by the loss of the Prednisolone would not be immediate. The new drug is something to consider, but, so long as his appetite continues enough to consume his current medicine with his food, I think it would be better to continue with that, rather than switch to the new.

Assuming that Raleigh’s diminished eating is due to pain in his mouth, he should soon start to feel more amenable to food, and be more like his old self in a little while.