Neville's Next Chapter

Neville went to the doctor today. He had been off his food for some time, and had been vomiting too much. Even Cerenia was less effective than it usually is. The poor fellow threw up in the carrier during the trip – that had, I suspect, nothing to do with his physical condition – and pooped on the examining table. The Nevsky is not really a brave cat.

The examination went well. Nev has lost a little weight (7.17 kilograms to 6.85) but that was over almost a year. I ordered an extensive – and expensive – array of tests; he had not had much done this year. The results of the fructosamine test, which measures blood-sugar over the previous fortnight, won’t be available for a couple of days. But the blood tests yielded much of interest.

The doctor said that at first glance, Neville appeared in great danger, since almost all indicators were out of their safe-zones. But upon closer examination, it could be seen that he is just over, in almost every case.

His red and white blood cell count made the veterinary “very happy”. The urea is slightly elevated, and while total protein is a little above normal, and might have come from a slight inflammation, this too was “not a worry”. Nev’s blood-glucose today was very high, but that was expected. Cholesterol was up, but that’s typical for a diabetic cat.

It was when the liver came under scrutiny that indications became more significant. The liver was labouring under a very heavy workload, which is not bad in itself, but might be due to “spill over” from the pancreas. That organ’s elevated numbers suggested that it was “irritated”; though pancreatitis is not suspected, it might be a cause of Neville’s vomiting.

What the doctor thinks may be the problem is hyperthyroidism. Though its numbers were barely above normal, the top half of ‘normal’ is regarded as a possible problem in many cats. In other words, being just above normal is actually quite high. Neville may be in the early phases of hyperthyroidism, the symptoms of which also fit diabetes. It can also affect the g.i. tract, food absorption, the rate of food digestion. The most intriguing aspect of this is that if Nev has hyperthyroidism, and it can be brought under control, most of his other troubles will also diminish, including the ineffectiveness of insulin on his diabetes.

I will be collecting some Methimazole tomorrow, and start the Nevsky on his new treatment. After three or four weeks, his T4s will be tested again. If they are back to the safety line, his other ailments may follow suit. There is no certainty to all of this, but it is something viable to try, something that may have a real effect, other than just adjusting insulin levels.

In the meantime, Neville came home, had a good meal, and a well-earned rest. Tomorrow begins his new chapter.