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I've only been making quick trips to the forum, and giving the list of threads a cursory glance, so I just now saw this. I'm so sorry you and Einstein are going through this! I'm sending tons of positive thoughts, that it isn't cancer and he gets better every day. Also positive thoughts to you, that you can find a little calm in all this. ((hugs))
Sorry, this is long, I am warning you in advance ...
Eini has been hangin' in there for the past several weeks. He clearly is not back to "normal," as he has lost some agility and he still tilts his head (presumably for balance), but I have become accustomed to seeing him like this and as long as there were several "indicators" that his quality of life is still good, I have been OK with not knowing exactly what is happening (even though it is INCREDIBLY frustrating!!).
The "good indicators": he has a voracious appetite, SEEMS to have kept his weight on (i.e. doesn't seem to have lost any more), and is still drinking, using the litter box, and cuddling all totally normally. Every time I go in the kitchen, it seems like he is right behind me hoping for a treat. Of course I have been DELIGHTED by this every time, even though he is a slow eater and I have to stand watch over him to make sure his siblings don't come and steal his food!
He got a 2nd antibiotic injection 13 days after the first (they last 2 weeks). The plan was that he would get this additional medication in him, then I would have his blood work re-done to see if there is any change from several weeks ago. Well, he started sneezing again -- several sneezes in a row, usually RIGHT when he starts eating. He would just re-start eating after all the sneezes, and then he would seem to be fine, but still, he had mostly STOPPED sneezing during the 2-week period of the first injection, so it seems like this is a step back.
Then yesterday, when I woke up and he demanded food (as usual), I noticed that he sounded really congested. He scarfed down his food while I called the vet. The vet I like the most is on vacation until next week (a week from today, actually), and they weren't sure what they could actually DO for the congestion, so I reluctantly made an appointment for next Thursday but said I would call if he didn't seem to improve.
This morning, no improvement. I called asking if I could give him Benadryl (or something else that humans use) because he just is SO stuffed up, and I know how miserable I am when I get stuffed up!! A little while later, one of the vets called -- actually, the one that I had had and not liked much. She said they could make a syringe with a dilution of Afrin (human nasal spray) -- 10 parts saline to 1 part Afrin. I said fine and made an appointment to go in.
SO ... I get there and the vet tech is about to squirt it into one of Eini's nostrils, but she said it was a 50% dilution, and I said that is definitely NOT what the vet said on the phone. She went to double-check but unfortunately that vet had left for the day (my appt. was quite late). Meanwhile, I looked online on my phone and saw that the "usual" dilution is indeed 50% -- not the 9% (1 part in 11) that the vet had suggested on the phone. They found a piece of paper where the vet had written notes when she talked to me, and it was definitely a 10-to-1 dilution, but the instructions that she left for the vet tech said 1-to-1. Aaaggggh.
I had them use the 1-to-1 since that appears to be "normal" AND I wanted Eini to get SOME relief ASAP. The vet tech called me later and said they'd gotten ahold of the vet and she said she suggested the 10-to-1 because Afrin burns some kitties' nostrils so she figured it was better to start with a low dose. (Honestly, I'm not sure if I believe her -- I am thinking it was a mistake and she doesn't want to admit it.) In any case, the vet tech made another solution for me that's 10-to-1, just in case I decide to use that instead. (So now I have two ... and the vet practice was actually VERY nice, not charging me for today's visit at all, "due to the confusion." So I do give them credit for that.)
OK ... after all that ... I have offered Eini THREE different treats since we got home a few hours ago, and he has sniffed them and walked away -- well, with one he took a few bites, then walked away. This is not like him at all, and it makes me want to burst into tears, but I realize I may be overreacting. The thing is, even though at the back of my mind I know something is going on with him and it scares the crap out of me, I have been able to comfort myself by reminding myself that his appetite is GREAT and so many other things are "normal." So I guess I am just REALLY hoping that he takes the next treat I offer him ...
Well, it's past 8 p.m. now and I've been writing quizzes all day for next week's classes and I just want to go get dinner and veg. Eini tends to come cuddle with me while I watch TV (he wraps himself around my neck), so at least I will likely get a very sweet cuddle time with him tonight ...
So it's a couple of weeks later. It ended up being just about impossible for me to get the pills into Eini (tried several different ways), so I went back to the vet and she gave him an injection that is good for 2 weeks (different med but also to treat any infection). Eini is still eating, drinking, using the litter box, and cuddling -- all normally. That's the good news. The bad is that he is still stumbling a bit -- not badly, and virtually never on carpet (only on hardwood or tile) -- and his head is tilted very slightly (which the vet says can come with balance issues and from infections -- and it usually clears up when the underlying issue is fixed).
I will be taking him back in next week for more blood work so they can see if there is any change from before. If so, great. If not, it may be cancer, which I don't even want to think about.
I am hoping for the best, now that he has 2 weeks' worth of meds in him. Will keep you posted. Please think good thoughts for my amazing, sweet little kitty ... I sometimes feel like I am going insane with worry ...
Some cats are easier to treat with injections than oral meds. I had a diabetic cat, Mr. Biggs, I had a routine where I would give him a rubdown, some treats, then put him on his right side so his head was to my left, then "tent" his skin using my left hand, pinching the skin firmly but not too tight, then give him his insulin using the smallest possible needle, after having used a larger (to keep which one is which straight) needle to load the syringe - the small needle was used first and only time on the cat. He didn't object to this and I think he rather considered the overall routine more fun than not.
To me, having experience mainly with diabetes, I associate stumbling with low blood sugar. I'm sure your vet has checked for that and would have said something about it if that needed treatment.
Adding my best wishes too, and hope you can get a handle on what's going on with him.
As for the treats thing, since he's so congested he may not be able to smell them. But that wouldn't explain why his appetite seems ok, so don't know. He doesn't feel good, so I wouldn't worry too much about refusing his favorite treats unless it continues.
Keeping you both in my thoughts.
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so it's a few weeks later ...
