Az again

[bunn]

I don't know what to do about Az. He had a really good day yesterday, went for walks, played with Brythen, enjoyed his food.

Today he won't eat, not even fried liver or smoked salmon. I can't get his pills into him: he seems depressed. He wet his bed in the night, which he never does. He's drinking, but he has been sick again. He doesn't pant or cough. His resting respiration rate is 12 breaths per minute, which is very low compared to the 19 breaths a minute he was doing in Feb when he started on his frusemide and vetmedin.

If I take him to the vet he is too terrified for them to get any sense out of examining him. He just shakes and pants the whole time and if his heart wasn't so loud, they wouldn't even be able to hear it through the sound of him shaking. He's had blood tests, vet now thinks his stomach issues might be to do with heart failure, but he's not showing the typical heart failure symptoms.

I suppose I just have to wait and see.

Comments

[parrot-knight.livejournal.com]

It looks to me as if he is certainly not ready to go yet, which is a good thing.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

No, he doesn't seem near that point yet. But every time he refuses to eat I start to worry, because it doesn't take long for him to go into dehydrated mode, so I feel I'm watching him like a hawk the whole time!

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

As parrot_knight says.

*hugs you*

*pats Az*

[seascribe.livejournal.com]

Poor guy, and poor you. *hugs* I hope the good days keep on, and outweigh the bad days.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I seem to spend all morning fretting over whether he's going to eat at the moment. Am wondering if I should just relax and assume he's going to eat in the afternoons, or if he only eats in the afternoon because I've been wafting tempting things under his nose all morning!

[adaese.livejournal.com]

Hope he improves.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Thank you. It is one of those situations where you sort of don't want to stop panicking in case the panicking is somehow holding off the worst!

[thecatsamuel.livejournal.com]

What a bad week. Would your vet do a home visit? Even if it's expensive, it might be worth it or peace of mind. Poor Az and poor you!

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I expect they would, but he's been in there several times recently, and as I understand it, anything further that they could do in terms of tests would probably need sedation - they can't easily ultrasound him or Xray him because he's too terrified, but of course that's not equipment they can carry about too easily.

And sedation is difficult because he fights it, plus his heart is definitely knackered, which makes sedation more dangerous anyway. :-(

[alitheapipkin.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry you are having such a rough time, pets-wise. Poor Az, I hope he picks up soon!

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Thank you! To be honest, I'm not sure he's going to pick up permanently - he's very old. But I'll settle for a few more weeks of enjoying life!

[puddleshark.livejournal.com]

Such a worry when they won't eat... Hope he soon regains his appetite.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Thanks! He has now finally consented to eat half a pack of Naturediet and almost all of a slice of toast with scrambled egg, so crisis is averted, at least for today.

[parrot-knight.livejournal.com]

That reads like a good breakfast, however late in the day (though I have no personal experience of Naturediet).

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

Oh, this isn't good. Hang in there - all of you!!!

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Thanks :-/

[chainmailmaiden]

Poor Az, I do hope he has more good days than bad ones as the weeks go on, he's so adorable.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Thanks! He has perked up again over the last couple of days, and is eating again, thank heavens. He even ate some kibble for his breakfast. PHEW!

[alitheapipkin.livejournal.com]

:) Glad I checked back to see if there was more news now