Lisa & Leo
Member Since 2012
Yesterday's Condo from Hell
Good morning everyone. What a day we had. In a nutshell, to be blunt, it sucked. Let me first thank Carl & Bob, Marje and Gracie, and Leslie & Jasper for being there when I got home. I put up a short, sad post and you guys were there for me within probably 10 minutes. I cried and felt a little lighter to get your hugs after our 5 and a half hour our mess. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. And for Michelle and Mannie with your hugs and coffee waiting when I woke this morning early. This board is the greatest place, and I am so thankful to be here and to have you all in our lives.
Yesterday was our commute home. On a perfect day it takes me (alone) about 3 hours and 15 minutes. With Leo it has taken a bit longer because we always have an emergency body fluids stop. His nerves get the best of him within the first half hour and he poops in his carrier. (Even when I stopped once 30 minutes into the trip and let him out. He was fine, but pooped 10 minutes after we got back on the road).
Yesterday he got the Cerenia, then about 40 minutes later threw a 43. :shock: After a couple long days and nights and two dose reductions, and bouncing and shed dumping. I had to carb/Karo him - I didn't know if the Cerenia had been in him long enough without food to prevent the barfing. So, in all irony to Marje, she actually had to recommend Karo to me (!!!!!) as a way to get his BG up without shoving food in him. Oh, after she's gently weened me off of slathering on Karo, will I ever let her forget this?
So we got on the road and about 15 minutes in he squats. I immediately open the door, he jumps out and tries to poop in the box (GOOD BOY!!!) But I'm driving and trying to hit an exit, and bouncing him around, and he actually pooped outside the box, but it WASN'T HIS FAULT. He tried, pooping while being bounced around. BG mid yellows. God love his little self. So I get off, and he's peed in the carrier. But I FINALLY figured out how to tape pee pads in there so I can pull out the top one without messing up the lower ones. AMAZING those things are - trapped urine from a full bladder. Amazing. So, back on the road after pees and poops - and I think I'm Home Free!
Then about an hour or so in, he stands up and I see he's got foam dropping from his mouth :shock: :shock: :shock: I pull over on the highway and put my hazard lights on (my entire commute is 3 lane highways). There's a large pool of saliva in the carrier and he's foaming. I immediately let him out and he lays in the litter box. I test him, over 400. Okay, not BG. I Google Stressed Cat Foaming Mouth and it suggests stress. So, he's stressed, like I didn't know that. He's never foamed before. Then a road-side truck with the yellow flashing lights pulls up behind us. I explain I have a sick cat and thank him very much for stopping. I clean him up, and let him lay in the litterbox while I drive.
About 20 minutes later, we hit traffic. Everyone come to a stop and creeps along an average of 3 miles an hour. For nearly an hour. Now it's dark and there are big rigs with bright lights and loud engines all around us. He crawls over with his paws on my leg and his butt near between the radio and the gear shift (automatic car). After a bit, he crawls all the way on my lap and remains there for that construction mess, and then 10 minutes later we end up in another near standstill construction mess for another half hour. His very upset. I jump highways and he stays on my lap. Unsafe, yes. He was harnessed and clipped to a leash around my seatbelt. After a bit he started moving around, and we stopped, he pooped (wet) in the box, BG over 400. Then he rode in the carrier all the way home, miserable. But he only cried twice and he never tried to frantically escape, which is progress.
I was beside myself, trying not to cry as we drove. I felt horrible horrible horrible at what I was doing to him, and that this has to continue twice a week for the foreseeable future. I hate this damned disease. I hate it, and what it is doing to us. I'm crying now again, dammit.
We got home, he wouldn't eat, but we were 2 hours late on shot time and I shot him anyway. He'd eat fresh chicken, and if he didn't eat anything else, I'd let him eat the whole thing. He did manage to get some food down in the night, and he settled into some yellows, thankfully. This morning, he ate a little, but actually ate a salmon treat, which he LOVES but wouldn't touch last night.
Tomorrow I will do a Xanax trial. I gave half a dose a month ago and it didn't seem to do anything. I know in some animals it works the opposite, but I have to try because this is so hard on him.
Today Molly goes to the vet for her pre-dental. She's got a different medical issue, and some tests are finally stabilized so she can get a badly needed dental. I think a tooth will come out, but we will see. Every time I come home, SOMEONE has to go to the vet. I am routinely branded as Bad Mommy.
Anyway, thanks for letting me dump. Big sigh of calming. It is a crappy rainy day here. I'm going to get my hair cut after the vet. So I can relax and read some trashy gossip magazines and forget about things for a while, assuming he's doing ok.
Mannie - thank you for the custom delivery to the gym this morning. Your dedication to ensuring I don't drink regular old icky coffee is a special thing about your wonderful furry self. Tell your mamabean to give you special skritches from us.
Good morning everyone. What a day we had. In a nutshell, to be blunt, it sucked. Let me first thank Carl & Bob, Marje and Gracie, and Leslie & Jasper for being there when I got home. I put up a short, sad post and you guys were there for me within probably 10 minutes. I cried and felt a little lighter to get your hugs after our 5 and a half hour our mess. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. And for Michelle and Mannie with your hugs and coffee waiting when I woke this morning early. This board is the greatest place, and I am so thankful to be here and to have you all in our lives.
Yesterday was our commute home. On a perfect day it takes me (alone) about 3 hours and 15 minutes. With Leo it has taken a bit longer because we always have an emergency body fluids stop. His nerves get the best of him within the first half hour and he poops in his carrier. (Even when I stopped once 30 minutes into the trip and let him out. He was fine, but pooped 10 minutes after we got back on the road).
Yesterday he got the Cerenia, then about 40 minutes later threw a 43. :shock: After a couple long days and nights and two dose reductions, and bouncing and shed dumping. I had to carb/Karo him - I didn't know if the Cerenia had been in him long enough without food to prevent the barfing. So, in all irony to Marje, she actually had to recommend Karo to me (!!!!!) as a way to get his BG up without shoving food in him. Oh, after she's gently weened me off of slathering on Karo, will I ever let her forget this?
So we got on the road and about 15 minutes in he squats. I immediately open the door, he jumps out and tries to poop in the box (GOOD BOY!!!) But I'm driving and trying to hit an exit, and bouncing him around, and he actually pooped outside the box, but it WASN'T HIS FAULT. He tried, pooping while being bounced around. BG mid yellows. God love his little self. So I get off, and he's peed in the carrier. But I FINALLY figured out how to tape pee pads in there so I can pull out the top one without messing up the lower ones. AMAZING those things are - trapped urine from a full bladder. Amazing. So, back on the road after pees and poops - and I think I'm Home Free!
Then about an hour or so in, he stands up and I see he's got foam dropping from his mouth :shock: :shock: :shock: I pull over on the highway and put my hazard lights on (my entire commute is 3 lane highways). There's a large pool of saliva in the carrier and he's foaming. I immediately let him out and he lays in the litter box. I test him, over 400. Okay, not BG. I Google Stressed Cat Foaming Mouth and it suggests stress. So, he's stressed, like I didn't know that. He's never foamed before. Then a road-side truck with the yellow flashing lights pulls up behind us. I explain I have a sick cat and thank him very much for stopping. I clean him up, and let him lay in the litterbox while I drive.
About 20 minutes later, we hit traffic. Everyone come to a stop and creeps along an average of 3 miles an hour. For nearly an hour. Now it's dark and there are big rigs with bright lights and loud engines all around us. He crawls over with his paws on my leg and his butt near between the radio and the gear shift (automatic car). After a bit, he crawls all the way on my lap and remains there for that construction mess, and then 10 minutes later we end up in another near standstill construction mess for another half hour. His very upset. I jump highways and he stays on my lap. Unsafe, yes. He was harnessed and clipped to a leash around my seatbelt. After a bit he started moving around, and we stopped, he pooped (wet) in the box, BG over 400. Then he rode in the carrier all the way home, miserable. But he only cried twice and he never tried to frantically escape, which is progress.
I was beside myself, trying not to cry as we drove. I felt horrible horrible horrible at what I was doing to him, and that this has to continue twice a week for the foreseeable future. I hate this damned disease. I hate it, and what it is doing to us. I'm crying now again, dammit.
We got home, he wouldn't eat, but we were 2 hours late on shot time and I shot him anyway. He'd eat fresh chicken, and if he didn't eat anything else, I'd let him eat the whole thing. He did manage to get some food down in the night, and he settled into some yellows, thankfully. This morning, he ate a little, but actually ate a salmon treat, which he LOVES but wouldn't touch last night.
Tomorrow I will do a Xanax trial. I gave half a dose a month ago and it didn't seem to do anything. I know in some animals it works the opposite, but I have to try because this is so hard on him.
Today Molly goes to the vet for her pre-dental. She's got a different medical issue, and some tests are finally stabilized so she can get a badly needed dental. I think a tooth will come out, but we will see. Every time I come home, SOMEONE has to go to the vet. I am routinely branded as Bad Mommy.
Anyway, thanks for letting me dump. Big sigh of calming. It is a crappy rainy day here. I'm going to get my hair cut after the vet. So I can relax and read some trashy gossip magazines and forget about things for a while, assuming he's doing ok.
Mannie - thank you for the custom delivery to the gym this morning. Your dedication to ensuring I don't drink regular old icky coffee is a special thing about your wonderful furry self. Tell your mamabean to give you special skritches from us.
