11/06 - Calistica PM update

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Thelma and Calistica

Thelma and Calistica

Member Since 2011
The ER vet just called. She said Calistica had a good night, is looking good, got her insulin, is bright, alert, ate breakfast and is purring. she is also drinking water on her own which means she's that dehydrated even though she's been on IV fluids since last night. I've not seen Calistica drink water since 2008!
She was put on Baytril last night.
The vet who called this morning said that she's heard increased lung sounds. This could potentially be a heart issue. She will do x-rays today of her heart and kidneys.
Calistica has had minerals in her kidneys for a long time but they had never been an issue. The vet wants to check to make sure the minerals haven't dropped down to her ureter because they could potentially be causing a kidney blockage.
With kidney stones you have to have both X-rays and U/S to have greater chances of finding them. For example: X-rays = 80% probability, Ultrasound =70% probability. Both x-ray and U/S offer 90% probabilities of finding these tiny crystals. Tomorrow there will be kidney and heart ultrasounds.
Calistica is going to need SubQ's at home going forward.

Her Creatinine is more elevated today than it was on Friday morning. Friday: 3.5, today: 4.3
she hasn't pooped yet but she is not constipated. I told the vet that Calistica needs a huge box so she'll make sure they take her out to a room with a large, low litter box to make sure she goes.
Visiting hours today are from 1-3. The vet said to get there at 2PM because she hopes to have some lab results by then and we can talk in person. We will get there at 1:30 to spend as much time as possible with Calistica.
She didn't say anything about a transfusion so I don't think she has had one yet.
Urine culture result should be back tomorrow

Thank you all for all those wonderful healing thoughts for Calistica. Please continue to keep our baby in your prayers.
Thelma, Ray & Calistica
 
Re: 11/06 - Calistica update

Thelma, thanks for the update on Calistica. I bet you can't wait to see her today, and it's great you can also meet with the Vet and go over Labs. Healing vines and prayers for your baby and you.
 
Re: 11/06 - Calistica update

Thanks for the update. It all sounds good. Wow, she was dehydrated. Continuing to send much healing energy to everyone. Let us know how today goes.
Liz
 
Re: 11/06 - Calistica update

Thanks for the update. Good night, looking good, bright, alert, eating and purring...it all sounds great.

Continued prayers for all of you...I'm sure you can't wait to see her this afternoon!
 
Re: 11/06 - Calistica update

Hi Thelma,
This is welcome news. They sound very thorough and Calistica is in good hands. Continuing to send lots of beautiful healing vines to your girl. We'll be looking for your update.

Hugs to you and Ray,

Ella & Rusty
 
Re: 11/06 - Calistica update

I'm so glad to see such a good report for Calistica and I'm glad they started the baytril.

It's possible that between the baytril and the IV fluids, that her creat will come down. Paws crossed. There are several of us giving subq fluids on a regular basis so when you get her home, if you need any
help with that, please let us know. I don't know if you've had to do that with other kitties or not.

If not, two quick things:
1. you can order a case of lactated ringers solution from Walgreens for $22/case (12-1000 ml/bags) if you have a walgreens card which is about $20/year. That is so incredibly much cheaper than what vets charge you for fluids. If they put her on normosol, I'm not sure what Walgreens charges but it's worth checking. My Walgreens is able to get my fluids the next day for me. I order the BBraun DEHP bags and if you want the NDC number for ordering, PM me.
2. you can order lines and needles from thrivingpets.com so much cheaper than you can get them elsewhere. I order the BBraun lines that hook up to the BBraun bags....I buy the simplest ones without ports but if they want you to give her any meds while you are doing subq fluids, you can get the ones with ports. I HIGHLY recommend the Terumo UTW 21g needles.....so much kinder than the harpoons the vet usually wants to send home.
3. I usually keep about 3-5 needles at a time in the freezer; it helps dull the feeling when you insert the needle under the skin.

Sending many more healing vines...hope she is home soon!!
 
Re: 11/06 - Calistica update

The Baytril will kick in...especially if they gave it to her in injection form (you will give it in pill form at home).
I know you are scared ....she is a tough kitty and she knows she is loved...
We are all praying for her....she is in good hands...
Abs will make her dehydrated bringing the renal values up...as she gets hydrated and the Baytril is in her system then the renal values should come down

Hang in there

Update us when you can

Sending you mega cyber hugs
 
Re: 11/06 - Calistica update

Thanks for the update. Sounds like Calistica is in really good hands and the vets sound really thorough. I hope your visit went well today. Really nice to hear that she was purring!

Marge has given you great advice about the subq fluids. I give my other cat, Cleo, subq fluids and Marge and Claudia have been so supportive and have a wealth of advice between them. I also get my the lactated ringers bags at Walgreens and the needles and admin sets through thriving pets. So much cheaper!

Praying and hoping for good results with the x-rays and U/S tomorrow.
 
We got to see Calistica and she definitely looked good. She was alert and wanted to come home with us. She'd been eating and had gone both #1 and #2. I thought that her fur was giving indications of dehydration yesterday and now I know she was dehydrated as her fur was looking silky and was flat not separated anymore.
She got her insulin about 2 hours late than she was scheduled for today but she is in good hands so I wasn't going to make a big stink about that.
She has a new catheter in her hind leg called intracatheter. They can administer fluids and draw blood from it. A much better method to check her glucose levels now.

Blood work looking good except for her kidney values. Liver and electrolytes are good. The urinalysis didn't show any WBC or signs of bacteria. The vet said it could be that her urine is so dilute that the signs of infection are not showing yet. She hasn't needed a transfusion which is great. Her PCV was 20 and her TP was I believe 6.5. I won't be able to get copies of her labs till tomorrow.
An X-ray showed a heart bigger than it was 2 years ago and no blockage was seen in her ureter or urethra . Tomorrow she will get a heart and abdominal ultrasounds and her cardiologist will join her medical team.
If enlarged kidneys are found in the ultrasound then that is a sign of infection. I am praying for an infection because a blockage would require surgery and the vet didn't think surgery would be a good idea for Calistica given her age.
I didn't ask if she would be able to pee if there was a blockage so not sure about that. I guess it would also depend on where the blockage is at.

I found out today that she had spent the night in the ICU and was transferred to the cat ward early this afternoon.
She is on two antibiotics: Baytril and Unasyn which is similar to Clamavox. Her Glucose was 189 this morning but this afternoon is in the 200's

It is possible too that Calistica has pancreatitis again. that would explain the lack of appetite. She wasn't eating enough at home which means she wasn't getting the water that she normally gets through her food. All this could affect her kidneys as the body has to compensate somehow.
I won't know more about Calistica until about 11AM tomorrow when her regular vet calls me. The ER internal med vet already spoke with Dr. Cornejo (our regular vet). Dr. C is in agreement with the treatment and tests being done.

Marje, thanks for the info on the fluids! I love the idea of freezing the needles! I've given fluids before back in 2008. I have Terumo 20G and 21G needles. I have about 4 fluid LRS 250ml baggies I just got at Tufts a couple of weeks ago.

Calistica did look good. My aunts got to go in to see her too and we prayed over her. She loved the attention she was getting and got really excited when she saw daddy. Visiting hours on weekdays are 5-8 which is going to kill me. I will go there from work as it is a 45 min drive. Ray will go after dinner as he won't be able to get out of work before 5. At least she'll get to see us both.
The students and doctors couldn't believe that Calistica is 18 by the way she looks. They all said she was a sweet little girl! AWWW! She does have a rep around there though. She is a calico and be feisty! LOL
The vet hopes her kidney numbers will be better tomorrow.
Thank you all for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.
Thelma
 
This is wonderful update, even though Little Miss C didn't get to come home with you tonight. Continued prayers for you!!!
 
This is so good to hear!
Let your lovely girl know that all of us here are sending her positive healing energy & scritches :-D

celi & binks

energyhealing.5120150_std.jpg
 
Thanks everyone for stopping by and wishing us well with Calistica.

Marje, I forgot to add this to my update. I spoke with the vet about fasting for ultrasounds. She said that a full stomach becomes enlarged and it can block the organs around it. For example the right kidney I think she said was under the liver and those two can be blocked by an enlarged stomach.

It looks like they have Calistica on a 7AM/7PM insulin schedule which totally screws me up. I would have to transition her back to 5AM/5PM at least now I know how to do it thanks to the DST schedule Sienne provided us with!
Thelma
 
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