As if chondrosarcoma wasn't enough, we finally got good news on Willy's PCV so we could schedule his toe amputation. That was a Saturday, by the time Monday rolled around, I was getting ready for work and could tell something was wrong. I thought it was the hemobart again. I could see him going downhill fast.
I had to be at work for something I couldn't get out of, so we scooped him up and Chris took him to the vet, which thank goodness is only 5 minutes away. The vet called me and told me that when he arrived, he was open mouth breathing which apparently signals that cats are minutes from dying. I asked her to repeat that sentence, I couldn't have heart it correctly. But, I did. His blood sugar was 609 and he was hypothermic with a body temp of 95. Willy had quickly slipped into critical condition. The body temp could cause him to go into shock and his body systems could start shutting down.
I worked as long as I could and went to visit him and held him. His body temp had fallen to 93. I like to think my body heat helped. Finally, at 7:45, I got a call from the vet that his temp was up to 98.9.
She told me that the next 24 - 48 hours would be critical for him. He made it. I brought him home Thursday afternoon with insulin and instructions and new food and urine tests and a stomach full of nerves.
Giving the shot was easy, I'd given many to humans. A short time later, he was crashing again. We rubbed maple syrup on his gums as instructed. He peed on the rug, which he has never done in 12 years. A call to the vet, and more instructions and a diagnosis of what she thinks is a UTI.
I went to pick up new antibiotics and pain medication, and was happy to report that he was playful when I left. Shortly after getting home, I could tell he was crashing again.
Scoop and run again after another maple syrup gum rub. Upon arrival, his blood sugar was 26. (150 for a cat is normal). Insulin dose needs to come down from 3 units to 2. I can handle that.
The really sucky part? In the course of tests for the UTI, it was discovered that he has a plum sized bladder tumor. Talk about a punch in the stomach! Options, we're talking options now. I called Chris, who dropped everything and rushed to be with us. I needed him to hear the options, I didn't know if I was going to be able to talk, much less relay the information that was swimming in my head. I could see the devastation on Chris's face, it was palpable in that room.
If we decided by 4 pm that day, we could get a referral to the veterinary oncology department at UGA was one of the options. We decided we would take him home because he was so much better and would consider all of the options and let her know on Monday.
Chondrosarcoma still sucks.
Hemobartonellis still sucks.
Diabetes you suck.
Bladder tumor, you really suck.
Willy has the distinction of being the first cat in 9 years of the vet's practice to have a bladder tumor, and the first cat to have 4 concurrent deadly problems. That's a distinction we could live without.
We decided that we are going to take him to UGA for a non-invasive consult and see what they tell us. I can barely stand the pain in my heart.
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