Wednesday Weekend Wind-Up: Zharo is Sick Again
Today I am feeling especially anxious. Zharo is sick again. I noticed that he was licking his genital area frequently this weekend. I kind of laughed it off initially, but I mentioned it to Francisco. After him doing it consistently on Sunday as well, I mentioned it again with enough concern to prompt Francisco to consult trusty old Google. The next time I commented on it since he kept catching my eye with this aberrant behavior, Francisco was quick to respond, "so, it seems like it could be a UTI...so I'll call the vet first thing tomorrow."
He took him in for an appointment on Monday. The vet felt his bladder and said it wasn't too full, but he was showing signs of dehydration. They took a urine sample and said it looked a little cloudy, so they spun down the sample and said that the resulting sediment did show crystals. They recommended making sure he gets more water, so we started adding water to his food bowl. They also gave him some pain medication called Buprenorphine that should make it easier to urinate without pain.
I think that's where the trouble started, and I really hope I'm just worrying myself over what is a normal reaction to this pain reliever. "The most common side effects of buprenorphine in cats are indigestion or stomach problems, sedation, weakness, and slowed breathing." He is very lethargic and not acting like himself. The vet tech did warn Francisco not to be concerned if he is just staring off into space.
The water in the food does seem to have helped in that at least all of that has been getting lapped up, but his appetite has declined rapidly in the past day. He is retreating to odd places and just laying around. He also still seems to be uncomfortable around the genital area as I've noticed he's kind of hovering when he sits. This morning, when I went downstairs, I found him laying between the bookshelf and my stability ball. I sat there with him and I was so worried, I spent too much time crying and texting with Francisco. He shifted a little bit, and the most reassuring part was when I went downstairs one final time before leaving for work, I opened the blinds to let some light in and he ended up getting up and walking about two feet forward to lay in a sun spot. That boy loves him some sun spots.
This is all very unusual behavior - he doesn't usually even spend a lot of time downstairs. He's usually waiting outside my bedroom door in the morning, and he'll come in and ask for running water from the tub and then get all in my way when I'm trying to make the bed. He may or may not follow me downstairs when I go to work out. He regularly will come try to attract attention by laying in the master bath while I'm getting ready, and he's usually around the dining room area when I leave in the morning.
I am honestly just terrified to come home today and find him not alright. To assuage both of our anxieties, Francisco left work early today to check on him, and he's pretty much the same. He's already talked to the vet who assured him that all of these side effects are within the realm of expectations when taking this pain med, but he should be good by later today. And if he's still acting weird tomorrow, then bring him in.
OK, enough venting about my cat anxieties.
Saturday, I met up with a colleague for drinks at Bar Louie. Things have been getting shaken up at work a lot lately, and there's a lot of uncertainty about things. I won't get into it too much here, but it was a good afternoon out.
This week started Cincinnati Burger Week, and we've already been out Monday and Tuesday. They released a handy passport where you can see which places offer a Veggie Substitute.
Monday, we went to Bru Burger Bar. While the toppings were good, their black bean patty really didn't hold its shape well and was a little bland. That's okay; the fact that they had an Impossible Burger on the menu made up for it!
We stopped down the street at Macaron Bar to grab a French Macaron Burger for dessert.
Yesterday, Francisco had to drop his car off at Tire Discounters to get new tires, so I picked him up from there, and we went to Tavern on the Bend. This was a simple restaurant barely 10 minutes down the road from us. I actually enjoyed their black bean burger much more than Bru's - it was sturdier and held its shape better. The Tavern Mac and the Corn Bites were both tasty as well.
I think Francisco is losing steam in going out for Burger Week, so I'm not sure how many more restaurants I'll be able to convince him to visit lol.
Feel better, Zharo! I love you, buddy. 🐈😿
He took him in for an appointment on Monday. The vet felt his bladder and said it wasn't too full, but he was showing signs of dehydration. They took a urine sample and said it looked a little cloudy, so they spun down the sample and said that the resulting sediment did show crystals. They recommended making sure he gets more water, so we started adding water to his food bowl. They also gave him some pain medication called Buprenorphine that should make it easier to urinate without pain.
I think that's where the trouble started, and I really hope I'm just worrying myself over what is a normal reaction to this pain reliever. "The most common side effects of buprenorphine in cats are indigestion or stomach problems, sedation, weakness, and slowed breathing." He is very lethargic and not acting like himself. The vet tech did warn Francisco not to be concerned if he is just staring off into space.
The water in the food does seem to have helped in that at least all of that has been getting lapped up, but his appetite has declined rapidly in the past day. He is retreating to odd places and just laying around. He also still seems to be uncomfortable around the genital area as I've noticed he's kind of hovering when he sits. This morning, when I went downstairs, I found him laying between the bookshelf and my stability ball. I sat there with him and I was so worried, I spent too much time crying and texting with Francisco. He shifted a little bit, and the most reassuring part was when I went downstairs one final time before leaving for work, I opened the blinds to let some light in and he ended up getting up and walking about two feet forward to lay in a sun spot. That boy loves him some sun spots.
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| Zharo on Wednesday |
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| Zharo on Monday |
OK, enough venting about my cat anxieties.
Saturday, I met up with a colleague for drinks at Bar Louie. Things have been getting shaken up at work a lot lately, and there's a lot of uncertainty about things. I won't get into it too much here, but it was a good afternoon out.
Feel better, Zharo! I love you, buddy. 🐈😿
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