Max update
Apr. 17th, 2006 02:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dancerjodiPeople keep asking, so I figured I'd post an update (I finally remembered).
Max is doing the same lately. He's really thin, but seems to hear us, see us, is eating normally, is using the litterbox normally, and has no problem jumping up on things.
He *is* still puking almost every day, though we've worked the cleanup down to a science. He pukes a couple of hours after his insulin shot (and eating), but continues to eat over the rest of the day. He's also still making it to his litterbox and is using it, but gets 1/2 in and 1/2 out. The puppy training pads are a lifesaver in this (thanks Maya for the suggestion!). He's also got a box on each floor now, to make it easier for him to get to it no matter where he is. Its kind of a pain having one in the corner of our kitchen, right in front of the back door, but you do what you have to, you know?
There are definitely minor changes as time goes on (like, though he'll come upstairs to see us from time to time, he's rarely on our bed anymore . . . my guess is he's having a hard time jumping up there because its slightly higher than the couch, and there isn't a lot of room next to the bed to angle oneself in the best way). He spends most of his time on our loveseat, which (along with our couch) is covered with a plastic fitted sheet and then a blanket (see comment about streamlining the puke clean up process). His asthma/allergies continues to get worse, and I feel so bad when he's happy and purry, but it then causes him mild difficulty with his breathing. We can't treat the asthma due to the diabetes, so we just try and calm him down and get him to stretch out to help the breathing.
Max isn't able to clean all of himself anymore - he can't get to right under his chin and to his chest. Unfortunately he went long enough with us not knowing this that he's got a few little kitty dreadlocks there. It doesn't seem to hurt him, and they aren't dirty, so we're leaving them for now. A friend suggested taking him to the vet for a shave there, but I think the visit would be more traumatic than its worth. He is still cleaning the rest of him though - my guess is he's just not flexible enough to get that one spot.
Basically, kitty is chugging along. If you were to ask me how long he's got left in this world I'd say not long, but trying to put a number on that - I have no clue. I'm amazed he's in the shape that he's in at 21 years old and having been diabetic for the last 5 years (the vet told Brian that he's possibly their oldest living patient, and they are amazed at how well he is). He's definitely not doing well, but he has all of his major functions still, and each day seems a lot like the previous. I don't have much to say when people ask how he's doing as a result - same old same old and all that stuff.
We're trying to spend as much time with him in the living room as we can. Most of the time he's content to sit nearby on the love seat (rather than on us), but he'll permit us to sit with him, and will climb up on our laps sometimes. He will make the efforts to get out of his comfy spot and meet us at the door each time we come in, and he still gets up around 6:00 for his morning snack/insulin shot (he just doesn't come upstairs as much to do it, but stands at the bottom mewling at us for a bit). I've got to imagine with so little meat on the bones it may be kind of painful to be as affectionate as he used to be. This is the strangest part for me I think, the gradual pulling away. I guess it makes sense though - whenever the time comes I'll be used to him not sleeping on my feet each night.
Now I'm off to cuddle up with him and my newspaper and book. Thanks for all of your concerns (and if anything majorly changes, I'll be sure to post here about it).
Max is doing the same lately. He's really thin, but seems to hear us, see us, is eating normally, is using the litterbox normally, and has no problem jumping up on things.
He *is* still puking almost every day, though we've worked the cleanup down to a science. He pukes a couple of hours after his insulin shot (and eating), but continues to eat over the rest of the day. He's also still making it to his litterbox and is using it, but gets 1/2 in and 1/2 out. The puppy training pads are a lifesaver in this (thanks Maya for the suggestion!). He's also got a box on each floor now, to make it easier for him to get to it no matter where he is. Its kind of a pain having one in the corner of our kitchen, right in front of the back door, but you do what you have to, you know?
There are definitely minor changes as time goes on (like, though he'll come upstairs to see us from time to time, he's rarely on our bed anymore . . . my guess is he's having a hard time jumping up there because its slightly higher than the couch, and there isn't a lot of room next to the bed to angle oneself in the best way). He spends most of his time on our loveseat, which (along with our couch) is covered with a plastic fitted sheet and then a blanket (see comment about streamlining the puke clean up process). His asthma/allergies continues to get worse, and I feel so bad when he's happy and purry, but it then causes him mild difficulty with his breathing. We can't treat the asthma due to the diabetes, so we just try and calm him down and get him to stretch out to help the breathing.
Max isn't able to clean all of himself anymore - he can't get to right under his chin and to his chest. Unfortunately he went long enough with us not knowing this that he's got a few little kitty dreadlocks there. It doesn't seem to hurt him, and they aren't dirty, so we're leaving them for now. A friend suggested taking him to the vet for a shave there, but I think the visit would be more traumatic than its worth. He is still cleaning the rest of him though - my guess is he's just not flexible enough to get that one spot.
Basically, kitty is chugging along. If you were to ask me how long he's got left in this world I'd say not long, but trying to put a number on that - I have no clue. I'm amazed he's in the shape that he's in at 21 years old and having been diabetic for the last 5 years (the vet told Brian that he's possibly their oldest living patient, and they are amazed at how well he is). He's definitely not doing well, but he has all of his major functions still, and each day seems a lot like the previous. I don't have much to say when people ask how he's doing as a result - same old same old and all that stuff.
We're trying to spend as much time with him in the living room as we can. Most of the time he's content to sit nearby on the love seat (rather than on us), but he'll permit us to sit with him, and will climb up on our laps sometimes. He will make the efforts to get out of his comfy spot and meet us at the door each time we come in, and he still gets up around 6:00 for his morning snack/insulin shot (he just doesn't come upstairs as much to do it, but stands at the bottom mewling at us for a bit). I've got to imagine with so little meat on the bones it may be kind of painful to be as affectionate as he used to be. This is the strangest part for me I think, the gradual pulling away. I guess it makes sense though - whenever the time comes I'll be used to him not sleeping on my feet each night.
Now I'm off to cuddle up with him and my newspaper and book. Thanks for all of your concerns (and if anything majorly changes, I'll be sure to post here about it).
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no subject
Date: 2006-04-17 07:16 pm (UTC)*lol*
That's a boy with life left for sure!
no subject
Date: 2006-04-17 09:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-17 11:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-18 02:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-18 04:50 am (UTC)