More positive thoughts for Yoda

[ariastar]

The thing about very old cats is there's not much that can be done when they get ill. At 23, Yoda's chance of waking up from anything with general anesthesia is very slim. So the typical treatment for his latest ailment, which is general anesthesia and a drain, can't be done for him.

His right ear has a hematoma, which is a bruise technically, but due to how few blood vessels there are in the ear, they don't clot, so swell painfully. Think of a boxer's ears. Human boxers, not the dogs. This can lead to some infection and a good deal of discomfort and pain until it goes down. Almost always it results in the ear deforming and looking like cauliflower.

Last night it started to drain, and the drainage, while lightly tinted green, doesn't have a strong odor (which is GOOD), but it also, being the type of infection it is, will basically need to be drained about 50 times a day so it can heal and close from the part furthest from the opening to the opening. This...can take a while. I'm a dozen-time veteran of having this problem myself, only not on my ears. It's uncomfortable and icky having to deal with green drainage. It itches!! I can see this taking three or four weeks, if not longer.

We've got Metacam to give him for pain control. But that is about all we can do, that and drain his ear. It's amazing how fast more of that stuff builds up. He's not a happy kitty.

So positive thoughts, please, both for Yoda to heal and that Cody and I can do it. Cody's never handled anything like this, and I get sick at the thought it if being anyone I love. Give me someone else's cat, give me the infection, and I can lance myself, have done it before, but with a kitty I love, it's hard.

Yoda and Pidgie. Want to make both of them better.

[skyz]

get some golden seal drops at health food store gia is best brand you have whole foods nerby i'm sure

apply locally

not internally

but a little will get into his system this is good

it is a natural antibiotic super cleanser

i have used it on both my own ear beginning problem via q tip and via cotton ball for my cat (I get water in my ear and it starts toward infection)

the ancients did not name it golden seal just randomly

[bigshotprof]

Positive thoughts it is!

[ericjosepi]

Much love to you, Cody and Yoda. I know how important pets are to some of the people in my life so I wish you much love and all the best in this trying situation.

[ariastar]

Thanks. Yoda's our baby, even though he's old!

We're going to get that Golden Seal tomorrow and try it on both him and Pidgie. Gotta go drain Yoda's ear again soon.

[skyz]

Thanks. Yoda's our baby, even though he's old!

We're going to get that Golden Seal tomorrow and try it on both him and Pidgie. Gotta go drain Yoda's ear again soon.

great you'll be amazed but externally not internally as dosage is difficult but some will seep into the systems which is good

it's the most powerful blood cleanser

also get some rescue remedy (http://www.rescueremedy.com/pets/) if they don't have one marked for pets just get any rescue remedy drops they are all the same

they are calming but not in a narcotic downer sense

for pidge especially as he must be confused stressed and yoda is suffering so in stress

unless pidge has any infection maybe the golden seal is not for him

you can rub the rescue remedy on fur or pidge wing joint to be licked off or mixed with water to be taken orally

is made from flowers the flowers of herbs so is very subtle but powerful

not too much golden seal but in the draining or before and after

natural antibiotic is amazing is golden color so will leave slight stain don't get on clothes though will wash out

[ariastar]

great you'll be amazed but externally not internally as dosage is difficult but some will seep into the systems which is good

it's the most powerful blood cleanser

also get some rescue remedy (http://www.rescueremedy.com/pets/) if they don't have one marked for pets just get any rescue remedy drops they are all the same

they are calming but not in a narcotic downer sense

for pidge especially as he must be confused stressed and yoda is suffering so in stress

unless pidge has any infection maybe the golden seal is not for him

you can rub the rescue remedy on fur or pidge wing joint to be licked off or mixed with water to be taken orally

is made from flowers the flowers of herbs so is very subtle but powerful

not too much golden seal but in the draining or before and after

natural antibiotic is amazing is golden color so will leave slight stain don't get on clothes though will wash out

We got some a couple hours ago and an E-collar too, partly to keep him from scratching it with his back claws (he has no front claws, but does have back ones), and partly so he doesn't try to clean it off and ingest it all. I drained his ear a bit, and then I put the collar on and some of the Goldenseal. He's not too thrilled. But everything I've read on it has been favorable. I'm a fan of Eastern medicine.

Pidgie didn't make it. :( But dammit, Yoda will or I'll cry like I haven't dried in years. Well, since last October when we thought he was dead for a couple weeks. This cat has so many close calls that Nick said last week Yoda's never going to die, he's just plain incapable of it. :)

We've got to get Yoda to eat more. When he gets pissy, he's like a little old grumpy man and goes on strike against food so he can use the time being pissy instead of content. Oh, how we love that ol' boy! He's sitting under the bed now toward the window fuming.

Thanks for the heads-up on the Goldenseal. :) How long did it take for your kitty? I hope he gets better very soon.

[rabidbadger]

Yoda lives 900 years! It's a fact. Be strong, give him a chin scratch from me. Much love.


Joel

[skyz]

We got some a couple hours ago and an E-collar too, partly to keep him from scratching it with his back claws (he has no front claws, but does have back ones), and partly so he doesn't try to clean it off and ingest it all. I drained his ear a bit, and then I put the collar on and some of the Goldenseal. He's not too thrilled. But everything I've read on it has been favorable. I'm a fan of Eastern medicine.

Pidgie didn't make it. :( But dammit, Yoda will or I'll cry like I haven't dried in years. Well, since last October when we thought he was dead for a couple weeks. This cat has so many close calls that Nick said last week Yoda's never going to die, he's just plain incapable of it. :)

We've got to get Yoda to eat more. When he gets pissy, he's like a little old grumpy man and goes on strike against food so he can use the time being pissy instead of content. Oh, how we love that ol' boy! He's sitting under the bed now toward the window fuming.

Thanks for the heads-up on the Goldenseal. :) How long did it take for your kitty? I hope he gets better very soon.

couple of days but he is younger and it wasn't serious

did you get the rescue remedy for his 'mood'

also when cats won't eat baby food the vet recommends

my cat had a cold when i first got him at 5 weeks so i fed him chicken baby food with a syringe

he was so cute gobbling down as fast as i could shove it in him

i have always given my cats nutritional yeast they love it like coke addicts love coke

they are never sick till the end sickness

[ariastar]

couple of days but he is younger and it wasn't serious

did you get the rescue remedy for his 'mood'

also when cats won't eat baby food the vet recommends

my cat had a cold when i first got him at 5 weeks so i fed him chicken baby food with a syringe

he was so cute gobbling down as fast as i could shove it in him

i have always given my cats nutritional yeast they love it like coke addicts love coke

they are never sick till the end sickness



I haven't been able to find the Rescue Remedy yet.

Baby food with a syringe. If Yoda won't start eating more soon, I'll do that. Got to get some of the meaty ones though. I've got fruit ones in the cabinet because I love them. :)

[ariastar]

He's not in any pain that we can tell, and that' good. He's even purring when cuddled. However, he started bleeding out of his ear. After weighing the options, which basically come down to euthanizing or doing nothing, because there isn't a whole lot (i.e. surgery) that can be done at his age, we've decided to do nothing, just keep him comfortable. Going down without a fight isn't Yoda's style. He's a fighter for life, and I genuinely don't feel in my heart he'd want to be put down. Remember last October? I was certain, CERTAIN, he wasn't going to make it, and somehow he did.

We've already decided that, when he does die, he will be cremated and kept in an urn. He's bounced place to place with me, and there is no one place that is really, really home, the kind of home where he'd want to be left for the rest of eternity. His home has always been where I am. Know what I mean? There is no one place I can think of that has meaning to him. It's the people who make it for him. So he will be cremated and kept in an urn with us forever.

He's lived a long life all over the U.S.. I won't pretend that this doesn't kill me inside, but I'm trying to take solace in that he's in no pain. I'd be thrilled if he pulled a 180 again, but I'm not counting on it. He's a wonderful, wonderful kitty.

[ariastar]

Sunday, after that last post, he started bleeding out his right ear. Thick, bright blood.

He's got a fighting spirit and has been holding on.

I'm doing my best to not cry every second, and it's hard. This cat is credited with saving my life three times. Literally. Vitals were going crazy, at risk of my heart stopping, but when he was brought to me, even though I was comatose, I normalized. He saved me and there's nothing I can do. All we're concerned with right now is making sure he's comfortable. A wonderful bonus would be a miraculous recovery, but that's not too likely to happen. He's holding on as hard as his little spirit will allow him.

Right now he's wrapped in his blanket, and wrapped in my own baby blanket over that, and I kept him with me while running errands and at the hospital, hoping he passed as a baby. I couldn't leave him home alone, and had to do these errands (medical). Now he's still wrapped up, but in a basket beside me, and Emma and Luthien are both subdued and not eating, more interested in Yoda. Emma's whining a bit, and both would be bathing him like crazy is I didn't tell them no.

It's amazing, and a blessing, to get to see how animals of different species rally around each other when one is sick. Emma lost her best canine-friend earlier this year. She was there for his last breath.

Words can't describe how hard it is just waiting, partly hoping it happens sooner before any major discomfort starts, and part of you hoping he hangs on and doesn't go, just hangs on, though he wouldn't feel good. I've given him some MetaCam, a little more than the usual dose for his size, but we're more concerned with his comfort. If it cuts his life a day shorter, at least he wasn't in so much discomfort.

And then I also feel guilty for not stopping the world, for still trying to do a few things normal, like ballet. But I remember when my dad died, the only way to get through it was to do my best to continue a normal life. When I was so sick myself, I tried to live as normal of a life as possible then as well, rather that laying there crying about things. But it's hard. It's extremely hard.

Cody has known Yoda less than a year, but loves him dearly, and Yoda adores him. Another blessing I have is to have Cody with us throughout this.

[ariastar]

Da baby, wrapped in girly stuff. Pic taken about five minutes ago. Not even enough time ago for him to have moved.

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj13/theyear2008/09%20-%20September/11%20-%20Yoda/CIMG2655.jpg

[ariastar]

He's got an iron will, that's for damned sure. Because he's got such a fighting spirit and isn't in any pain that we can tell, we can't put him down just yet. Pain is where it's at for me, the point I think about euthanizing. He's comfortable right now, and on pain meds.

[ariastar]

You all can put up with me updating this thread. At least I'm keeping it confined here.

Yoda smiling just now, like ten seconds ago:

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj13/theyear2008/09%20-%20September/11%20-%20Yoda/CIMG2656.jpg

When he's pissed or not happy, he purses his mouth. He only smiles when he's content and happy. So I know he's comfy for the time being. I'd clean the crusties from his eyes, but don't want to bother him right now.

[ariastar]

Luthien haz a luv:

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj13/theyear2008/09%20-%20September/11%20-%20Yoda/CIMG2661.jpg?t=1221172767

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj13/theyear2008/09%20-%20September/11%20-%20Yoda/CIMG2663.jpg?t=1221172789

[rabidbadger]

I am soooo gonna cry right now. wait. too late. ...

[ariastar]

Joely, he's comfy. Comfy and very, very loved. And for all the love given to him, he gives it have five-fold.

[rabidbadger]

I wish I got to meet him last xmas when I was gonna visit. But hey. It's Yoda. Next Xmas! Chin up! Yoda's too, then scritch it from me. :)

[ariastar]

Kissin' da kitty two days ago:

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj13/theyear2008/09%20-%20September/12%20-%20Yoda/CIMG2682.jpg

And if anyone thinks I'm exaggerating how sick he's been, his ear looks so much better in this pick than it did. Just the morning before this that red line on top of his ear was open to the point that I could look INTO HIS EAR through it. That whole big scab is the same. But also this thing, I can't remember the name of it, the little infection center kind of like the head on a big white zit (you know, get it out and the zit goes away), but there's a medical term for the kind he had, and it wasn't a hard ball, about the size of a marble came out. Oh my gods, that scared me, and I don't get queasy easily when it comes to medical stuff. For frak's sake I once had an abscess that required leaving my abdomen open for about 4" clear down to my intestine. I could look at my own intestine while it was still in me while it slowly healed shut from the inside, but Yoda's ear.... I can handle my own medical stuff, but when someone I love is threatened, I can't take it.

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj13/theyear2008/09%20-%20September/12%20-%20Yoda/CIMG2684.jpg

He's even got a little kitty smile going on there.

But...he might make it. He might make it! I am scared to hope in case he doesn't and I'm left a bawling wreck, but I can't help but have hope. Who cares if he never regains bladder control. Carpets are cleanable. Clothes are washable. We are showerable. He is not replaceable.

[rabidbadger]

It is an ear, not his heart or lungs, or internal organs. I am holding out hope for yoda

[ariastar]

It is an ear, not his heart or lungs, or internal organs. I am holding out hope for yoda

An infection that swelled his ear up to the point it looks like it was going to pop, and it kinda sorta did in a few spots, and blood pouring out of his right ear (still have some blood spots), and an infected mass the size of a marble.... But the mass is out now, and he's not bothering his ear, and we're not touching his ear, so no new infection can get it right now, so hopefully his lil' loved kitty-body can battle whatever infection is left and close up. His ear will be deformed badly, but we don't care. His ear isn't who he is and he's still beautiful to us and we'll love him, no matter what, even if he's left a deformed, incontinent ol' kitten.

[rabidbadger]

I'm guessing the worst is over, you two nursed him wonderfully. I bet he'll be clawing his box in a week like nothing ever happened. :)