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August 18, 2007
happy cat
moses is doing surprisingly well. he sleeps a lot, but otherwise usually seems pretty normal. i do bring food to him and make sure he eats, plus he's getting spoiled with all kinds of fun treats like baby food and chicken stock and whatnot.
today, J and i administered subcutaneous fluids to him at home. right in the living room in the sleepin' chair i've set up for him. it's a little more difficult than giving an insulin injection, but it went okay and i think it really helps him feel better.
one interesting effect of the fluids is that i think it hydrates his skin really well. the purpose of the fluids is to flush toxins out of his body-- kind of like dialysis. but his fur is also softer than i've felt it in a long time.
he's also washing. i haven't seen him wash in a long time. it's not a thorough full-body wash, but he's definitely reaching areas he hasn't reached in years. i'm fairly sure he's truly grooming himself, and not licking areas that are in pain. i think this is due to two things: first, his weight is down to 14.5 lbs which is close to ideal for his size. of course, the reason his weight has dropped so much is because he's sick. but it has some positive side effects. second, i think the hydration from the fluids means his skin is more elastic and it doesn't hurt to stretch as much as it did.
the positive effect of the fluids are so pronounced that i wish it were reasonable to administer them to pets who are simply old and have painfully dry skin. it would make them so much more comfortable. but of course, the process of administering the fluids is not comfortable at all so i doubt this would really be a reasonable thing to do.
anyway, he is fed, clean and soft and sleeping on his comfortable chair on many layers of blankets and towels while J and I watch tv. we've moved the mattress into the living room so we can sleep near him without having him try to get up on the bed.
Posted by lisa at August 18, 2007 07:36 PM
Comments
hey, glad Moses if feeling a little better. I'll be back in Durham sometime on Monday & hope find a way to come see him!
Posted by: mary on August 19, 2007 03:09 PM
ok, so a) your comment won't post right away because i have to approve it first and b) you might get a server error but your comment probably posted anyway and c) previewing doesn't work so i've removed the preview button.