AYLA: Breakfast in bed... I'm eating mine.
AYLA: Breakfast in bed... I'm eating mine.
Today, we return to the thrilling day of February 25, 2011! We had received toys we won in a contest from Eric&Flynn.
TBT: I titled this "Spay Visit" because there was no actual operation today. Lori's platelet count was too low. I spoke to the vet when picking Lori up to bring her home. The vet is uncertain about the cause and after asking me about symptoms and behavior at home is downright baffled. She wants to see her again in 2 weeks. Also, I did some research when I got home.
Normal platelet count is above 200 "somethings". Below 150, it is too dangerous to operate. Lori's is 98. That seems extremely low.
Possible symptoms include :
Bruising - No sign of that.
Localized red areas on the skin and gums - No sign of that.
Retinal hemorrhage - No sign of that.
Hematochezia (presence of blood in the stool) - Her previous fecal exam in December showed no sign of that, but they hadn't asked for one this time.
Hematuria (presence of blood in the urine) - The vet didn't do that test this time, but if it is visible to me in the litterbox, she doesn't have that problem.
Lethargy - She is practically hyper-active! She and Laz chase each other around constantly.
Epistaxis (nosebleed) - No sign of that.
Lack of appetite - She eats like a pig (lots of anything).
Temporary mild illness or infections - No sign of that.
Inadequate diet - The Mews get Fancy Feast and Wellness wet food most meals and a handful of kibble once a day and a few treats. The vet said that was fine.
Wounds causing bleeding - She and Laz bite and bunny-kick each other a lot. They both heal nearly scabless. I have found a few little ones on both, but never any bleeding. In fact, the vet said the spot where they took the blood sample didn't even bleed.
Parasites - No sign of that.
Bleeding from the gums - No sign of that.
There are some long-term diseases and non-symptomatic conditions that can cause low platelet count. I won't even try to describe them. But some are things Lori has been vaccinated for previously; some require extensive treatment (bone marrow sampling, transfusions, etc); and some are "unfixable" (genetics, for example).LORI: TBT carried me out on his shoulder (where I love to perch) outside to the mailbox and back (firm grip on right leg)!
OK, maybe that wasnt "random" (well it was to ME), but it SURE was eciting,,,
And we sat on the front doorstep fer a few minutes! I nearly passed out from all the new snells and sounds,.
TBT: When you are confused about answers, ask again!
I called my regular Vet office again yesterday to see if I could do anything to get a sooner appointment for Lori's spay operation. Going to the Humane Society made me worried. Their local rating wasn't great. And since she is unchipped yet (to be done with the spay visit), I actually worried that they might "lose her" in the crowd.
It is easy to imagine the worst sometimes.
So I called my Vet again to see if there was anyway I could beg for the Ladygardenectomy before a 2nd heat cycle. I was willing to bribe if possible... I kind of stayed up all night waiting for the Vet to open at 8 am (woordle helped).
This time, all was OK. The person I talked to said Feb 21st was open for a spay operation. She even asked who I talked to the 1st time (I didn't recall the name).
But the important thing is that we have an appointment before she (and I) have to go through heat again. And with my trusted Vets doing the operation.
I am such a lucky person. If it doesn't involve dice or spinners, things go my way... I can't win a lottery or a bet, but the important stuff works out well. I'll take that any day.
So Lori gets her operation in 10 days (before her next expected heat). By a trusted Vet. And chipped... I can relax now... Everything is scheduled and settled. Marley and Ayla will go in for rabies and Feline Leukemia Vaccinations early March.
All is well in our world again...
Today, we go back to this week 2013.
Marley could jump up tp the top of the shoe rack then and Ayla didn't mind.
I almost got them both jumping off together, but not quite...
Iza did her "laying on back thing...
TBT: I'm not happy with my Vets! Not that they don't provide good cat-care, but they are not always straight-forward about their practice. They could tell me more about scheduling/timing, and they don't. I'm not planning on searching for a new Vet, but they can really withhold information sometimes.
OK, I should mention I was talking to the Desk Manager (for lack of a better job title)...
When Lori was 5 months old, I asked about a spay operation and microchipping. They said they preferred to wait til 6 months for microchipping and do a spay after going through heat once (to do it "in between"). I have never previously had a Vet who worries about that. But, if newer Vet practices are better for the cat, I go along...
So Lori went through her first heat Feb 3-8. I called today to schedule the appointment. They said they were scheduled to March 3rd. They offerred a mid-March appointment. Lori will probably go into heat again right about March 3rd, so that would be a 2nd heat.
I'd rather not go through that again. And I would rather she didn't have to either. Lori is a Tonkinese, and they are related to Siamese and Siamese are LOUD. Tonkinese are close... One week was bad enough for both of us.
But it relates to Ayla. As some of you may not know (and many of you know do know), Ayla required 3 spay operations. The first 2 were done by the breeder's Vet. The 1st was unsuccessful. After telling me "it would end soon" for months, he agreed to do it again. Poor Ayla! But the 2nd was unsuccessful, too. The Vet said that sometimes heat cycles could re-occur for months due to "thyroidal issues" and there wasn't much he could do about that.
Ayla went into heat every 3 weeks for a week at a time for months afterwards. I was still working at the time, and between long hours and a long commute, sleep was precious. I didn't get much during her week. And she was a wreck. I have experience with female cats. She was worse than any other. I swear, I could have grabbed her tail and swung her around like a board.
It was like she was 2 cats in heat in one body. And she grabbed me with all claws anytime she could. She would stick on me like velcro. I bought spot-bandages. I used a lot of antibiotic ointment. I still have the calendars that I marked with red Xs for her heat days. The months are full of red Xs.
I don't want to be indelicate here, but one day, I noticed a beige discharge from her lady parts. I brought her to my Vet and he decided to do an exploratory surgery. Knowing she had been spayed 2x before, he was shocked to find one entire ovary and part of the uterus still inside her and deteriorating (hence the discharge).
He called me quickly in mid-operation about it. I told him to save the parts as evidence. I still have them in alcohol. He said the parts were obvious and "right there". Ayla's 3rd spay (by my own Vet) worked fine.
So, I have this "thing" about spay operations. Fear of failure... Naturally then, when my current Vets (the good old guy retired a couple years ago after caring for The Mews for 30+ years) started delaying things, I was worried.
The Desk Manager suggested I could bring Lori to the Humane Society for her operation and that they could do it within a week. I was unsure about that, but she said she brought her own cats there and that they were very good. I will call tomorrow to see about an appointment. I think I will make that mid-March appointment with my regular Vets (just in case) though.
So I am really not very happy today...
Oops, we posted on TBTs blog. Seems better here than there...
LORI: Feeling better! Calming down. Thank Bast!
LORI: Im tired. Im taking a nap on the chair!
Even with Loris current "distraction", we still need to eat. We managed an EASY moment here...
TBT here: Yeah, Lori finally went into heat and everyone guessed that. It started Wednesday night and was at a normal peak last night. I expect it will last another day or 2. About 80% of my cats have been female, so this isn't exactly my first experience. Some of you may recall that Ayla required 3 spay operations to get it right (I'll explain all that if new readers comment that they want to know about that).
Though having Siamese and Burmese ancestry, Lori has been a rather quiet untalkative kitty. A slight light meow from time to time. Well, she is a "purrer" more than a "meower". Maybe she had no complaints before. LOL! So when she started "talking" Wednesday night, I guessed what was happening.
My previous experience about spay operations was based on age. So when she turned 24 weeks old, I asked the vets about spaying. They said they preferred she go into heat once to establish when she wasn't, as they thought the operation was easier. My previous Vet (retired now) just went by age.
Just as an aside, I'm not sure how vets measure age. "6 months" isn't exactly the same as "24 weeks". But Lori was born on August 3rd, and went into heat February 3rd". 6 months right to the day!
OK, veterinary science advances like everything else, so I go with whatever they recommend. I'll call Monday for an operation appointment later that week
Lori has a funny voice. Small, slight, and calm. Even in heat, she isn't making much noise. I appreciate that. Ayla had an in-heat call that would wake exhausted people in a large building! So we are good.
Ayla has been more tolerant of Lori the past 2 days (memories?), Laz is disturbed, and Marley doesn't seem to care. I can sleep at night. She seems to want my attention even more than usual and even climbs right up me to sit on my shoulder. I'm not sure what that is all about, but I am wearing heavy jeans and thick flannels shirts now. She has sharp claws...
I expect it will end in a couple days and if it stays as it is for the couple days, I'll sleep OK. Lori seems to go into it for an hour and then is normal again for several. She sleeps and eats OK. She sleeps at night with Laz. She joins me in bed sometimes normally.
I'm expecting that her operation will be in 7-10 days and everything will be calm after. No repetition of Alya's difficulties...
I still have the inflatable collar used for Ayla and Iza. It was sold for small dogs, but it works great for cats. Much better than "The Cone".
Today we go back to a subject rather than a date. Lori is actin a bit odd. Do these pictures from the past give you a clue?