Vet Day!

Today was vet day for some of the sanctuary residents. Our primary care veterinarian, Dr. Booman, came out to see everyone (much easier than asking 12 cats, 2 dogs to ride in the car!)

So much was accomplished in 3 hours ~

~ 7 kitties received their Rabies & FVRCP vaccines. We do vaccinate every 3 years, per the American Association of Feline Practitioners and American Animal Hospital Association's guidelines, those who aren't immune compromised, as so many of our residents come straight from the shelter to us.

~ Melody had the lump on her hip checked. It's a sebaceous cyst, which isn't a medical problem, just a cosmetic one. We'll watch it & remove it if needed.

~ Poppy had a steroid injection, since his IBD is beginning to flare again. I'm not able to find a can or dry cat food that meets his basic beef/potato requirements, so it looks like I'm home cookin' for him for quite a while! (And maybe he needs to quit getting into the trash can!)

~ Ballou had a urinalysis done as part of his exam. He has a low-grade kidney infection, so he's on antibiotics for the next couple of weeks.

~ Austin's exam revealed that he's not 5 - 6 years old as the rescue group was told. The iris atrophy in both eyes is consistent with a cat over 10 years old!

~ Pepper was told she'll need a dental unless she lets me brush her teeth. I'm hoping she agrees, since she doesn't need to floss.

~ The "New Guy" had an exam and bloodwork done. His ears have chronic infections, which will need medication for at least a month. He was treated for tapeworms & fleas; I'm hoping his chronic skin problems are tied into the fleas & will heal over time. His dental tartar isn't bad enough to warrant a dental at this point - I'll start brushing his teeth too. The changes in his eyes put him well over 10 years old, more like 13-14; his elbows, shoulders, hips and hocks are all arthritic. He's started Adequan injections, a medication to increase synovial joint fluid. It will take at least 4 weeks to see any improvement. He was a very brave boy, he even let us trim his toenails, which should help him walk better too. His weight loss program for now will be increased exercise (he follows the other dogs everywhere) and a good quality food (Natural Balance). We'll give him at least a month to see if he's dropped weight before initiating more drastic changes like prescription diet food.

Looking at it all in writing, no wonder everyone wants to go to bed early tonight, including me!