Because I’m concerned about him. And I want him to be comfortable.
Last night, I did the hydration test (where you pick up skin and if it tents, there’s a problem; try it on your hand…do a little pinch and if the skin bounces back into place, you’re sufficiently hydrated, if it doesn’t, start drinking water and try it again later). I gave him 60cc of fluids. It seemed to help.
This morning, the hydration was awful, so I gave him 120cc. That was about an hour and a half ago and already, he’s doing better. So, I’m wondering if maybe his kidneys are starting to fail, or if he’s just in so much pain from the arthritis that he’s not drinking and because he’s not drinking, he doesn’t want to eat and he just feels like crap. My vet explained that being dehydrated you feel bad. This is how humans feel, translate that over to kitty cats.
So, I figure the wisest thing to do at this point is to take him in. If there’s anything I can do to help him feel better, I’ll do it.
Poor old guy. He did just eat a little boiled chicken for me. And the fluids are hanging in his elbows right now (it can take a while for them to be asborbed into the system). But I think he’s not feeling nearly as punky as he was twenty=four hours ago.