I haven’t said much about Ciara lately because there’s not been much to say. There hasn’t been any change. She started staying in the garage, rarely coming in the house. I’d take food to her and pet her, but even the once a week administering of the metacam wasn’t helping.
On Monday, May 22, I called the vet’s office to see if there was something more we could do for her. He wasn’t in and the message was passed on to him. He never called me back. Earlier this week, I started thinking about Lola, who had two fused disks. What he prescribed for her was prednisone for the inflammation. I stil had some pred from Ciara’s IBD problem and Tuesday, I started giving her a half a tablet (2.5mg) in the morning.
I’ve been giving her l-Lysine and bone meal in babyfood in the morning, feeding her Hill’s A/D throughout the day and giving her diluted goat’s milk to help keep her hydrated. At dinner time, I’d put a bowl of food up for her to eat so she didn’t have to jump down from the condo she was resting on. This week I started spending more time with her, combing her fur, petting her, massaging her back. Trying to get her to purr for me. Honestly, I’ve been getting more worried about her, because this is no life. Constant pain is no way to live. She doesn’t understand, she just knows she hurts.
Yesterday morning, I asked Brian to get down a large crate for her. I was this concerned that the small amount of climbing she was doing was preventing her from getting better. It was a drastic measure, but I was willing to do it. I want her to feel better.
I called the vet again on Wednesday and again asked for something else to help her and mentioned the prednisone. So, Ciara is once again on steroids. She gets a full tablet once a day. Today was her first full pill. And she’s not to get any metacam while on the pred, to stop that immediately (it’s not like she was getting very much anyway).
I think she’s feeling better. She’s wandered through the house at least once, stretched out and scratched on two different cat posts. She’s back on the sofa and she’s even stretching out a little to sleep.
I went into the kitchen to refill my coffee and she wasn’t on the sofa. I looked around for her and found her eating at the feeder in the dining room. It’s been months since she’s done that. Now, she’s in the office with me. I’m going to be so happy when she’s well.
I think the prednisone might help her a lot more than the metacam did. The prednisone will reduce the inflammation, the metacam only masked the pain.
Since I started posting this entry, she’s followed me through the yard, come back into the office and is now sleeping on the copy machine. She still breathes faster than I think she should, but her eyes are all the way closed (instead of kind of open and half awake) and she doesn’t look like she’s uncomfortable. I think I’ll point the office cam at her.
Come on, little Ciara!
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