Yeah, I know I can be like a dog with a bone on occasion. And Captain's breathing is just such an occasion. What can I say?
As I mentioned, I'm taking little videos and using my editing software to cut them down to a sixty seconds and counting the times his side rises and falls. The last one I took last night was at 6:30 and I got 39 breaths.
I took video this morning at 8:30 and again at 9:00. I figured the 9:00 would be a better representative because we've been up and the household is to its normal activity level. Things are a little hectic when we first wake up with feedings and opening up the house and all that good stuff.
So, a cat's normal respiratory rate (from what I've read) is thirty breaths a minute. It should be less at a resting rate. On the video I took at 9:00, his rate was thirty-five breaths a minute. Not bad. I hope this means he's not getting worse. He's only had two days of the Rutin at this point and my vet's told me in the past that for antibiotics (which is not what Rutin is, I'm just using this as an example) will take up to three days before you see improvement.
He still has the problem, I'm not saying he's still not a very, very sick kitty. But I'm looking for any silver lining I can. Grasping at straws, if you want to look at it that way. Trying to keep my optimism. Hoping against hope that we have him a lot longer than six more months.
He's eating well, he loves his W/D. I got up at 2:30 this morning and checked on him, he was awake and walking around, so I sat with him while he ate out of the bowl I've got his food in. And he ate again first thing when we got up this morning. I have to sit with him, otherwise the vultures will appear. They're like zombies looking at fresh brains. He has finally gotten it that he doesn't have to run off, he can keep eating since I'll keep them away from him.
Other than the fast respiratory rate, you wouldn't know he has a problem.
And Roadrunner Pharmacy still sucks.