Hey y'all!

Today we talked to our vet about findings from the ultrasound Scruffy did this week, and they also checked the potassium levels in his blood. Good news - they are back to normal, which is a good sign! Hooray! He has lost weight, though, going from 4.57kg to 4.05kg. He hasn't been eating much on his own.

The ultrasound revealed a few things: Firstly, stones in the bladder which are located right next to his urethra. There is a small possibility that the stones would end up get lodged inside it, in which case emergency surgery is needed. We will continue to monitor his peeing habits for now and give him painkillers.

Secondly, his bladder walls are abnormally thick, which is a sign of infection, specifically polyploid cystisis. We were given antibiotics for this.

Thirdly, he has an enlarged kidney. The cause is hard to ascertain. It could be an infection or inflammation, which might be related to the bladder issue, or it could be cancer. Surgery and a biopsy is needed to investigate more, but we're hoping it will get better as his bladder returns to normal.

Lastly, he also has a hernia in his abdomen, near his navel. It's basically fat that has gone through a pocket of muscle. It isn't much of an issue right now, as it might just be a birth defect and he's lived with it his whole life. It might, however, cause issues if an intestinal loop goes into that pocket.

We want to minimise Scruffy's day-to-day suffering by treating his most painful & problematic symptoms in the least invasive way possible. That means antibiotics and painkillers for now instead of surgery. He is an old boi after all, so we're going to help him retire as painlessly as possible in a warm and soft bed - safe from fleas, dirt and naughty cats who might attack him.

We are scheduled for another review with our vet in two weeks. Scruffy is taking it like such a champ, cooperating with us (mostly) as we shove pills, medicine and food down his throat. He is an odd boi - We wave treats and food around his face but he looks at us with a blank stare, not a single thought behind those beautiful eyes. Other cats would kill for those treats hahaha.

We also tried cleaning his ear again, which is full of so much gunk! He is getting cleaner and healthier day by day.

Here is the invoice from the consultation:

We want to thank the following offline donors for their generosity:

rachel - $30

ivy - $20

yumi & husband - $300

Thank you for reading and donating. Until tomorrow!