Korky - good news and bad news

[CarolM (Wendolene)]

What did the vet say Carol?

As it doesn't seem to be bothering him particularly and since the vet couldn't see any obvious cause when he examined his ears last week we're leaving alone for now but keeping an eye on things.  If it gets worse he has to go back back but frankly I think the vet is at a bit of a loss and as he says, poking around deep in the ears trying to clean them can make things worse rather than better because you can end up pushing stuff farther in.  So its a case of fingers crossed.

[Desley (booktigger)]

What did the vet say Carol?

[MrsR]

Good news

[CarolM (Wendolene)]

The good news is I completed the full 7 days course of gel as directed, with no problems.   The bad news is it doesn't seem to have made any difference - he's still shaking his head off and on and flattening his ear down.  I have to talk to the vet again this afternoon.  I have to admit it doesn't seem to be bothering him and its not all that frequent (perhaps less frequent than it was? - I'm not sure).  I could just be being paranoid because he was soooo poorly last year with his ear and this is how it started.

[Maddiesmum]

Best of luck !

[CarolM (Wendolene)]

I can't believe it - he's been no trouble at all.  Last night I went out and when I got back OH had already gone to bed so I had no 'muscle' to help me.  Korky was in his basket by the radiator and lifted his head as I approached, plastic glove on one hand and tube of gel in the other .  It was all over in a few seconds and he didn't even flinch.  This morning he was just starting to back away as I finished.  I have a suspicion that it may get harder as time goes on because he backed away from me earlier when I put out a hand to stroke him.

[Jasmine]

How's Korky been with the treatment today?

[Desley (booktigger)]

I am glad his CRF is doing well, and good luck with his ears.

[Janeyk]

hope the gel sorts out his ear problem and best of luck getting it in!

[Tiggy's Mum]

Glad the CRF seems to be under control, hope you can sort his ears out without too much bother 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Poor Korky and hope that you dont get too injured 

[clarenmax]

Good news his CRF is stable 

Indeed, that's really good news.

Hope the ear problem clears up soon without having to resort to Pickford methods!

[CarolM (Wendolene)]

... I really ought to know this  , but what is the CC method?

I'm sure they wont mind me inserting this quote from one of Gemini's recent diary entries....................

"As soon as I heard about Pickford's mighty... errr, I mean, his mitey ears, I knew what he was in for.........................He's not the most co-operative patient as you can imagine, and the folks attempts to restrain him in a towel ended in total disaster. He's too quick, too strong, and well, let me put it this way - it'll take more than a bath towel to keep Pickford still! Sensibly the folks gave up on the towel, cleaned up their wounds, and worked out a new strategy - which, amazingly, seems to be working. It basically involves putting Pickford onto the kitchen table, then our human of the male variety lays across him effectively pinning him down, while our human of the female variety administers the goo - which, with a bit of luck ends up in the correct set of ears! I have to say, Pickford's been taking it all better than expected so far... but then it's only been three days. Little does he know, the goo lasts three weeks! "

[Christine (Blip)]

Sorry to hear that Korky's under the weather with his ear again  .  I do hope that the medication can sort him out pdq.  I really ought to know this  , but what is the CC method?

Good news his CRF is stable 

[CarolM (Wendolene)]

Korky has had CRF about 2 years now and some of you may remember that his creatinine and urea had taken a dramatic turn for the worse last time they were measured in early November 2008.  He was re-tested this week and the good news is that although his creatinine level is no better, it has not deteriorated any further.  His urea is lower (but still above normal range) and his phosphate, like before, is well within normal range, as are all his other haematological parameters.  He does not have significant proteinuria and his blood pressure is normal.  He remains asymptomatic (other than perhaps wee-ing more than a healthy cat – although even that doesn’t seem as excessive as it was).  These findings support my belief that all the trouble he had with his ear last year contributed to the rapid decline in kidney function (he had a cleanout under general anaesthetic and a few weeks later a 10 day course of strong AB’s because of discharge from the same ear and serious difficulties with balance).
The bad news is that he’s been shaking his head a lot and flattening his right ear down again – which is how all his problems started last year.  The vet has looked at it and can’t really see anything (other than wax which he cleaned out) but has given me some Fucidin gel to rub in twice a day for a week to see how it goes (he doesn’t want to use drops because he thinks the eardrum may have been perforated by his previous problem).  I’m so worried in case it gets any worse – we really thought we were going to lose him last year he was so poorly.  It doesn’t help that he has always hated me touching his ears so getting the gel in could be fun.  I do hope we don’t have to resort to the Cat Chat/Pickford method  .