| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name
 | Date | Lines | 
|---|
| 2343.1 | Love the name | YOSMTE::CORDESBRO_JO |  | Thu Mar 30 1989 13:31 | 12 | 
|  |     Christine, you may want to take her to the vet for an old age checkup,
    particularly if she hasn't been in awhile.  
    
    Sensitivity around her hindquarters, or when being petted, might
    be a sign that as she gets older, she is getting aches and pains
    that she never had before.
    
    If these behaviors have come on very suddenly (one day she was fine,
    the next she wouldn't let you touch her) then I would say get her
    to the vet right away.
    
    Jo 
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| 2343.2 |  | CIRCUS::KOLLING | Karen, Sweetie, & Holly; in Calif. | Thu Mar 30 1989 14:09 | 4 | 
|  |     Yes, I second the idea of taking her to the vet.  Maybe she
    has a toochache or somesuch.  I'd bit someone's ankle, too,
    if that were the case.
    
 | 
| 2343.3 | Eugene wont last too long now!! | LARVAE::WATSON_C |  | Mon Apr 03 1989 13:00 | 21 | 
|  |     THANKS GUYS!!
    
    I took Eugene to the vet - harrowing experience to say the least!!
    I was a bait upset by the vet's handling of her, he was quite rough,
    and poor Eugene was *really* upset.
    
    The diagnosis: old age and slight arthritis about the joints!
    
    He (the vet) doesn't think she will be with us for much longer,
    but, so far she has had a long and generally happy life, so we can't
    really expect too much of her!!  He did think she had sligtly bad
    teeth, but wouldn't treat her for anything because of her age, so
    it's just make the most of her in the time we've got left:  love
    her, and hug her(when we can) and generally give her a happy and
    peaceful end.
    
    
    I'm gonna miss this baby when she goes!!
    
    Christine
    
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| 2343.4 |  | CRUISE::NDC |  | Tue Apr 04 1989 07:49 | 3 | 
|  |     Did the vet prescribe anything to  help the arthritis? 
      N
    
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| 2343.5 |  | LARVAE::WATSON_C |  | Tue Apr 04 1989 08:31 | 16 | 
|  |       Yes, I got some pain killer-type drugs, but that's all.  Just
    something to help her be more comfortable, rather than something
    to heal her.
    
    I could understand his point to a degree, but who knows how long
    a cat might live, given treatment.  I can understand not operating
    or anything major, but I love Eugene and just want to see her well
    again.
    
    Anyway, the tablets are quite small, so we're crushing them into
    her dinner, the trouble is, she's not eating very much at the moment,
    I don't want to try and give them to her, because she's never liked
    this in the past.
    
                       > Christine <
    
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| 2343.6 |  | CIRCUS::KOLLING | Karen, Sweetie, & Holly; in Calif. | Tue Apr 04 1989 14:17 | 2 | 
|  |     You might want to try another vet, one you feel more comfortable with.
    
 | 
| 2343.7 | A recommendation for Tufts | MRESS::FEASE | Andrea Midtmoen Fease | Tue Apr 04 1989 14:59 | 26 | 
|  |     Christine -
    
         Are you anywhere near Tufts?  I'm asking because we would probably
    have lost Bigfoot without them.
    
         On New Year's Eve (why is it that illnesses always strike at the
    worst possible times?) we found Bigfoot listless, with glazed eyes and
    growling at anyone that approached.  He even growled at me, and he
    *loves* women.  So we knew something was wrong and took him immediately
    to Tufts.                                  
    
         They gave him fluids and did several blood tests on him.  As you
    have probably read, there is a possibility that he has FIP, but I must
    say that he is, four months later, much better, with better
    temperament, better reflexes and generally more active and, yes,
    healthy.  His arthritis acts up every so often, but right now it isn't
    bad enough to treat.
    
         I'm afraid if we had taken him anywhere else and they knew he was
    at *least* 12, probably much more (we don't know his exact age), they
    would have said sorry, time for him to be put down.  So we are very
    grateful to Tufts not only for saving his life (we're convinced he
    would have passed on without the emergency treatment), but for giving
    his a good quality of life as well (we would never let him suffer).
    
                                       - Andrea
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| 2343.8 | New Vet!! | SSVAX::HOFFMAN | SIMG Information Security | Tue May 23 1989 14:58 | 20 | 
|  |     I may be late replying, but...
    
    Regarding "geriatric" pussycats....My two will be 17 this summer,
    and Munchkin has been diabetic for 3 years (on 2 insulin shots daily)
    and has arthritis in his hip joints, and Mutu also has slight
    arthritis. They have both been living with "aches and pains" for
    the past two years, at least, and are both healthy
    (relatively-speaking), active, etc., slightly flat-footed (if they get 
    much older, they'll be walking on their elbows!).  With older cats,
    every extra month/year, etc. is a gift!   
    
    I agree with everyone else regarding getting a new vet!  Just like
    how some doctors aren't people-oriented (prefer diseases), I believe 
    some vets prefer cats over dogs and vice-versa.  However, animals can't
    be told what's wrong; they sense everything by tones of voice, how
    they're handled, etc.  Get Eugene to a cat-loving vet soon.  Not
    only will she be happier, but you will too.
    
    Regards,
    
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