See title.
I took Gracie to the vet this morning, feeling really down and depressed about her whole outlook. Because she vomited up the water that contained the quarter pill of Pepcid AC that I gave her via kitty syringe. Because she looked awful again. Because she still wasn’t eating.
When I got there, I told the vet to give her the works—anti-nausea, antibiotic, and steroids in case she has Inflammatory Bowel Disease (I’ve been doing my homework). The vet also gave Gracie IV (sub-q, as I had requested) and tried to feed her (but not force-feed). She said Gracie showed interest in the food, but didn’t eat any.
Meantime, a very nice blogger whose daughter is a small animal internist in the northeast gave me her number, and we chatted for a good twenty minutes. She had all but convinced me that it was time for a stomach tube for Gracie. I left work early to consult with my vet and pass along the specialist’s advice (which was well accepted by my vet, who is truly only trying to make Gracie better). I was still pretty worried, and thought that we’d take until Monday to decide whether to do the biopsy and insert a stomach tube. The vet gave Gracie one last shot that she’d wanted to give her (forgot which one), and we left.
So, we got home, and she immediately went to the food dishes and circled them. I tried to interest her in other foods, no dice. But finally, a while later, I was petting her near the upstairs food dish (put there to placate Tig when he was freaking over vet scent), and she got more and more interested. And she finally took a bite. She only ate three or so pieces, but it was enough. She kept it down. Half an hour later, she ate another couple of pieces. And again, a little while ago. Now she’s washing herself on the tissue paper on the sofa, which is something she has not done in two weeks—neither the washing nor the sitting on the tissue paper. She has mostly huddled on a towel or in a corner or on my bed. It’s so great to see her acting so normally.
I don’t know what happened today. I don’t know if Gracie turned a corner, or if the shots the vet gave her did the trick. All I know is she is no longer vomiting, she isn’t foaming, the fur beneath her mouth is dry for the first time in two weeks, she is cleaning herself up, and she is eating. Only a little bit, but she’s eating. And keeping it down.
We are very, very happy in the Yourish household today.
Thank you all so very, very much for all your help, good wishes, donations, and purr-ayers. Each and every one of them was appreciated.
YAY Gracie!!! Woo hoo!!! Oh that’s such good news :) :) :)
That, right there, is how you are killing me. KILLING me, I say.
I am so glad. My money’s on the steroids here. A short course won’t do her any harm and, anyway, who cares? SHE ATE! W00t! Princess Gracie 4evah!
Thank God.
Some GOOD NEWS at last.
Kayn ayin hora, that is the best news I’ve heard in a long time. Yee-Haw!
Oh, how wonderful! That is probably the best news I’ve heard this entire month.
Continued good wishes for Gracie’s complete recovery.
So what were the injections she got from the vet? The ones most likely to have had an effect as dramatic as you are describing are the anti-nausea (for obvious reasons) and the steroid (to reduce inflammation and stimulate appetite).
Both will need to be repeated, either in pill form or via injection, to keep her system in line until it heals on its own.
Great news.
Oh, fantastic! May things only get better from here.
Wonderful news! Prayers for her continued healing, though, and for your peace of mind. I am SO glad she’s better.
It’s wonderful to come back here after a day of not keeping up and “SHE ATE!!” is one of the first headlines I notice.
Glad to read some good news first thing in the morning.
Mozeltov!
Wonderful news, first thing I read this morning is the Gracie update, made my morning! Hoping for more good news to come. Meryl, you have captured our hearts with your compassion for Gracie.
May the future be bright for both of you.
just adding our purrs and prayers for a quick recovery
Sooooo happy to hear the good news!! YIPPEE!! Still thinking about you both. Hang in there.
Oh, what great news. Glorious news. Happy news. I even called my husband from work and told him. He was happy, not as happy as me and definitely not as happy as you!
What wonderful news! Go Gracie!