Up + Downs = mostly the same

Sometimes I am tempted to update this blog mid-day, to keep things up-to-the-minute, but I am usually glad that I don't, because these days are like roller coasters and I would be posting: "He's down!" "Wait -- he's up!" "Aw... he's down again." all day long. Instead I can say this: Things are about the same. Maybe a little bit better.

Kaesea slept under his "heat lamp" all last night (as seen in this photo) and he freaked me out because he did not move for about 12 hours straight. He just... sat. He ate a small amount of food during that time, but he did not really get up at all. Also, he had a really sad look on his face (I know that sounds weird, but look at today's photo. Seriously.) It was freaky. And bad. Really, really bad. He didn't even want his brush. Bad.

So I came home at lunch today, and he got up! I laid down on the bed and he curled up with me! And he wanted his brush! And he ate some food! And he groomed his chest a little bit! So... better. Only a tiny bit better, but better.

When I came home after work, he still looked like hell, but he was walking around. And then I discovered something very odd: even though he shows signs of dehydration (failing the skin pinch test, no peeing since the morning, not drinking any water), he still has a sack of unabsorbed fluid hanging around under his armpit from his subcutaneous injection yesterday. What the ---? That's just weird.

So I called his doctor, and she agreed it was weird. She asked me a lot of questions about his breathing and some other symptoms that would indicate a heart problem (associated with hydration problems. I'm not going to get into it now -- I'm just going to stick with the issues we know Kaesea has) and we both agreed that's most likely not the problem. So we're stumped. Yay.

Our decided course of action: do not give more sub-q fluids tonight. Instead, try giving Kaesea water orally via syringe. I have been doing that and damned if he does not seem to be doing better since then! So the little spoiled darling won't even drink on his own now? Great. Oh, well. Whatever it takes.

He has been eating increasing amounts of kibble this evening (and some canned food, but Kaesea is really a Kibble Man) and has also been grooming himself. Not a lot, but some. So yay! Not only is that a good sign of health, but he also looks and smells terrible, so could certainly use it.

All this to say that we are far from out of the woods -- we've got the weird sack of fluid, the continued inappetence, the bad looking fur, and the pouty-faced lethargy -- but at least he's walking around, grooming a little, and he purred while being brushed. So I'll take it.

[whispering voice:] Also, he's been vomit-free for 58 hours now and his last anti-nausea dose was 14 hours ago. So, you know, that's good news. (But don't tell Kaesea that -- you know how he loves a good jinx.)