Purrs for Truffle and Brulee

We thought we were going to have a nice and relaxing Caturday, but our visit to the veterinarian yesterday didn't turn out too well for either of us.

Truffle and Brulee are both ill

Truffle went to the vet yesterday for another urinalysis and Brulee was scheduled for her 3-year FVRCP vaccination.

Truffle

Purrs for Truffle

As many of you already know, Truffle had emergency surgery to remove to bladder stones which turned out to be Struvite Stones. The major way to treat this condition and hopefully avoid future stones is with a diet with lower phosphorus and magnesium that promotes formation of acidic urine (Minnesota Urolith Center, 2018). There are three companies who produce prescription food developed to combat bladder stones. We've tried all three with all flavors and textures. We've finally found one that Truffle will eat, but she still wants the regular food Brulee is eating. 

In order to prevent future Struvite Stones, the pH levels should be less than 6.4 and the USG (Urine Specific Gravity) should be less than 1.030 based on recommendations from the Minnesota Urolith Center at the University of Minnesota. Last month, Truffle's pH was 7 and her USG was 1.050. The vet wanted to do another urinalysis 30 days later (yesterday) and Truffle's pH increased to 8 and her USG was greater than 1.050. We're stumped because Truffle has been eating her prescription food and drinking plenty of water from her fountains. The vet sent a culture off to see if anything else was happening. In the meantime, one recommendation is to begin adding some water to her canned food and try weaning her off some of the kibble. We're also looking into contacting a certified veterinary nutritionist to see if there is another food that will produce a more acidic and diluted urine.

Brulee

Purrs for Brulee

Brulee's day began normally yesterday. She was due her 3-year FVRCP vaccination. She had this 3 years ago with no problem. The vet always treats her with a Benadryl injection prior to shots because she had a small reaction several years ago when she had two shots in one day. The vet checked her over (she weighed 8.8 lb) and she was doing great. She was fed when we got home and ate most of her canned food. She drank water, ate treats, and acted normally. I stayed with her all day watching for signs of a reaction. Around 5:00 pm, I went to get something to eat. I got back home and she was still ok. However, a little after 7:00 pm, she began having diarrhea and vomiting. I cleaned up her bottom and noticed she was continually licking her lips and was very restless. I knew this wasn't normal for Brulee, so I called an After Hours veterinary hospital that had been recommended to me. The vet said it could be a reaction to the vaccination, but it was in a "gray area." I decided to take her in for a checkup.

This was my first time going to Well Pets After Hour Urgent Care. It was a smaller facility than I'm used to, but I was very impressed with Dr. Leigh Sheridan. She gave Brulee a lot of loving attention (even playing with her "fur horns") and checked her over. Brulee didn't have a fever (100.1) and her coloring was good. It was obvious Brulee was nauseated because she was constantly licking her lips and had vomited a little more. Brulee was also making some noises that we couldn't tell at first if it was respiratory or gagging. Brulee did begin with some occasional open-mouthed breathing, but no real dyspnea (difficult or labored breathing). Dr. Sheridan gave Brulee a Cerenia injection for nausea and a Diphenhydramine injection for a possible allergic reaction. I noticed Brulee was breathing a little harder and the vet recommended leaving her for observation for an hour so they could monitor her. 

Brulee in her Sleepypod® Mobile Pet Bed

An hour later, I arrived back to the vet and was told she was doing better. In fact, they talked about how much she will sitting with her paws out in front of her watching them go by. Dr. Sheridan told me she may still be nauseated a little, but she should be okay. When Brulee was brought back in the examination room, she began sneezing and there was discolored drainage from her nose. She began open-mouth breathing, which I know can be serious for Persians because of their brachycephalic faces. I asked if they could keep her overnight to monitor her and was told they were not a 24-hour hospital and recommended I take her to the South Carolina Veterinary Specialists and Emergency Care about 2 miles away. Brulee has been treated at this hospital a few times and they are AAHA accredited. Hindsight tells me I should have taken Brulee here in the beginning. Well Pets agreed to call the emergency hospital to inform them I was bringing Brulee and the vet emailed her examination notes. This examination cost $91.22.

Upon arriving at the SCVSE, they immediately took Brulee to the oxygen chamber. Unfortunately, there were several other pet parents in the waiting room, so it was about an hour before an assistant took me to a separate room to talk about Brulee's condition. She said her vitals were normal, but she became stressed with labored breathing and open-mouth breathing during the exam. She didn't have a fever. I was told an emergency veterinarian would talk with me about the vitals and treatment, but it may be a while because there were several trauma pets being treated. I sat in the waiting room for another 3 hours before I was able to talk to the vet. Dr. Brunagan told me that Brulee was in the oxygen chamber and that she was breathing from her mouth because her nose was blocked from rhinitis. She believes it became inflamed when Brulee vomited and the acid got in her nose. Brulee given Diphenhydramine (antihistamine), Maropitant (Cerenia for vomiting), and Convenia (antibiotic). The vet recommended Brulee stay overnight so they could monitor her condition. She would receive oxygen, as needed. I left around 1:30 am to go home and cuddle with Truffle. The estimate for this treatment and overnight stay was $416.98.

I received a phone call from Dr. Brunagan this morning (8:30 am) telling me that Brulee had developed a fever and they wanted to keep her for the day to monitor her. I agreed. I became restless around 2:30 pm and called the emergency hospital for an update on Brulee. I was told she was resting comfortably and a vet would contact me about her condition.

I received a phone call from Dr. McCann about 30 minutes ago with an update on Brulee. She said Brulee was resting better with no labored or open-mouth breathing. She still had nasal discharge that was discolored. Her concern for Brulee was that her fever was going up and down (104, 103.5, 104, 103.4) and it hadn't broken yet. Dr. McCann said they'd already given Brulee some fluids. She was concerned about the fever and recommended Brulee remain with them overnight again. She would give fluids, as needed, and would probably give some additional antibiotics. She didn't believe Brulee had pneumonia, but wanted to make sure this Upper Respiratory Infection (URI) didn't turn into pneumonia. She said they could get more aggressive, if needed. I agreed to allowing Brulee to stay overnight again, receive a new antibiotic, receive fluids if needed, and x-rays. We also talked about Brulee not eating and I'm going to take some of the Wellness canned food she likes along with some of her Orijen treats to see if she will eat. Dr. McCann said Brulee could have had an URI developing prior to the vaccination because this type of reaction doesn't usually occur afterwards. I don't know how much this additional care will cost, but Brulee is worth it!

All I can say is I'm so thankful I have Trupanion Pet Insurance on each of the girls!

Thank you for each of your purrs, prayers, and comforting words. 😻😿 I'm very worried about Brulee and won't feel whole until she is back home with us.  I'll keep you updated on her progress.