Kado had a recheck today. The good news is that we finally seemed to hit on a drug combination (oral azithromycin with nebulized Baytril and dexamethasone) that has left his lungs sounding clear (or as good as it is likely to get.)
The bad news is that he is still dropping weight. He's down to 413 grams, more than 100 grams less than where we began. Lately I've been giving him Boost Plus, the highest-calorie liquid meal replacement I could find, in addition to higher protein foods like egg and chicken. Oh, and fats like yogurt, cheese, avocado, and olive oil. Then there was the whipped cream...
I don't think it's for lack of eating. It could be that he has cancer, or some other metabolic illness. For the next couple of weeks we are going to taper back the dexamethasone (hopefully his breathing will stay good) and I'll keep trying to tempt him with yummy food...recipes are welcome. (And seriously, if you can think of high calorie food that's still relatively healthy, let me know.)
Posted by Abita at July 20, 2006 07:56 PMGood luck Abita. I'm glad he's breathing easier. I was thinking about the foods and wondering if all the protein is hard on the kidneys like it is in older cats. Or do the vets still think this? I ask because here lately I have been seeing that the premium foods (for cats anyway) are increasing the percentage of protein. I know rats are different, though. Do rats have heart problems like people do?
Posted by: Eanna at July 21, 2006 06:59 AM