Nicki's vet visit

Nicki had his regular vet visit on Monday morning, so off we went in the taxi, Nick singing the Song of his People the entire way. 

Nicki later in the afternoon, with a full tummy and done for the day.

 

He's lost a fair bit of weight (down to 11.2 lbs from 12.3 lbs last April), so I wanted to have a urine analysis done, as well as blood work (along with the usual expression of his anal glands, his claws clipped, his mouth checked, etc.).

I've been waiting for the results and finally the vet just emailed me: his thyroid is fine, chemistries are "in line" with last spring's, his Creatinine actually is a few points less this time, but there was a problem with one of the blood sample tubes for the CBC and the cells were hemolyzed (I had to look that up).

The vet suggested that the lab run a urine protein/creatinine ratio (as they did last April), and then said that I could bring Nicki back next week for another blood sample, no further charge.

My reply: Yes to the ratio, and a flat no to the stress of bringing Nicki back next week. (Plus taking more vacation time to do it.) Further blood work will wait until he goes back in a few months for his anal glands, unless something happens to him in the meantime. I don't think cancer would necessarily show up in blood work anyway, thinking the worst case scenario.

So Nicki's weight loss can't be attributed to thyroid or kidneys, which is good. I've been trying to watch what I give them because Derry is so obese, so I don't know if that's the reason for Nicki's decline in pounds, coupled with his natural aging (he was 12 last fall), or if there is something else going on (i.e. cancer). Right now Nicki's running around per usual, still getting into trouble and being his sometimes obnoxious self, so I will do my best not to worry unduly. Because worrying isn't going to change the eventual outcome -- meaning no matter what I do and whether or not I panic, he'll still die in his time, as will Derry and as will I.

And I have to say that while I have regrets with Chumley and Annie, I have no regrets with the boys. I know I've given them good lives and the only thing I would do differently is fuss and micromanage less. It's exhausting and pointless and robs me of the time I do have with them.

Anyway, remember my Sunday post about the snowstorm? Yeah, well, it turns out we got an average of 40 cm of snow, not the 20 - 25 that was forecast. That's about 16 inches of the white stuff, and that makes me doubly glad I the driveway plowed!

Peace.