Another vet visit for Derry

I debated on waiting to post until I get the results back tomorrow (Thursday), but then thought it might be better to give readers a heads-up on the latest with Derry, in case the news is the worst-case scenario.

As he's gotten older, he's become a bit messier in the litter box when he pees, and I frequently have to wipe his backside, otherwise he does it himself--usually on the carpet.

On Sunday I noticed that the colour of the urine on his butt fur was brown, not normal. I told myself not to panic, but the same thing occurred on Monday.

So off he went to the vet late yesterday afternoon, for a urine analysis and full bloodwork.

They took a look at the urine in-house (just a "quick" look) and there IS a lot of blood in it. The vet said that Derry's bladder looks irregular, possibly a benign polyp, or possibly a cancerous tumour of course. (I brought up the cancer possibility first.)

He's NOT exhibiting any clinical signs of cystitis or a blockage such as being in the litterbox frequently and making tiny pee clumps, but something is going on.

The vet sent me home with four doses of buprenorphine for any pain, while we wait for the results to come back.

I will say now that IF this turns out to be bladder cancer, I will make the choice to let Derry go. I will not put him through surgery at his age, and I will not let him suffer.

If it's something benign, I will NOT give him Metacam on a regular basis, which was the vet's suggestion. I HATE that vets in Canada push that drug; the US product carries black box warnings not to give more than ONE dose, that it can cause renal failure and death in cats.

Anyway, once I have the results, I'll be able to discuss next steps with the vet. If this IS something benign, I have to wonder if all the vet visits this fall/winter have brought this on, given how sensitive and nervous Derry is, how easily stressed.

So that's where we're at the moment. As I wrote at the beginning, I wanted to give readers a heads-up, to avoid any potential shock in the event of the worse-case outcome. I respect that people don't want to post about their pets' illnesses, but personally, it really comes as a blow when suddenly you read about an animal's passing, with no prior warning.

I certainly hope it won't come to that in Derry's case. I'm not ready to let my "baby bear" go...but then no one is ever ready to let go.

I will post again when I know what we're dealing with.

Thank you, Ann, for this lovely graphic:

Peace.