Qandi's Annual Vet Visit

Qandi was adopted on June 30th 2005, so the anniversary of her adoption day is coming up. That also means it was recently time for her annual vet visit. This is always an interesting and somewhat stressful (especially for Qandi herself) experience. Since we are still in the midst of a pandemic, the visit was very different this time.

Currently, no humans (besides employees) are allowed inside the vet's office. (I think they make an exception for first time patients.) Upon arrival, I called the vet to announce that we were there in the parking lot. The secretary checked us in over the phone, then I spoke with the vet's assistant. Since Qandi has an ever-growing list of ailments, I typed it all up so that the vet could read it, but I also explained everything to the assistant over the phone. After that call, I was told someone would be out in a few minutes to bring Qandi, who was required to be in a carrier, in. That was no problem because that's how it's always done. I can't imagine having her loose outside!

So, a few minutes later, the assistant came out to get her. She was wearing a mask. A short while after that, the vet called me while I was sitting in my car, turned waiting room. We discussed all concerns. Here's the rundown on how she's doing:

It seems like Qandi is able to see sometimes, but not all the time. Her vision has definitely deteriorated since the last time she saw the vet. It also seems like her hearing is off, but not completely gone. When I call her name, for example, she'll often look up as if she heard me, but she'll look in the other direction. On the other hand, when she's sleeping out of sight behind the dining room cabinet and she hears me doing things in the kitchen, she easily finds me there. Her drinking (water...lol), eating, and bathroom habits are mostly normal. (Full disclosure here. Apologies if it's TMI.)

I have learned to notice the signs when she needs to use the litter box, but can't find it. She is a lightweight kitty (now weighing less that 5 pounds!), so I can easily carry her with one hand to where she needs to go. I also try to make sure she's used the litter box just before bedtime so that she doesn't have to go overnight. Miraculously, this all seems to be working, with no recent accidents. In this way, the quarantine is a good thing because I'm able to be home with her a lot and watch her closely. She seems to know her way around even though she can't see well, but sometimes she does get confused or she zones out and needs help finding where she needs to go (usually the litter box or her food dish).

I also have to remind her to eat sometimes. This is important because the vet wants her to gain weight. Sometimes she gets so comfortable sleeping that she could easily skip a meal. However, her appetite is definitely there. Usually when I bring the dish to her with the food in it and let her mouth touch the bowl, she instantly perks up and follows me into the kitchen where she eats. She knows her general surroundings well (most days), but I can tell she can't quite see her food dish when she's up close to it. She often lowers her head just outside the bowl as if she thinks it's there. Sometimes she has no clue the food is right there in front of her. She gives me a look as if to ask, "Aren't you going to feed me?" With some encouragement, shoulder blade massages, and vigorous head rubs, she is eventually able to find to find her food and she happily indulges.

There are some days when her senses are so sharp that she sees me sitting on the couch and she successfully jumps up onto my lap. The vision problem and/or general awareness definitely comes and goes. I cherish the days when her senses are sharp and I feel grateful to be able to care for her on the difficult days.

She has been tolerating her food and medication well. Her thyroid blood test came back normal, so she will continue on the same dose of medication for that. Her blood pressure is still a bit high, so her medication for that has been slightly increased. Her kidney function is slightly abnormal, but nothing of major concern right now.

I used to be able to trim her claws with just a little bit of drama. Now she turns into Hulk if I try to do that. It's impossible. I got hissed at the last time I attempted to give her a mani and pedi and she got extremely upset. I think it's because she can no longer clearly see what's going on, so she's scared. So this will have to now be something the vet does every few months. He did it at her most recent appointment and he said it went smoothly. He cut them shorter than I had been doing, so that will extend the time between her manis and pedis.

Once he was done seeing her, he called me again while I was still in my car in the parking lot. (Good time to play Words with Friends and Wordscapes while I waited.) We discussed everything and I checked out and paid over the phone. The assistant then brought Qandi back out to the car and we were on our way. I was told she did very well and remained calm through the appointment. She did seem quite chill when I got her back. When she got home she was very confused, but she recovered pretty quickly. She ate and then took a nice long snooze on the couch.

So, all in all, she's definitely showing signs of her age, but she's coping. The sinus problem has been going on for almost three years now. That most likely won't improve, but she's dealing with it and for the most part, she's content. She hasn't been sleeping on the bed at night, which I miss, but I know it's for the best. There were starting to be many sleepless nights where she'd wake up in the middle of the night and have no idea where she was. She would start to panic. The bedroom door stays open, so she can come and go as she pleases, but she pretty much always chooses to sleep in the living room. The kitchen light stays on at night and since it's a small condo, both her food and bathroom areas are well lit. I don't know if that's what's helping, but it seems to be working well.

As challenging and exhausting as it is these days to care for her, I wouldn't trade it for anything. It's a good feeling knowing I can give her a good home and I'm certain she's grateful for this as well. If anything, the bond we have is even stronger than it ever was before, if that's even possible.