Waiting to Exhale
Last week I made a routine appointment with the vet for today for Sassy to get her cortizone shot and stock up on her special diet. Now I’m terrified that purpose of today’s appointment will change. Sassy is refusing food. Over the past couple weeks I’ve noticed she’s been slowing down, and for the past 2 days she hasn’t touched her dry, and has barely eaten any of her canned, she is, however drinking lots of water, and passing it. I just tried to let her outside, one of her favorite things to do, but she turned me down, slowly making her way back upstairs to lay beneath the bed in the spare bedroom.
She IS 13+ and has had serious, chronic colitis for most of the time I’ve had her, which had gone pretty much unchecked until 2 years ago. None of this knowledge makes me any less scared or any less sad at the prospect that Sassy may not come home from the vet today.
I’m hoping for the best, but instinct tells me that this just might be a one-way trip. I suspect renal failure. My heart is breaking, and I can’t stop crying. Trixie knows I’m hurting and is trying to comfort me the best way she knows how…by bringing me her prized Lamby.
**Update**
After spending 2+ hours at the vet I’ve got some good news and some bad news and some news that won’t know if it’s good or bad yet.
Good news: Sassy’s home and still very much alive, and now resting comfortably (I hope) on my pjs.
Bad news: She’s been diagnosed with early stages of kidney problems.
The doctor gave her some subcutaneous fluids, a bottle of amoxicilin and strict orders to rebound, and sent her home. We go back Monday for more subcutes, and with any luck that’ll make her feel much better, so she can live the next few weeks/months with some degree of normalcy and quality of life.
On the way home, her complaints at being confined AND in a moving car became louder and more insistant, which I take as a sign she’s starting to feel a little better. The vet, who has been our vet for decades, is a very practical man and wouldn’t recommend unnecessary and costly treatment. I believe he has the animals’ best interests at heart. The fact that he recommended the subcutes, and would have been extremely reluctant to euthanize, due to her alertness and her good color, give me some hope that she can have a few more quality, pampered and pain-free months.
I just really hope I made the right decision. I would HATE to think that I’m prolonging her suffering.

















