stripethree

So before we went to Nebraska, I had to make an emergency visit to the veterinarian with Llama, as he was having trouble going to the bathroom. The diagnosis was a partial blockage of his urethra or an infection of the area, so we got some meds and monitored his use of the litter box. About half way through our trip he finished the meds (we had friends staying at the house) and seemed to be back to normal doing just fine.

Then today, Summer noticed him squatting on the bed looking like he was trying to pee. His lower belly area was swollen and he was in obvious discomfort and could not go to the bathroom. So back to the emergency vet we went, and this time it was not so simple. He developed a full blockage in his urinary tract and needed to stay overnight. Last I heard he was unblocked with a catheter and was resting, but still with an IV for fluids and a catheter to monitor his urine output. He’s going to get a ultrasound done, blood work, urine-analysis… all in hopes of figuring out what the deal is. This is not uncommon in male cats, and there are options, but all of them are unfortunately somewhat invasive, the success rates are not bulletproof, and the financial commitment is substantial. It feels horrible to have that last reason in the equation, I do not have to want to choose between one of my best friends and my modest savings account, but it’s an unfortunate reality. One that brought me to tears upon hearing how much a potentially life saving surgery could cost for Llama.

It was just as upsetting to sit in the vet’s office and have to think about how things could turn out, today, next week, whenever. Even now the house isn’t the same as he’s staying over night. He could very well come home and have this happen again next week. Or it could never happen again, depending. If kidney stones caused it, he’d need surgery to remove them. It is was crystals in his urine, it depends on the type. If it’s something else… who knows. I’m hoping for the best, really, really hoping.