Kliban and Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Posted on September 20, 2018 by M. E. Murray

Kliban, the quasi-feral cat www.memurray.com.wordpress.com

Kliban, my quasi-feral cat

July 18, 2018, we are used to having our cats cough up a furball every once in a while, but Kliban started vomiting often. That worried us, so we took him to our veterinarian. He recommended a change in diet and gave him some medication. According to the vet, cats normally vomit once or twice a month.

The vomiting slowed down, but Kliban was still vomiting more than usual. We took him to the vet again. He suspected irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and recommended an ultrasound scan. So, on the day after Labor Day, very early in the morning, my husband took Kliban for his ultrasound. I stayed home, tears in my eyes, hoping and praying that Kliban would be all right.

That same day I got a call about 9 AM that the ultrasound had already been performed. The radiologist had noticed an enlarged lymph node close to the small intestine. Other than that there were no signs of cancer. He wanted to perform a needle biopsy, so I woke up my husband, who likes to sleep late, and the three of us talked but decided against the needle biopsy. I hope we made the right decision because the needle biopsy in Twister’s case did not help. A tissue sample would have been better, but we had been through so much with Twister that we also decided against this procedure.

Kliban resting

Kliban is home now. We feed him a prescribed diet and he was on a medication for intestinal bacterial parasites for three days. He looks so much better. He eats his prescribed diet/food and has not vomited. He’s back to sleeping on my lap, getting brushed, and his tummy hair is growing back; it had to be shaved to perform the ultrasound. So far, he seems to be fine. And I pray that he stays well.

Twister-friendly yard

Posted on September 20, 2018 by M. E. Murray

Twister's neck has healed www.memurray@att.net.wordpress.com — Twister’s neck has healed

June 21, 2018, we got the ultrasound results. There was no indication in the ultrasound pictures to indicate that there was any cancer in Twister’s foot. The scratches on his neck are gone. He’s healthy and as strong as an ox. The veterinarians and technicians agreed.

Now all we need to do is to keep a close watch on his foot. In about three months another ultrasound will be performed to make sure that Twister ‘s foot is okay. In the meantime, we’ll walk Twister with a leash until the backyard is Twister-friendly.

Twister’s not too happy with the arrangement. He’s used to inspecting the yard on his own, but we are concerned that he might reinjure himself. We suspect that he knocked down the pile of firewood on the firewood rack and the bricks we had stacked on the back side of the shed.( I have no idea how he knocked down the stack of firewood and the bricks. I suppose he saw something move, such as a lizard, and then relentlessly dug into the stack of firewood until it landed on the side of the shed. Then he continued to dig until he made bigger holes. The same story probably happened to the toppled bricks. In this case, Twister made a large hole, trying to get to a possum.)

Our yard is now Twister-friendly. The shed is patched. The bricks have been moved to another spot. The area around the shed is clear. But, we probably need to replace the shed. Should it be replaced with one made out of resin, wood, or steel? Your suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your prayers.

Ultrasound time

Posted on June 6, 2018 by M. E. Murray

Twister/www.memurray.com.wordpress.com — Twister relaxing in sunroom

I am happy to report that Twister looks fine. He acts like a normal dog. He wants to chase squirrels and lizards. In short, anything that moves. He doesn’t limp or hurt when we examine his leg. My husband walks him with a leash in the backyard as often as possible.

In about 2 1/2 weeks, an ultrasound will determine if there are any changes in his leg that the CT scan didn’t capture. In the meantime, we wait, pray, play with Twister, and keep him happy.

The waiting is over.

Posted on June 5, 2018 by M. E. Murray

Twister's recovery www.memurray.com.wordpress.com — Twister’s back to himself.

May 14, 2018. Twister’ s oncologist and surgeon called to tell us that the results of the biopsy had come in and that they showed no cancer, only fibrous tissue. . When my husband and I heard that they had not found any cancer, we were so relieved.

Twister finished taking his medication and antibiotics yesterday. He is in good spirits, The incision is healing properly, and the swelling on his leg is decreasing. He will wear his plastic cone for another week, then the oncologist will remove the stitches and give him another examination. As a precaution, the doctors will perform an ultrasound in about a month to make sure the tumor has no changes.We can only hope that everything will be fine. And again we ask all the animal lovers to pray for his complete recovery, and that he won’t need any further treatments.

The day Twister had his CT scan and biopsy, I pulled out the prayer book that my sister had given me so that I could pray to the Lord to help me recover from fibromyalgia. Inside the prayer book is a long ribbon, a relic from a saint, SAN Charbel. The evening before Twister had his surgery, I massaged Twister with the sacred ribbon. I remember looking at my husband’s face when I was doing this. He must’ve thought I was crazy but I did it anyway.

Also, there is a comment in the prayer book that says, “Every eighth day of the month at noon at the parish of Nuestra Senora de Libano a mass and a procession are celebrated for parishioners, dead or alive, and for anybody who needs the Saints help.” Since Twister’s surgery took place on May 8, I strongly believe San Charbel, prayers from animal lovers, and ours, played an important role in Twister’s recovery.Thank you for your prayers on behalf of us and Twister.