u/ChunShu

Hello everyone. I just wanted to share a positive experience we just had with my boy Bit, 14 years old. Long story short, in the last month and a half, we had hyperthyroidism, a heart murmur, and kidney disease diagnosis. It has been a lot.

Amid all this, his teeth were not looking good, and he was giving signs of discomfort. So the vet recommended a dental cleanup to prevent further complications. Then came the kidney disease diagnosis, which made it even more important to make sure his kidneys are not being overloaded with bacteria from his mouth. But this also complicated things as anesthesia becomes even more high-risk for him. We treated his CKD, and the vet gave him antibiotics. After 2 weeks, we checked his level again, and they were not that different from the first ones. After speaking with the vet on the phone, we made the decision and scheduled the cleanup for Wednesday, May 13, along with an echocardiogram to check his heart.

This was obviously very stressful, and I even debated whether I was making the right decision. There were a lot of tears, mostly accumulated stress and fear. I was scared for his stress levels, his reaction to anesthesia, and even for the vet team, because he is feisty.

The team was fantastic, and the assistants were always available to clarify anything and to calm me down, and in the end, everything went great! They did the echo and then the cleanup, no extractions needed. They gave him fluids the whole time, and when we got home, he was perky and demanding as he always is. The next day, he was slightly checked out, but on Friday, he was back to his old self, cuddly and affectionate as always.

Obviously, we still need to recheck the kidney levels, but so far I feel that I made the right decision. Not only did he survive, but he was a real champ! I’m very thankful for the vet team, and most importantly, I’m very proud of my boy. ❤️

Hello everyone, I’m not really sure why I’m opening this post, but I guess I want to share about my boy Bit.

I adopted him when he was about 1 month old in 2011. I was probably too young and naive to take on such a responsibility, but he has been the perfect companion I could have asked for. I went in to see two white kittens when a lady came in with a big litter. I hung around and noticed this little tuxedo, keeping his distance, he got used to my lap pretty soon, and that was it, I was chosen. I was in college at the time, studying computer science. I was in class when it hit me that Bit would be the perfect name for a binary cat. He has been my baby boy ever since.

Long story short, after a ciclosporin treatment for allergic dermatitis, we found out his weight loss was actually from hyperthyroidism, which then led to a renal insufficiency diagnosis, and he possibly has some issues with his teeth. Luckily, his dermatitis got under control on its own, his T4 levels are looking good, and we potentially have to reduce his dosage. The kidney disease diagnosis is the new blow, and I’ve been on a rollercoaster of emotions.

Bit is also a very spicy cat at the vet. We usually give him gabapentin, and he’s still quite spicy and aggressive. Last appointment, he went in “sober” (because we had scheduled a dental cleanup), and it was a nightmare. He growled the entire time, even on the way back, and after getting home, I noticed he had peed himself, poor thing. We didn’t proceed with the cleanup because we got the bloodwork results back and got the kidney disease diagnosis. The vet thinks it’s an early stage, but we still need to confirm with further testing.

I think I got the news pretty well during the appointment, but after being home for a few hours, it started to dawn on me. I’m aware this is not necessarily a death threat, but I feel so overwhelmed with all of this. It was so hard when we were giving him ciclosporin, we all hated it. We now have 3 different meds, not counting the one for his nausea, and the idea of giving him sub-q fluids in the future really scares me.

It has been 4 days and, so far, he’s been good with his meds. I was giving him methimazole hidden in meat sticks, and I’m working on either finding another method or getting him used to getting it directly into his mouth. He’s enjoying Purina Pro Plan Renal dry food, and I think Royal Canin Early Renal sachet is a hit (either that or the nausea meds are finally helping). The only struggle we’re currently facing is with the binder. He doesn’t like it, and I can only give it to him by mixing it with Cosma cream (similar to churu).

I'm taking each day at a time and trying not to think of the worst-case scenario. Until now, I haven't seen my baby as a senior gentleman. He has good energy, still plays and runs around the house, he loves our morning cuddles, sleeping by the window, and watching pigeons. I really hope his spiciness is a sign he has the strength to fight for some good years ahead of us ❤️

Bit, 14, just got a successful dental cleanup