Sketch is clearly feeling all the monkey (and monkey-kitty) mojo. I just talked with his vet, and he told me that Sketch is doing much, much better. He’s almost completely out of congestive heart faliure! His vet told me that Sketch ate food overnight (as far as we know, he hadn’t eaten all weekend), and that he was out of oxygen, sitting up, looking around, and being “very, very talkative.”
I talked with his vet yesterday evening, and he told me that Sketch’s lungs were about 2/3 less filled with fluid than they were on Saturday, so he was responding very well to the lasix, and his breathing was down to about 24 from as high as 50 or 80 (sorry, I can’t remember exactly what it was) when we brought him in yesterday morning. It was the news I was hoping to hear, and I burst into tears of relief when I hung up the phone. I made a bit of a spectacle of myself, but I didn’t (and don’t) care. My fat guy is getting better.
It was kind of surreal last night to sit in the theatre at ACME and pitch my sketches for the next show. The word “sketch” was said about a thousand times (duh) and each time I heard it, my eyes filled up. I think I’m going to write a sketch about it, though. It could be pretty funny, once I clean up the gallows humor.
He will get a cardiac ultrasound later today, or early tomorrow, depending on how he’s feeling, and then we’ll know what his heart disease is, and how to treat it. I know he’s not out of the woods yet, but there are rays of hope shining down all around us, and the path is very clear.
Thank you for all your comments and e-mails. This has been a rough few days for me and my family. Each time I’ve heard from someone who had a similar experience with their cat years ago, I feel a little more hopeful that Sketch will be another one of those cats who rang Death’s doorbell, then ran down the walkway laughing before He could open the door.
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That’s great news! I was thinking about Sketch when Midnight was on my lap purring and doing that thing with his paws and Cody was laying next to me.
I lost my best (animal) buddy about 6 months ago. He and I grew up together and one day he became lethargic and didn’t eat. I took him to the vet who ran some tests and said he was fine. Tigger passed away that evening. So seeing how much better Sketch is doing makes me feel very good!
My hat’s off to your cat. I’m glad he’s pulling through.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery to Sketch…my thoughts are with you and your family at this time
OK folks, I’ve never posted on here before (“long time reader, first time poster…” and all that trite nonsense) but this entry has me tentatively emerging from the posting closet as it were.Many moons ago back in jolly old England I had a cat called Sally. There was a definite lack of creativity in naming her, and I believe it was that which caused her to expend such hatred and vitriol on the world in general throughout her entire life. Still, we loved her and lavished her with affection, admittedly with small breaks to allow our scars to heal. She was a real scrapper; any animal living in our neighbourhood smaller than, say, a water buffalo was in constant mortal danger. The only thing in her life that Sally really held any affection for was one of my best friends from college, Ian. Maybe they were kindred spirits or something, although I don’t remember Ian killing that many small furry creatures. But I digress.Sally had many near-misses in her life, including but not limited to:
1) Going head-to-head with a speeding car. Her bottom jaw split down the middle and was driven 1″ back into her head. Rush to the emergency room, jaw wired, recuperation, and nothing other than a tendancy to drool to show for it,
2) Being trapped in a neighbours greenhouse by an automatic roof vent for two weeks. Severe dehydration, starvation and kidney failure. Sheer malevolence kept her going long enough to get her to the vet and get some fluids pushed into her. Nothing other than an increased level of background loathing to show for it,3) Eating one of our dogs worming tablets out of his food bowl. It should be noted that our dog was a large Golden Labrador, and she was a tiny Tortoiseshell cat. She was stoned for a good 72 hours after eating it, but suffered no lasting effects other than a whole new appreciation for Pink Floyd.Anyway, at the grand old age of fourteen she developed congestive heart failure. We took her to the Vet and he put on his heavyweight leather gloves and gave her an examination. The news we’d all feared was pronounced, that her heart was failing, and we asked whether there was anything we could do. He said that other than the congestive heart failure she was in excellent health, and that a course of diuretics and a ‘cardiac enhancer’ (I can’t remember the name of the drug, but it may well have been Lasix) could give her another six months of life. Despite her best efforts we loved her very much and decided to go with the medication.That little furry ball-o-hate went on until she was nineteen years old before she went to that hunting ground in the sky. I suspect she’s there terrorizing the spirits of Sabre Toothed Tigers to this day.Now I’m not suggesting that Sketch is anything like our Sally was. Indeed, listening to you talk about him it sounds like he’s Sally’s direct karmic opposite! Either way, I’d just like to say “It ain’t over until it’s over.” He’s loved and cared for, and will likely be keeping you all company for many years yet.Best wishes, and give him a snifter of the good hydroponic cat-nip from me when he gets home :)We now return you to your regular posters.
Continued good thoughts and hugs to your poor lil fat kitty. I have four furry babies that are the joy of my life and I would be an utter wreck to have to go through this with any of them. Sounds like Sketch is being stubborn and I just know he will be around to snuggle and bug you for a while yet. 🙂
Hey Wil, You should post a picture of you and sketch on buzznet. Im sure that sketch would get alot of monkey-kitty mojo from the users there also.
I’m so glad to hear that Sketch is getting better. Honestly there is nothing better when you can curl up with your cat on a cold night.I’m sure he will be there for you for many many more nights to come.
That’s great news! Responding well to the lasix is HUGE for Sketch’s recovery! And so is taking him out of the oxygen incubator! All this good kitty mojo is working! Yay! Hope Sketch is home with you and your family VERY soon! It’s just not the same when they’re not curled up on your bed, is it?
Labor Day of 2003, my little Theo turned up with what I thought was an abscess and turned out to be vaccine-associated fibrosarcoma. The long-term survival rate for this type of cancer is very low, but we did everything we could for her as quickly as we could, and today she is a happy, healthy, bitchy, odds-defying little cat. You are obviously deeply caring pet owners, and it sounds like Sketch is in good hands with you and your vet.
Sketch is a tough little kitty. All the very best wishes and thoughts for him and all of you.
dude not only will sketch doorbell Death… he’ll leave a flaming bag of crap on there for death to step in, and mess up his big ass skeleton feet. and it’ll be frickin hilarious.
Yippee and yayness…glad to hear that Sketch is doing better. I told my four (!) cats to send him good kitty mojo, so I guess it must’ve worked.
i have a kitty that could use some mojo. I had to take my Tigger to the vets yesterday. We are still awaiting the results of some blood work but its not good.
So glad it’s looking better.
*Scraping the last little bit of mojo and throwing it your way*
Sketch:
I’m so glad to hear you are doing better! Congestive Heart Failure is very treatable, you’ll pee like crazy with the diuretic but you’ll feel much better for it. I’m so glad you are eating again and communicating with the people around you. I’ll still send lots of mojo your way every morning. It’s like ketchup, can’t ever have too much of it.
Wil and Anne:
We are here for you guys anytime!
Yay! The fuzz buddies and I are really glad to hear that Sketch is feeling better!