best of wishes and good health to Minque's feline physicist

Glad to hear you cat's recovered. My parents have two both of which are utterly insane (and imaginatively named 'fat cat' and 'thin cat' which fitted until the thin one was put on steriods for a while so thin-cat is now larger than fat-cat).

I've finally managed to organise (using the term loosely) a holiday with some friends. Like all the best holidays it was arranged after a few tins of beer late on saturday night and came to the conclusion that we would leave on Monday to go... somewhere. The original plan was to go boating though someone summing up the issues with that in a sentence ('one boat could sink, the other probably will sink and has no floor or seats (I built the latter, and we have no way of attaching a boat to the roof of one car and have about 18 hours to sort this') we decided walking was the more prudent option. So after some frantic packing and planning things are done now and I leave early tomorrow.

Not sure when I'll be back, maybe wednesday maybe friday or saturday. One thing which does come out of this is how nice Scotland's (fairly recent) introduction of Scandanavian-style camping rights is .

Olen, have a good time camping/walking! Hope the weather holds good for you guys!

Thank you all for your nice words! Well Bolzmann is old and a bit tired, that's for sure and he doesn't eat much, I'm almost a bit worried! Then again he doesn't do very much, he's not as active as he used to be...so I don't know...

@hautie, he just gets one shrimp a day just because he likes it so much! Unfortunately he doesn't fancy his good prescription food...so I really don't know what to give him!

He is outside most of the day and night, he seems to prefer crouching in the garden under a bush or tree..or under our neighbor's caravan! (he's there just now)

I am a bit worried I must admit

I know how it feels to have an aging member of the family. Trey is 18 or 19 and has declined significantly in the last few months. But-- he is still interested in food and is aware of us being there.

One thing to look at- make sure there is no antifreeze under that vehicle! If it contains ethylene glycol, Herr Bolzmann might be sampling it, which would be fatal.

Minque, is Bolzman an outdoor kitty normally? or is this a new thing for him?

I'm worried if it is new - it means he is still sick and not as recovered as we would like to see. Because of his age, I'm wondering if you had bloodwork performed - not just a complete blood cell count (to look for infection or anemia), but also a serum chemistry and thyroid level to evaluate organ function, etc. If his kidneys are not working right, no amount of antibiotics will clear this up.

Treydog brought up a very valid question. Antifreeze containing ethylene glycol is extremely toxic - just a lick or two can kill a cat, less than that will lead to severe kidney damage. Again a serum chemistry can indicate if this is the case.

If you can afford it, I would strongly encourage that you follow up with your veterinarian.

If you have any questions, you can always PM me.

been to the vet with Bolzmann today...again! He had high fever and clearly had not recovered from the previous time 2 weeks ago. Also he had this difficulty to swallow...like when a human being has a sore throat.

So they x-rayed his lungs, they investigated his throat for unwanted objects. And they found out he had an inflammation there!! Like us humans! No wonder he wouldn't eat!

The x-ray showed that his lungs were healthy..no pneumonia!

@ hautie! We med a thorough blood-investigation 2 weeks ago and all his inner organs, kidneys, heart, liver and pancreas are healthy!

About the anti-freeze...this caravan is just the type that's haning behind a car! No cooling system...I think

Anyway my indoor-and-outdoor-kitty is now gounded! Until he responds to his medication and is eating and drinking I won't let him out of my sight!

Luckily he has already started to drink and eat...not much but it's a start!

I keep my fingers crossed

That is very good news. As you say, a sore throat would certainly put anyone off of food- and the infection or inflammation would make him tired. Hope he makes a rapid recovery.

Good luck on his recovery minque. At least you have a cause now and it sounds like it can be fixed.

Animals are funny, no? They sure get to be an important part of your life don't they?

Thank goodness that nothing is seriously wrong with Bolz! Hopefully he will get over his throat soon. Would ice cream help? My Freya is a 100% indoor kitty, so I do not have to worry about her getting into fights with other cats and picking something up, or problems like that with the anti-freeze.

After a total of fourteen years working emergencies, I am very anal about keeping my kitties indoors only. The one cat wouldn't go outside if you bribed him - he was a barn kitten that was hit by a car on New Years Eve and came in to the clinic the next morning. My first case of the day was going to be an euthanasia because the farmer couldn't afford to have a fractured leg repaired. This sucker took one look at the sweet-faced purring six month old kitten and said, no euthanasia, sign him over to the clinic and we'll take it from there. Long story short, he ended up making his home with us and doesn't miss the broken hind limb (amputated due to bone necrosis) at all.

The other is a pampered retired Siberian queen that thinks she is literally The Queen. I call them the Queen and the Knave, because that is exactly what they are!

So both are indoors only. I've seen enough heartbreakers in the e-clinic to want to go through anything like that myself.

@minque: I'm not surprised that Bolz isn't eating because of a sore throat. Makes me wonder if he ingested something out here that caused the inflammation. My first cat had the same problem when he bit into a centipede, though the problem only lasted a couple of days. Some chemicals can cause chemical burns in the esophagus and lower down, and can really mess up a pet's appetite. Calicivirus and herpesvirus (feline form, affects eyes, nose and throat) can also cause ulcers. Can you get hold of some sucralfate solution from your veterinarian? We use it a lot for throat inflammation - it seems to help quite a bit. I don't know if it's available in Northern Europe where you are (Norway? Sweden?), but if you can get it, get it! Good luck!

I hope the next treatment works for your cat Minque. At least there's nothing fundementally wrong with it.

I'm back from the hills and other than clouds of midges it was great. A fair bit of sun and quite warm, warm enough to go for a swim even. Only got one top done (mainly due to a happy accident of two people bringing wine for everyone) but did some nice low level stuff too. The Loch Laggan area is nice, even if the roads are jokes and the place names utterly unpronoucable ('lochan na h earba' would be an example, a lone h shouldn't be allowed).

Please indulge me with a few moments of your time. I want to celebrate the life of the original Trey, a long-haired dachshund who was my loyal friend for the last 19 years. As some of you know, he had been declining lately, but that is not how I want to remember him. And that is one of the benefits of those incredible 19 years- there are many memories from which to choose.

We first saw the tiny puppy at a pet store in a shopping mall. I know all the reasons why one should not patronize such places- and I agree with them. I had never seen a tri-color dachshund before, especially not one who was black and tan and silver. We had actually left the mall and were some miles down the road toward home when I convinced Mrs. Treydog to turn around and go back for a closer look.

The pet store people, being wise to the ways of retail pet sales had “play rooms” where prospective buyers could “visit” with the various critters…. Mrs. T held the puppy, and he seemed energetic and interested- then she handed him to me- and it was over. He jumped up and licked my nose. We set up a payment plan and took our new friend home, along with a squeaky toy that was as big as he was. He became “Trey,” an old-style name for a tri-color hound. That also became the name of every one of my CRPG characters for many years to come, as I imagined him sitting at the keyboard with his little dachshund paws, playing the games while I was out.

We were going to be tough and confine the little fellow in the kitchen, which had a linoleum floor. That lasted about 30 minute of the first night, after which he slept in bed with us. In a few weeks, when it became clear that short, prone-to-dysplasia dachshund legs and high beds did not mix, he got his own bed on the floor right beside me, where he slept for the next 17 years. On one memorable night, I knocked something into the floor while reaching for the alarm clock. “No problem,” I thought, “I’ll look for it in the morning.” Morning came and I discovered the fallen object was my glasses, which had been thoroughly chewed by sharp puppy teeth, including the earpieces and the edges of the plastic lenses.

He really hated to see us leave for work, and would grab the cuffs of my jeans as I walked toward the front door, setting his paws and trying to hold me back. When that did not work, he settled for the next best thing, raiding the dirty laundry for one of my shirts and one of Mrs. T’s blouses, which he carried to his doggie bed- the one from which he could watch the front door. Even up until a year ago, he would still occasionally steal socks and hide them in his bed when we were at work

Trey certainly had the fabled dachshund stubbornness, but he was also incredibly gentle with the cats and other dogs that came into his house. When our grandsons arrived, I was concerned, because Trey was not a young dog any more, and I knew that dachshunds can be snappish. However, he never showed any sign of unhappiness, only followed the boys around, hoping to be included in their games.

I could go on and on, but I will rest with this- when Trey came into my life, I was given a great gift. Today, I had to return that gift by understanding that it was time to let him go. Blessings upon you, my dear friend, and upon anyone who has ever been owned by a dog.

I'm so sorry to hear this Stuart. I know how hard it is to have to make such a decision with a loved pet.

19 years suddenly seems like such a short time doesn't it?

Please except my sympathies, and best wishes in this coming time.

19 years is a long time even if it doesn't seem so much and you have my sympathies with losing such a friend.

It is a hard decision but the time comes when it's the right one, a sad time but at the end of years of good ones.

Best wishes for the coming weeks.

I am so sorry to hear about Trey. You have my deepest sympathies. I still remember when I had to do the same thing. As others have said, it is for the best, as the alternative is no kindness.

So sorry to hear that your namesake has passed on.

Yes, blue merle doxies are not common (that is the technical term for the color Trey was/is). They are also nicer than the classic smooth coated black and tan ones like the one I had growing up.

Without you having to say so, I know Trey was intensely loyal, had a sense of mischief, was protective of his housemates, and knew how to play on your emotions to get his way. As a veterinarian, I've met a number of doxie dogs that are exactly like that. They don't have a hard time worming their way into my heart as special patients (along with big-boned German Shepherds, yellow Labs, and almost every cat).

Like Alexander said, nineteen years sure went by in a hurry. But you and Mrs. T have been so blessed for those nineteen years to have had Trey in your lives. I'm sure you made the right decision for Trey when his quality of life was no longer acceptable. It's the hardest responsibility of being a pet owner, but in the end it's the gift we can give those who give us their entire lives.

Take care of yourselves.

You have my condolences, dear Trey.

If there was a line that I could write, that could truly express my sincerity, I would.

Sorry to hear that, man. I've never had a pet and haven't yet known anyone that long to lose them. It's great you enjoyed so many years with him.

Bad things happen in threes I guess. My brothers 14+ year old cat was so bad that when I got home from work today, he couldn't even walk. That was up from a limp a few days ago. Thank god I live 3 miles from a 24 hour emergency vet clinic, just got back, so I don't know what the hells going on just yet.

Going to sleep now.

Upon returning to her small house, she managed a bittersweet smile through the tears. For this was Cyodiil and all things are possible. She knew the beautiful little Trey would always have a gently crackling fire warming the hearth for him and a soft spot on the bed. His long journey was complete and he was home.

Stuart..I'm so very sorry to hear this! Trey and you....has been an institution around here...I can't say more right here and now but I've mailed you!


Blackie, how terrible! I know 14 years for a cat is...pretty old! I'm sorry for you and your brother, and the kitty of course...

I have been scared for Bolzmann the last three weeks now, that I would loose him, but as it seems he's getting better. He's eating again and behaving like the old kitty he is; a bit slow, lazy, walking in and out eating not much each time but pretty frequently. He's on medication (antibiotics) and I won't stop it until some expert tells me to...

Glad Bolzmann's getting better. The thing with the cat was that he was already skin and bones pretty much, and when I found him he had poop stuck to himself.

But that aside, yeah he could barely walk, Im pretty sure he was in pain, and they ran checks on his thyroid and whathaveyou, nothing came up. The bloodwork said the sodium was high and they werent sure why he wasnt retaining water or putting on weight, cuz this cat is overfed if anything, all that with the degrading mobility I think they called it was a symptom of the larger problem.

The only thing they said they could find was a mass near his heart in the xrays, but they don't know if its a fatty deposit or a tumor, etc. We'll find out I guess.

Everyone- thanks so much. My heart is strengthened by the kindness of my many friends.

Oh, yes, Trey frequently had the "I'm about to get up to something" look in his eyes. And he once went after a Siberian husky to save Mrs. Treydog's Yorkie...

Acadian- You are correct- one of the joys of Cyrodiil is that all things are possible. As long as his doggie daddy can continue to play computer games, there will be a Trey in the Elder Scrolls universe. And sometimes he will be a small, silver-dappled dog with a heart far larger than would appear possible.

Minque- I am so glad Herr Doktor B. is getting back to himself.

Black Hand- My thoughts are with you and I will visualize a positive outcome.

Again- thank you everyone.

http://chorrol.com/files/848/tigger.jpg.JPG

RIP Tigger 1995 - 2010

He started having trouble breathing and was vomiting blood. They could not reach me, but reached my brother and advised him to put the cat to sleep.

I do feel your pain now as well Trey.

Black Hand, I feel so badly for you. Like I do for treydog. I'm still smarting over the loss of my Great Dane, and that was over 5 years ago. It's amazing how they capture your heart.

Oh minque, I so hope your kitty continues to get better!

Black Hand, I am sorry that we must share the burden of loss- but I am glad that we can. Know that my thoughts are with you- and that I imagine Tigger and Trey are having a fine time together.

Oh, Blackie, I'm so sorry to hear about Tigger. I'm glad they were able to reach your brother for permission to euthanize. That means he didn't suffer too long.

Take care of yourselves, and remember all the good times Tigger brought you.

I'm so sorry to hear this Black Hand, and wish you the same as Stuart; all the best in the coming time.

Blackie! I'm so sorry to hear about Tigger...my thoughts are with you....I know about old kitties...mine is better but he has aged the last month....aged remarkably

--------------------------

Thanks all for the sympathies. It just really sux that all these pet tragedies are happening all at once



EDIT: Much better pic of the cat:

http://chorrol.com/files/849/ElTigre._jpg.jpg

I'd rather remember him this way.

What an adorable boy! Do I see a hint of mischief in his gaze, though?

I'm partial to the orange boys myself, though I've had three black ones and one tuxedo kitty. But my favorite patients have mostly been orange males!

Yes, this is a good way to remember him.

What a wonderful cat! Is he a Norwegian Forest Cat? He must be, so typical hairy with those furry ears....and a magnificent tail! He looks like Bolzie except for the color!


Bolzmann

Wow, Bolz is amazingly like him Minque! Hair getting everywhere I'd imagine? I had no idea what type he was other then being very hairy and shedding a lot.

@HEC. You do indeed. Couldn't eat in peace when he was around, he was very smart, very inquisitive, and always figured out a way to get around obstacles we set up to food.

Heh, heh, sounds a lot like my current boy kitty. Black and white shorthair, missing a right hind leg, and the most food-motivated cat I've ever had! We had to install child safe latches on the cabinet under the sink cuz he kept getting into the garbage after empty cheese wrappers!

@Minkie: Your Bolzie is gorgeous, too!

As many of you realize, mALX has been notably absent for some time now. She has asked me to apologize for her lack of presence here. She is dealing with an illness in her family and things have been understandably too hectic for her to come up on line.

I am confident that our red headed bubbling bundle of energy will soon return to us.

Thank you for the information, Acadian. We will keep dear mALX in mind- and in our hearts.

thanks, Acadian. I was just about to PM you and SubRosa to find out if you knew anything about her absence. She is missed over on the other forum as well.

I was thinking computer trouble. Now I wish it was computer trouble! I will be sending positive thoughts her way as well.

Well, trouble does come in threes. Today my mother learned that she has lung cancer. Monday she sees a cancer specialist and will learn more about the treatment program. Her regular doctor said that surgery is certain however. Her mother died of uterine cancer, and her sister died of lung cancer, so needless to say she is scared. So am I.

Very sorry to hear that news SubRosa. My mother too has a multitude of health problems, so its never an easy thing to go through. My sympathies, for what it is worth.

So sorry to hear about your mom, Sage Rose.

I hope all goes as well as possible for her and for you.

I'm very sorry to hear about your mother's diagnosis SubRosa. Best of luck to her in what will surely be difficult times ahead.

SubRosa, I am so sorry to hear your news. However, chances of recovery are better than the used to be, so we will be optimistic. No one can truly experience another's pain, but I will again paraphrase Spider Robinson:

"Pain shared is pain divided; joy shared is joy multiplied."

Share as much as you are comfortable with... and if you simply need to take leave from us for a time, we will understand- and be here when you return. Blessings upon you and your family.

My sentiments exactly. Today my thoughts are of you and your family, 'Rosa.

Thanks all. I finally started to get my brain wrapped around the idea today. I think a good night's sleep helped. Hopefully things will work out.

Rosie, dear Rosie, I am too very sorry to hear your news! treydog expressed my feelings too but I want to add that I'm here for you, thinking of you and hoping for the best!

Sorry to hear that SubRosa, as Trey said share as much as helps. I hope things aren't too bad. My thoughts are with you.

We were married almost twenty years, Steve and me.
When I met him he was driving a Mustang GT
Long brown hair and six foot three
Living on the German Economy

Years of marriage and the son we had
Our paths went askew, our marriage went bad
The divorce was filed, property cut in half
It took two years to finalize
The pieces of our broken lives

I saw him recently for the first time in years
In a hospital bed, I was fighting the tears
The doctors stripped us all of hope
I watched my son as his heart broke

He has just weeks left to live
Kept lucid by a morphine drip
His face is now a sunken hole
The cancer really took its toll

In a few weeks he'll be laid in the ground
With all his family gathered round
For all the laughter, hurts and tears
For all the fun throughout the years
And even for the things we can't undo
I still can't face having to bury you.




Most everyone knows I lost my first husband to cancer, they gave him two months and he just barely squeaked by to nine months before passing.

Well, my second husband and I got divorced, but stayed pretty close through the years. A few weeks ago they found out his cancer from two years ago spread, both lobes of the liver and both lungs so it's inoperable. He has been given two months, almost one has passed. His liver is entirely shut down, he stays yellow colored and has gone from a big mac to an ethiopian.

* Update: The cancer has spread to all his major organs, they are shutting off any measures and stopping chemo. He is getting a morphine drip and being sent home to die.

His family and extended family have all been coming here like they used to when we were together, so it has been a bit hectic besides.

The week after we found out about my X, my current husband had a mild heart problem - mild, but scary.

I haven't even been getting on my email with all this going on. - Tell everyone I apologize for not answering, just crashing as soon as I hit the door since all this started.

I miss everyone <333

Precious mALX, you are in our hearts, thoughts and prayers.

My prayers and thoughts are with you, mALX.. The only thing we can do now is treasure each seconds, minutes and hours.. God bless.