Medical and Veterinary Dealings - A Sad Day

The province of Ontario apparently has a referral service for patients looking for physicians, which I found out when I tried to call another family doctor. The number went straight to the referral service. This isn't a bad thing, I have to say. In my case I'm going to benefit from it, anyway. I did have to remove myself from my former doctor's patient list, and I should be receiving a letter in the mail within 10 days once it goes through. That will free me up to use the referral service. Because of my current physical issues, I will be fast-tracked. I'm not just waiting around for my next physical, I'm supposed to be having surgeries so I can get on with my life, and I'm in a lot of pain.

That's the medical end of things taken care of. I also called my vet back to get the dollar amount from them that I'm going to have to pay for Pepper's neutering. Between the examination, which is required by law since he hasn't been examined by this vet before, and the surgery itself, I'm looking at close to $400. The surgery is $300 even without the exam and taxes, so it's what I expected. I just wanted to confirm so I make sure I have the money with me and don't use it for something else, and there are lots of 'something elses' I could be using the money for, like food, pain killers, prednisone for Stimpy to help make his cancer a bit more comfortable with the vague possibility of extending his life and quality of life.

I also checked into chemotherapy for Stimpy. According to my vet, the fact that his cancer involves his kidneys makes his prognosis poor. Other affected organs, such as the spleen, would have a much better prognosis. He would have to be referred to the University of Guelph for the diagnostics and treatment. All told, she said it would run around $1,000 to $2,000 for him, which was actually less than what I expected, but still somewhat out of reach for the next couple of months. His prednisone, because it would have to be in a liquid suspension, would be about $35 to $40, but it's a large amount she said, so it would last a couple of months. I have to see if I can afford that, even, but that may also have an impact on his kidneys, which are already weak. She did say she thought it was worth trying.

Every time I think of having to let Stimpy go, I start bawling like an infant. He's actually like an infant to me. People may get snarky about people who say their pets are like their children, but they can go to hell. I have a daughter, I know how it feels to be a parent. I happen to have a pretty damn good relationship with my daughter, and she's 23 years old, so I must have done something right there. I still think of my pets as my children. The difference is, you don't have to lecture them so much, or worry about how the world perceives them as individuals, especially animals that are house-pets and don't go roaming about. Oh, and they have fur and you don't need to worry about their career prospects.

Stimpy may be like an infant because of his super-gentle nature, but Pepper is like a toddler, always getting into mischief. Both of them have a child-like innocence and wonder, though. Until Pepper starts chomping on one of the cats, that is. Then he just seems like a bully.

I always thought Rabbit (who is a cat, yes) would go first. He got a urinary tract infection many, many years ago, because of crystals that had built up. The vet didn't have a very good explanation as to the cause back then, because they used to think it was the dry kibble that did it, when it was simply the crappy ingredients - for proper cat nutrition (which is a lot more important than you might think) check out my article here. Cats are obligate carnivores, just like ferrets are, and should NOT be eating grains, corn or rice, but almost all commercial cat food is comprised mainly of those ingredients. Do your research, because the good stuff is out there.

My point with Rabbit is that he was the first animal in the house to have issues having to do with the development of crystals, and this was many years ago. I thought I was going to have to put him down at the time, which would have really sucked because it was Christmas Eve, which is when my family always celebrated Christmas. I had to go straight from the vet's to my parents' Christmas dinner, so it was with much relief that we learned he just needed medication to treat an infection, because it wasn't a blockage.

Whiskey was the first cat I lost, instead, and it took us completely by surprise. He seemed great one day, and within a couple of hours he was at death's door. I got him to the vet, thanks to Stimpy letting me know that Whiskey was sick (he laid on the floor, nose to nose with him and wouldn't move until I came over to check it out), and the vet pulled him back from the brink. She got a catheter into him, which dislodged the blockage. A week later he was blocked again, and by then the damage to his kidneys was too far gone and I had to let him go. He was only 11 years old, with no previous health concerns other than a bout with fleas many years ago (thank God for the drops on the back of the neck there - couldn't believe how effective that was).

Rabbit, on the other hand, is about 17 years old now, which is pretty old for any cat, much less one that we thought we were going to lose damn near fifteen years ago. I honestly thought he'd be the first to go, and now it looks like I'm even going to lose Stimpy before I lose Rabbit, and Stimpy is only five. Ferrets live much shorter lives than cats, sadly, so I knew I wouldn't have him as long I wanted, but five years is just not long enough. I thought, with the proper nutrition, keeping him out of the light to avoid activating his pituitary gland and triggering adrenal issues, tons of love, and good vet care, I could have him for at least the average life expectancy of six to nine years. He's just too sweet to stay long in this world, I guess.

If nothing else, having ferrets has taught me to appreciate the time I do have with them. Knowing how short the time was likely to be, I've never taken them for granted, dreading the day they'd be gone. That day is coming for Stimpy, and I can't stop crying even though he's still here. He's sleeping right now, but had some nausea this morning. He'll probably have one of those days today, so it's good he was doing so well yesterday and had a bit of fun for a while. He's still got kidney function, despite the enlargement of them that even I can feel. He still eats and drinks, and still lives a fairly normal life.

For now, I need to go lie down or something, because I'm feeling pretty miserable myself. Aside from the splitting headache from withdrawal from painkillers, I also have my pain back full-force. I'll have to have a snuggle with Stimpy and Pepper, so we'll all feel better. I hope everyone reading this is having a better day than I am. Maybe a nap will help, and I can be a bit cheerier later.