Cooper in June

Today I am sharing life with Cooper in June. Many of you already know Cooper spent the  majority of his time at the vet in June. His blood pressure sky rocketed and his kidney levels were not good. But don’t worry, Cooper is doing much better. We were able to celebrate Cooper’s 15th birthday on July 1st at home with a stable and happy Cooper! So, I present to you, Cooper in June!

Week 1

I started noticing Cooper hiding out in the closet. His appetite was way off. He was not eating all of his food, and not one kitty treat was appealing. I was getting worried, so I even tried the cat food that Cooper loved before he went on prescription food, and he turned it away. I called his vet and told them he needed to come in, so they worked him in within the hour. Cooper and I arrived to the vet, and after an exam and in-house lab work they determined he was dehydrated, his kidney levels were elevated and his blood pressure was too high. Immediately, they started IV fluids along with medications.

Due to the severity of the dehydration, Cooper’s doctor recommended that he continue IV fluids overnight for just the first night of treatment. Cooper felt bad and he was not happy with me taking him to the to the emergency clinic. As bad as Cooper felt, he had enough energy to give me a few choice words when I tried to visit with him before I went home for the night. The next morning, I picked up a more forgiving Cooper, but he was to go right back to his vet for more IV fluids and medications for the day. June was off to a rough start!

Week 2 

Every day, Cooper and I went through the routine of driving to the vet in the morning. He would stay the entire day for fluids, medications, blood pressure monitoring, labs, etc. I would go to work or run my errands. By closing, I would pick Cooper up, and we would go home. Cooper was exhausted by the end of each day. His appetite was still not good. He would still hide out in the closet, but his levels were not getting worse. They were slowly improving!

Week 3

This week was the same as week 2. Every day I would take Cooper to the vet and pick him up at the end of the day. All of the treatments were paying off! Cooper’s labs and blood pressure were showing more improvement than the week before. At home, Cooper started sleeping in the bed with me again! To be honest, Cooper took over my side of the bed, but I did not care. I was so grateful to still have Cooper home! A crowded bed was a nice problem to have! His appetite was also improving, considering his prescription diet had changed too! By the end of the week, Cooper was “discharged”. His blood pressure and kidney levels were stable. However, Cooper would need to come in often for re-checks, but Cooper was stable and feeling so much better!

Week 4

Cooper was able to spend every day at home! He slept in the bed every night. Cooper has allowed me to have some portion of my side of the bed! 🙂 Cooper’s appetite was back to normal. I was relieved since his diet changed to a renal diet. The techs taught me how to give Cooper pills the right way instead of through my cheater version with soft treats. They also taught me how to give subcutaneous fluids at home. Even though Cooper was discharged, he will need treatment at home to maintain his kidneys and blood pressure. Cooper has lost some weight and he has a funny haircut on his front legs from the IV catheters, but Cooper is doing wonderful. Cooper is home. Cooper is stable. Cooper is happy! We were able to celebrate Cooper’s 15th birthday with joy!