my favorites!

We've had a couple of vet visits in the last few days. On Monday, Dr. Randy's staff made time for him to see Juliet. We decided that because she's, well, blind, a trip to the opthalmologist, as recommended by the e-room doctor, wouldn't yield much new information besides that she's blind. Juliet was duly examined, we asked questions and got some answers. Randy said there's a possibility she can get some of her sight back, but my guess is that's true only if we can control the blood pressure.

Randy's office doesn't yet have a blood pressure monitor, so we decided that I should go back to the e-room for a re-check. That happened yesterday. The number wasn't good, and suddenly, I was in consultation with the very capable chief of medical staff, who is also co-owner of the facility. Blood was drawn without incident, but at least one number has shifted for the worse in the last few weeks. The doc coached me on how to effectively use their services, and consulted with Randy and the on-site internist.

Because Juliet's blood pressure is still way too high, her blood pressure meds were switched to something that Randy later told me is a standard offering with minimal side effects. Except for Juliet. She got her first dose at 8 last night. At 5 this morning, after being awakened by a dreadful noise, I realized that she was -er- spewing from both ends. Poor kitty. I cleaned her up, cleaned up the places where she'd missed the designated receptacle (despite good effort), and thought about what to do.

I did call the e-room, but they suggested I call back at 8 when the original prescribing doctor would be in. So I surfed and found the medicine in question. Side effects usually set in within 6-8 hours of administration. (OK, so we were delayed by an hour; maybe this started a little before I woke up. There was certainly -er- evidence of such.) And amongst the side effects listed were the ones that my friend Mark used to crow about whenever he'd get a new medication -- "Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea -- my favorites!!"

Dr. Randy's office opened at 8 this morning, so I faxed over a little writeup and eventually talked to Randy himself. We decided to stop the meds, let the blood pressure do its thing for a few days, and reconsult on Friday, when Juliet has her next appointment. (This is a test. Can we go vet-free for two whole days?)

Meanwhile, Juliet had two more incidents before I left for work (out of one end only, and more minor than the first bout). While I was gone, nothing else happened, thankfully. So now, I really am suspecting the new meds. I'm hoping they're out of her system and that nothing bad happens while we're figuring out our next steps. A friend has already warned me of even more dire things that happen to kitties with high blood pressure; I'll just have to hope that Juliet has met her quota at this point.

Miss thing is currently resting comfortably on a flannel-covered down comforter, under a small towel, with the gas fireplace blazing nearby. A good life for a good cat.