Sammie No.2
Sammie is the old lady of the house, and while her exact age is not known (she was a full grown stray when found), the vet's estimate puts her at between 15 and 20 years old. A couple of years ago her eyes started to slowly cloud over, so now there is a night light left on for her. About the same time she also started having kidney issues, so she is now on a special diet (only available from the vet). About a year ago, she started losing weight, so she now gets the special diet, high calorie wet food (also, only available from the vet). But, this evening old age took a major swipe at her and from all signs, Sammie suffered a stoke. She does not appear to be in any pain, but she is walking like a drunken sailor...her hind legs the source of the problem. I spoke with the emergency vet and there doesn't really seem to be much that can be done for her. Her appetite is fine and she will give you kisses and purr loudly when you give her just the least little bit of attention.
So, as long as she appears to be in good health otherwise, she will continue to get the pampered treatment that she has trained me very well in. She is a great cat that is full of personality and at times actually acts more like a dog than a cat. She is a spoiled brat and I wouldn't change a thing about her...other than turn back the hands of time a few years!
Update: Sammie had a vet visit today and she said that it is extremely rare for a cat to have a stroke and that it is likely caused by some other problem. So, blood was drawn for lab work and depending on what the labs show, further tests will be run as needed.
Update No.2: The lab work came back normal, so now she will go in for a series of x-rays on her spine and hips to see if there is anything that will (or won't) show up that way.
Update No.3: She is walking quite well now, so the x-rays are on hold for the time being. If she starts having issues again, off to the vet she will go for them to shoot some film and see what is going on.
Update No.4: After some nine months, she is doing much better with no signs of troubles. She is getting some what thin, but I think that is more due do her age and the simple fact that she is no longer very active. However, she is in good health and good spirits.
Update June 28th, 2013: It is now 3:30AM and I'm sitting in my living room with a double Bloody Mary that I just made myself to help me unwind and drown my sorrows. An hour ago, Sammie lost her battle with old age and kidney failure at the age of twenty. She had been acting like she was not feeling well the past couple of days, but today she took a turn for the worst. This evening she got to where she had significant trouble walking and has barely eaten the past two days. A trip to the emergency vet was in order as it was questionable that she could make it until the next morning to get to her regular vet at the rate she was declining. A lab test revealed that her kidneys were no where near functioning properly, and her red blood cell count was less than half of normal. It was one of the most difficult decisions that I've ever had to make, but it was the right decision. Sammie is not suffering and is at peace and will be forever loved and remembered.
Rest in Peace Sammie.
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: Canon EF 85mm f/1.8
Exposure: 1/320 sec @ f/2.0 ISO 100
Lighting: Camera mounted Canon 430EX bounced off the wall to the right with a flag to reduce light thrown forward
This image is © Douglas Bawden Photography, please do not use without prior permission.
Enjoy my photos and please feel free to comment. The only thing that I ask is no large or flashy graphics in the comments.
Sammie No.2
Sammie is the old lady of the house, and while her exact age is not known (she was a full grown stray when found), the vet's estimate puts her at between 15 and 20 years old. A couple of years ago her eyes started to slowly cloud over, so now there is a night light left on for her. About the same time she also started having kidney issues, so she is now on a special diet (only available from the vet). About a year ago, she started losing weight, so she now gets the special diet, high calorie wet food (also, only available from the vet). But, this evening old age took a major swipe at her and from all signs, Sammie suffered a stoke. She does not appear to be in any pain, but she is walking like a drunken sailor...her hind legs the source of the problem. I spoke with the emergency vet and there doesn't really seem to be much that can be done for her. Her appetite is fine and she will give you kisses and purr loudly when you give her just the least little bit of attention.
So, as long as she appears to be in good health otherwise, she will continue to get the pampered treatment that she has trained me very well in. She is a great cat that is full of personality and at times actually acts more like a dog than a cat. She is a spoiled brat and I wouldn't change a thing about her...other than turn back the hands of time a few years!
Update: Sammie had a vet visit today and she said that it is extremely rare for a cat to have a stroke and that it is likely caused by some other problem. So, blood was drawn for lab work and depending on what the labs show, further tests will be run as needed.
Update No.2: The lab work came back normal, so now she will go in for a series of x-rays on her spine and hips to see if there is anything that will (or won't) show up that way.
Update No.3: She is walking quite well now, so the x-rays are on hold for the time being. If she starts having issues again, off to the vet she will go for them to shoot some film and see what is going on.
Update No.4: After some nine months, she is doing much better with no signs of troubles. She is getting some what thin, but I think that is more due do her age and the simple fact that she is no longer very active. However, she is in good health and good spirits.
Update June 28th, 2013: It is now 3:30AM and I'm sitting in my living room with a double Bloody Mary that I just made myself to help me unwind and drown my sorrows. An hour ago, Sammie lost her battle with old age and kidney failure at the age of twenty. She had been acting like she was not feeling well the past couple of days, but today she took a turn for the worst. This evening she got to where she had significant trouble walking and has barely eaten the past two days. A trip to the emergency vet was in order as it was questionable that she could make it until the next morning to get to her regular vet at the rate she was declining. A lab test revealed that her kidneys were no where near functioning properly, and her red blood cell count was less than half of normal. It was one of the most difficult decisions that I've ever had to make, but it was the right decision. Sammie is not suffering and is at peace and will be forever loved and remembered.
Rest in Peace Sammie.
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: Canon EF 85mm f/1.8
Exposure: 1/320 sec @ f/2.0 ISO 100
Lighting: Camera mounted Canon 430EX bounced off the wall to the right with a flag to reduce light thrown forward
This image is © Douglas Bawden Photography, please do not use without prior permission.
Enjoy my photos and please feel free to comment. The only thing that I ask is no large or flashy graphics in the comments.