Bruce's not such a happy 9th birthday....

Can not sing Happy Birthday" to my boy,to begin with I thought him being still "off" was due to him being a wuss after having an anaesthetic Monday but has now taken on a slightly worse turn,I noticed the third eyelid was well over his right eye & the pupil was not reacting,he spent a lot of time crying especially if you were not with him & couldn't get him kicked started with feeding,even had to syringe fluids for a couple of days so yesterday back to work he went again & he has been diagnosed as having Horners Syndrome,now the chicken & the egg situation comes into play,was that what was bothering him in the first place as it was brewing & the anaesthetic brought it out or was it the stress of the anaesthetic which has caused it,poor boy is now on ab's & steroids,outlook is a bit iffy at the moment,in dogs there is a good recovery success rate in cats slightly different as the chances are it oculd be something a bit more sinister but at the moment thinking positive,have attatched two photos,one is of him Sunday before his 1st trip to the vets where he is trying to look good for the camera & the 2nd is of him today where after a good old shot of steroid yesterday the right eye has already shown improvement but he still is frightened when you leave him,I now know that the picture I took of him just after he came home on Monday & his right eye looks terrible was actualy all due to this & not after effects,bless him,my wonderful little man could have to fight a bit & that is something alien to Bruce.

Oh that's horrible poor Bruce, but me and Harry sends hugs and kisses to him on his birthday :)

What will happen now Jackie, is it just taking every day as it comes ? x

Poor bruce - it's awful when they're feeling poorly.

Lots of hugs and get well vibes from me and my lot xx

Poor Brucie, so sorry he's not feeling well. But I agree, in spite of that he still looks magnificent! Hope he enjoys a birthday treat or two, and fingers crossed for better news in the next few days. Hugs xxx

Lots of birthday love to Brucie and a big hug to his Mum xx

Hope you feel better soon handsome xx

Lots of happy birthday and get well soon wishes from Teddy and us :)

x

Happy Birthday Bruce - Lots of hope and wishes all the way from Oz

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Originally Posted by harrymc

Oh that's horrible poor Bruce, but me and Harry sends hugs and kisses to him on his birthday :)

What will happen now Jackie, is it just taking every day as it comes ? x

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Yep,it could take up to six weeks to see if any chance of him coming right,could knock him out & do more xrays but if it was anaesthetic that caused it don't want to go down that path yet,he is now brightening up a bit,had his steroid tablet breakfast time & that certainly seems to have given him a bit of a lift,even eaten two whole kibble biscuits,thats a step in the right direction,have passed Harrys hugs & kisses on....x

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Originally Posted by jckkerrison

Yep,it could take up to six weeks to see if any chance of him coming right,could knock him out & do more xrays but if it was anaesthetic that caused it don't want to go down that path yet,he is now brightening up a bit,had his steroid tablet breakfast time & that certainly seems to have given him a bit of a lift,even eaten two whole kibble biscuits,thats a step in the right direction,have passed Harrys hugs & kisses on....x

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Well that is good to hear, I only came back on to see how he was doing, daft aren't we !!!:satisfied:x

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Originally Posted by harrymc

Well that is good to hear, I only came back on to see how he was doing, daft aren't we !!!:satisfied:x

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Thanks for that,very much appreciated,don't think we are daft at all,I think it is lovely because it shows that people on here care,he is now curled up fast asleep again,I can't believe how I could get so excited over him eating a couple of bits of kibble,I know it is going to be a long process even if it goes the right way but at the moment I would give anything to have my wuss puss even half way back to normal.
Must be patient,but it is hard...x

Poor Bruce, and poor mum. Hope the steroids continue to perk him up. And eating a couple of bits of kibble is a big improvement from syringing food to him, so fingers crossed things will go the right way. We're all thinking of him, and mum, and Freyja sends him hugs and licks. Wicca would, but she's distracted by the biscuits he's not eaten and is working out how to nick them.

Fingers and paws are crossed in Reigate xx

Only just caught up with this thread - so sorry to hear about your beautiful boy Bruce - I'm glad to also read he is picking up again. I know what you mean about getting excited about them eating. My dog went 2 months without eating (liver problems) and I watched as she grew thinner and thinner by the day - if every I got her to eat the smallest thing I would ring around all my family and friends cos I was so thrilled. She lost 7kg in weight in that time and was like a walking skeleton but now she is eating again and has put all her weight back on - it was wonderful to see her eating and I kept feeding her until she was fit to burst everyday. Sorry gone off track a bit.. My love to Bruce and may he be back to his normal self asap x

Oh poor Bruce, and poor you. Its so awful when animals are ill because they don't understand what is happening, and so difficult for you too, I always feel so helpless but with your knowledge and experience I am sure Bruce couldn't get better care anywhere. Positive thought waves winging your direction from us

I'm sorry Bruce has been poorly. How is he doing now? He is such a handsome boy. Hope he makes a full recovery fast.

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Originally Posted by candes

Is he doing any better now?

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Still having ups & downs but ups seem to be lasting a bit longer thanks.
He is eating slightly better,the wobbles have just about disappeared so think the steroid is doing its work there but the eye still has the third eyelid over more often than not,when it receeds & looks just about normal I start getting all excited but of course the crunch time is going to come when medication stops but the fact we are getting a pretty good response is making me feel more hopeful.
He knows when it is tablet time & just comes & sits on my lap so I can give them too him, he is so good at being medicated & you just hope its all to a good ending,have to admit to having a few tears as we have our cuddles & extra kisses behind the ears......
Thanks for all his continuing get well wishes & interest,if he doesn't go the wrong way beforehand he is due to see the vet on Wednesday night so will post how he gets on then,just hope work is all good news for the next few days or I could be weeping bundle with the clients,when you have problems with one of your own it seems to be a downside coping with the job.....x

Ohhh Jackie that sounds promising though doesn't it, small improvements every day. What a good boy with taking his medication, it's almost like he knows it's doing him good. Now what's worrying me is Mum, so this post is especially for you so big hugs for you too ! Alison x

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Originally Posted by harrymc

Ohhh Jackie that sounds promising though doesn't it, small improvements every day. What a good boy with taking his medication, it's almost like he knows it's doing him good. Now what's worrying me is Mum, so this post is especially for you so big hugs for you too ! Alison x

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Thanks Alison & yes it does seem more promising,have been a bit wimpy but did manage to sleep fairly last night,first time since this kicked off so hopefully a decent night again will make things not seem so bad,mum & dad came over Friday & they both cried when they saw him so that started me off once again,Shimba keeps coming to give us both some furry support but he is not so in Bruce's face today so if that is anything like Bruce was when Pansy had that bad turn it should be a sign that he is picking up that things are heading the right way...x

How embarassing,we over ran our appointment by 20 minutes so had to apologise to clients waiting to see the vet...
When we went into the consult room the vet had a very strong magnifying glass out checking Bruces xray,the OA in the hips is very obvious but the last disc in his back has spondylosis & the spur that has formed has a hairline fracture in it so accounts for that end being very painful,because he has been all wobbly & walking like a crab his spine higher up was all twisted again but a bit of chiro sorted that out .When we went in his right eye looked perfect,all his pupil reflexes were fine but his head was tilting a fair bit again,the vet done several tests to see what his nerve reaction was,I think Bruce wondeerd why he had one side of his mouth touched,then the other,one whisker tweaked then the equivalant the other side & each time he done it the once the vet then done it again for me to look & everything he done the good left side the response was exactly the same the right side which was brilliant, the vet is pretty sure it is a middle ear infection that is causing the Horners syndrome,while Bruce was out under the anaesthetic we cleaned his ears out,the cleaner contains alcohol,that in turn irritates a middle ear infection,last lot of ab's haven't worked,his ear is still very irritated & really needs ab drops but because he is so sensitive daren't so he is now on lot stronger ab's for a week & hopefully can start drops after that,steroids have been stopped & he is just on Metacam every other day to hopefully keep any discomfort at bay but have got steroids on stand by in case he reverts & needs them instead of Metacam,we have come home a lot happier but poor Bruce since having his ear checked has now ended up with the third eyelid right over again,at the moment he is sleeping his visit off but he did allow Shimba to have a kiss without getting moaned at so now feeling a lot more positive about everything.
Thanks everyone for the good vibes, wishes & being there for us,will update again in a couple of weeks providing everything keeps going the right way & best purrs from Bruciee...x

I'm so glad you're feeling more positive :)

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Originally Posted by jckkerrison

How embarassing,we over ran our appointment by 20 minutes so had to apologise to clients waiting to see the vet...
When we went into the consult room the vet had a very strong magnifying glass out checking Bruces xray,the OA in the hips is very obvious but the last disc in his back has spondylosis & the spur that has formed has a hairline fracture in it so accounts for that end being very painful,because he has been all wobbly & walking like a crab his spine higher up was all twisted again but a bit of chiro sorted that out .When we went in his right eye looked perfect,all his pupil reflexes were fine but his head was tilting a fair bit again,the vet done several tests to see what his nerve reaction was,I think Bruce wondeerd why he had one side of his mouth touched,then the other,one whisker tweaked then the equivalant the other side & each time he done it the once the vet then done it again for me to look & everything he done the good left side the response was exactly the same the right side which was brilliant, the vet is pretty sure it is a middle ear infection that is causing the Horners syndrome,while Bruce was out under the anaesthetic we cleaned his ears out,the cleaner contains alcohol,that in turn irritates a middle ear infection,last lot of ab's haven't worked,his ear is still very irritated & really needs ab drops but because he is so sensitive daren't so he is now on lot stronger ab's for a week & hopefully can start drops after that,steroids have been stopped & he is just on Metacam every other day to hopefully keep any discomfort at bay but have got steroids on stand by in case he reverts & needs them instead of Metacam,we have come home a lot happier but poor Bruce since having his ear checked has now ended up with the third eyelid right over again,at the moment he is sleeping his visit off but he did allow Shimba to have a kiss without getting moaned at so now feeling a lot more positive about everything.
Thanks everyone for the good vibes, wishes & being there for us,will update again in a couple of weeks providing everything keeps going the right way & best purrs from Bruciee...x

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Sounds like a little more good news, then - at least now you know what's causing the Horners. Hugs and licks from me and the girls again, keep us all posted xx

That's positive news Jackie i'm so pleased for you. Hopefully after the affects have worn off Bruce will feel a lot better. More hugs and licks from us too x

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Originally Posted by candes

What great news. Whew!!! I have been super worried about Brucie! So what is to be done about the cracked osteophyte? Can they shave it off and cement the crack? That would make him feel a lot better.

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Hi Candes,not going down the anaesthetic route again unless really necessary especially as it seems to have been the cause of triggering the Horners. I know the chiro works well on him so quite happy to carry on with that at the moment but as his hips cease up it was interesting just to find out exactly what was going on.At the moment it is the top end that is causing the most worry,he has been off steroids three days now & this morning appeared to have gone back to square one,he was crying down the hall with his ear tipped nearly touching the floor,when I picked him up he just hooked his paws round my arms tucked himself right in tight & wouldn't let go,I gave him metacam but the boss has decided he needs to be on the steroids so tomorrow back to them instead,also although we were waiting until after the oral ab's were finished before starting drops because of how sensitive his ear is it has now been decided that we need to get started on those as well because he has so much muck coming out of the one ear,not looking forward to doing that to the poor boy at all but Easter hols has been dedicated to Bruce & trying to sort out that bloomin ear ...

Poor Bruce, lots of mummy cuddles for him I think. I too have lots of faith in chiro as I slipped a disc and physio did nothing for me, after my first session of chiro I could stand upright again.

Fingers crossed that the vet finds the right combo of meds for Bruce and lots of love to him xx

Maisie and I send very best wishes to Bruce/

His dad has renamed him "Ragbag" but I don't care,1.5kgs lighter & he wasn't ever weighty anyway,scruffy looking but didn't want to pull him about with grooming,that can all come later,but today we have big break through,he has seemed brighter over the last 48hrs,second lot of different ab's have hit the mark,he has been coping well with the ear drops after the first initial time & today he has been outside & had a play,ear upright most of the time,third eyelid not over anywhere near so often,has lept from floor to windowsill again,getting excited now,think Bruce is on the way back.He is still having periods of being in a real snot mood & lashing out at all of the other cats but they are getting less daily so now goal is trying to get him to eat better,that is hard in itself because he has never been a great eater at the best of times,fresh cooked chicken,fresh fish all frowned upon,a bit of steak raw minced,lightly cooked,well cooked,stuff that,now working our way along all the different foil cat packets on the supermarket shelf,some he will have a couple of mouth fulls others get passed over to his mates,have noticed though that if he thinks he is thieving biscuits out of the bin he tucks in fairly heartily,so guess what he is getting away with at the moment.
Latest Ragbag pictures attatched.....!

So glad he's on the mend Jackie. He looks great in the pics - what do you mean ragbag??? Hoping he continues to get well xxx

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Originally Posted by Howlinbob

So glad he's on the mend Jackie. He looks great in the pics - what do you mean ragbag??? Hoping he continues to get well xxx

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The right side of his face is all greasy from the ear drops,his coat is like rat tails & when you get hold of him he is a load of bones held together by the skin,not at his best but hopefully will soon be able to spruce him up a bit,it is just great having Brucee cuddles back that are meant & not lifeless.....

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Originally Posted by jckkerrison

The right side of his face is all greasy from the ear drops,his coat is like rat tails & when you get hold of him he is a load of bones held together by the skin,not at his best but hopefully will soon be able to spruce him up a bit,it is just great having Brucee cuddles back that are meant & not lifeless.....

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And yet, he's still so handsome. And his bib is SO clean!!

Great news that he's turned a corner, fingers crossed that he's through the worst of it xx

Great news Jackie and may I say that is the most handsome Ragbag I have ever seen ! x

Well we have had a few more ups & downs but at last I am feeling a lot more hopefull that the up time is here to stay,the middle of last week it had just about got to the point that I thought we would have to say bye to my favourite boy but that very same evening while hubby was out front gardening Bruce kept asking to go out with him,so put him on his harness & lead & off we went {have some pictures but for some reason can't post them at the moment will get OH to try later for me}since then he hasn't looked back,hope I am not talking it up again,I wondered if he needed the different stimulation to kick start him into realising there is a life out there.
He is now off of ab's & ear drops,had tried cutting down on the steroid but he relapsed quickly but he was never as good as this if I am honest,was just trying to get all drugs out of the way as quickly as possible but that backfired so will take him up to work next week & see if boss thinks we can have another go,yesterday he was back outside in the garden with all the others poking around all day,hasn't done that for ages & today he flew down to the bedroom jumping around as usual before settling down to singing in my ear & kisses,all a lot more promising.Also since thinking about giving up on him I have treated him more as normal,given up on the poor Brucies & weeping into his fur,could that have been part of the problem too,him playing for more sympathy,whatever I do hope I have my precious boy back....x

Oh Poor Brucie, lots of kisses and Hugs sent from Germany to you and him xxxx

As I just touched on him in another thread thought I would add quick update,at the moment I can't see him getting any better than he is now,the most annoying thing is that some days the old Bruce seems to be back & then he has a run of bad days were he hisses & actually lashes out at all the other cats,he has always had the odd moan at the babes but has never physically lashed out,even does it to his little sister who not so long ago he stayed by her side & wouldn't leave her when she was so poorly.Have tried reducing his steroids a couple of times but he relapsed quite quickly but hoping to have another go soon,am wondering if it could be related but worse of two evils at the moment,also thought steroids were supposed to make them eat better but no,I still have an anorexic MC,he went way below 6kg at his worse but now hovers between 6.2 & 6.4kg,would luv to get him back to his height of 6.7,wow thats big {not}...
He has got his slinky suave walk back though with that lovely brush of a tail just kinking over & twitching,I estimate 75% of him is here now so might just have to accept thats what I am going to have back to cuddle & luv for the rest of his days but being greedy I would like a bit more....x

Big hugs to you and Bruce. As for the eating problem, have you tried White Fish. We get a bag from Tescos it cooks in a few minutes in the microwave and I've never had a cat turn it down (in fact they go mad for it ) You can even pour a bit of the water from it over his Kibbles, that usually gets good results too :)
Chin up and i'm sure you'll get there. x

We have always had a problem with getting him to eat MickB,he is & always has been a grazer but whatever you put down he looks as if he is eating with gusto then when he walks away if he has taken one mouthful on board then he has done well,all started when he had some sort of viral episode when he was quite young,up until then he ate normally but after that we noticed a big reduction in his appetite,if he thinks he is poorly & needs special attention he has his fish but about two flakes is tops,fresh chicken the same,wouldn't mind if he then ate that amount at other times during the day but you get that "No thanks look" you gave me that earlier,enough is enough,we have kept him seperate & kept a record over three days of what his normal food intake is & you could fit 24hrs worth on a saucer,thats on a good day so you can imagine since he has been poorly that has been even less,at one point he was just skin holding the bones together but a slight improvement now. At the last show we went too we got two samples of RC food,can't remember what it was called now but I think it was more for the fussy eater,he loved it so he was the only one we gave it too,duly ordered a sack because although I don't like giving mine mainly dry I thought with him whatever gets him going,he ate it for two days after the sack arrived & has said give it to the others ever since.
Sometimes wonder why I love him so much....!

Have you tried conval-s? I got some for a friends dog and it boosted his app, have a look on Genitrix's site you never know. I assume their office is still open (they have been taken over while I have been off) if not call Dechra for help(I would try Genitrix first tho, they are are friendly company!!!).

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Originally Posted by Helen & John

Have you tried conval-s? I got some for a friends dog and it boosted his app, have a look on Genitrix's site you never know. I assume their office is still open (they have been taken over while I have been off) if not call Dechra for help(I would try Genitrix first tho, they are are friendly company!!!).

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Have got some on order so thanks Helen,watch this space,today has been a "not interested"in food day but when I put the washing out & left the utility room door open someone had gone in,nudged the lid off of one of the biscuit tubs & was digging in,got a little chirrup when he realised he had been caught,mention no name...!

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Originally Posted by jckkerrison

Have got some on order so thanks Helen,watch this space,today has been a "not interested"in food day but when I put the washing out & left the utility room door open someone had gone in,nudged the lid off of one of the biscuit tubs & was digging in,got a little chirrup when he realised he had been caught,mention no name...!

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and a look of innocence no doubt!!!!

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Originally Posted by Helen & John

and a look of innocence no doubt!!!!

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Now I wonder what makes you think that .......!

But yep you are right x

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Originally Posted by jckkerrison

Now I wonder what makes you think that .......!

But yep you are right x

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Well they are very good at that look I have found!

Well Candes we have nearly got him back up to weight,he is 0.1kg short of his normal top weight,he is now tipping the scales at a massive 6.60kg,he has been having his daily dose of Conval-s that Helen recommended & there were some free samples of a different RC biscuit in the show pens last time that Welly & Shimba donated to Unc Bruce which he loved so he now has his own special bag of that but are still taking things a day at a time.He has been off of steroids now for just over a week & no sign of Horners flairing again so fingers crossed on that one but tempermant wise he is still a crabby old man,poor Shimba really has it rough with him but luckily he just walks away & leaves Bruce moaning but I have got my cuddle bug back which is great,I did miss being woke up when dad used to let them out in the morning,there is nothing like a cat leaping on you putting his nose right in your ear purring away while paddling his front feet on parts that you have to protect ,I think Merl tried to take that position over but he didn't have quite the same touch as my Bruce.He does still need a jolly good groom up though & if things stay as they are will attempt that this weekend.....