Well went to vet today, he said nothing has changed. Panda will stay on his 3 pills a day and stay on recovery diet. He did loss alittle bit of weight which isnt good. Thats why we have to get the recovery diet into him put some weight back on. He said he could develop meningitis of the spine, which is fluid on the spine, and there is noting he can do for that. Where the fluid is now the water pills should help with. So he said he would be unbalanced when walking,if he gets fluid on the spine. so that will be something will we have to watch for. He said he would be surprised to see him around in 2-3 months. I looked at Panda and said you have alot of years in you yet so you show the doctor. So that wasnt pleasant hearing. I kept it together only because Panda is still doing all his natural stuff and walking around and eating, going to the litter etc. So thinking about that and the fact I hope the vet is wrong kept me together, I think in my heart right now he will be ok but I guess time will tell. He goes back to vet in a month so I hope things continue not to change for him because he is ok as of right now. Health wise he is not. I found this water fountain I thought he would love because its like a tap of running water and he loves to play with the water. I got these two other water fountain dishes but they are no fun. I want to make him as comfy as possible and I want him to have fun. My friend Barb gave us another hammock that their kitties werent using and it is in the bedroom, well Panda just loves it, so he has 3 hammocks, two in the bay window and the cat post right next to it. And food dishes two steps away alls he needs is a couple of palm trees and he'd be all set. He knows he is loved lots and he has the mamas wrapped around his paws. He will have 3 water fountains in the house to encourage him to drink lots which he has to . Has dry food 24/7 and gets fed wet food 3 times a day.What more could a cat want. Recently I found a bit of a trick to get him to eat some of his recovery, I smash up 4 medi treats from the vet into powder, heat up his wet food warm to touch and flatten it and then sprinkle medi treats powder on top and hes been eating it. So hopefully he wont get sick of it because he really needs to eat the recovery. Those medi treats stink like fish.I ve been on line alot lately trying to see of ways to get a cat to eat wet food, something was mentioned about get the most stinky food you can find and fish is stinky so that is what made think of the medi treats because what we would think yuck they would love. LOL !!! I even tryed putting cat nip on the top he ate some. LOL!!!! So anyway that is all the news and I hope things stay the same because Panda does have alot of life in him yet. Thanks everyone for your support,prayers and will continue to need them. Will keep you posted on any changes. The stike in the states with american axle hasnt affected me yet job wise and I hope it doesnt, if it does I will be in a pickle for sure. I'm one of these people that live pay check to pay check, and the only $ to fall back on is my rrsp which doesnt have alot in it. I was going to use some of it to cover my vet bills. But anyway I'm still working and I hope it stays like that. When it rains it pours.
Julie

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Was getting ready for work today and about 1:30 Panda went into a coughing spell which I havent heard in awhile. He calmed down and I thought it was ok to go to work. I was going to get a neighbour to look in on him a couple of times before the room mate got home. I was about to walk out the door and he started coughing again so I said thats it. I called work to see if I could get a vac day today, my regular forman on days answer he made the mistake of asking me how I was. I started crying on him, so I asked him about taking the day as vac day, he said that was fine he would write something up. He's been really good to me for taking time off in short notice for the cats. So anyway I'm hoping the stress of going to the vet today and him squeezing him is the only cause of the upset today. I've been trying so hard to stay positive and not get upset in front of him, because they know. Anyway thats all for now.

Instant Kharma is gonna get you.

Thursday nite Panda's coughing has subsided, when the room mate got home I had it mind to go get that water fountain for Panda so off I went, I kept my cell phone on if anything happend I had to drive about 30-40 min one way to petsmart to get this dish. Got home set it up and do you think any of the cats would go near it NO!!!!!!They use the other fountains I got them which is good. We are feeding Panda every 2 hrs to get his recovery diet into him before he goes to the hard food dish he likes his hard food. Things seem to be good today so far we slept on the floor lastnight in the living room on a mattress. Panda slept at my head in front of my pillow pretty much all nite which was good. I have a ritual every morning when I'm on 3-11pm or the weekends I put spa music on ,calm soothing, and yes the cats get to endure this to tehe lol!!!!they must think I'm wacked.

Ralphy is doing ok, he is taking his water really well, but for some reason every 2nd nite he doesnt eat his reduced protein diet none of it. It could be because of the eating switch hes not used to eating late at night. But he does eat the other 3 times of the day, the fourth time was to get most of his protein diet into him.

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Yahhhhoooo Panda and Ralph finally used the new dish, I was begining to wonder, hope everyone has a good easter weekend.

Have noticed since we've gotten water fountains Ralphy is drinking alot more which is great news we are still doing fluid therapy.

Hello,
Well Panda has been coughing throughout the weekend but not as much as Thursday. I had to go to vet to get pills today being Monday, and I asked him some questions about are we at the max dosage for the water pill which takes fluid away. We are at max, and when I told him he was coughing, he said he wanted to do another chest x ray. and if there was enough fluid there he would take some fluid out to test. That would of been the procedure he was to get done two weeks ago but his chest didnt sound bad. So anyway I told him lets do it now, so Panda went in today for xray. When he called with results he also told me he took fluid from him to. And that went all right. I told him if it was high risk then I didnt want it done, he said if there was enough fluid there the risk would be min. So it ends up he doesnt have congestive heart failure.
It's one of two things Mediastinal Lymphoma which is a tumor, or Lymphatic fluid accumulation in chest or abdomen which is rare, the tumor is more common. To find out exactly what it is we would have to get a by opsy done and he would have to go to guelph university for that my vet cant do that. To treat Mediastinal Lymphona which would be only temporary it only slows down things it would cost 1000.00. The other is leakage that cant be repaired and the fluid would have to be kept taking out of chest, nothing really can be done for that other than that. So to help control the tumor he is on predizone daily to help shrink the tumor temporary, the tumor will grow rapid in about 3 months, so alls we can do is monitor his breathing and he may have to get fluid taking out again this will help keep him comfortable. His quality of life is good he is doing all of his normal things for now. At least we have something to keep him comfortable. Julie

Today being Thursday, Panda started coughing which means it isnt good, so I called vet, he said to bring him in. He is going to take more fluid off his chest. He did this on Monday also. So I'm off today vac day I called work and they said take what you need. Which is very nice of them. This is driving me crazy, Panda still has a good quality of life and as long as he has that I will not put him down, or if the vet says other wise it will depend how much the tumor grows and interfers with stuff. As for me I'm on anxiety pills right now to help me cope, I've been very emotional had to leave work the other nite because of it.I also think I'm having a side affect from a medication I'm on, its making me more emotional then usual. So I will be taking care of that next tues I hope. So as you can see I'm having a real hard time with all of this. I will endure what I have to, to look after my baby.Nobody said it was going to be easy. I've been doing some praying which I havent done in along time, for the good lord to help me through this, and help Panda along in which ever stage he is in. And at the end help both of us be at peace.

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Click on pic blow to see











This is Panda and his brother Shadow

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I hope all goes well with the Vet and Panda gets some relief so coughing can subside. Take care of yourself also. Keeping good thoughts!

Brought Panda home from vet at 4:30pm. Vet took a bunch of fluid out this time round. He said if the fluid accumalates again within 3 days then we are not winning. If it takes two weeks to accumalate then that is fine. He put his dosage on water pill back up half pill twice a day. So we will know more once the weekend is done. The hole thing that stinks about this hole thing is that he is fine other wise, hes eating, drinking, walking around, goes to the litter, purrrrrring, and loving me. loves being in his hammocks. And just because we cant get rid of some fluid he may have to be put down. Now thats the part that isnt fair. I could understand putting him down if he couldnt get up anymore, or wasnt eating or drinking and looked like a sick kitty I could deal with that. But not when he has alot of life in him yet.......I have a real problem with that and I dont know it I could do it......so needless to say it will be interesting over the next couple of days. Lots of prayers are needed. Julie

Thanks posnsgr

Hang in there Julie...Your totally in my thoughs and prayers. poor lil kid

all the cats are like my kids and a very big part of my family and I treat them as such.

i am so sorry ....and good vibes and prayers too you. ...