'Chopper the Organic Helicopter (about six and a half) has been losing
weight recently and has a small lesion on her palate.  Her spleen increased
a bit again after the antibiotics given during ECE had reduced it.  Today
she had a check-up and blood taken.  Hopefully, the tests won't show
anything nasty, in which case we'll probably assume that she might have
helicobacter again, or an inflammatory digestive tract problem, or such.  In
that case it will be back to antibiotics and some steroids which can help
reduce inflammation and boost appetite.  Poor little girl is down to about 1
pound, 7 ounces, but she's as self-assertive and happy as ever so she
doesn't mind it as we do.  You should see that skinny, blind, partly deaf,
old lady boss around 4 pound kit, Scooter!  No one talks back to her!!!
 
Unexpectedly, Meeteetse wound up coming along with us.  As long-timers here
know Fly had her tail badly broken by abusers before she came here, and
we've kept it comfortable with massages for about 5 years.  Today, all of a
sudden it looked blue.  I thought at first that she was just growing in the
fur she'd lost, but when I took a look it was all the skin at and below the
break, the tail was ice cold, and she was just ignoring the fact that I was
looking at it (not like her).  Stuck it in a mug of warm water to warm it up
and she didn't respond, so at first I thought, "This must feel good." then
realized that she couldn't feel it at all.  We knew it had been getting
stiffer and less responsive to massage in recent months and had already
figured out that the ligaments were probably calicifying, but this was
sudden (not there this morning or before) and alarming evidence of impaired
blood flow and sensory nerve damage.  On testing she turned out to have deep
sensation, but no skin sensation, has motor nerves still functioning, and
still has enough blood flow to keep the tail for now.  Given that something
changed this rapidly, don't be surprised if you hear after a while of it
having to come off, though.  We have to watch it for motor control, pinch it
gently in pliers (not joking -- and Steve refuses to do it so I have to)
until she can't feel that anymore, or otherwise be on the look-out for signs
that it can't stay.
 
Spot, Warp, Jumpstart, Ashling, and Scooter are all doing well.
 
Sukie
[Posted in FML issue 2154]