Castiel had his third check-up post amputation. He had a physical exam, X-rays, and blood work done. Poor guy was so nervous, and truth be told, so was I. He meowed up a storm at the vet. I think folks heard him a block away. His vet didn’t see anything on the X-rays, and she didn’t feel any lumps or bumps during the exam. His weight is still a whopping 18 lbs…we’re still working on that slimming plan. You’d be amazed at how fast a three-legged cat can move when he wants to steal his siblings left over food. I blink and he is chowing down his sister’s supper.
The bloodwork was mostly normal, except for a raised albumin level. It is double what it was pre-amputation. The vet said this could be a sign of inflammation. Now I’m wondering if this is a sign of the cancer returning or that he is in discomfort or maybe has worsening arthritis. The vet said it could be a sign of a lot of things and/or not much at all. It’s 4 when the top normal is 3.9 but it was 2.0 before his cancer surgery. She said we should monitor it but didn’t recommend any additional tests at this time. The only other slightly abnormal result was his thyroid. The doctor said it was in a “grey area,” which means we probably need to watch for hypothyroidism in the future. Castiel is 10 so he is getting to be that age when hypothyroidism can show up.
The vet said Castiel looked good and she was pleased to hear he was using his ramps and steps. Castiel took to them right away and they really help him to get wherever he wants to be. He can get up most places, it’s the getting down that is the harder part. Castiel seems happy and healthy. He loves playing feather toy and wrestling with his baby sister Clover. He is doing everything he did before and is the same silly parlor panther he has always been. We love him so much. We hope and pray every day that he stays healthy and well.
