more Gateway adventures

And a vet like him that goes above and beyond the call of duty.....well worth it.
**hoping and praying for another glowing good health report** for Gateway

Vets like that are to be cherished.

Our vet is one of those.....a really good one. I hope he never retires! He'd be a hard one to replace. Gateways heart doc is the same kind of doc.

And he looks like a baby. I bet he's near 40, but he has a baby face. He can't be close to retirement!

Our vet is like that too. About my age but doesn't look it at all. I guess tending to furkids keeps you young!

Gateway is supposed to go for his yearly checkup on Friday. The weather tomorrow and Wednesday is supposed to be awful. I hope the roads are good for his appointment.

I hope so too. It's supposed to snow tonight here.

We had a beautiful day today. Gateway got a couple hours of play outside. It was warm and sunny, and most of the snow melted. It's supposed to snow a LOT later tonight. Our fingers and paws are crossed that it will be all cleared up by Friday.

Glad to hear Gateway got to go out in the sun to play. I hope you can make it to his appointment without any trouble.

Gateway's doing great. He is a bit heavy, but he has been losing weight as the days get longer. His regular vet says he isn't in danger of being too fat, and a lot of cats gain weight for the winter. She is amazed that his heart sounds pretty much the same as it did at his last appointment. She suggested some fish oil to help with his arthritis. The aspirin he takes for his heart helps, and the fish oil might make it feel better.

That's great news Becky.

That's great.

Wonderful news Becky!

Today is cardiologist day. Gateway is upset that I will not let him go outside. It's warming up and foggy. He says it's perfect hunting weather for a black and white kitty because the fog hides them. I told him that he has to go visit Doctor Jess, and he has to be where I can find him. He is angry already about the CAR ride.

Report tonight...

So, Gateway's heart disease is progressing (as expected). His heart muscle is no longer as big as it was, but it is weaker, and his left atrium is distended because the blood isn't pumped right. He also has some fluid near his heart, although not enough to be considered congestive heart failure.

Overall, he's doing well, but we need to address the changes. Treatment is to add a medicine (normally for dogs) to help his heart muscle strength, to raise his Lasix dose, and keep his Enalpril the same. He will also keep taking aspirin twice a week. He will now get meds twice/day. Poor kid.

Tonight, the poor boy is very tired, so I will let him rest for a while before I give him his night time meds.

Poor guy.

He actually feels really good. He's playing outside in the sunshine and breeze today. So, we will keep him as healthy as possible, and will consult with his doctors if anything changes for the worse. But, we expect that he will stay in pretty good shape for more years. He's 12 this year, which is a good, old age for a kitty with his problems. We hope he lives a normal, long life.

Gateway spent a lot of time outside today. The weather was perfect. Tomorrow is supposed to be yucky, so he had to get his playing in today. His fun did tire him out though. I guess the extra strain on his heart wears him out. The doctor said that it isn't bad for him to be outside since he isn't too active. He mostly sleeps in the sun and watches the birds. Every once in a while, he hunts, but for the most part, he acts like the older kitty he is.

Glad he was able to enjoy the fresh air. Been to rainy here.

I am so glad he can still enjoy the good life. With the love and care you give him I have no doubt he will live to be a very ripe old age despite his heart condition.

Gateway was a bad kitty today. I was leaving for an all day seminar at my alma mater. He ran out the door despite the forecast for wind and rain. So, he spent 7 AM to 8 PM out in questionable weather. He's definitely not going out tomorrow when we brave the forecast for the first home football game of the season.

What BAD KITTEH BOY! Is okay?

He is fine. He was more than ready to come in when my husband got home. He pretended to be mad until dinner showed up.

LOL! They're always mad until dinner shows up.