Corky Update

Some of you may be wondering how Corky is doing. We've had several rough weeks but I think we are in the clear now. A couple of weeks ago, I noticed that Corky was breathing really hard and seemed to be really low on energy. I took him to the vet only to discover that he had pulmonary edema (fluid around the lungs). The doctor believes it was a result of his organs starting to fail due to his kidney issues.

The vet warned me that it was really bad. He said we really only had one option: treat him with a diuretic (to force the water out) and hope that it doesn't stress his already weak kidneys too much. He said to do nothing would certainly result in his death. The vet gave him an injection and then gave me medicine to give Corky at home. The vet tried to prepare me for the worst. When I got home, I ordered a story book about a dying cat to read to Carter. I needed to start to prepare him.

Two days later when Corky and I went back to the vet, he was remarkably better. The vet admitted that he so surprised at how quickly and thoroughly he recovered.

We had yet another follow up visit with the vet today. Corky is doing really well...in fact I think he's acting healthier now than he has all year. He is eating really well and seems to have plenty of energy. What keeps us from forgetting that has kidney failure is that he only weighs 7.5 lbs. Six months ago he was nearly 11 lbs. He has lost 30% of his body weight and doesn't seem to be able to put any weight back on (despite all the food we give him).

Here's hoping that Corky continues to do well and stays comfortable and happy.