Update: The v-e-t said that most of Obi's insides looked very healthy and normal. However, his colon and large intestine were lumpy and his lymph nodes were swollen in there as well. So the v-e-t took 2 biopsies and took one of the lumps to send off for histopathology. The v-e-t said it might be cancer, but we can put him on drugs to help him out a bit better than what he has been on. We should know more next Tuesday or Wednesday from the biopsies. Please keep Obi in your purrs and purrayers and send him tons of hugs, okay?
Obi hasn't been feeling well lately. He has had OLB (outside litter box) issues for quite some time, both the poop and the pee type. He is on Metamucil to help firm up his stools, on 5mg Prednisolone daily, and he was put on Prozac a few months ago to help with the OLBs. The Prozac helped quite a bit, but he was still going outside the litter box more than we had hoped. He has always had loose stools. When he initially came to us, he, Sally and Smokey all had horrible diarrhea. They were on Flagyl for months to clear it up. Obi's never became really hard stools, and hence the various meds that he is on. Plus, he had a perineal urethrostomy when he was a couple of years old because he was blocked and he was in the vet clinic for a week on a catheter and fluids.
So, long story short, Obi has lost a good bit of weight, he is becoming incontinent, he is losing fur, and he sits hunched up all the time. He is hiding under the bed, which he has never done before. His blood work is all perfectly normal. His X-rays are normal. He has no masses that can be felt. But he doesn't feel well at all. He is only 9 years young.
So he is getting exploratory surgery today. Please, everyone send tons of purrs and purrayers and many hugs to Obi and let's all hope that the v-e-t finds something that can be fixed!
Luf, Us and Maw
