PPO

This is an anagram developed years ago in GSD-L that stands for Paranoid Puppy Owner--but I think it can also stand for Paranoid Pet Owner. It means that every little thing has you envisioning a crisis and makes you want to rush off to the vet. I've learned to keep it pretty well under control, but every once in a while it gets the better of me.

I called today to get a vet appt. for Annie. I'm just worried about her. She's 19, for crying out loud, which is roughly 82 +/- in human age. She seems basically okay; I don't think she's deaf, I don't think she's lost any vision, she's not senile, her appetite is good, her weight is good. But she looked really stiff to me yesterday and she's having some trouble using the stepstool to get up to the counter where her food is and occasionally has trouble getting up on the bed or couch, so I want to ask if there's a pain med that's safe to give cats and that isn't too hard on their systems. I think she's a little dehydrated, so I want to talk about learning to give subcutaneous fluids. I just read that older cats can have a potassium deficit--it gets washed out when their kidneys are starting to go bad and they're peeing so much--so I want to ask about trying her on a potassium supplement. I want to see if they have or will order for me Program oral suspension as her flea med. I want them to check her teeth--I think they're okay, but I've read dental troubles can be a real problem in older cats. I want them to look at her claws--instead of being long and thin, they're thick and brittle. I keep them clipped, but I use human nail clippers and I want to know if another tool might be better.

Yes, I've written it all down so I'll remember. We're going in tomorrow after work.