Yesterday, we took Miss Josie to the veterinarian for her semiannual physical. Since she's geriatric, at 18 years old, it is recommended she get checked out every six months instead of the usual twelve. For once, we didn't have a grocery list of problems to discuss. She still has all of the same issues as the last time we saw the doctor (hair loss on her belly, skin cancer lesions, lack of mobility, hearing loss), but there was nothing new to report. While those things seem severe, they aren't affecting her quality of life so we still consider them mild annoyances rather than huge medical issues. And, aside from them, she really is doing well overall. She eats well, poops well, is maintaining her weight well, and seems happy. The doctor listened to her heart and gave her a full once over. He couldn't believe it when I reminded him she is 18 now. He said she's in fantastic shape. Her heart sounds great. Her kidneys haven't gotten any smaller. Nothing feels weird in her gut. Her coat and eyes are shiny and healthy. And she's even gained a few ounces. I told him about how much she's slowed down recently. Her arthritis seems to be getting worse and I asked if there was anything we could do to make her more comfortable. We discussed many medication options, eliminated most of them because of the side effects/her kidney issues, and finally decided on a new injectable medicine meant to treat arthritis in canines. Yup, she's getting doggy medicine, much to her dismay.

He asked if we could give her injections on our own. We told him, after giving Zoe, the wiggle worm, sub-Q fluids for weeks when she was sick, we could manage a few shots in Josie, the most laid back cat on the planet. We have to give her one shot twice per week for four weeks, then only once per month after that. He said he's seen great results from this medicine in cats and we should notice improvement in her mobility within a couple weeks.