Kitty
Wednesday I took Lucy to the vet to get her checked out and spayed. I felt really bad about having to get her spayed since I figure a full hysterectomy has got to hurt, and after only a week, I've grown very attached to her and don't want to see her hurt. Plus, I was a little worried that it might change her personality for the worse. Or worse yet, something terrible might happen.
I took her in at about 8am and had to wait a little while two other people and their dogs were seen first.
Lucy was very calm in the waiting room. I don't think she meowed a single time. She just sat quietly in her carry cage. When we got to the exam room she was still sitting calmly in her cage, but I decided to open the door so I could pet her and comfort her. She was happy about that and began to purr. Though she stuck her head out a few times, she decided that the carry cage was a fine place to be.
She didn't mind sitting on the scale (7lbs 15oz, call it 8lbs) and didn't really even make a fuss when we took her temperature. However, when the thermometer beeped she took exception to that and kinda freaked out a little. Once removed, all she wanted to do was snuggle up with me, and wrapped her tail tightly to her side.
I signed all the paper work, told them that she had been sneezing more than normal, and left for work. They said that they would call if they determined her head cold was too severe to operate.
Turns out it wasn't, but they gave her a shot of antibiotics and a prescription for more (that I got for free from the Humane Society) just to be safe. They also sent me home with 4 tiny pain killer pills that I was suppose to cut in half and give to her as needed. The bill for the complete work up, and spaying was about $350. Ouch! But, much cheaper than the $900 it costs to fix a Rottweiler's blown out knee. This should be the last time I have to spend that much on her for quite some time, so it's not too bad, but still more expensive than I was expecting.
I got her back all drugged up, and a drunk cat is just too funny. At least she's a happy drunk. When she tried to rub up against my leg, she just fell over. When she tried to jump up onto my ottoman, she didn't jump high enough, but was able to put her back legs down on the floor. However, she wasn't able to hold herself up and slowly fell backwards. She turned her head and looked at me as she fell backwards -- as if I could do something -- in slow motion and landed flat on her back. It was hilarious to watch, in perverse sort of way.
She was remarkably social for an injured cat. She sat on my lap all evening long, and when I went to bed she slept on my second pillow all night long (I imagine -- can't be sure). In the morning I didn't want to pet her though, because when she purred it sounded more like a fork caught in a garbage disposal. She's in definite need of antibiotics.
I tried to stuff half of a pain pill in one of her treats, but I broke the treat, and as she was eating it, the pill fell out. I tried again, hoping that I wouldn't have to the shove it down her throat thing, and on the second attempt I was successful in getting the pain pill into her. I left for work, and I imagine she took a nap.
When I got home she was her normal energetic self. That's nice since it means that I don't have to give her another pain pill, but I did have to give her the antibiotics. The antibiotics were in the form of fluid that I have to shoot into her mouth with an eye dropper. I was hoping to get lucky and have her actually like it and drink it down, but no such luck.
I tried the standard hold her down, kinda sit on her, and attempt to shove the dropper in her mouth. That worked about as well as you would expect. To make things even worse, the fluid goes up into the bulb since I couldn't hold it upright the entire time I'm fighting with her, which means by the time I get it in her mouth it won't squirt. Time for plan B.
I get up, and she runs away, but not far. Clearly this little event hasn't really phased her, which is pretty incredible if you ask me. Plan B involved wrapping her in a towel. Once again, not that easy, but not too bad. Once I had her all swaddled up, it was easy to shove the dropper into her mouth and make her drink it down. I let her out of the towel and immediately gave her a couple of her treats. I've got to do this 19 more times, and I'm hoping that after a few more iterations of antibiotics and treats that she'll get the hint and make it easy for me to give her future doses.
I took her in at about 8am and had to wait a little while two other people and their dogs were seen first.
Lucy was very calm in the waiting room. I don't think she meowed a single time. She just sat quietly in her carry cage. When we got to the exam room she was still sitting calmly in her cage, but I decided to open the door so I could pet her and comfort her. She was happy about that and began to purr. Though she stuck her head out a few times, she decided that the carry cage was a fine place to be.
She didn't mind sitting on the scale (7lbs 15oz, call it 8lbs) and didn't really even make a fuss when we took her temperature. However, when the thermometer beeped she took exception to that and kinda freaked out a little. Once removed, all she wanted to do was snuggle up with me, and wrapped her tail tightly to her side.
I signed all the paper work, told them that she had been sneezing more than normal, and left for work. They said that they would call if they determined her head cold was too severe to operate.
Turns out it wasn't, but they gave her a shot of antibiotics and a prescription for more (that I got for free from the Humane Society) just to be safe. They also sent me home with 4 tiny pain killer pills that I was suppose to cut in half and give to her as needed. The bill for the complete work up, and spaying was about $350. Ouch! But, much cheaper than the $900 it costs to fix a Rottweiler's blown out knee. This should be the last time I have to spend that much on her for quite some time, so it's not too bad, but still more expensive than I was expecting.
I got her back all drugged up, and a drunk cat is just too funny. At least she's a happy drunk. When she tried to rub up against my leg, she just fell over. When she tried to jump up onto my ottoman, she didn't jump high enough, but was able to put her back legs down on the floor. However, she wasn't able to hold herself up and slowly fell backwards. She turned her head and looked at me as she fell backwards -- as if I could do something -- in slow motion and landed flat on her back. It was hilarious to watch, in perverse sort of way.
She was remarkably social for an injured cat. She sat on my lap all evening long, and when I went to bed she slept on my second pillow all night long (I imagine -- can't be sure). In the morning I didn't want to pet her though, because when she purred it sounded more like a fork caught in a garbage disposal. She's in definite need of antibiotics.
I tried to stuff half of a pain pill in one of her treats, but I broke the treat, and as she was eating it, the pill fell out. I tried again, hoping that I wouldn't have to the shove it down her throat thing, and on the second attempt I was successful in getting the pain pill into her. I left for work, and I imagine she took a nap.
When I got home she was her normal energetic self. That's nice since it means that I don't have to give her another pain pill, but I did have to give her the antibiotics. The antibiotics were in the form of fluid that I have to shoot into her mouth with an eye dropper. I was hoping to get lucky and have her actually like it and drink it down, but no such luck.
I tried the standard hold her down, kinda sit on her, and attempt to shove the dropper in her mouth. That worked about as well as you would expect. To make things even worse, the fluid goes up into the bulb since I couldn't hold it upright the entire time I'm fighting with her, which means by the time I get it in her mouth it won't squirt. Time for plan B.
I get up, and she runs away, but not far. Clearly this little event hasn't really phased her, which is pretty incredible if you ask me. Plan B involved wrapping her in a towel. Once again, not that easy, but not too bad. Once I had her all swaddled up, it was easy to shove the dropper into her mouth and make her drink it down. I let her out of the towel and immediately gave her a couple of her treats. I've got to do this 19 more times, and I'm hoping that after a few more iterations of antibiotics and treats that she'll get the hint and make it easy for me to give her future doses.
posted by Mark at 9:31 PM
1 Comments:
You will never get them to like the antibiotics - but the towel method is the best way to go with that.
As for the pills - open a can of tuna in water - wedge their little mouth open with my finger pop the pill all the way to the back - and then massage the throat until the swallow.
Then they get the can of tuna as a reward for eating their pill.. works pretty well.
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