This past half year has not
been one of my best, even if life remains quite excellent in general. Yesterday
morning, we faced yet another trial.
Tilly the cat began going
back and forth between one litter box or the other and her favorite water bowl.
I followed to find a bare dribble of urine left behind. She settled down as Sunday
afternoon approached but we were left with no doubt she required medical
attention.
What timing. Would I be able
to get her seen before the New Year?
As it happened, yes. The
veterinary clinic had two back-to-back slots open this morning. Bless them, I
think they might keep some time free for emergencies, however minor.
“How fast can you get here?”
the receptionist asked.
If not for the fact I still
wore pajamas, I would have reserved the entire half hour. Jezebel and Tilly are due for their yearly
check-ups and vaccinations. But under the circumstances, I asked for the 8:45
slot and jumped into clean clothes. I arrived a few minutes early and we got in
almost immediately.
Last September Tilly suffered
a UTI right before our big vacation. Our kindhearted pet sitters took her for
the recommended single antibiotic shot. Today the veterinarian looked back at
Tilly’s chart and said rod shaped bacteria such as were found in her urine then
were more resistant to the Convenia shot than oral options.
“Well,” I said, a bit
flummoxed, “Tilly is really good at taking pills.”
The vet acted delighted,
telling me she had just the thing. Our poor kitty’s bladder is so messed up
that it was about acorn sized and they couldn’t get a sample. I wonder if she’s
had a low grade infection all these months.
Grrr…
Anyway, it’s water under the
bridge. Short of canceling our trip, that was our best option at the time. Today they sent us home
with seven Orbifloxacin tablets, easily broken in half for twice daily doses.
I also received a liquid oral
pain medication for her. She took both like a trooper and seems like her old
self, if a little (blessedly) quieter, perhaps because the Buprenorphine can
cause sedation. She’s still bright eyed and meows when spoken to.
The vet would still like to do an analysis on her urine. I will work on that later this week. If I can’t manage it, we have to go back anyway since she didn’t receive her vaccinations. They didn’t want to stress her little old body further.
The vet would still like to do an analysis on her urine. I will work on that later this week. If I can’t manage it, we have to go back anyway since she didn’t receive her vaccinations. They didn’t want to stress her little old body further.
On the bright side, it all
cost just a little over seventy-five dollars (US) with a nail clipping thrown
in for no extra charge. And I stood in the presence of an honest-to-goodness
falconer while checking out. He came in to discuss preventive medical concerns.
Did you know the state
requires a license for a person to legally handle falcons?
Happy New Year to you and
yours!
I'm glad you got in and got the medicine. That's a load off. If you did this tomorrow you're have to find someone open and they would have charged you double that.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day and a happy and healthy New Year. Scritches to the kitty. ♥
Thank you! I'm so relieved to get her on the mend without further delay. My husband asked about taking her somewhere yesterday. While I think he forgot for a minute that it was Sunday, I'm glad he didn't push for an expensive emergency clinic. Finances aside, I like going where we know the staff better. These folks are pretty great. Have a blessed day!
DeleteGlad to hear you got in. Pets seem to know when it's the weekend, holiday, or the middle of the night! I had a neutered male cat who had problems. He had to eat a special low ash diet.
DeleteI think the falconry license depends on your state. Mine requires it. Well it should, when it comes down to it, you are owning a wild animal. When it comes to wildlife ownership some states let anything go. Mine stopped issuing "exotic" permits in 2011, which is great. Most people do not know how to care for wild animals, and the animals are the ones who pay. We'd have people come in the store (when I worked at a independent pet store/feed store) with wild animals and we would tell them, "Please get it out, it's illegal, and a huge fine!" Most meant well, but even moving a turtle from one side of road to another is technically illegal.
Thank you. She's doing well, too. :) I hope moving a turtle isn't illegal here. I have and will stop to get one out of the road whenever it's safe. Be well!
DeleteConvenia for a bladder infection? That is sketchy. It really only works on certain types of bacteria, like those found in the mouth. I'm glad she is getting pills and pain meds because that is painful. Sounds like a good visit with a good vet. And a falconer? Wow! I remember the movie The Falcon and the Snowman. Do you?
ReplyDeleteGeez. I had no idea. I'm so glad she's good at taking pills. I'll have to look up the movie, which sounds vaguely familiar. Thanks!
DeleteI am sorry Tilly has another UTI. I hope she feels better soon. Tallulah just had 2 weeks of a liquid antibiotic for hers, but I don't think it helped much. She will be going to the vet soon for a retest.
ReplyDeleteOh, no! Does Tallulah take pills well? I'll have to report back on how this goes with Tilly's medication. ~hugs~ Take care, my dear!
DeleteI hope Tilly is doing better. Poor kitty :-( Your vet sounds awesome!
ReplyDeleteThank you! She's at least doing well taking all her medications. ~nods~ She's a good cat, and our veterinary clinic has served us well for many years. Happy New Year!
DeleteSorry your kitty was feeling poorly. It would be so much easier if they could just tell us when they're not feeling well so as to not have a low level infection or whatever for months. Of course, you could have gone in your pajamas ;)
ReplyDelete(I can't remember where I saw this, but someone commented that the thing they liked best about the teens--what else would we call this decade?--was that someone said pajamas were clothes and everyone else just went along with it. And now we wear them in public.)
Thank you for the kind words and the giggle. Be well!
ReplyDeleteOh I hope she is doing better. It is so hard when our babes are sick and they can't talk to tell us.
ReplyDelete