Mewdy Blue is challenging me again!

Just a short note to let you all know that Mewdy Blue is fighting liver failure once again. He has been to Iowa State twice today but is home for the night. Believe me, if I sound like I'm doing okay, I'm not. I'm a total wreck!

Mewdy Blue decided against food on Wednesday and has been fighting me ever since when it comes to eating. Early Friday morning he actually ate 1/2 can of his D/D but then while I was out he "expelled" it all over the kitchen floor. (At least he did it on the tile floor rather than the wood floor and since the dog can't get into the kitchen I was able to see that it happened)

This morning he was turning a little yellow again so I figured maybe another night of IV fluids might bring him out of it like it did in January. Well, the doctors didn't think that would be necessary. You see, while he was in the clinic Mewdy Blue ate another 1/2 can of food!!! They decided to send him home with me though I was a little leery of the car ride. Mewdy Blue has always been one to get car sick so putting food in his belly before a ride........well, you can see what I mean.

However, he made it home just fine. All the time in the clinic he was bright and alert entertaining all the staff and even walked out on his own on leash. At home, though, he basically collapsed. He found his hiding place in the hottest part of the house and fell asleep. Every couple of hours I offered him some more food that he only nibbled. Then at 6 pm he "expelled" it all again. This time in the living room, on the wood floor, in front of the dog. But at least I was there to see it even if I couldn't get to it before it disappeared into the white fluff-ball that is Blizzard.

By this time Mewdy Blue was so depressed/lethargic that he was limp when I picked him up. He couldn't even walk across the living room without stopping to rest halfway. So I rushed him back to Iowa State. This time he saw a different clinician. After a thorough exam and a lot of paperwork (all a repeat of just this morning!) we agreed that they would give him an anti-emetic (something to keep him from vomiting) and I'd take him home again.

Now at home, he's gotten his subcutaneous fluids, antacid, something to calm his stomach, something to stimulate his appetite and he's back upstairs in his hot spot. I've offered him food several times but all he would eat for me is a little baby food. And he's extremely weak and depressed again.

I think, and it is all just conjecture on my part, that perhaps he has cholangiohepatitis and receiving his vaccination 1 1/2 weeks ago set off his immune system. He then stopped eating setting of his liver and this whole cycle of problems. Then of course I let him eat too much at once when he did want to eat causing him to vomit. And they did the same thing today in the clinic so he vomited again.

Please pray with me that I am right, at least partially, and that this anti-emetic will settle his stomach enough for him to recover and get back to his normal appetite. At least for tonight I doubt I'll be getting any sleep!

Hopefully my next post will be lighter. I'm working on one about Rabbit Hopping. I promised to write about this way back in May so it's about time I got it on the blogosphere. Stay tuned - I have pictures and video!

Sparks, an experience

 

Sparks with her kittens

Last week I finally caught one of the two feral cats that reside in my house and took her to the veterinarian to update her vaccinations. Sparks became an indoor cat in 2008 when she entered my trap. She was pregnant at the time so I settled her into a large cage with all the accouterments including a well-padded nest and waited for only a couple of days. I named her Sparks because her eyes gave the impression of shooting sparks at me as I intruded on her private world.

I didn’t plan for Sparks to be a permanent resident but I’d spent so much time with her I couldn’t just turn her out again. No, she became a housecat. I’d successfully rehabilitated a couple of adult feral cats before so I thought I could do it again following the same procedure. After the many weeks of her incarceration while she raised her kittens I separated her from them to allow her milk to dry up and then had her spayed. It took a few more weeks to be sure she was free of parasites before I finally let her discover the rest of the house.

It didn’t take long for Sparks to figure out the daily routine. She came down for regular feedings and found her own spot. She never had any accidents either. I am still amazed that she found the litter pans so quickly and knew what they were for. Most of the rest of the time she stayed upstairs. Over time I’ve taken a few chances trying to touch her while she ate but she refuses to give in to any contact like that. Only recently, however, she has taken to sleeping on the bed with me, mostly at the foot of the bed. One night I woke up to turn over to my other side and came face to face with that sparkling face. I think it surprised her as much as it did me.

Then last Thursday I saw her in the bathroom getting drink of water and quietly closed the door. I had an appointment with the veterinarian for one of my other cats the next day so I thought it was a prime time to catch that girl. We struggled with each other for almost an hour before she finally decided that the nicely padded carrier was a good place to escape me.

The next morning Dr. Tammy graciously allowed me to bring her in. We struggled again to get her into the chamber in order to administer the gas anesthesia but finally she was asleep. In short order Sparks received her vaccinations and, thanks to some wonderful Vet Techs, lost all of her horrible mats.

I am amazed at how forgiving Sparks is. That night she was already present for her regular feeding acting as if nothing happened. I’m so happy that she is now up-to-date on her vaccinations and her long calico fur is once again shiny and smooth – and I still have all my fingers.