The other day, I made mention that we had to take the Bayou Princess Cat to the emergency room for pets. There is a fine hospital just a few miles up in the country that takes wonderful care of pets that have met some dire fate. Ms. Nycto had done just that. It all started when she decided to traipse out into the marsh for a while. She has been doing this lately against my better judgement. It may have been safe going during the winter months but now that the weather has warmed, the cottonmouths and alligators are active. No, the Princess did not meet either, as far as I know, but she did come back looking a dreadful mess. The Bayou mud had caked upon her long belly hair and matted it into one rock-hard snarl. Anyone who has ever successfully buzz-cut a cat is my hero! She was having no part of any attempts to rid her of the mats. She almost appeared to have acquired a shell of some sort on her underside! Then, the next day, I noticed that she was having extreme difficulty eating or drinking. Also, anyone who has ever successfully peered down the gullet of a cat is also my hero! It ain't easy!
There was nothing to do but take the poor thing in for a bit of medical help. At the first examination, the veterinarian thought Ms. Nycto had a broken jaw. "Leave her and we will get her fixed up no matter what it is and we will finish that hair cut for you." (That last part was enough to convince me that these were good people!) The cat remained behind and I waited at home for a phone call. That call came late at night. It seems that there was an odd wound that was causing the poor cat's complaint. Somehow, she had sliced the underside of her tongue from the base to the tip. The tongue was useless as it was so the veterinarian stitched it while she was sedated. The cat would have to stay in the hospital overnight.
The Bayou Princess is back home now. She is attempting all normal functions but, of course, eating and drinking is labored. Cats fully depend on that lapping technique! Son and I are doing our best to accommodate her every need and she is the perfect patient as she never complains. She is, however, a bit embarrassed as she now looks like a terribly skinny poodle with a bad haircut! Tufts on her feet, skinny legs, bare belly, fluffy back and head and a tuft of a tail make up the entire coat of this once extremely fluffy cat! Poor baby slinks from dark corner to dark under-bed hiding spot. Having that cone of shame on her noggin is not helping, either! Hopefully, she has learned a lesson about going gallivanting in the marshes. YOU are a princess, Ms. Nycto! ACT like it!
For months now, the old dog has been ailing. The poor, old pup just could not shake the maladies that vexed him so. Actually, there was not just one thing wrong but a build-up of a multitude of things. He had a fungal nasal infection, a fast growing tumor on his hind leg, a scratched eyeball (his doing), arthritis, the beginnings of congestive heart failure and...well, age. He probably could have shaken one or two but when all piled together at once, he was not faring well. That said, I started tackling one problem at a time. For some odd reason, the regular vet did not want to give him a strong antibiotic. He prescribed a weak one and only for one week. Allergy pills and pain pills, however, were plenteously plied. The tumor situation was not addressed "until we get the other things under control" and then "proceed with caution due to the heart". I was perplexed. Herbal concoctions brought a good bit of relief for the sinus situation but did not fully remedy it. Poor fellow suffered in silence.
Then, a deer fly bit him on the eye lid causing him to scratch. That scratch caused an injury to the eyeball and led to an emergency visit to the pet hospital. While there, I questioned the vet that owns the hospital about the tumor. He agreed that it needed to be removed and said we would do it right away. I felt a bit of turmoil about the risk but was assured that things would go safely. The surgery was a success and Mr. PJ came home the next morning with a bandaged leg and the cone of shame on his head. That cone seemed to be far more troubling than the surgery. He hated it! I hated it. First, because it did not keep the dog from reaching the incision site and second, with the thing the size of a bucket on his head, he knocked over everything in the house! The normally very easy dog magically turned into a bull in the china shop.
After two weeks of torture, it was time to have the staples removed and the incision checked. The cone came off and Mr. PJ is happier than I have seen him in a long time. While at the pet hospital, I questioned the doctor again. "Since PJ has been on the medicines you prescribed, the sinus problem has dramatically improved. Do you think we can continue?" YES!!! I came home with a new supply of the antibiotics. The cone came off and Mr. PJ is happier than I have seen him in a long time. Oh, happy day! Mr. PJ can breathe again, can rest easy with no bucket on his head and does not have a pound and a half of extra garbage hanging on his leg. He can actually trot again! It does the heart good to know that I made the right decision about his care. It would be so grand if he continued to heal and live the rest of his days pain free. It would also be grand if the veterinarians at the pet hospital could see him on a regular basis and not just for emergencies!
