Well, this will be fun.

[jennlk]

For certain values of fun, that is.

J is off at the Annual Picnic. He didn't leave until Sunday, because a cat got sick. The cat who thinks that J belongs to him, and I am but a poor substitute, good only for food and opening doors.

Ji's been "off" for a few days, and Friday he was really quiet and unhappy. J took him to the emergency/24Hr vet in AA, and their preliminary scans didn't find anything. They sent Ji home and said that if he wasn't better by Saturday to follow up with our regular vet. He wasn't, so J tried, but they were so swamped that they sent him back to the 24Hr vet. Who x-rayed Ji, ran a full panel of blood tests and heart function, etc. And came back with a diagnosis of a healthy adult (11 yo) cat with pneumonia (maybe lungworm, but probably pneumonia). Here, have this cherry-flavored (!) antibiotic and this powder to put on his food. All well and good, you say. Ji *HATES* the antibiotic -- yesterday before J left he mixed a dose of it in with a couple of tablespoons of pureed ham (the closest thing we've found to kitty-crack for Ji), and it took me all day to get Ji to eat most of it. And then I had to get the powdered med into him. Dunno how much of either he actually got. Today, I burritoed him, squirted the antibiotic into his throat, and left him with an open jar of pureed ham. Don't know how much stayed in him, but at least he ate some of the ham.

And he can't go outside for two weeks! once the meds knock the pneumonia back, he's going to be insufferable. He's already spent 20 minutes today grumbling at me because I won't let him out.

Comments

[tanac]

For future reference, some antibiotics can be given in one shot (at the vet). I was given this option for my elderly, very cranky kitty. I hope he feels better soon!

[jennlk]

I'm fairly sure that if it had been an option in this case, they would have done it that way. [The only reason we're not at the 24Hr vet as our regular vet -- they're very good -- is that they're 30+ minutes away as opposed to the one in town -- also very good -- which is less than 10. And when you've got a dog who hates riding in a car (I know!)....]

[tanac]

Car rides with unhappy animals is no fun :) Snuffles whines then cries louder and louder til he's hoarse, Puttle just huddles and whines, Pumbaa is very very vocal and Timon.. well, there's a reason we sedate him first. Oy.