I'll be going in a little late tomorrow, or working from home, if permission is granted. I have to get eye ointment for LarryElvis first thing tomorrow morning, 'cause he's rubbed the edges of his lids raw. I mean "I don't want to photograph him" raw. He did this in less than 12 hours!Thanks to the advice of fellow cat-enslaved and awesome benefactor Sallyh (who IS, btw, Curly's godmother), I got some sterile saline from Walgreen's, and douched his eyes good with it, after warming it slightly in a saucepan. He did not like it, but fell short of turning into a whirlwind of teeth and claws, so there's that for which to be thankful.
He's such a good kitty. I love him to pieces, already.
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9 comments :
I don't want to sound like a nag or anything, but what the fuck is up with a) the shelter you got LE from, and b) the vet you're seeing? If it's been a week of antibiotics and he's still at the point where he feels the need to rub his fucking eyelids raw, he's got something the vet probably should have caught the first time around. Siamese cats are especially prone to respiratory infections, and shelters are breeding grounds for that. They shouldn't have released such an obviously sick animal to you.
Seriously, man, that is some fucked up shit. Start kicking that vet's ass tomorrow.
dave -- Naw, I understand. I've been through some shit in my day, health-wise, and I know even good doctors can't account for everything. There are probably co-mitigating factors, here... perhaps worst of which was my transporting him on a scooter's deck.
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Eh. Upper respiratory stuff can take a week and a half or so to clear up, especially with a cat who just came from a shelter, into a new environment, with a strange critter who's obviously the "alpha cat." Stress is one of the largest mitigating factors with critter issues like this. Our old orange boy gets an upper respiratory infection any time he's at the vet longer than it takes to do an exam, and add to that he's allergic to the rabies vax (fortunately, the Buckeye State allows the three-year rabies vaccine). He gets sneezy any time we take him in there and we have to leave him, like to have his teeth cleaned. It's not unusual for a cat to drag out an upper respiratory for a couple of weeks under the circumstances. If it's viral on top of bacterial, the viral bug will just have to work its way through LE's system.
And sometimes, medicating them can cause more stress, so making a call on adding meds and the administration routine is a little iffy. I sure ain't gonna hammer you for waiting to see if the conjunctivitis was a big deal, in other words. Sometimes, it clears up on its own -- and medicating a new kitty under stress can aggravate the stress as much as the meds help.
You mentioned using L-lysine in another post -- honestly, they hate it. I don't think it tastes good, we tried it for a while on a hard-to-medicate Southern Ohio Porch Cat here at Chez ExpeditionSailor, and realized the stress of being medicated was making said critter sicker than being a little sneezy and watery around the eyes. The only time I can really think it's worth the trouble is if the critter has feline herpes -- then, L-lysine actually does seem to help.
I'm all for letting things resolve themselves if they appear to be doing so, and I've had a lot of anecdotal experience with cats (and shelter volunteer experience). If LE's still sneezy, you might ask the vet about giving antihistamines -- we've had the vet recommend them for critters here who've picked stuff up. You can give them certain human allergy meds, but I wouldn't do it without a recommendation. Sounded to me like his problems with snot were mostly resolved, and it was largely a conjunctivitis issue by now.
Sorry for the long comment, but I know how it goes having critters, and having to make a call on whether it's worth the money/time/stress on the animal to do something.
My little four legger came from the shelter with a terrible URI. Her throat was thick with a terrible gag-inducing smelly mucous, which the doctor prescribed guanifieson (sp?) to break up, and a solid month of strong antibiotics. It was two weeks before she started to come around. I also discovered that the way a critter acts when you're trying to dose them reflects closely to their normal personality. So, it looks like your sweet sick kitty is going to be an even sweeter healthy kitty several weeks from now. Not to question your competence or anything like that, but if you're giving him pills, are you 100% certain he's really swallowing, and not spitting when you're not looking? Learned that lesson the hard way myself several times. Now I don't take my eyes off her until I see her swallow.
xsailor -- Thank you. I feel bad for not having stopped at the vet's this afternoon, instead having beers and meeting a friend at Cafe Coco. The eye ointment could have helped NOW.
anon -- His Clovamox is liquid, and the vet showed me the trick. He gets every last drop. I think it's the viral infection that's causing the snotty symptoms, but bacteria could be implicated in the eye infection, now, since he's rubbed them so much.
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I've gotten pinkeye myself when I have a gloppy snotty cold. Most disgusting thing possible (we think it's a drag in a cat, consider how repulsive it is in a dignified middle-aged suburban matron such as myself!). Be extra careful hygienic with the warm wet papertowels you wash little LarryElvis' sweet kitty face with, and scrub your hands afterward with something antibacterial. He'll get better real fast -- and you're taking such good care of him, JP. You're a good kittydad.
Ah, I was given Clovamax in the pill form for MoMo. Nasty job shoving a pill down a critter's throat. Liquid would have been easier. LarryElvis is going to be well soon. Don't feel bad about about the eye balm. You're taking fine and loving care of him. If vets and meds is putting a bad pinch on you, I hope you'll say something. I'd like to send a bit to defray kitty care.
anon -- Much obliged, but it's more the timing than the fact that I'm relatively broke, right now. I get my first paycheck from the new job on 1/5.
I'll work something out with the vet. How can they say "no" to some free tech help, right now?
Blood from stones, an' all. ;)
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FWIW, the eye itchies could be fungal. Gustav gets a fungal infection around his eyes whenever he gets a cortisone shot for his stumbly back legs, or when he gets a cold. I usually wipe his face with a warm wet towel, then wash the towel thoroughly with soap and antiseptic ook, then dry it, preferably in sunlight. The warm wet wipe seems to make him feel a lot better. Best to LE and to Curly, and definitely to you for being such a responsible and loving kittyparent. Check snailmail.
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