Oh the Humanity
Our middle cat, Maggie, has been suffering from kidney problems for about a year and a half. We have an IV bag in the bathroom with her name on it and as frequently as we can stand to torture her, we give her subcutaneous fluids to help keep her health(ier). It pisses her off, but it does work.
I took her in to the vet for her annual checkup a couple of weeks ago and she had gained back one of the pounds she had lost the year before (she's almost 7 lbs now, compared to almost 9 lbs at her healthiest). It was also clear that she really needs to have her teeth cleaned. A little bit tricky for a cat with kidney problems. So the vet ran $180 worth of lab tests to make sure could handle the anesthesia and then called to schedule the teeth cleaning appointment - which will probably run another $200. On top of which, he said to give her antibiotics for three days prior to the cleaning.
Her appointment is Thursday, so tonight was the first night for the antibiotics. The Tech at the vet's office suggested refrigerating the medicine so that it would taste less bitter. I put a very small amount of very cold medicine on my tongue tonight and couldn't get rid of the taste fast enough. (Yes, I know the package says "for veterinary use only" but I HAD to know.) I don't even want to think about what it would taste like warm.
So I lure Maggie into the kitchen, pry her mouth open (she may be sick but she's not stupid) and squirt the vile antibiotic down her throat. She makes the same gagging noises I did and gives me the look that says "I can't BELIEVE you did that to me. I'm the NICE cat. Why not do it to Max? At least he's done 50 things to deserve it."
The guilt! On the spot, I open a can of the good cat food and spoon some into a bowl for her. Anything to get rid of that awful taste. She has a couple of bites and then goes to sit in front of the heater.
Ten minutes later, I hear her coughing and look over just as she pukes. On the new carpet. Under a table in a hard to reach spot.
So here's my dilemma: Do you suppose she got ANY of the antibiotic into her system in that ten minutes? Should I try giving her another dose? Will that just cause her to puke again? How important is it anyway for her to have three days of antibiotics before the dental work? Is it more harmful to miss the antibiotics or keep puking?
The horror. The horror.
I took her in to the vet for her annual checkup a couple of weeks ago and she had gained back one of the pounds she had lost the year before (she's almost 7 lbs now, compared to almost 9 lbs at her healthiest). It was also clear that she really needs to have her teeth cleaned. A little bit tricky for a cat with kidney problems. So the vet ran $180 worth of lab tests to make sure could handle the anesthesia and then called to schedule the teeth cleaning appointment - which will probably run another $200. On top of which, he said to give her antibiotics for three days prior to the cleaning.
Her appointment is Thursday, so tonight was the first night for the antibiotics. The Tech at the vet's office suggested refrigerating the medicine so that it would taste less bitter. I put a very small amount of very cold medicine on my tongue tonight and couldn't get rid of the taste fast enough. (Yes, I know the package says "for veterinary use only" but I HAD to know.) I don't even want to think about what it would taste like warm.
So I lure Maggie into the kitchen, pry her mouth open (she may be sick but she's not stupid) and squirt the vile antibiotic down her throat. She makes the same gagging noises I did and gives me the look that says "I can't BELIEVE you did that to me. I'm the NICE cat. Why not do it to Max? At least he's done 50 things to deserve it."
The guilt! On the spot, I open a can of the good cat food and spoon some into a bowl for her. Anything to get rid of that awful taste. She has a couple of bites and then goes to sit in front of the heater.
Ten minutes later, I hear her coughing and look over just as she pukes. On the new carpet. Under a table in a hard to reach spot.
So here's my dilemma: Do you suppose she got ANY of the antibiotic into her system in that ten minutes? Should I try giving her another dose? Will that just cause her to puke again? How important is it anyway for her to have three days of antibiotics before the dental work? Is it more harmful to miss the antibiotics or keep puking?
The horror. The horror.
posted by badmommy | 7:46 PM
1 Comments:
You poor, kitty-cat mommy! I feel so sorry for you. We are currently medicating TWO animals (one cat, one dog) post dental cleanings. Sidenote: I do all the vet appointments and such on Fridays -- my day off -- so they go in every Friday for a month, then I'm done. Is your cold, icky meds PINK? As in Pepto pink? If so, you need to meet my youngest cat -- this cat LIKES it. He will hop up on the counter for his meds. I give chew treats afterwards to reward him and in the evenings they get the wet food. I would think daily puking would be worse than not get the antibotics. However, my guess is that she ate too fast trying to kill the taste (or was pigging out on the good food). My gut says give her another shot and if she pukes again, stop. The vet will want you to give it to her afterwards too --- perhaps ask if there is another one that would be more gentle on her tummy?
Now what does it say about me, when after we drug the cat, the boy is asking to get up on the counter for his "dose"? We give him water in a cough syrup cup. Yes, I aspire to be at your level of "bad mommyhood" -- how am I doing?
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