COLOURFULWORLD

Thursday 13 March 2014

A little sympathy goes a long way...and Fluffy gets operated

When I opened an envelope from Murdoch Pet Emergency Centre this morning, I didn't know what to expect.
What a wonderful gesture from the wonderful and caring staff at the Vet clinic to send us this postcard for the death of our "Mommy".
They even included a little print of her paw in a separate card, that I will frame together with the card and a photo of her. It brought tears to my eyes again...




I haven't written since Mommy died, and since then another one of our cats has been attacked.
Fluffy went missing last Sunday 9th and the following day when he didn't show up for breakfast and again for dinner I started to panic. I went around the neighbourhood looking for him and printed out some posters with his photo and stuck them on lamp posts in two streets.
On Tuesday evening he came home, dehydrated, yelling out in pain when I picked him up and wouldn't even stand up when I put him in front of water and food.

This was around midnight and I wrapped him in a blanket and drove to Murdoch Emergency again. He was given pain relief and put him on a drip straight away, while I waited in the wait room.
After a while, the nurse came back to tell me they were very busy operating a dog, but would get back to me with more information as soon as they could, but Fluffy was calm.
I eventually left close to 3A.M. after a chat to the vet (the same one who had treated Mommy) and after visiting Fluffy in his cage, already more alert, looking much better.
The vet said that as soon as she saw my name and heard about Fluffy being injured, she immediately thought that maybe he wouldn't make it either, but luckily his injuries were a lot milder, he had a deep bite mark on his thigh and a couple of smaller bites, and one of his legs was swollen too.

Fluffy stayed in hospital overnight to receive intravenous fluids and pain medication, and I was to pick him up at 8 A.M on Wednesday. I had less than 4 hours sleep...
Luckily it was my day off, so just after 8,  I was at the hospital to pick him up. The vet said he was much brighter, temperature was down, but he would have to be operated to removed dead tissue around the deep wound, due to infection. 

From there I drove Fluffy to my usual vet so he could stay there until Thursday on the drip and if stronger he would be operated Thursday morning.
Today, at around 3 P.M. my vet called to say the operation had gone well and he would be ready to be picked up from 6 P.M.
He is home now with a huge dressing over his stitches and a drain for the pus.
He has to be kept in a confined space with his food, water and a sand box nearby, so I have put him in my bathroom. He shouldn't walk too much so as not to pull the stitches.
In the bathroom inside his basket

His wound and drain, an huge area was shaved to expose the bite marks




On Monday I will take him back to get the wound cleaned, dressing changed and to remove the drain.

Glad that I will be staying home Friday and Monday so that I can keep an eye on him.
He could have stayed at the vet, although they don't have 24h care, one of their staff would visit Saturday evening and Sunday, but it would just add to the already exorbitant fees I have paid.

Now we have to wait for Fluffy to get back to his gentle and sweet self, he was such a hit at the vet wanting cuddles every time someone went by his cage! 
Very charming boy!!
He is such a laid-back cat, loves being at home with us, that I can't figure out why he went out looking for a fight. 
Could he be trying to avenge his "Mommy's" death?

And then, we have to come up with a plan to build an enclosure for the cats in the garden, as I'm now petrified to let them go into the garden, and I have been locking them in at night since Fluffy returned home. We have lived here for almost 7 years and nothing like this had ever happened even though there are more dogs around, it's just changed since the new neighbours moved in with two bull terriers.


Our social Fluffy loves being with the humans

The human pillow is always the best!

18 comments:

  1. Dear Sami,

    I have not been able to visit your blog for a while and was very saddened to hear about your loss of Mommy. The card your vet sent is beautiful! Obviously, your pets are like family and, from experience, I know how painful the loss of a pet can be. Poor Fluffy, I do hope he will continue to recover and will be up and scurrying about really soon.

    My daughter's family doggy, Champ, got loose while she was outside with him at their home yesterday morning. She called me in a panic. We were all worried, but I felt sure he would be coming back home pretty soon, which he did. They have chickens and she heard them starting to fuss and he was out there, running back and forth along the side of the coop and aggravating them! I really did think he would be back, but was secretly still fearsome that he might have been picked up by someone or, worse still, struck by a passing vehicle.

    With our son-in-law's being in hospital so much of the time, the children and their pet spend a lot of time at our house. I included a picture of him in a post a week or so ago. He really is lovable little fellow, though very active and mischievous!

    I hope the coming weekend will be carefree and blessed!

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    1. Thanks for your well wishes Lynn. Sorry to hear about your son in law, hope he can look forward to a few more years with his family.

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  2. Já tinha pensado em vir aqui para perguntar como estava e agora leio que o Fluffy foi ferido.
    Mas que coisa...primeiro a Mommy e agora o Fluffy. Acho a ideia da vedação de protecção muito boa. Coitadinhos dos gatinhos com esses càes aí ao pé. :-(
    A Sami deve estar muito cansada, fisica e emocionalmente (sei bem dar o valor ao seu cansaço e preocupação). Procure agora descansar e mimar-se o mais possível.
    Um beijinho especial ao Fluffy, com votos de rápidas melhoras.
    Os vet's foram muito queridos. :-) Um gesto muito bonito e atencioso e que nestes momentos, ajuda muito.
    Um grande, grande abraço, Sami.
    PS: Se eu estivesse aí, oferecia já a minha ajuda para o que fosse necessário: companhia, apoio, tào importantes nestes momentos. Beijinho!!

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    1. Obrigada Sandra pelas belas palavras e apoio. Tambem achei a atitude do hospital formidavel. Sim, ando bastante stressada e espero que em breve tudo volte ao normal.

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  3. Oh, Sami, that sure is a wonderful clinic!
    If I might say so, as sorry as I am... this is an awesome gesture they gave for Mommy, Xx

    What a horror you have to go through!
    So sad those new neighbours have such aggressive dogs - glad Fluffy will be ok - he was the one saying hi to me, right?
    I always wanted to have a cat btw. My Mum hated cats and I got a German Shepherd dog instead - no win situation...
    Wishing you no more bad "meet-ups" with those dogs...

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    1. Thanks Iris, yes I only have good words for the vet clinic, they were wonderful and caring.
      Thanks for your support too. Hope your back to work routine is going well.

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  4. I'm so saddened to hear about Mommy and Fluffy. I hope Fluffy heals well and the dogs don't cause any more trouble.

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    1. Thanks Emily. Haven't heard from you in a while. And how is your little Olivia?

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  6. What a very kind thing the staff at Murdoch Vet did Sami, a lovely momento of a dear sweet companion. I couldn't believe when I read here about Fluffy also. Do you think it was the same dogs? If so something should be done about them. I think an enclosure is a great idea, I think if I'm ever brave enough to get another cat I might also do that.. There's just too many dangers out there.

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    1. I don't know if it was the same dogs Grace, the fact is there were other dogs in the street before and nothing had ever happened. I've been looking for cat enclosure ideas, net over the fences, etc to see what would be best.

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  7. P.s. Looking forward to seeing your sculpture shots Sami.

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  8. Não! Outra vez??? Muito simpática a atitude da clínica.

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  9. E verdade Jose, outra vez, por sorte este sobreviveu, mas ficou com um grande rasgao na coxa com imensos pontos.

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  10. Claro que é horrível mas, pelo menos, não teve a mesma sorte da companheira. As melhoras do bichano.

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    1. Obrigada JM, ainda continua em lenta recuperacao. Ontem fui ao veterinario e teve q ficar por 2 dias, porque nao come ou bebe, uma das feridas estava infectada...Coitado anda deprimido penso eu!

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