The cat had to go to the vet today, but my wife and I thought we would do the decent thing and accompany her.
She had a skin problem and haematuria (you can look that one up). The vet, who had previous experience of our rather highly-strung cat, armed himself with a towel to shield himself from possible birds and scratches. As far as the scabbing of the skin was concerned, he diagnosed an allergy to flea saliva and recommended a better monthly treatment than we had been using to kill the critters. He said that the new treatment would itself became less effective in time as fleas developed resistance, but was confident that something new would be developed in due course. Let us hope he is right.
As for the symptom described by long Greek word used above, the culprit seemed to be exclusive use of dry cat food that left the linings of the bladder (yes, the bladder) under nourished and vulnerable to infection. So, wet food is now the order of the day (although we will give dry food sometimes as it is good for the teeth), for the next few days sprinkled with an anti-inflammatory to ease pain and discomfort and another drug containing agents to, um, build up the bladder as well as ease feline stress (goodness knows, our little cat could use some help with her general anxiety quite apart from the instant nuisance of cystitis).
The bill was not as bad as we expected and the wet food is being consumed with greater relish that the dry stuff ever has been. Perhaps our little companion will be even more of a delight to have around than she has ever been?
She had a skin problem and haematuria (you can look that one up). The vet, who had previous experience of our rather highly-strung cat, armed himself with a towel to shield himself from possible birds and scratches. As far as the scabbing of the skin was concerned, he diagnosed an allergy to flea saliva and recommended a better monthly treatment than we had been using to kill the critters. He said that the new treatment would itself became less effective in time as fleas developed resistance, but was confident that something new would be developed in due course. Let us hope he is right.
As for the symptom described by long Greek word used above, the culprit seemed to be exclusive use of dry cat food that left the linings of the bladder (yes, the bladder) under nourished and vulnerable to infection. So, wet food is now the order of the day (although we will give dry food sometimes as it is good for the teeth), for the next few days sprinkled with an anti-inflammatory to ease pain and discomfort and another drug containing agents to, um, build up the bladder as well as ease feline stress (goodness knows, our little cat could use some help with her general anxiety quite apart from the instant nuisance of cystitis).
The bill was not as bad as we expected and the wet food is being consumed with greater relish that the dry stuff ever has been. Perhaps our little companion will be even more of a delight to have around than she has ever been?
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| Smudge, now eight years old, and seen here after the ordeal of examination and an injection of the first dose of anti-inflammatory. Pretty brave of my wife to have her hand so close in the circumstances! |
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