Well, we had a rough day yesterday with the kitty. By evening nothing was going in or coming out. The kitten was lethargic and looked unhappy; it just wanted to lay in my arms and gaze at me with those big sad eyes. So I called Delfino on his personal phone, which I hated to do but I wasn't sure the kitten would make it through the night. Delfino said he would have to see the kitten at 10 in the morning, and to just give it water. But the kitten didn't want the water, although it did show interest when I was drinking my coffee - maybe the smell of milk or sugar? So Miguel rustled up a concoction of boiled sweetened milk. I know giving kittens milk is a no-no, but it was a desperate effort to get some fluids into its little body. The kitten took a few sips - at least it was a little nutrition.
We took the cage up to bed with us so we could hear if the kitten got distressed. But it was a quiet night, the kitten didn't make a sound. By morning the kitten was very dehydrated but still refused water and even the milk. So I got the syringe and started giving small amounts of water every hour until we could get the kitten to Delfino at 10 am. Around 9 the kitten started crying in its cage, and when I checked, it had had diarrhea all over its blanket, and the odor was indicative of gastrointestinal infection. I cleaned it all up while the kitten just tried to climb my legs. I gave it a bit more water and put it back in the cage and it resettled. I read all about FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis) while I waited for 10 am, and got myself all concerned about the possibility that not only this kitten would die of this infection, but Minina and Luna as well.
Finally it was time to go to the clinic. Delfino checked its temperature, which was normal. He said he would put fluids under its skin and start it on medication for diarrhea and that he would keep the kitten for the day.
Tonight when we stopped in, I was pleased to hear that the kitten had eaten in the morning (although it is again refusing food tonight). The kitten looks better since it is rehydrated, and it seems a little stronger. Delfino said he did not believe the kitten has FIP or Feline Leukemia, so that is a relief. Although, he did say that FIP is a big problem here - I had no idea, and that is scary and just another reason to keep the cats inside.
Although we accomplished a lot on the weekend, I did not do as much as I'd planned because I was holding a sick kitty. And today we were planning to go to Cancun for various errands, but after coming back from the clinic and doing a few things for work, we both took a long nap. I guess today is our Sunday - other than washing the floor and doing a few loads of laundry, we didn't do anything. We're exhausted - I think the worrying about this kitten has taken a toll on both of us. And this afternoon Loco threw up, and there is a new little pile of upchucked cat food on the stairs, courtesy of Minina. I don't think either of these animals is actually sick, but I'll be keeping an eye on them.
On the up-side to not going to Cancun, we went into town to get some cash and order another chair for Miguel's rental apartment. While we were driving through town, we ran into a couple we'd met on Thursday afternoon while Loco and I waited for Miguel to run an errand. It was Loco that started it - they stopped to ask if they could pet him, and the conversation just flowed from there. So today we chatted some more to hear how their trip to Chichen Itza had gone, and how their vacation was going in general. We ended up going to Alexia and Giovanni's for lunch, and then taking them to show them the apartment and our home. Really nice people, we enjoyed their company.
I think I will have to drop out of the online course I'm doing right now. I'm now 3 weeks behind due to all the travel and other things going on in my life, and it's stressing me out not to have time to do all the reading or the homework. So...I will take that load off me for now, and focus on the immediate needs here. Sometimes I have to give myself permission to slow down, a lesson Mexico keeps trying to teach me.
3 comments:
So sorry to hear about the sick pets. I spent some time at the vets office yesterday, too. One of our cats got into a fight with something outside & had quite a cut on his ear. We tried to fix, but had to go to the vet. Best thing was they now have antibiotic injections that last 2 weeks so no more giving pills! My cats all go out but don't wander off our property.
I hope the kitty is all better by now. It kind of worried me in your post the other day when you said the kitten had thrown up. Hope all the pets are better!
The life of animals here can be overwhelming for us humans! During Lora's run today, she kept stopping to check out stuff and that is a no no.
I can't remember if it was Delfino or Pepi who blamed the frequent gastrointestinal ills on global warming. But the logic made sense: Stuff in the street becomes a pathogen cocktail in no time.
I am glad to hear, however, that you are open to the lifestyle lesson Mexico tries to teach us. Slow down, take that siesta, sista!
Post a Comment