Vibes for Freya...

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Ms. Freya

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Thanks guys.


Mike did sleep with her last night. She was still pretty woozy and unhappy with being cooped up, so she spent the better half of the night walking on him and mewing at the door, but she did sleep in his feet, eat, drink and use the litter.

She's made 2 escape attempts this morning, but gave me her belly to rub when I brought her meds. I keep having to explain that I'm not rubbing her left cheek until I get the okay from the vet, so she has to settle for half a face rub.


We did let her out with the others this morning and she's being slow and careful (one-eyed cat + cone is a bit tricky) but her coordination seems back to normal. The wound looks good - no discoloration or seepage, no bruising yet, The vet told us we'd see bruising, but it shouldn't start to appear until tonight or tomorrow and if it appears purple we're to come straight back or take her to the e-vet.

So, so far so good. I am glad we had it done. The vet said the eye and nerve was completely fixed (we'd held off thinking she might still have some vision) so it was only a matter of time before we ran a risk of it going necrotic.
 

motoko9

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I'm glad to hear that Freya's surgery went well. I always remember her, because she reminds me of one of my RB kitties, a tabby male.

P.S. I agree that your husband is a sweetheart!
 

ldg

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Aw, that's SO sweet!!!! Sounds like he didn't get much sleep.


I'm sorry about the cone... Flowerbelle didn't mess with her eye, so she didn't need it. Continued for Freya!
 
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Ms. Freya

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Originally Posted by LDG

Aw, that's SO sweet!!!! Sounds like he didn't get much sleep.


I'm sorry about the cone... Flowerbelle didn't mess with her eye, so she didn't need it. Continued for Freya!
He really didn't. I think he had a 4 hour nap this afternoon.


It's funny - the minute it sunk in that she was having the eye removed I thought of Flowerbelle and that picture of her sleeping with Gary. I think one of the things I really love about this site is the fact that others have gone through similar things with their kitties.

Freya's not nearly as well behaved as Flowerbelle, though.
She has a history of pulling off bandages or pulling out stitches if she can get at them. When she had her tail amputated and was in recovery she tore the bandages off twice before they gave up, re-sedated her and stuck her in the cone. It's one of the nice things with having had the same, good vet the entire time we've had her -he knows her and knows us. Usually they don't let them come home same day after this type of surgery, but he figured she'd be calmer (she definitely was) and knew we'd do all the aftercare stuff...after dealing with diabetes, eye drops and pills aren't bad at all.

Thank you everyone for the continued vibes. She's obviously feeling a bit sore today, but she's eaten well and is happily dozing in our bed. Her face has a bit of swelling, but nothing bad and the vet did say we'd see some swelling either today or tomorrow.
 
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Ms. Freya

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She's quiet today, bu the eye is healing well. The swelling is pretty much gone, but she's sleeping a lot and fighting me like a fiend when I give her her pills. I guess people sleep a lot after major surgery, so it makes sense that cats would be the same, right?
 

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Yup, definitely.
Flowerbelle was a kitten when she had hers out. She slept a lot after the surgery. I don't remember any swelling, and yes, she was VERY well behaved when it came to the stitches.
But once she felt better.... there was no stopping her. It did take a few weeks? months? for her to get the depth perception correction going. She'd jump from something to something and not quite make it. Now she's the most... coordinated? not sure that's the right word, but you get my meaning - cat we have.
She wasn't seeing much out of the eye that was removed anyway. Don't know if it's the same for your Freya though.

GREAT news that the swelling has gone down! Her eye is sewn shut? When do the stitches come out?
 

feralvr

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Sending many vibes to Freya!!! I am happy that she is doing well after her surgery. I guess that is a good sign she is fighting you as you try to pill her !!!!!
to you too
 
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Ms. Freya

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Originally Posted by LDG

She wasn't seeing much out of the eye that was removed anyway. Don't know if it's the same for your Freya though.

GREAT news that the swelling has gone down! Her eye is sewn shut? When do the stitches come out?
Whew...I was worried that I was..well..too worried.


Freya had no vision left in the eye at all. Honestly, I don't think she realizes it's not there - she just seems to be wondering why her face is sore and she has to wear a cone. The cone seems to be a much bigger coordination challenge than the missing eye - now she not only has no depth perception, but no peripheral vision and she can't see her own feet. She has this funny shuffle that she does whenever she's had the cone...it's weird to watch and it always takes a moment to remind yourself it's just her adapted walk and it ill go back to normal the minute she doesn't have the cone anymore.

Her eye is sewn shut - she's due back in 10 days for a re-check and to get the sutures out if everything's healed well.
 

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Heal fast coming her way! Sometimes I think it's the cone that bothers them the most, sort of like a human complaining about the drip feed after undergoing major surgery.
 
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Ms. Freya

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Well...I think my sweetie is feeling better.


She crawled into bed and slept on my feet as soon as Mike left for work this morning then was completely demonic when it came to taking her pills. I think she's figured out that I can't hold her head properly to pill her while she has the cone on.


The eye looks great. No swelling, pretty much no discharge of any sort, definitely no blood. She's more or less back to normal, although she's still stuck with the cone for another week. She's figured out how to contort herself enough that she can at least reach her toes and tail to clean.

Overall, things seem to be progressing well.
 
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Ms. Freya

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Just a quick update.

last Thursday Freya and I spent the evening at the emergency vet because I came home to find her eye bloody - turns out she has a bit of an infection. So we got antibiotics and visited our vet the next day. He wasn't thrilled with the antibiotics they gave her because apparently they don't always work very well on Freya, but was willing to give it a shot. We went back for her check-up today and she still has a bit of an infection, although it's getting better so we have new antibiotics and an unhappy kitty who still has to wear the cone.


Interesting thing I found out: I have to be the one to take her to the vet. When Mike takes her she absolutely freaks out and goes feral. Last week I took her and didn't run into half the trouble she gives him. Today we tried with both of us and I figured out why he can't take her - he's so very, very stressed about the process that it aggravates the fact that she's already unhappy and she flips out...so it looks like I'll be taking personal days to get my girl to the vet for her check-ups. Our vet has actually asked me to be to one to bring her next time - even willing to stay late so I can get there after I get off work - because she'll be getting the sutures out and he'd like me there to hold her and keep her calm....Mike says it's because I'm Alpha. I think it's because he's just too tense about the whole process since we lost Cotton...
 

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Aw poor Mike! And poor Freya!

So are the stitches still in there?

the new antibiotics do the trick!
When are they finished? Or it depends upon how she's responding to them?

I'm just so sorry it got infected!
 
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Ms. Freya

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I'm just glad we caught the infection fairly early.

Yep. The stitches are still in. She's actually doing fine - eating, drinking, no signs of infection other than the infection itself, but she has the new antibiotics for 10 days, just to be safe.. That means she'll likely still be taking them after the sutures come out, but the vet would rather be safe that risk re-infection...and it means I get to keep pilling my little demon cat every night.


For Mike, I feel bad that I didn't figure out this was happening sooner. I usually have some personal time banked at work, so if I'd known it was so hard on him, I could have been the one doing it.
 

ldg

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Yes, I do understand. But at least you know now.


Glad to hear she feels good (well, under the circumstances!) So when do the stitches come out?

More the infection clears up completely/quickly! (Even though she'd have to stay on the antibiotics anyway LOL).
 
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Ms. Freya

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Stitches come out on Monday. I've already booked the afternoon off work.
 
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Ms. Freya

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LOL! I don't mind. I'm sorry I generally forget to answer at least one.

Yeah, the cone should come off when the stitches come out. By that time there shouldn't be any harm she can do to herself...although to be fair to her, she's being really good about the cone...makes me suspicious
 

ldg

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Aw, she's just going to be happy, she's not going to make you pay for it!
(
)

So just a few days to go!!!!!

A few more vibes the antibiotic clears that up quick (even though she has to stay on it.
).
 
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