So glad this day is over

It has been a truly terrible day, though not so much for me personally. I woke up to find puddles of blood all over the landing and rushed to search everyone for wounds. Nothing, so Had a closer look and it was very bloody urine. So another search. and I finally deduced it was Dushka, as I found a splodge of blood on her favourite place on the sofa. and she didn't want breakfast. I just put the phone down after arranging an emergency vet visit when the gate bell rang and the English guy who is renting another cottage down the road was at the door. I am his emergency contact as the owner is French and lives some way away. His mother, who is on holiday with the family, had had a stroke and they needed help fast. I called an ambulance and went down the road with him. The lady was very poorly but conscious. I took the details that I thought the medics would need, and fortunately they arrived 10 minutes later. In 30 minutes she was on her way to hospital, her DIL with her and the rest following in the car. They have just come back and told me that she is as well as can be expected, and will probably be ambulanced back to the Uk in a few days.

So then I got Dushka to the vet, and she is now on clavamox, plus an anti-inflammatory as her bladder is sore and inflamed. It was a vet I do not know well, though it was the one who diagnosed Dushka 6 months ago with kidney problems and put her on a prescription diet and Semintra to help her levels. I was amazed then when he gave me a bottle of Metacam to deal with the pain. ANd that led to a bit of a row, with him saying that since my last argument with them, they had done some research at the practice, and decided that Metacam was still safer than any of the alternatives. He said the European version was less strong than the US one, and refused to prescribe anything else. So I left with the choice of risking her kidneys further or having her in pain for three days. AS she seems much brighter now and is grooming herself and jumping on the sofa, I have opted to not use the Metacam. I did read through Anne's Anne article again and I think it is a responsible decision regarding her age and condition.

It has been 35 C here today and burning hot. And I had to clear the hay barn ready for a new delivery. That took me an hour and when the cart arrived there were 150 bales to unload and stack up. I have bought it from the farrier, who has a surplus this year, and it is both good and cheap. But he was kicked by a horse this morning, dislocated his knee and could not do any of the unloading, only drive the tractor, so I did it on my own. The doctor says he must not work for 6 weeks, but he is ignoring it completely for the moment. I think he may change his mind tomorrow for he could hardly walk today.

So right now I am feeling too tired and hot even to walk upstairs into the shower that I badly need. I am going to have a long drink and sit down then perhaps a lavender bath - I still have some left from Laura Norachan 's SS parcel. It is wonderfully relaxing. Tomorrow has to be better for everyone.

What a day! A lavender bath sounds like just the thing at this point. Sending you lots of hugs and good health wishes for Dushka!

I hope the rest of the week is going much better for you!

That sounds awful! I hope that lavender bath hits the spot. Sending vibes for poor little Dushka and and the sick lady.

Hoping you had a relaxing night. sounds like a day from hell. I am glad you argued about the metacam. I don't know why they didn't suggest Gabapentin. My vet wants me to start using this instead of the buprenorphine. She said the DEA is coming down hard on vets and they can't get access of it as well. I have some left over that I hoard for emergencies. I would ask them about Gaba. its a nerve medicine but this is what they give in the states for arthritis pain. Its not as strong as bupre but could help.

there is also those bladder spasm pills but Idon't remember the name of it.

Did they do subfluids? my vet always does sub fluids for illness regardless of bladder/cold/diarrhea etc. They have to scale it back if your cat has HCM but they can still do fluids-but its a smaller amount more frequently rather than the usual dose of 150-200 ml at a time for regular health kitties.

My Floey has early HCM and we did 100 ml the other night. I only noticed very faint uptick in respirations but it definitely perked her up and she ate. She is back to not eating. I have to bring her back tonight for more fluids and buy supplies online to do it at home. She has early kidney disease that we have stayed stable now for 2 years with wet food but since this heat she refuses any wet food. I understand how frustrating it is to figure out what is wrong with our animals.

I wish they could talk to me and tell me what hurts. I am very thankful for the supportive care that is available to us now. I shudder to think what we couldn't get done 10 years ago. We really have come a long way as far as vet care and keeping our beloved pets healthy.

I hope you have a better day. I agree with you about the heat. Tomorrow is the start of the 3Hs-Hazy Hot Humid and all 3 cats wont eat when its like this. And I have a boyfriend who hates the AC and plays hero sitting in a hot house. I feel like I have to babysit him everyday and come home early to turn on the AC. That's a whole other argument.

Keep your chin up! You are doing amazing with everything! and yes a glass of wine sounds heavenly!  

I am only now beginning to relax, after two very stressful days. I ended up taking Dushka back to he vet yesterday lunchtime as an emergency, as she was in great pan, would not eat or drink or poop. But I have just been to see her there today and she is much better. She was on a drip for 24 hours, has had an Xray and echograph, to check her stomach and kidneys, and there is no blockage. And she is eating at last. Her bladder is very inflamed and they want me to take her off the kidney diet and put on a urinary wet diet. I already have the food for that as it is what Bonaparte eats. If she is OK tomorrow I can bring her home. I am just so relieved, she is my special girl. And the lady from down the road is doing OK in the hospital, too (not the same one lol!) They do not know when she will be pronounced fit enough to travel, but the family are making arrangements for her DD or SIL to stay beyond Saturday if necessary. Her speech is still affected, though her mind seems OK. A dreadful thing to happen on holiday in a foreign country.

I do not think Gabapentine is available here - I have already asked about the Bupra but they all seem to think the metacam is better. But she is not getting it now. She is getting the spasm controllers though.

I'm glad your day from hell is over but I'm sorry your girl still isn't well It sounds as though she's finally on the improve at least a little though so fingers crossed she's back to herself very soon.

Dushka is home! We are all feeling much better. And the lady down the road has been passed as fit to travel, so she will be repatriated in an ambulance tomorrow, and her family can also go back on their previously booked ferry. Things are getting back to normal. I am even going to look at a horse that I might buy this evening. I am allowing myself to be a little bit excited about that.

That's all great news!!  Good luck with meeting the horse!

I liked the horse, and he welcomed me with a great lick across the face, so he seemed to like me too. I am however very worried about his hooves - they were in dreadful condition, so much so that I couldn't have ridden him. the owner claimed he had been trying to get a farrier for the last three weeks, but the damage I saw was much more than three weeks worth of running free. And he has not been ridden for months and the field is not very stony, so it could be a genetic condition of weak hoof walls, and there is no way I would take him. Anyway, I have agreed that during next week my trainer and my vet will look at him and if they pass him then he will come for a month to the ranch for training. If I like him at the end of that time I will buy him.

I'm glad Dushka and the lady are improving.

He sounds like a nice horse. I hope you get some good news when you have him vetted. Weak hooves can cause no end of problems.



Vibes for the horses and the cats and the people.

I'm glad things are getting better for you and Duska, as well as the lady down the street.  In reading your posts I couldn't help but feel as if your life sounds like something out of a Rosamunde Pilcher novel!  Which, if you've read any of her books, certainly isn't a bad thing.

My continued wishes for health and happiness to you, your animals and the unfortunate lady down the road.

I'm so glad she's home! Sorry about the horse, although I'll have my fingers crossed for you that the vet okay's her.

You've really been through the mill! that Dushka is home and that the woman down the road could be transported home.

I'm not surprised that the vets didn't want to prescribe buprenorphine for Dushka - it's contraindicated for any kind of kidney problems.

jcat said:

You've really been through the mill! that Dushka is home and that the woman down the road could be transported home.

I'm not surprised that the vets didn't want to prescribe buprenorphine for Dushka - it's contraindicated for any kind of kidney problems.

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Yes, I thought that about the bupra. But there are no pain killers that are not. Anyway, she is much better, eating Ok and now asleep on a cushion in the sun.