Sasha got mauled--head trauma

Sasha the coyote clubber peed on his own in his downstairs closet box overnight! Then, this morning, we set down a tiny bit of his normal food in his bowl and he did try and eat on his own, but his toungue could just not do it. I almost cried. He is still severely bruised on one side of his lower jaw where the coyote's fangs punctured and then exited through the inside of his mouth but he wanted to try anyway. I know he's getting tired of the syringe and wants his regular food. I then put a tiny bit on my finger and he did lick it off, although lopsided and loopy!!!! But that was all he could do. It was exhausting and frustrating for him, but you wouldn't believe his attitude, what a positive attitude every single day. What a struggle it has been. Eric immediately fed him and then he got his little heat pak under his jaw and promptly fell asleep.

But there also has been improvement with his cognitive process, as he is much more alert and sleeping not 24 hrs, but 22 hrs a day, and using his awake time to sit under the orchids (I raise orchids as a hobby in the spare bedroom) and look out the window down to the backyard......but he has not once looked out the dining room window at the pumpkin patch.....very interesting. It's been 2 weeks to the day and if you had told me he'd be this far along, much less alive, I would have not believed you although Sasha, in 12 years, has never been sick a day in his life and he's like this big, strappin' little guy, all solid muscle. We are making sure he walks upstairs and down at least 2-3x per day to give him some cardio! That's important.

Blondiecat your pups are wonderful. You must tell me how you integrated them w/your kitties.

Elizabeth, I just love reading the updates on Sasha! Like you, I can't believe how much he has progressed in just 2 weeks. What a wonderful, brave boy.

That's fabulous, Elizabeth, the your big strong Sasha peed all on his own and is has so much determination to eat! How sweet that he licked a bit off you finger! I'm glad he's also enjoying the beauty of your orchids! Everyday I look forward to the progress being made by your strong willed Sasha! Thank you! Stephanie

well I don't know about today as much as I thought......he seems somewhat depressed and quiet. He's always been a quiet kitty but his mood isn't as purrry and although he is affectionate he is not doing any better eating on his own. Yet -here's what's weird - he loves to get his face rubbed gently and when we've been brushing his body he'll turn and try to get his face in it as much as he can to get the rubs from the little brush. I gave him some chicken broth and one tiny piece of meat, smaller than what he handled on his own yesterday, and he couldn't do it. I'm wondering if he's just so sore from overdoing it yesterday...like he wanted to work his tongue so bad and he tried so hard and then it's all acting up today and it's just too exhusting for him. Why can he groom and play w/the brush on the side of his face but not even lap the broth? I his tongue just flat out numb w/zero feeling and he can't operate it inside his mouth or is it just so painful to eat - but then why can he groom???? I am so frustrated today, and have no answers and he seems depressed. He's sleeping on top of the warm dryer right now.

Remember, it is still so soon after the attack. He may be able to groom because it is an action where the flat tongue 'drags' across the fur - no complicated movement of the tongue is required. Lapping and eating require more dexterity of the tongue. When he likes to rub against the brush, he may like getting the cheeks rubbed, the tongue wouldn't be being touched. Just keep him on the kitten glop and slowly slowly introduce him to other foods. Have you tried some meat flavoured baby food? He may enjoy that. Make sure it doesn't contain onions.

I can imagine your frustration with all of this! But please try and remember that it really has only been two weeks, and he has improved so much so quickly! The tongue is a muscle, and I would imagine that this injury is terribly painful for him. He is a tough, tough boy and trucking through all this like no other, but perhaps this may take a little more time to heal than previously thought. Try to take a step back and just think of all that he's accomplished so far. I'm sure he's just as frustrated as you, if not more! I remember feeding Tank with a syringe, and we both hated it so much! Sometimes I would cry because I knew how miserable he was, and this may sound cheesy, but I think it hurt his pride to be fed like that, too. But your boy is full of pride, as well as strength, and he will come around!! Probably just some more time, patience, and love is all that's needed. His whole life has changed at this time; he's indoor vs. indoor/outdoor, he had a significant head injury, lots of trauma (physically and mentally!), and must relearn how to eat due to pain and injury. Please stay encouraged....he's doing fabulous and will only continue to get better! Love on him a bit during the two hours a day he is up and about (I know you already do, but give him some love for all of us from TCS who've been praying for his healing!).
Take care and keep us updated!

I know, I know, all of you are so right. I just got a PM from a friend on the site and she said the same thing! And I appreciate that because I am so mad! I have anger at the coyote that robbed him of his normal life, I am angry that this coyote mauled him and just about killed him and now he can't eat on his own and might have brain damage, and I am mad that this coyote did it while he was peeing in his own pumpkin patch. I have that kind of anger and it's only because I want so much for Sasha as he's so kind and giving of his affection and self around the neighborhood. This afternoon --we have had the worst weather the entire weeekend, nothing but huge amounts of non-stop rain up here in the hills (how are you where you are?) -- and my former (11/9/03 RIP) Freddie's mama from across the way came up on the porch to look for her buddy Sasha....... and he didn't even want to go out to bump noses w/her like he does in the afternoons!! I am dismayed at that.

I have this dream that I'll be sitting on my front porch in a rocker when I'm 85 and saucy, still hunting down that coyote who did all this. Everyone thinks I have been so good, and when I look at Sasha I do indeed just melt like butter. Then I look out across the pumpkins and through the pines and get mad. And I know it's ok to have this anger, that I am human, that we have been so stressed, that we are real people and not fakey fakey like everything is glorious when our tears fall every day. But how can he groom and not eat???? Oh, I will pray and be calm. I will.

Elizabeth, it is completely normal to be so angry. And it's a good thing sometimes too.

We just don't want to have to visit you in the psychiatric hospital and have the doctors say, "She won't talk to us, all she says is, "Must get the coyote, must get the coyote, must get the coyote..." " LOL

Hang in there, both you and Sasha are handling this wonderfully.

Originally Posted by sashacat421

Blondiecat your pups are wonderful. You must tell me how you integrated them w/your kitties.

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Sadly I can't let Nakita or Dakota have any interaction with The Sammycat or Oscar Both of them think that small furry animals besides Ceasar is fair game and will kill it. I have tried to introduce them with a fence in between us with The Sammycat in my arms but that didn't work out at all. When Nemo was alive he would always give The Sammycat a big ole sloppy wet kiss You could tell that The Sammycat wasn't too happy about that 100lb dog giving him a kiss but he tolerated it

Now Ceasar and the boys get along fine together, Oscar and The Sammycat will give Ceasar a bath on a daily basis and somtimes I have to make The Sammycat leave Ceasar alone, he out weighs him by about 4 lbs and can put a hurtin on Ceasar. But Oscar and The Sammycat love Ceasar to death

I am glad to hear that Sasha is improving It's okay that you are angry I don't know if I wouldn't be on the hunt for a coyote myself shotgun in hand Sasha You beautiful boy I know you are tired of fighting this but you hang in there it want always be so painful, I promise that.You will have good days and bad days and I hope that you have more good than bad. Gentle Rubs from me to you Sasha-The Brave

Anger is a normal part of dealing with something traumatic like this. I'm sure Sasha is angry and frustrated too. You can use each other to lean on and get strangth from.

Your little boy has been so strong...and so have you. I just read what happened to him. Just keep doing everything you are doing and he WILL get better.

You are in my thoughts.

Susan
(Dylan's Mom)

Thank you so much, in my moment of frustration and weakness!

Sasha did drag a peice of bacon off Eric's plate this morning and want it for himself, so cognitively the urge to eat on his own is there, but again, he could not do it. I put a call in to Dr. B and she is out today as well as her tech ass't, and I am wondering if we should just keep his regular food off the floor (we set it out over the weekend) and have it out of site/mind and just revert back to syringe-only food, or should we leave the food and tidbits out so he can continue trying? He has such a great attitude, but this afternoon when Eric needed to supplement his very sparse intake of the past 24 hrs w/syringe food (even his own Friskies pureed into the syringe) he balked and rejected it, spit it out, very stubborn and wanting to eat on his own but he can't! If he was eating enough of the soft treats and wet food we would leave it but he has got to have the syringe right now too! So--Pick up food - or leave out food? ?? so he eats on the syringe and not so stubborn???

I'm no proffessional by any means, but I would leave it out for him. This will encourage his trying, and he obviously knows his own limits better than any one else. He will try when he's ready, and probably not anytime sooner! He will be ok, don't worry!

I know you are feeling very frustrated at the moment, but you have been so loving and patient. You are a very strong person and Sasha will add to his strength from yours. I think you may be getting very tired too. Don't get discouraged it is going to take time. Think if we have been injured badly, it takes more than a couple of weeks to come to. Sasha is doing great really, thanks to your dedication.

Elizabeth, you might want to discuss the possibility of fitting Sasha with a naso-gastric tube, with your vet. This is a tube that passes down one nostril, past the back of the throat and into the stomach. You use the other end to hook up the syringe and the syringed food goes straight into his stomach. It doesn't hurt and isn't even uncomfortable (I had one for three months once). It doesn't affect Sasha's ability to continue trying to eat on his own and may be a good alternative if he's really becoming upset and anxious about the syringe feeding. The other alternative is to just keep feeding water, kitten glop, his normal food pureed and baby food. The kitten glop especially will provide him with all the nutrients he needs. Remember, it is very soon after the attack and his mouth is still healing. If he's showing interest in solid food that he tries to eat and can't, maybe you could rub your finger on the food and let him lick the taste/juice from your finger.

I just read this all the way through, and I have to tell you that Sasha has captured my heart. What a strong and willful spirit. I will pray for all you as often as I can, and I'm definitely going to keep reading here to try and keep up with his progress. Bless his heart, he's definitely a fighter. Keep it up Sasha!

He's a miracle to have survived. Thank you so very very much for your wonderful words, Cassie. I know this story has had many viewers and we never dreamed so many would read about him and I swear I tell him every day that prayers are being said all over the world for him as well all all the kitties in so much need. He is sleeping w/his heat pack on his head, and he did eat from the syringe tonite at the regular feeding time and took his antibiotics so good and brave. I am calmer tonight than last night when the magnitude of the trauma and damage was just so great. Knowing he is well-fed I can sleep and no doubt his little battered head will be on the pillow when I wake.

Major breakthrough today! Sasha ate 3 treats with NO drool! OMG, this is great. It means his tongue is a little better and he can --or has taught himself -- to manipulate it in a better position. He also sat on the sofa and watched a girl kitty cross our lawn and his tail flickered. Now, I am not too enthused about his interest in the outdoors but the tail flickering and seeing that spark in him is more of the mental abilities that we are seeing return! I mean, our coyote clubber was one hottie 'round the neighborhood with that dark fur and four white paws like a perfect gentleman!

WOOHOO!!!! Go Sasha!!!

Originally Posted by sashacat421

Major breakthrough today! Sasha ate 3 treats with NO drool! OMG, this is great. It means his tongue is a little better and he can --or has taught himself -- to manipulate it in a better position. He also sat on the sofa and watched a girl kitty cross our lawn and his tail flickered. Now, I am not too enthused about his interest in the outdoors but the tail flickering and seeing that spark in him is more of the mental abilities that we are seeing return! I mean, our coyote clubber was one hottie 'round the neighborhood with that dark fur and four white paws like a perfect gentleman!

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Not too shabby! Way to go, Sasha!