Kylie 11/7/16

[MarkB]

I am strangely calm about it. Maybe you get to a point where you learn to deal with these things as and when. I bawled my eyes out when Alice was diagnosed and I had only known her for a week and hadn't even adopted her yet

One of the tests they did was to see how quickly the cells divide and they were dividing very quickly, so it is aggressive. Jane said she was concerned about the ongoing diarrhea and wondered if there were intestinal tumours. Given that she has had that for a couple of years, I would have thought it highly unlikely if it is as aggressive as they say.

[Crewella]

That makes sense to me, I agree with you. I don't think you become hardened as such, but I do think that, when you've been through the mill a few times with poorly cats, you do become a bit less easy to frighten. And you've dealt with such cats more than most, bless you. xx

[Janey]

Sorry that the news wasn’t the best for Kylie’s paw Mark but glad she is doing well now and is comfortable. Also, hopefully, everything crossed, she will be ok, as you say your Alice did very well. Sending her lots of love and fusses x

[Lilith]

All the very very best and thinking of you - all paws here crossed for Kylie!

[MarkB]

Thanks everyone. She isn't supposed to be outside, but she was miserable. She has a glove thumb taped over her paw and I decided to use a baby sock as an over shoe when she goes out - a clean one each day

http://i.imgur.com/rPUMN4m.jpg

[Crewella]

Awww - that looks a LOT more comfy that the big green bandage.

Just a thought, but I have some smallest size dog socks lurking somewhere, with non-slip paw-prints on the soles. If you think they might help, give me a shout and I'll pop them in the post to you. xx

[bobbys girl]

Thanks everyone. She isn't supposed to be outside, but she was miserable. She has a glove thumb taped over her paw and I decided to use a baby sock as an over shoe when she goes out - a clean one each day

http://i.imgur.com/rPUMN4m.jpg

Bob was the same after his Op. He was supposed to stay in but was so miserable, I'm sure being out (doing what he loves) helped him recover quicker.

Lots of fusses to the little girl.

[MarkB]

Just a quick one I took one my phone tonight. She definitely seems a lot better in herself

http://i.imgur.com/bd9D4Nr.jpg

[bobbys girl]

She does look a little more relaxed. How has she been today?

[Janey]

Aww she’s so cute bless her, look at that little face. Glad to hear she seems to be feeling a bit better Mark

[MarkB]

Thanks everyone. She had made it up the stairs to the kitchen this morning and was demanding her breakfast

Thanks for the offer of the shoes Helen, but her stitches come out on Monday and she can go 'bare paw' after that I'm just hoping last night's downpour dries out this morning so shecan go out again, although I have considered sacrificing the Marigolds

[Crewella]

"although I have considered sacrificing the Marigolds"

Glad she's on the mend. xx

[MarkB]

Thanks Helen. One the mend, but the diarrhea is still a huge problem and she has lost more weight - down to 3kg. I hope it is just a blip down to all the stuff over the last 10 days. I am going to get her some more Orijen 6 fish as she was eating quite a bit of it, but I only had a tiny bag of it. I made the mistake of buying 'a similar product' on Zooplus, which she won't touch!

[Janey]

Hopefully it’s just the stress of it all Mark, as you say. Cat’s don’t like disruption as we know and if she’s a sensitive nature it won’t help her tummy anyway. Poor Kylie, I do hope she’s tempted by her favourite food, fingers crossed.

[Crewella]

I agree with Janey, all this disruption can't have helped. Let's hope she regains her appetite and some of the weight as things get back to normal. xx

[MarkB]

I took the undersock off last night as she managed to get out while it was still wet outside (for the record, if anyone is ever in this situation, olive oil really does get plasters off fur! ) I tried putting a temporary one back on her, but by morning it had been discarded and she had made her way upstairs.

She is having her stitches out tomorrow. The paw seems to be healing well, although not sure what those yellowish bits are as the stitches are black. There is no inflammation, so I doubt if there is any infection. I took this last night https://goo.gl/photos/kBuepzKLX4mS57cb6

[bobbys girl]

Doesn't sound like there is much wrong with her, little madam!

Are those yellow bits 'grainy' and are they stuck to her fur? They look a bit like insect eggs?

[MarkB]

That did cross my mind too - I hope not. I couldn't see them yesterday - Anyway, we are at the vets in an hour or so, so will mention to the nurse or vet and update. PS - The poo seems to have headed in the right direction overnight. I have completely cut out Gourmet type foods. She has been eating Orijen, Nature's Menu and Felix only.

[Lilith]

I wondered if it could be congealed olive oil that she's now licked off? She looks to be doing well, all power to her, bless her. Ouch, those bristles are going to itch, growing out, though...

Good luck and all the best Kylie! x

[MarkB]

It turned out to be cat litter and the wound had healed over it. The irony is, it would have happened in the brief time the weekend before last, when they took her 'cast' off and put her in a collar. Not blaming them, as they wanted the air to get to it. I compromised and did my home-made paw covers for the rest of the time. Anyway, to clean her paw up, they obviously had to cut the skin again and restitch. She is back in a clompy bandage - not as bad as the first one, as this one allows her 'elbow' to bend. I had the option of a collar instead, but apart from the fact that the same thing could have happened again, I thought the bandage was the lesser of the evils, comfort-wise.I was told to keep her in, but as long as it is dry outside, I will put a baby sock over the bandage so she can lie in her bed outside. She is back on ABs and I have to take her back on Thursday morning - that should be the end of it. She was a bit grumoy, but tucking into her Nature's Menu as soon as we got back

[bobbys girl]

That's good news Mark. Glad she is all sorted. It is such a relief isn't it?

Nice if she can go out, but if the weather is anything like it is here, she will need wellies!

[Kay]

I shall keep your experience in mind, Mark - fine litter and paw wounds do not mix, and any pellet which turns to mush would probably be as bad

is there any litter which would have prevented this, do you think? those crystal type which absorb without disintegrating, perhaps, or the ones made from newspaper?

[MarkB]

Someone did suggest a newspaper one for sore paws, but I wonder if the same thing might have happened. Hard to tell really. As for the crystal ones, I suppose it depend on what they are made of - they could well irritate a wound - I just don't know.


PS - She was determined to go out, so a baby sock it was - she only wants to lie in her bed. It has been OK so far, but the sky is lookiing a bit iffy.

[booktigger]

Shows how'd quickly they heal!

[Janey]

That is a shame, poor Kylie, hopefully come Thursday her paw will be much better though x

[MarkB]

Well, today I was outside of the deck. With a deft flick of the wrist, Kylie's bandage came flying off with fur attached! https://goo.gl/photos/kYyaVbiwFeaK2tVi9 She now has one of my home made versions on, which is much more comfortable for

Also, pleased to report, that for the first time in memory, Kylie has produced solid poos, twice in 2 days. Hopefully she can start gaining weight.

Interestingly, the vet had changed her ABs to Zodon as she said it would stop the paw getting infected, as it works on Strep. I googled it and it said that one possible side effect is that it can allow Clostridium to flourish. I was a bit concerned as Kylie had been diagnosed with a clostridium overgrowth. I asked the vet about it last week. She said yes, it can do that, but it can also have the opposite effect - that is why she wanted to try it.

It seems that in Kylie's case, it worked, as we have had solid poos 2 days in a row for the first time in memory. She was wasting away again -hpefully she can start gaining some weight again.

[Crewella]

Shame she's had a slight setback, but that paw does look to be healing nicely. Fusses to Mme. xx

[MarkB]

Latest update. Healing well, no infection, but needs a few more days until the wound is completely healed. Back on Monday.

[Janey]

Yay great news!

[Crewella]

Good.