Fingers Crossed for the Cat

Yes, fingers crossed for the cat, indeed. The hero of our battle with the neighbourhood rats is not well (again). No sore throat this time; no, this is more serious.
 She was under the weather, not eating, not drinking and, well, not doing anything, really. She just lay under the yew tree, looking distinctly dis-interested and would have stayed there all night in the dark and cold, if I hadn't brought her in.

 Given her age, I thought it best to get her checked, but the vet couldn't find anything obvious. However, he was concerned about her heart-rate and suggested there might be a thyroid problem. He couldn't find the tell-tale swelling that might confirm this, and it wouldn't explain Jemara's other symptoms, so we agreed, as I was going to get her tested at the end of the month, anyway (to check everything was ok- remember, she's an old lady), he would do her bloods now, and see what showed up.
  When he brought her out of the consulting room, he told me they had found the swollen thyroid gland when they shaved the fur from her neck, and we could see it when he pressed it down and let it go- it bobbed up. We discussed in general terms what our options would be, and he would ring me when he had processed her test.
 So he rang me this evening, and confirmed there were issues with her liver and thyroid functions (the two go hand in hand, he told me). Everything else was good. How was she now, he asked me. Much improved, I told him. She was eating and drinking and telling me tall stories about giant rats. The original cause for concern appears to have sorted itself out. That simplified matters and we went on to discuss the best options.
  As I'm off for the last part of October, that would be the best time to remove the errant thyroid gland. It's a fiddly job, Steve told me, but leaves only a small wound and she'll probably be happily eating that same day. In the meantime, Jemara will go on tablets to control the problem and hopefully return her thyroid levels to normal before the op. Then on Tuesday 25th of this month, she is booked in for the operation, 9.30 am, no food after midnight, no water after 8am. Yes, it is going to be expensive. But, hey, this is the cat who took out 3 rats and with only 2 teeth in her head. And she deserves all the care she can get.


11 October 2016 Update on the cat-

 Well, I've got the cat's pills. A mere snip at £15. And this, my friends, is why I'm opting for the op. Four times I shoved that itty-bitty tablet down her throat. Four times she spat it out. In the end, the P&J had to hold her while I clamped her mouth shut for five minutes. Still not sure she didn't spit it out in the garden...

12 October 2016

My colleague's tip to hide the pill in a piece of cheese seems to have worked- Jemara appears to have swallowed her pill without the usual fuss; and she's much brighter. She's recently discovered catnip, and can be seen above,playing with her beloved catnip mouse.