Vet visits 3 and 4

We had a stressful return to the vet on Thursday.  Things didn’t start well when Grigio refused to come out of our carrier, despite it being it tipped on end she clung to the inside like a rock climber and eventually had to be shaken out.  We were invited to watch the ultra sound. Neither of us recognised anything on the screen and assumed all the little blobs we saw and the bleeps we heard were bad news.  Eventually they told us she had a lot of worms and parasites, particularly in her lungs.  This was a shock as I do monitor them both for worms and had seen no evidence.  Presumably this infestation is a result of Grigio fending for herself for 8 months and eating what she could find.  The lung parasites are particularly worrying as they are causing inflammation and damage hence her high white cell count as she fights the infection. 

They then showed us her xrays which confirmed her lungs were not at all healthy but even worse that she has 3 pellets inside her and had at some stage been shot. We were furious about this although the vet said she is not in any pain or at any risk so they won’t do anything.    She had worm treatment and is continuing the anti biotics but also now has cortisone for a week plus a one off large tablet that must be taken whole. So far we have failed to administer it as I worry about chocking her, she has refused it several times in food.

We also asked if they would give Vincenzo a health check and if possible sterilise him which they offered to do next day.  Vincenzo is a different cat altogether. He  happily went in and out of the carrier and let the vet handle him without fuss.  He was given the same worm treatment and the large tablet, which he gulped down with some tuna this morning. Yesterday he slept all afternoon and evening, asked to be let out around 1 am and was waiting at the door for breakfast when I got up.  What an obliging boy he is.

Both cats go back in two weeks for another worm treatment and a check. If we can just get this tablet down Grigio’s throat the worst should be over.  We did ask if the vets had one if those devices for firing tablets into the cats mouth, they’d never heard of that and agreed it was almost impossible to get a cat to take such a large tablet which again stressing that we must not crush or break it.  Thanks a lot.