Catshrink
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Fri Jul-31-09 07:27 PM
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I am a horrible kitty mom. |
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Some catshrink. Sam, my big boy, is a fastidious groomer. He fights me like crazy when I try to trim his nails and usually wins. I've been crazy busy this summer and have neglected him and the others. The other cats's nails are fine -- they pretty much trim them themselves as does Sam. Usually.
I noticed his toe looked funny and I took a closer look. He got totally pissed at me when I tried to look -- but I did see that the nail had grown and curled around embedding itself in the pad. Eeewwwwww! I don't know why/how I didn't notice. I'm still kicking myself.
I called the vet immediately and they squeezed me in. I thought they'd have to put him out but were able to take care of it without doing so. He was due for a checkup anyway and given his age -- and huge weight loss -- he went from 20# to 14.5# in a year! -- they wanted to do a blood workup. I'll have the results on Monday. Meanwhile, he needs to have antibiotics twice a day (thank Jeebus for pill pockets!).
I couldn't tell that he'd lost that much weight -- he looks a bit thinner, but not much. He's now stretched out on the sofe grooming himself acting like nothing happened. I'm still pretty upset about this.
I'm a terrible kitty mom. :cry:
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JitterbugPerfume
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Fri Jul-31-09 07:44 PM
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1. aww don't beat yourself up over it! |
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Sam knows that you love him:hug:
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Catshrink
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Fri Jul-31-09 08:42 PM
Response to Reply #1 |
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He took his meds just fine -- scarfed down the pill pocket like it was Fancy Feast Salmon Dinner. Whew!
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GreenPartyVoter
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Fri Jul-31-09 09:13 PM
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3. Hey, mine was sick for months with hyperthyroidism and an infected tooth. They |
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just don't tell us outright what's going on with them. :( I didn't really catch a clue until I decided the weight loss was not good for him because he went from chubby to normal to paper thin, and he started drooling on me and had breath straight from Satan's bum. :cry:
So I totally feel your guilt and pain. I hope your baby will be ok! :hug:
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Catshrink
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Fri Jul-31-09 09:27 PM
Response to Reply #3 |
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It is so hard to know that they're sick -- unless it's constant vomiting or the runs we don't have much evidence.
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Curtland1015
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Fri Jul-31-09 09:17 PM
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4. Same thing happened to one of our cats! |
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Our eldest cat (Flash) had a claw that curved itno her pad. We managed to snip it out, but I felt terrible. She forgave me the very next time I opened a can of tuna.
Works wonders.
:P
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Catshrink
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Fri Jul-31-09 09:25 PM
Response to Reply #4 |
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Have you seen this? (The Engineer's Guide to Cats) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHXBL6bzAR4It is amazing how they can walk on a paw with a nail embedded and not limp. I really had no idea... He did seem a little thinner but certainly not 25% of his body weight!
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applegrove
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Fri Jul-31-09 09:28 PM
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7. For god's sake don't try and clip paws one after the other. Just do one at a time. |
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That way your cat hasn't gotten wind of what is going on before you even start.
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Catshrink
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Fri Jul-31-09 09:34 PM
Response to Reply #7 |
9. I learned that lesson the hard way! |
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I also put on a long sleeved shirt.
I once cut the quick in my dog's toe -- it's so hard to trim when the nails are black. I didn't have a styptic pencil but held a kleenex over it for a while until the bleeding stopped. He was cool with that -- he's a sucker for kisses and belly rubs! I had to work at not letting him know how upset I was about drawing blood.
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applegrove
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Fri Jul-31-09 10:13 PM
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Shell Beau
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Fri Jul-31-09 09:28 PM
Response to Original message |
8. Pill Pockets are awesome. |
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I just wish my Lolly didn't take 4 pills a day because those pockets get expensive!
Anyway, I hope kitty is ok!! Bless his little ole heart. And you aren't a bad kitty mom. If you were, he'd still be in your house with the embedded nail.
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Catshrink
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Fri Jul-31-09 09:42 PM
Response to Reply #8 |
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The best invention in kitty science. But... Sam's brother Wrigley wouldn't have anything to do with them when he needed meds. Now he won't eat any treats at all thinking they're tainted. Wrigs always was a pea brain!
And you're right -- they are pretty expensive. Sometimes I grind up the pill and mix it into a little wet food but I think these might taste kind of nasty.
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Shell Beau
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Fri Jul-31-09 10:33 PM
Response to Reply #11 |
15. That is my Lolly ( a dog, btw)! She knows |
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peanut butter, bread, and cheese may contain a pill, so she turns her nose up at those things now. Pill pockets are only good for a couple of weeks and then she catches on. And back to the peanut butter, bread, and cheese I go. It is a cycle. The pockets, however, work the best. But using 4 a day, when only 30-ish come in the pack, at $10 bucks a pack, gets expensive.
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snailly
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Fri Jul-31-09 09:38 PM
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10. You are a wonderful kitty mommy! |
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You saw the signs and got him to the vet asap. I've been there and it's really hard to see changes like that with kitties. Please don't beat yourself up! He knows you love him and you have done what you could for now!
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Catshrink
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Fri Jul-31-09 09:44 PM
Response to Reply #10 |
12. I was so upset! I felt I was so negligent. |
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But the vet said it wasn't in that deep and they didn't need to sedate him. He can be a wild man so I guess it wasn't that bad... but. He's sleeping like a baby right now. He's my love bug.
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snailly
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Fri Jul-31-09 09:52 PM
Response to Reply #12 |
13. Take that knowledge and ease your guilt |
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I know exactly how you're feeling right now. You've done everything you can. I guarantee he's so happy his Mom is with him that he doesn't care about any pains. He'll be back to his old wildman self soon!
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Thu May 02nd 2024, 06:11 PM
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