La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
Yesterday afternoon after the vet, Dudo was reeling around the house like a lunatic. To say he’s not happy about the cone of shame he’s forced to wear would be an understatement. And he has no idea he has to wear it for a week (nor does he have any idea what a week is).
He had an impacted anal sac. It was enlarged and inflamed Sunday, which we were told is excruciatingly painful, and then ruptured Monday, which felt like an improvement to him. He was a maniac when San Geraldo tried to get him into the travel cage. But SG ended up with I think only one puncture wound in his hand after two unsuccessful attempts. He walked over to the vet where he was given a spray, that was intended to calm Dudo (none for us), for use in the travel cage and the room we cornered him in (my bathroom). We waited about 15 minutes and between the two of us we finally got him from my office into the cage. The spray did seem to calm him quite a bit. Speaking of spray, he peed mid-air across my office as he was carried.
Once with the vet, Dudo jumped from the examining table. The vet smiled, leaned back, and said, “Get him.” We chased him around for a minute until I had had enough and just grabbed him from the floor and put him back on the table — where we both held him tightly in place. The vet gave him something to relax him and 5 minutes later he was docile. The vet cleaned and treated the sac and gave him a heavy duty antibiotic that will last two weeks. After about 2-1/2 hours, he came around and then started charging around the house and terrace.
Today he’s simply depressed, but he has let me snuggle his face. Moose was so traumatized that he wouldn’t come in the house last night. We left the windows and door open and, not much later, he came in and crawled into bed with San Geraldo.
I just fed Dudo liquid cat treat from a spoon, so things are looking up. He’s been stationed today on the windowsill outside San Geraldo’s office, so I have to lean over a giant spiny euphorbia to get to him. He’s no dummy.
San Geraldo removed the litter from the litter box and placed paper towelling instead. That ought to be interesting. And once a day, we have to spray disinfectant onto gauze and clean the area. Seriously? San Geraldo decided that will be his job, so I can be good cop.
Wednesday it’s back to the other vet with Moose. Monday back to our vet with Dudo. I’m back to the surgeon in three weeks for my foot. It’s not great but it’s healing. On our walk to the vet, I picked up the pace and San Geraldo told me to be careful because my foot comes before the cats. “Oh, no it doesn’t,” I replied (and we both know it).
After the vet yesterday, I went to the pharmacy for the things we needed for Dudo and I then walked further to Casa Simon for dark chocolate covered ginger for me and dark chocolate covered raisins for San Geraldo. It’s the most walking I’ve done in three weeks and I felt it. We went out for dinner and I had a gin and tonic. We can’t be saints all the time.
Ayer por la tarde, después del veterinario, Dudo andaba tambaleándose por la casa como un lunático. Decir que no está contento con el cono de la vergüenza que se ve obligado a usar sería quedarse corto. Y no tiene idea de que tiene que usarlo durante una semana (tampoco tiene idea de qué es una semana).
Él tenía un saco anal impactado. El domingo se le agrandó y se inflamó, lo cual, según nos dijeron, es terriblemente doloroso, y luego se rompió el lunes, lo que le pareció una mejoría. Era un maníaco cuando San Geraldo intentó meterlo en la jaula de viaje. Pero SG terminó con, creo, sólo una herida punzante después de dos intentos fallidos. Se acercó al veterinario donde le dieron un spray destinado a calmar a Dudo (ninguno para nosotros), para usarlo en la jaula de viaje y en la habitación en la que lo acorralamos (mi baño). Esperamos unos 15 minutos y entre los dos finalmente lo sacamos de mi oficina y lo metimos en la jaula. El spray pareció calmarlo bastante. Hablando de spray, orinó en el aire a través de mi oficina mientras lo llevaban.
Una vez con el veterinario, Dudo saltó de la mesa de exploración. El veterinario sonrió, se reclinó y dijo: “Tráelo”” Lo perseguimos durante un minuto hasta que tuve suficiente y simplemente lo agarramos del suelo y lo volvimos a poner sobre la mesa, donde ambos lo sujetamos firmemente en su lugar. El veterinario le dio algo para relajarlo y 5 minutos después estaba dócil. El veterinario limpió y trató el saco y le dio un antibiótico potente que le durará dos semanas. Después de aproximadamente dos horas y media, se dio la vuelta y comenzó a correr por la casa y la terraza.
Hoy simplemente está deprimido, pero me ha dejado acurrucarme en su cara. Moose estaba tan traumatizado que no quiso entrar a casa anoche. Dejamos las ventanas y la puerta abiertas y, poco después, entró y se metió en la cama con San Geraldo.
Acabo de darle un aperetivo líquida para gatos a Dudo con una cuchara, así que las cosas están mejorando. Lo han colocado hoy en el alféizar de la ventana afuera de la oficina de San Geraldo, así que tengo que inclinarme sobre una euforbia espinosa gigante para llegar hasta él. No es ningún tonto.
San Geraldo sacó la arena de la caja de arena y colocó toallas de papel en su lugar. Eso debería ser interesante. Y una vez al día tenemos que rociar desinfectante sobre una gasa y limpiar la zona. ¿En serio? San Geraldo decidió que ese sería su trabajo, para que yo pueda ser un buen policía.
El miércoles vuelve al otro veterinario con Moose. El lunes volvemos a nuestro veterinario con Dudo. Regresaré al cirujano en tres semanas por mi pie. No es genial pero es curativo. En nuestro camino al veterinario, aceleré el paso y San Geraldo me dijo que tuviera cuidado porque mi pie llega antes que los gatos. “Oh, no, no es así”, respondí (y ambos lo sabemos).
Después del veterinario ayer, fui a la farmacia por las cosas que necesitábamos para Dudo y luego caminé hasta Casa Simon para comprar jengibre cubierto de chocolate amargo para mí y pasas cubiertas de chocolate amargo para San Geraldo. Es lo máximo que he caminado en tres semanas y lo sentí. Salimos a cenar y tomé un gin tonic. No podemos ser santos todo el tiempo.
• Mientras todavía estaba drogado.
• Pizza de prosciutto y mozzarella de búfala de San Geraldo con (“mucha más albahaca, por favor”). El gerente Juan la llama su pizza jardin.
• Moose, muy preocupado.
Click the thumbnails to enlarge.
Haz clic en las miniaturas para ampliar.
It’s four in the morning here. One should not be snorting snot bubbles this early! Oh the drama! You guys take getting pussy whipped to a whole new level! I’ll leave it to others to be more empathetic. I just don’t have it in me right now. *Snort*, oops.
Deedles:
I can’t be certain but I don’t think one should be snorting snot bubbles any time of day.
By time all this is over, you’ll need a gallon of gin!!!! Talk about torture and chaos and punctures! You both will have war scars. I have often wondered why cats carry on like such to go to the vets. Even catching them!!!! Dogs don’t do that. The least amount they might do is pull back some once they get to the Vet. Buster himself loves the vet and car rides…and even pees on the floor in excitement over seeing other dogs.
Mistress Borghese:
I need that gallon of gin right now. Although, given how rarely I have it, that one gin and tonic did the trick that night. Back to the vet with Moose today. Give us strength… I mean gin.
Well, on the plus side, Dudo got the very fashionable clear cone so he can see around himself.
Glad he’s on the mend, Moose, too, and you, too. One of these days you’ll all be fine and the traumas will be forgotten.
Until the next time.
Bob:
We hadn’t thought about that. How awful to have an opaque cone.
Think of it as the cone of healing, kind of like the special shoe. Glad to hear it is something treatable, and not something worse. Relax, get the calming spray in advance.
David:
I know what kind of cone it is, but Dudo refuses to believe me.
Poor Dudo! I suspect it will be a loooooooong week. You deserved that big G&T.
Debra:
We are ALL burnt out. Back to the vet with Moose in a few hours. Keep a good thought!
That calming spray sounds amazing. I want some. Sounds better than gin
claudia:
Sadly the calming spray is only for cats (cat pheromones) and has no effect on humans. It did seem to work for Dudo, but maybe he was just exhausted.
I am surprised that he keeps the cone on. I put one on my boy Leo sometimes when I am grooming him but he always manages to slip it.
Peach Black:
It’s a very secure cone with a snap and he’s becoming more accustomed to it. What a relief. He’s still not happy about it, but he’s getting around.
The ‘kids’ are confused but will adapt…….very slowly to their new situations.
You guys will need some sort of vacation when all goes back to normal.
Take care.
Jim:
We are so burnt out. But Dudo is doing much better. Moose is fairly well, but is afraid of Dudo’s cone.
Oh my gosh. Chaos indeed. And can I say that I loved saying the Spanish version of your title out loud? It’s like a little prose song.
It doesn’t rain but it pours, right? You are living proof of that right now. Thank goodness for pizza and gin and tonic. And calming spray. Have you tried it on yourself yet?
P.S. Ms. Moon there.
MsMaryMoon:
I love the title in Spanish and I’m always happy when that works out. I was tempted to try the calming spray, but it clearly says it’s for cats only (pheremones). I would be skeptical but it seemed to work on Dudo. The instructions said to spray and wait 15 minutes. SG tried to keep Dudo company while he waited, but the fumes made him choke. Dudo was fine.
Holy cow, what a story!
Judy C.
We all need some TLC.
Oh yes – I’m with Claudia. Give me some calming spray and I’d be happy all day at work! 🤣 Jx
PS Was that cone designed by Pierre Cardin, perchance?
Jon:
Apparently cat pheromones don’t work on the rest of us or I’d be sitting in a mist right now. Should I get Dudo little go-go boots?
You should have made it a double…. and stopped for a bottle of gin to carry home. You may need it during the coming week! Good thing you and the boys have SG to take care of you.
Kelly:
The way they pour here, that WAS a double. SG has been a real trooper.
Has Dudo tried to clean himself? I once had a cat in one of those cones, and he instinctively (and furiously) licked the inside of the cone instead of his fur, which of course he couldn’t get at.
Kirk:
Dudo hasn’t tried to clean himself. He’s very aware of the limits of the cone and I’m glad to see he’s learning to judge spaces around him. Early yesterday he was bumping into everything and would then just lay down and give up.
Never a dull moment in the Kitty Kingdom, is there? Dudo always has to have the last word, bite or spray, LOL! Man, you guys have really earned your cocktails this week!
I’ve never known dogs to make such a fuss about going to the vet either. A friend of mine once had a small dog named Sprocket who would run and hide every time anyone said the word “bath”, so she had to resort to spelling it aloud when it was his bath time!
Tundra Bunny:
The travel cage is hell. And neither cat likes to be picked up, so that alone makes them crazy. Dudo has been surprisingly cooperative these past two days. We have both picked him up and carried him and he hasn’t resisted. But I think he figures it’s better than crashing into everything.
Maybe dudo could have a small g and t? My late great Victoria had that awful trouble. Poor lady, when the pain killer and antibiotics took effect you could see her face relax. I hope D does well.
Obviously (!) That Was Boud There.
Boud:
Oh, if only Dudo AND Moose could have a small g and t!
Poor Dudo! I’m sure he feels vulnerable which is why he’s hiding behind that euphorbia. I’d say you definitely EARNED that gin & tonic.
I was once told to keep one of my cats in a cone, but it was so stressful for the cat that I just removed it. She healed fine anyway. I’m not recommending this, just pointing it out.
Steve:
Dudo would destroy the wound in this case. Sometimes you can get away without the cone, but Dudo would be constantly licking and not healing. It IS getting better. He had the usual treats today and is walking around. He’s getting a sense of the space he needs.
After everything you’ve been through, I won’t say “poor Dudo.” Drink up.
Love,
Janie
janiejunebug:
It sure hasn’t been easy lately. And all our recent crap, although exhausting, has been so minor.