ZOZO’S PETALS

When you don’t know what is wrong, you suffer. When the injured party can’t tell you what is wrong, you both are miserable. Such is the plight of an ill feline. She can’t use human words to articulate the problem, and the veterinarian can only make an educated guess. Zozo appeared to have a sinus infection and breathing returned to almost normal after consuming the Clavamox medication for a few days. Unfortunately, a couple days after ceasing the medicine her breathing became labored again. I called the veterinarian and procured another round of antibiotics. The new meds, Zeniquin 25mg (Marboflocacin) is a stronger formula that has been approved for dogs but the vet said that there have been good results with cats. It cost $27 for two weeks since the pills are cut in half.

Because she is intelligent, I learned to show Zozo the pill, pry open her mouth, and set the pill on the back of her tongue. When she is obliging, she swallows, I praise her, and Zozo purrs. Better than trying to trick her to eat it, which usually did not work or forcing it into her mouth. The logical approach reduced her bitter and resentful reaction to an irritated scowl. Placing a dab of butter on the pill seems to make her more compliant but she knows enough to avoid me when she hears the pill bottle being opened.

Tillie is excited because I have continued to give Zozo a daily dose of L-lysine. The 500 mg pill is huge so I crush it in my mortar bowl with a pestle. I scoop out about a tablespoon of wet cat food, mix in the crushed amino-acid, and place it on a small plate. Tillie gets about a teaspoon on her own plate. I have to watch to make certain that Zozo consumes her portion or else Tillie will body-check Zozo and gobble down the doctored food. Tillie is a bully even though she weighs less and is younger than Zozo. I have been taking a pill too since I’ve been dealing with the whiplash and a cold. The vet copied a page from a medical book to support the use of lysine for me to read. I should have asked for the title of the book.

Zozo was better after only two doses of the stronger antibiotic. The vet told me to give her the entire two-week dose to make certain that the infection is cleared. She has been throwing up more than usual and I wonder if it is related to the medication. Veterinarians should provide the same reference sheet as human-treating doctors do when administering prescriptions. I would have a better understanding of what to watch for regarding adverse reactions. The stress of having an ill animal makes it difficult to remember conversations at the vet office; I’m lucky that I don’t collapse from worry. I adore my cats and have a responsibility to make certain that they are healthy and happy. They rely upon me to be a good caretaker. I take that responsibility seriously.

Love my felixes.
© 2013 Ima B. Musing