This guy here, Mow Mow, is one hell of a cat! I won't show you his gory 'before' photos; let's just say that the injuries were to his sternum( broken), entire abdomen (bruised and cut), and that he was hit so hard that his diaphragm was herniated. He arrived home barely able to stand.
He went to the wonderful PETS Referral emergency hospital in Berkeley. Images disclosed the extent of his injuries. He stayed overnight, and surgery was recommended. Now comes the nail-biter!
I had pretty much come to the bottom of my financial resources, and she had none to begin with. Would he survive until we could beg or borrow the six or so thousand we needed for surgery?? I'd spent about four thousand so far, for tests and to stabilize him, and...I explored options, and groups which might help, but to get funding would take time we didn't have. So I crossed my fingers and applied for Care Credit...was approved up to $8000. Surgery was a go! We met with a lovely surgeon, who...eek...was going to be out of town for a week. By this time Mow Mow was...still alive, to our great happiness, and remained stable. Eating and producing output. He'd been kept in my friend's trailer...dicey, no electricity...and was anxious to get out. Yet...were his intestines blocked? Guess not. Were his organs moved into his chest cavity? Was his heart threatened? It was the longest week. I've still not recovered.
Then! Last Tuesday, October 17, he went in for surgery. We'd made it!!
And he sailed through it!! My friend had been terrified...she didn't know PETS as well as I do...and it was the first surgery on one of her animals. He was deemed good to go just as the two-day heat wave hit, and his trailer would have been well over one hundred degrees. PETS graciously, against their policy, agreed to keep him until it cooled down! Mow Mow is home now, and is doing very well!
He went to the wonderful PETS Referral emergency hospital in Berkeley. Images disclosed the extent of his injuries. He stayed overnight, and surgery was recommended. Now comes the nail-biter!
I had pretty much come to the bottom of my financial resources, and she had none to begin with. Would he survive until we could beg or borrow the six or so thousand we needed for surgery?? I'd spent about four thousand so far, for tests and to stabilize him, and...I explored options, and groups which might help, but to get funding would take time we didn't have. So I crossed my fingers and applied for Care Credit...was approved up to $8000. Surgery was a go! We met with a lovely surgeon, who...eek...was going to be out of town for a week. By this time Mow Mow was...still alive, to our great happiness, and remained stable. Eating and producing output. He'd been kept in my friend's trailer...dicey, no electricity...and was anxious to get out. Yet...were his intestines blocked? Guess not. Were his organs moved into his chest cavity? Was his heart threatened? It was the longest week. I've still not recovered.
Then! Last Tuesday, October 17, he went in for surgery. We'd made it!!
And he sailed through it!! My friend had been terrified...she didn't know PETS as well as I do...and it was the first surgery on one of her animals. He was deemed good to go just as the two-day heat wave hit, and his trailer would have been well over one hundred degrees. PETS graciously, against their policy, agreed to keep him until it cooled down! Mow Mow is home now, and is doing very well!
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Then!
While this was going on, our beloved Sunflower (Sunny) was attacked by a coyote. My husband Ken chanced to see the attack from our kitchen table, and was able to get her to safety. We had thought the back yard safe...
She was alive, but in deep shock. She had several puncture wounds on her throat, and one on the back of her head. There wasn't a lot of blood, and the wounds were not bleeding much.
We cleaned her wounds, and called our vet. I didn't want to move her. The vet reminded me to pinch her toes, to test for reflexes. All was well, each foot reacted. Not paralyzed.
We worked with two vets and two communicators...it was thought that she did not have neurological issues, so we cancelled the appt. with the neurologist, but may take her to him later...
Sunny was pretty much immobile for the first two days, but slowly began to regain mobility. she became more alert and engaged with us more. She began to purr...
She was able to swallow, and I fed her by syringe.
It was impossible to know what to expect, but as the days went by, she improved, slowly but surely. She became able to lick up some broth when I held her head in position, then to lick up some food. A few days ago, she began to eat more, and hold her body's position better...at first she ate lying on her side, but...today she kept her head right over the food. She's eating full meals now (!!) and is better able hold her body upright
Yesterday a gifted woman, Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, founder of the Body-Mind Centering Institute, www.bodymindcentering.com, came to see her! She worked with Sunny's spinal fluid: improving its flow, and helping it clear debris from her system. Today Ms. Sunny is stronger and better able to position herself! Bonnie's daughter is on my board, and is also gifted and skilled. We are enormously grateful!!
I am thinking that Sunny will be able to make a full recovery. She has come far. Her wounds are almost healed, and each day shows improvement! What a blessing!
While this was going on, our beloved Sunflower (Sunny) was attacked by a coyote. My husband Ken chanced to see the attack from our kitchen table, and was able to get her to safety. We had thought the back yard safe...
She was alive, but in deep shock. She had several puncture wounds on her throat, and one on the back of her head. There wasn't a lot of blood, and the wounds were not bleeding much.
We cleaned her wounds, and called our vet. I didn't want to move her. The vet reminded me to pinch her toes, to test for reflexes. All was well, each foot reacted. Not paralyzed.
We worked with two vets and two communicators...it was thought that she did not have neurological issues, so we cancelled the appt. with the neurologist, but may take her to him later...
Sunny was pretty much immobile for the first two days, but slowly began to regain mobility. she became more alert and engaged with us more. She began to purr...
She was able to swallow, and I fed her by syringe.
It was impossible to know what to expect, but as the days went by, she improved, slowly but surely. She became able to lick up some broth when I held her head in position, then to lick up some food. A few days ago, she began to eat more, and hold her body's position better...at first she ate lying on her side, but...today she kept her head right over the food. She's eating full meals now (!!) and is better able hold her body upright
Yesterday a gifted woman, Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, founder of the Body-Mind Centering Institute, www.bodymindcentering.com, came to see her! She worked with Sunny's spinal fluid: improving its flow, and helping it clear debris from her system. Today Ms. Sunny is stronger and better able to position herself! Bonnie's daughter is on my board, and is also gifted and skilled. We are enormously grateful!!
I am thinking that Sunny will be able to make a full recovery. She has come far. Her wounds are almost healed, and each day shows improvement! What a blessing!
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