Nero the cat comes in with a terrible puncture wound on his back. We take him to the vet, who says that the wound is probably from a raccoon. The wound is drained, and he is put on antibiotics.
Eric and I walk around the neighborhood one Friday night (still late September), and when we return, Bruno the cat is on the back porch unable to walk. We had let him out right when we left for the walk and we were only gone 45 minutes. The vet says to bring him in to be seen in the morning.
After receiving an x-ray, Bruno is found to have a broken femur. Not only that, but it is broken right at where the femur meets the hip socket. Another doctor is consulted, and surgery is scheduled for that Monday. The doctor is an Orthopedic Surgeon, and lives in Sun Valley (giggle) which is about 2-3 hours away. Bruno stays at the vet's office until Monday morning, so that his pain can be monitored and managed.
Sunday we receive a call from our local vet stating that Sun Valley (Ketchum) is being evacuated due to a huge forest fire in the area. Right after that, the surgeon calls and says that yes, he is being evacuated, but if he isn't able to return to that office, he can operate in an alternate facility!! (now that is dedication!)
Monday, after receiving the "we're back in the office" call from the vet, I leave in the early AM for Sun Valley. It is a rather bumpy road that travels across the desert to Sun Valley, and little Bruno lets out sad little mews over each bump. Bruno has his surgery, and the doctor places pins in to hold the bones together. It is then that puncture wounds are discovered on his other leg. I wait in the smoky Sun Valley area while all of this is going on. The national guard is there, and quite a lot of the roads are blocked. I mosey around the town checking out the few places that remain open, and wait for the surgery to be over. I'm delighted to find a store that has sells terrific prosciutto! All goes well with the surgery and we head home. Bruno doesn't mew over the bumps going home.
We leave for Albuquerque for a short (4 day) trip at the beginning of October.
We come back from ABQ to discover that Nero's wound is doing great, but it appears that there is a second wound that is NOT doing great. Nero is taken to the vet , where he has surgery to drain the wound and put a temporary 'drain' in until it heals. Nero starts a new round of antibiotics.
That Friday we drive to Buhl, Idaho to pick up the newest member of our crew, PRINCESS! Saturday we receive an urgent phone call from the breeder. She states that several of her dogs have become sick. The vet says it is a new strain of kennel cough. She advises me to pay close attention to Princess.
Sunday, Princess begins to sneeze. Monday she has a pre-scheduled well puppy check-up. That morning, before we taking her in, we advise the vet of what she might have. Since it is such a contagious illness, she is allowed to come right into treatment room. (along with Nero who was there for a follow-up visit to have the drain things removed)
The vet confirms that she does have the kennel cough, but is perplexed at the lack of actual 'coughing' that is typical of the ailment. He calls the breeder who states that her vet had told her that it is a new strain, and that her vet has started her dogs on a different form of antibiotics. Although this is a viral illness, the antibiotics are given as a preventative for secondary infection.
Monday night, we notice Xena the dog repeatedly licking her upper front leg. Eric checks it out, and discovers a weird lump. Tuesday, Xena visits the vet where an appointment is made for surgery the following Monday to have the lump removed.
Wednesday, Xena starts sneezing. I call the vet, who is by now, completely perplexed. Xena is vaccinated against bordatella, which is what Kennel Cough is. He then calls the other vet (of the breeder) again who states that yes, he is seeing that animals who are already vaccinated are acquiring this illness as well. Xena is taken straight into the treatment room at the vet's office, and she is then prescribed the antibiotics as well.
We now have Bruno, Princess, Nero and Xena all on antibiotics.
FRIDAY - Bruno starts sneezing. By now, I'm at a loss for words. I call the vet. The vet is astounded. Crossing to another species is not very common, so he calls the other vet. I guess he didn't even think to ask about the possibility of it happening to the cats. So, Bruno is started on the other antibiotic as well.
Not surprisingly, that weekend, Bella the cat, and Nero both start sneezing. Both are then given antibiotics. We now have the entire pet population of our house on meds!
Monday - Xena's surgery is canceled due to her illness. Xena's surgery is rescheduled for a later date.
As a side note: The breeder was terrific. She was completely apologetic and offered to pay for the vet bills. I declined.
As you went through the various ups and downs with your pets, I really felt a closeness to what you were going through, SC. I hope that everyone is now well, and on their way to full recovery.
