Nightmare on Pole Street

Right now, my back is full of Pole-scratch marks and I’m in pain.

It’s been a nightmare.

After that mouth-pawing episode, I waited a few hours before offering Pole some food. She could not bring herself to eat so I left her alone.

Then, just now, at 8.00pm, we came home from taiji and Pole seemed interested in food. She jumped up onto the pantry and waited…

So I gave her some AD – no. Cubgrub – no. These are the only foods she would eat. I’ve tried liquid (mousse) food which she could easily lick, but she didn’t want it. I think she didn’t like the smell of it although all the other cats loved it.

She couldn’t eat.

I do empathise. The rotten tooth and inflammation of the gums (gingivitis) must be causing a great deal of pain.

But the vet’s plan today was to put her on the medicines (especially the Prednisolone) for two weeks for the inflammation to go down. Only then would we do the blood test and if okay, proceed with the tooth extraction. That rotten tooth must go because it has already rotted to the root.

I did ask why we could not do the blood test today itself, get the results soon and proceed with the tooth extraction since the tooth has to go, anyway. Why wait?

But that’s the vet’s protocol.

But Pole has the added problem of being SO hard to pill and now, she cannot even eat. If she cannot eat for two weeks, what are we going to do?  I don’t even see her drinking water.

In any case, since that is the plan, we had to give her the Prednisolone tonight. It is half a tablet twice a day.

So we tried.

We went into Bunny’s Room, cuddled her, played with her….and the works. That was how the vet did it at the clinic – he was very gentle and said soothing things to her. He was able to give her three pills (very tiny ones) with no trouble at all.

We tried. But the moment we opened her mouth, oh my goodness…

Pole jumped onto my back so violently, her claws sank into my skin. It was madness.

Two humans (husband and I) could not restrain her. She was just too strong. I dare say Pole is our strongest cat.

It was impossible.

So finally, I had no choice but to try the carrier.

We brought in the carrier and put her inside, hoping the closed environment might calm her down.

Oh no…she was just as adamant.

So, we put her into the carrier, closed it and carried it into the car where it’s dark. We started the car engine as well. I had no idea how I was going to pill her in the car. I couldn’t get a good angle to do it.

Finally, husband had to resort to scruffing her neck with two fingers and I managed to open her mouth and plopped the pill in. Then, I already had a syringe of Vetri DMG ready. I pumped tiny amounts through the side of her mouth. I hoped she swallowed the Prednisolone.

Now, her sharp nails got to go.

So, we brought her back to the room and we had no choice but to again scruff her, with her feet firmly on the table. Very quickly, I managed to trim all her nails. Gosh, they were so, so sharp.

Weapons of mass destruction, I tell you.

I don’t know what we are going to do tomorrow. There are three pills for the morning. Maybe we can skip the anti-gastric, I don’t know. But the antibiotics and the Prednisolone have to be given if we are to stick with the plan.

TWO WEEKS of pure nightmare on Pole Street, folks.

There has to be a better way….

Meanwhile, I’ve texted another vet to ask if the protocol can be shortened. If the tooth extraction is the only way (eventually), can we please do the blood test earlier and get on with the surgery?

Otherwise, Pole is not going to eat and we cannot feed her her meds, then…what’s the use?

Move over, Vincent…you have officially been dethroned. Pole is the new nightmare.

And as I’m writing this, Pole came mewing from under the bench. Whenever she experiences the pain the mouth, she hides under the bench.

So she came out, mewing. I thought she might want some food now. I had bought a fresh can of AD this evening, so I opened it and offered her some.

No, she couldn’t bring herself to eat. She did, however, lick the top. Probably just licked some gravy. I think the previous experience in eating (with the pain) has put her off food.

I’m truly at my wit’s end.

I was desperate enough to get a packet of milk. I know cats shouldn’t drink milk, but with the pain in the mouth, maybe she could lick some, just for some nutrition.

No, she didn’t want that either. And neither did the rest of the cats. Smart cats. Cow’s milk is only for calves. Not for cats.

So, forget milk. Try yoghurt.

No.

Now, she is grinding her teeth.

You’d notice in the photo above that there is a black line under her lower lips. You never see such untidiness in Pole…ever.

Hopefully the Prednisolone will do some wonders and reduce her pain tomorrow. But there will still be the problem of feeding her the medicines. How on earth are we going to do it?

All this while, I dread the day Pole gets sick. Because I know how jumpy she is (just now, she jumped even when we turned off a fan switch). She has never needed any medicines for the last 12 years…until now.

The nightmare has begun.