Holiday surprise

Ah we've just moved to buckinghamshire....husbands from hampshire and I'm from lincolnshire....so about halfway now. We love it!!!

The dogs came via dogswalkthisway rescue (check out facebook) the lady who runs it has worked with other charities and been over to romania. She works with a few trusted rescuers over there and organise transport runs and send over donations and supplies.

 

@Snorky85 .... awwww your girls look very happy and content now . They are two of the lucky ones. I did not know about the kill shelters in Romania . I think there are likely places like these all over the world. Its quite shocking that a supposedly civilised race can treat the other species we share this world with in such a way . I just don't get it at all.

 

I know....civilized and romania aren't quite there yet...remember all the poor orphans. The country still has a long way to go.

Hope your new kitty is feeling better soon.

 

@Snorky85 ..... I just realised Dotty is wearing a bucket collar in the last pic. Is that due to the heartworm op you mentioned or something else?. Poor girl . Its one of the worse feelings in the world when your pet is ill and/or in pain. Even worse when you know someone else has caused it .

How long have you had your girls? I googled Romanian kill shelters . Pretty horrific reading material. Your girls are so lucky to have you. We have talked about having a dog in the future ( still got too many small pets at present ) and if we do it will be a rescue dog. Love to see more pics of Dotty and Bea!

Dimitris went to vet today. He was incredibly good about being examined, even having his temperature taken. He still has ear mites, so I have some drops to put in. I discussed his tummy upset and vet agreed it was most likely stress related but there is also the chance it could be infection related. He said if it hasn't resolved by Mon he will need some anti biotics and if that doesn't sort it a blood test might be needed. I asked for some sensitivity food sachets and I did notice the interval between his first meal and a trip to the litter tray was longer. The novelty of dealing with cat diarrhoea has definitely worn off , especially in the middle of the night when my resolve is weakest .

 

Hi @luciusmaximus , hope the ear mites go soon-they must be so itchy. I'm not sure about cats but with dogs giving them chicken and chicken broth and plain boiled rice helps their tummies? You can pay to have a blood test which tests for numerous exotic diseases....the earlier they are spotted the better.

Weve had the girls 2 years on 17th May. I can't imagine being without them. It's been a stressful two years though. Dotty was chewing her paws and making them so sore! We *think* it's to do with the long term heartworm meds she was taking after the surgery. She just had a restest and it was negative so she is finally free of them. Hooray. Weve now found some tablets which stops her itching and biting. We were really worried the sore paws was due to a liver diseases but the vet is happy with her improvement so far-she doesn't have to wear the collar anymore.

Bea has had another awful experience. She kept screaming with pain and i knew it was her back. We took her to the vet who said her eye was bad which we thought was odd. She had to have immuno suppressant drugs to stop the uveitis (swelling in her eye) which helped the eye but she was still screaming in pain. Eventually got an mri scan and found she had infectious lesions in her spine. Several course of trying diff antibiotics etc later the lesions finally cleared up and they said its a miracle she hasnt had permanent spine damage. Unfortunately during this period her eye got bad and had to be removed bless her. The immunosuppressants for her eye had made the infection worse in her back. Anyway, she has been fantastic until this weekend and ahe has yelped again when jumping on the sofa....so she is back to the vets tomorrow. Luckily again all insurance covered.

It's been stressful but they are worth it all. I can't imagine being without them. Weve just brought them up to lincoln tonight to stay with my mum for 2 weeks whilst we go to canada and I'm going to miss them so much. I spend ALL my time with them-2 shadows.





15 heartworms surgically removed from dotty (from her lungs, through her heart and out via her neck-actually have a video but it would gross you out!).

She featured in veterinary medical journals and featured on davies vet specialists website and the surgery even attracted comments and praise from fitzpatricks....she's a famous girl these days lol

 

Lovely pics. Bless them, they've both been through the wars. I take it the video is of her surgery? I doubt it would gross me out, I'm used to worms and other things with the hedgehogs

The sensitivity food I bought at vets is chicken and rice. He had a vaccination in Skopelos but because its not compatible with the uk vaccines he has had to start again. Vet hurt him a little when he did the injection but Dimitris was so brave about it. He is shaking his head due to the mites, hopefully the drops will help.

Roger was working nights last night so Dimitris had me and the bed to himself. He slept all night curled up in the crook of one arm with his head on my chest. When I woke at 6.00 he rolled over and stretched himself right out on his back and produced a huge yawn . I never imagined cats to behave in this way. He constantly wants attention. He likes having his back feet massaged I discovered .

 

Aww bless him. That's exactly how dot likes to have a cuddle. He sounds more like a dog than a cat. Lol. I didn't think cats were the cuddling type.

Did he manage to go through the night without toilet problems?

I've been treating the girls to special dinners to boost them up: i buy a free range roast in the bag chicken from aldi for a fiver. Cook it. Then boil up the bones and make a big jelly stock taking off the fat layer when it's cooled. It's really good for them-full of amino acids. You may think I'm mad but also been giving them a teaspoon of spirulina powder in their dinners (it is soooo good for them). I also do them a scrambled egg mixed with some chicken stock most morning. Lol and the occasional bit of steamed salmon.

It's all to boost their omega 3, iron, protein etc. They love being spoilt!

Will add the video if I can work out how lol.

 

I didn't think cats were particularly affectionate either - quite the opposite. I have been very surprised at Dimitris's behaviour. He's laid on the bed again right now with his head on my leg having a cat nap post litter tray episode .

I seem to be having a run of it at the moment, got a hedgehog with a puncture wound to her chest area and a rat with two huge abscesses as well. Idris the rat will need to go to the vet as he needs some penicillin. I'm using Manuka honey on the Hedgehog and Idris to pack the cavities with. Its wonderful stuff

Your doggies are very spoilt but definitely worth spoiling . I was thinking about giving Dimitris some fish but not sure if I should wait until his tum settles down before introducing more new food. The Spirulina might be an idea though. I know its given to rats but I've not used it on any of mine. I have never made chicken broth but I could give it a go.

 

Yes, manuka honey is amazing. My husband had used it on an open wound after surgery and it was amazing.

Aldi are selling spirulina powder (exactly the same stuff as i got from holland and barratt)for only £2.50 at the moment!!! Mega bargain.

Aww your poor hoggy and ratty. You obviously love animals to bits like me! I had rescued a young chinchilla 7 yearsago-she was unwanted. I seem to have bad luck with animals though. My poor chichi developed a condition where the roots of the teethgrow up into their nasal cavity etc. Used calcium supplements id read about and she had 3 surgeries over 2 years. But i had to let her go in the end. I hand fed her twice everyday for the 2 years. She had the biggest cage and was allowedout all the time that she wanted and used to fly around the house, sit on my head, play ganes with puzzle toys. Made sure she had a happy existence bless her. I miss her so much. People think ur mad and say its only a pet but they are family to me and mean so much.


He he cats and dogs LOVE chicken. I wish i knew how to upload videos....i have the funniest picture of bea going crazy asking for her chicken whilstwaiting for it to cool. She is so vocal-she talks to us woo woo wooing. I can understand what she is asking for by how many woowoos she does-clever girl lol

 

I've been using it for awhile and had very good results with it. My vet gave me a baby hedgehog who had been strimmed. The wire had taken off the top of his scalp and one side of his nose exposing his nasal cavity. The wounds were very infected and he had breathing difficulties due to the amount of pus in his nasal cavity and airways. He was a very poorly little hoggy I had to syringe feed him and the only respite he seemed to get from his breathing was to sit on my shoulder snuggled against my neck. The manuka honey was applied twice daily to his wounds and with a course of anti -biotics as well he made a full recovery

 

@luciusmaximus : I don't know what you are feeding Dimitri but if you are giving him milk, that could be the cause of the diarrhoea. How is he otherwise?

 

Aww bless him. I love hoggies. I found one in our garden when we first moved in....then a week or so later I found someone had squashed him on the road :( I was so annoyed. Always wanted hoggies in the garden.

 

No milk products. He went for a check up on Thurs and vet agreed that his stomach upset is most likely diet and stress related. I have bought him some sensitive stomach food. If that doesn't resolve it the vet has suggested a course of anti biotics as its possible he might have picked up an infection. Other than the diarrhoea he is totally bonkers cat