Caring For Your Cat After Surgery

People often ask my advice on pet care, so I thought I would start adding posts on cat care to our blog. I originally started our blog to keep our customers up to date on Noodle's progress. I also wanted to give other owners who were dealing with the same problem information that might help them. Caring for an injured or ill pet is not an easy task, but it can be very rewarding. As those of you know, Noodle and I have had many ups and downs in his journey to wellness. My decision to change his care to a holistic approach came when the only alternative left for him was very expensive shots that would most likely damage his kidneys. At that point, I could not afford the shots, but even if I could it made no sense to me to give him a treatment that would most likely result in kidney damage. He was eating well, and was not in any distress, so I did not want to put him down. After doing extensive research, I decided to try a holistic approach. I'm very glad that I did, because he has responded far better to this treatment than any others, and I do not have to worry about damage to his system from med's. He has one more nodule that needs to rupture, and when it does I am hoping to get a good sample of the fluid for a culture, so I can study it. I want to test the various herbs and other things that I am using to see which one eradicates the bacteria the best. That way I can develop a salve that will be the most effective in the event that it reoccurs.

Today I'd like to talk about caring for your pet after surgery. Bringing your pet home after an operation can be very stressful, especially if it is your first experience dealing with an injured animal. Before bringing your pet home you'll want to prepare a quite resting place away from other animals where you can check on him frequently. Keep the room at a comfortable temperature away from drafts and dampness and provide a clean litter box close to him. The litter box should be kept clean at all times. I placed Noodle in a medium-size dog kennel on my bed, so he was by my side in the event that he needed anything during the night. The kennel was kept closed to prevent him from falling in case he got up while I was asleep, not that he was moving too much at that point. I also placed a soft bed with rolled sides in it to keep him comfortable. I placed a waterproof pad on top of the bed, then a thick terry towel over that. You will want to have plenty of pads and towels on hand as you will be changing them often. It is imperative that the environment remains clean and sanitary. All of our cats love music, and I kept the radio on for Noodle at a low level which helped to calm him. (Cats have extremely sensitive hearing so be sure to keep the music at a low level). Many cats are skittish and may resort to biting or scratching, making treatment downright hazardous to the caretaker. If your pet is difficult to handle, have your vet instruct you in the best method of restraint for his wounds. Above all, you do not want to add to his pain. Keep a box nearby with all of his med's, and supplies so they will be readily at hand when you need them. If you have small children, be sure to keep it out of reach of curious little hands. I coordinated Noodle's med schedule with cleaning and dressing his wounds. I gave him his med's about 45 minutes before changing the bandages to alleviate his pain as much as possible. Giving your pet a pill need not be difficult. The easiest way, is to get some pill pockets. Just slip the pill into the pocket and place it down in front of him. He will readily gobble it right up. If you choose not to use pill pockets, or have liquid medication, have your vet instruct you in the proper administration of his med's. Because Noodle had so many incisions and drains when he came home from the first operation, finding a comfortable way to pick him up was difficult at best. I finally decided that leaving him in his bed and picking it up by its sides was the most comfortable way for him, while transporting him to my lap. Your vet will tell you how to clean and dress your pets wounds, and will most likely give you an Elizabethan collar to keep him from biting or licking at the area. Do not change the bandages unless the vet instructs you to do so, and always wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling your pet. Gently remove the soiled bedding from under your cat and place a clean waterproof pad under him. Follow your vets instructions for cleaning the area, and talk to him soothingly as you work on him, petting him gently from time to time to reassure him that all is well. Once you finish cleaning and dressing the wounds, clean any other areas that need attending to, especially the genital area, as your cat will not be able to groom himself. When I am finished cleaning Noodle, I like to take a warm wet washcloth and rub it over his face in a grooming motion, similar to a mother cat grooming her kitten. He really enjoys that! Remove the soiled pad and place a clean waterproof pad over the bed, followed by a clean towel and help your little one into a comfortable position. Spend a few more minutes petting him and gently place him back into the quite area you prepared for him. Your goal is to make this a positive experience for him rather than a traumatic one, and you will build a bond with your cat that will last a lifetime. When Noodle's wounds had healed over (formed a scab), I applied a thin layer of vitamin E oil or Castor oil to the area. It really helps to heal the wound and keeps the skin supple. Ask your vet if it would be suitable for your pet. If you have a pet that is difficult to handle like my little Misty, I have had great success with a product called Quiet Moments Natural Herbal Calming Spray for cats. When Misty had her stroke she was more impossible to handle than ever. I remembered that I had bought a bottle of this, but had yet to try it. I sprayed it in her kennel and let it dry, then coaxed her into it. Our vet could not believe how calm she was when she saw her. She called it a miracle in a bottle, as Misty is usually quite wild and you risk some vicious bites and scratches when trying to treat her. She was not only calm, but she was letting everyone pet her, and purring to boot! Imagine that! She felt so secure and happy in the kennel, I had a very hard time getting her to leave it! The spray is also great to use when traveling with your pet. Just spray it on their bedding and let dry thoroughly before placing your pet in the kennel.

I hope these tips prove useful to you and make you feel more comfortable caring for your pet. We wish your little one a speedy recovery!

Suzy & The Babies

Please Note: If you have a sick or injured animal, please seek immediate medical care from a qualified professional for an accurate diagnosis. Information posted here is not intended to diagnosis, or replace treatment by a licensed veterinarian. It is exclusively meant as a general reference for pet owners. Do not disregard veterinary advice or delay treatment as a result of information on this site.

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

My Father

So much has happened since my last post. My father was in the hospital after losing a considerable amount of weight in a very short time. They discovered some minor problems, and started him on some medication. He is feeling much better now and has regained some of the weight he lost. I was very scared that he might have cancer, and was so relieved when the biopsies came back benign. I wish he lived closer to us so we could watch over him, but he is set in his ways and doesn't want to move. He has been so supportive of me during my illnesses, and through my long journey with Noodle and I want to take this opportunity to thank him for being there for me, and wish him a very Happy Fathers Day!

Noodle continues to respond well to his holistic treatments, but he had a bit of a setback after our trip to Kentucky. Traveling with five cats is always an adventure, but they did real well on the trip. Noodle however slipped out of his onesie and really gnawed at his wounds. How he did this without making a peep is beyond me, as his kennel was right next to me. I don't know if they were itching or if he was stressed out from the trip, but he did one heck of a job on himself. He was pretty sore for about a week, especially while I cleaned and dressed the area. It really set things back, and I desperately searched the web to see if I could find something to speed up the healing. I discovered a product called Dy's Liquid Bandage which looked promising and I went ahead and ordered some. I'm so glad that I did because it is working like magic. He had three small areas about the size of a nickel that he opened up on the trip and after just a week of using Dy's Liquid Bandage they are about 50% healed. At first I tried using it alone on the wounds, but it does not relieve pain, so Noodle was rather uncomfortable. Now I apply a layer of the salve I made up for him, and then the Dy's Liquid Bandage over that. It is working well that way, and I am very hopeful that this will all be behind him by the end of the year. He will be in his hat until he heals completely to avoid any more setbacks. The little devil, bolted out the door on my husband again. Poor guy was just beside himself when he came in to tell me. I went out and called Noodle and he came right to me. It was all fun and games to him and he was quite proud of himself. You can always tell when Noodle is feeling better as he wants to go outside and play.

Katie and Max have taken to chasing each other around the house at night and I imagine when Noodle is well that he will be joining them in their fun. Good thing I'm a night owl. Misty and Reggie had been spending more time in the house since we returned from Kentucky. They both come in and greet the babies with gentle head nudges. They really seem to have bonded on the trip.

I discovered a site awhile back that I want to share with you that has been a very big help to me. It has a lot of folk remedies on it that work very well, and I also found out about the Dy's liquid Bandage there. Given the state of the economy and the rising cost of healthcare, we could all use a little help in saving money! I hope that it will help you as much as it has me. Have a look at http://www.earthclinic.com/

Thanks for checking in on us and Happy Father's Day to all of the dads out there! I hope your day is very special!

Suzy & The Babies

The Long Road Back

Daddy says I'm very spoiled...Mommy says I'm just well loved:)

Noodle continues to get stronger each day and is eating and drinking well on his own. He is going through his “Mommy hold me” phase again, following me around wanting to be picked up and rocked. The little guy deserves it, as he has been through so much on his road to recovery. He continues to respond very well to the holistic treatment, and I am very hopeful that once he completely heals that this will finally be the end of his mycobacterial infection. What I find most interesting during the course of this treatment, is that you can actually see the perfect form of the mouth that bit him as well as the claw marks as the infection works its way to the surface. I am more inclined than ever to believe it was a small raccoon that attacked him as the claw marks match the raccoon footprints in the laundry room. The darn critters are back again, coming through the pet door and making themselves right at home. Judging by the large footprint that I found the other day, I believe one of the red foxes has also found his way in. We tried closing the door from the outside, but leaving it open inside so Reggie and Misty could go back out, but those sly little raccoons, simply lifted the door and came in anyway! I caught one red handed and cute as he was, this is just getting out of hand! Needless to say, we are sealing the entrance completely with metal plates and screws. Misty and Reggie are quite beside themselves, not having the freedom to come and go as they please, but they will adjust. Noodle has been very good about keeping his onesies on, and has been able to be out of his hat at last over the past week. The onesie keeps his wound protected and clean, so it is imperative that he keep it on. It is looking very good, and the salve has kept any necrotic tissue from forming. If he continues healing at his present pace, I believe it will be healed over by the end of April. He has been kept comfortable with Anxiety, Trauma and Rescue Remedy and is not experiencing any distress. The formulations have proven to be a good substitute for Ace and Torb, with no bad side effects and I highly recommend them. The salve is similar to one that I made up for myself after one of my operations, and relieves his wound pain as well as promoting healing. When I had my operation, I kept exclaiming to my husband and doctor that I just could not believe there was no pain! It wasn’t until many months later that I remembered that one of the ingredients I used was a natural pain reliever. My voice has pretty much given out on me these days, so I have started telling Noodle stories instead of singing to him. He seems to enjoy it just as much, and he is so precious the way he gently touches my face and looks up at me so adoringly. You just can’t help but love the little guy!

Max and Katie are quite grown up now, and Max loves to jam with my husband when he plays the guitar and piano. He just rolls around like he’s dancing on the floor and can’t get enough of the music! Miss Katie is still nursing on herself, but not quite as much as before.

The pollen from the oak trees seems to be particularly bad this year, blanketing our yard and driveway and my sinuses have been giving me nothing but trouble. I bought a neti pot which has helped, but I need to make an appointment with an ENT doctor to see if we can’t get the problem resolved completely. I never realized how miserable sinus problems could make you! I am allergic to oak trees, and I think the overabundance of pollen is what is causing all the trouble. Our neighborhood is known for the majestic grandfather oaks that line the streets, so they are everywhere! Of course when we moved here I didn’t know I was allergic to them and we were both captured by their beauty.

I’m still working on the web site, but loading the products is slow going with caring for Noodle. Until just recently I was spending about five hours a day just caring for him and keeping everything clean and sanitary. I put up many new items in our Bonanzle booth and will be adding more in the days ahead. If you haven’t visited Bonanzle be sure to stop by. It’s a wonderful community of buyers and sellers and you can find some lovely things there. Cabana Lolita’s booth has a beautiful Goebel Hummel for sale that really caught my eye. I just love Hummel’s and this one featured a little girl and a cat. It is so cute! I can’t afford to get it right now, but you might want to steal it away especially since she’s offering 30% off with coupon code “Save”. If you’d like to help a furry friend, you can sponsor a pet at Forget Me Not Animal Shelter. You can find a multitude of extraordinary items on Bonanzle and I hope you will stop by and see us, if only to window shop and meet some new friends.

I was deeply saddened by the tragic death of Natasha Richardson last week and my heart goes out to all of her family and friends. She was a wonderful actress and she will be sorely missed.

Hope all of you are doing well, and as always we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for helping us to save Noodle!

All Our Best,
Suzy & The Babies
http://www.bonanzle.com/booths/justmehobbit

Noodle Is Doing Better!

Noodle in his herbal mud bath

Shortly after my last post, Noodle took a turn for the worse and completely stopped eating or taking fluids. He was cooperative in letting me tend to him, so I started giving him fluids and pureed food with added nutrients with a dropper every few hours. It was a very difficult time for me and I spent much of the time crying my eyes out and praying that I wouldn't have to put him down. I took a fairly aggressive approach with the nodules, attempting to heal him from the inside out, since nothing else has helped. I started him on goldenseal, turmeric and terramin clay, along with a variety of nutrients, and continued to treat the nodules with the salve that I made up for him, bag balm and terramin clay mud packs. After feeding him with the dropper for 10 days, I was delighted when he came hurrying over to eat as I poured kibbles in the cat bowls the following morning. He has continued to eat and drink fluids on his own, and has gained back some of the weight that he lost. He is back to his sweet little self, and all but one of the nodules have ruptured and drained and are healing well. The last one that I can feel, has been draining, and has diminished significantly in size. He still has a long way to go, but I am hopeful that once these areas completely heal, that he will finally be free of the mycobacterial infection. I plan on keeping him on the herbs in smaller doses, for a few months after he is all clear, and then on the turmeric and terramin clay indefinately. Although, there is still the possibility that he could relapse, and have to be put down during his recovery, I continue to be cautiously optimistic that he will pull through. I have not been able to work on the website, as caring for him takes up most of my time but we continue to keep our booth on Bonanzle and I add new items intended for the website when I can. If you are looking for an eBay alternative, you owe it to yourself to check out Bonanzle. After being named the best eBay alternative in July by Ecommerce Guide, Bonanzle was again named the best eBay alternative last week, this time by SmallBusinessComputing! This is no mean feat! I cannot believe the explosive growth of Bonanzle over just a few short months and I believe that they are indeed the best eBay alternative out there! I love their clean, easy to use interface, the warm and friendly atmosphere and wide variety of products. We hope to see you there!

Above is a picture of Noodle in his herbal mud bath. As you can see he has lost a good bit of weight. He is so good about taking his baths. I can walk away, and he will just sit in the water waiting for me to come back. He is such a special baby!

Our new Bonanzle friend Denise sent me some darling pictures of her babies. When I saw the one of her German Shepherd (above), I told my husband, "Look, at his cute little dog toy!" It took me a few minutes to realize that the "toy" was actually one of her toy poodles! I thought the pictures were just too precious and she was kind enough to let me share them with you. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Well that’s all the news from our camp. I hope that all is well with you and as always we thank you for your continued support in helping us to save Noodle. Have a lovely day!

Suzy & The Babies

Happy New Year to all of our friends!

The past few months have proven to be very challenging for both Noodle and myself. Shortly after my last post I injured my back and was unable to sit at the computer for some time. It was rather frustrating as I was about to open our website and I was knocked out most of the time with my meds. I am doing much better now, and barring any other unforeseen circumstances; we will be opening this month.

Noodle continues to do poorly, especially over the past several weeks. A few days ago I mixed up a new salve for him, and I have put him back on the supplements that he had been on previously. He has not responded at all to any of the antibiotics that he has been on, and if things do not improve soon, I will have to consider putting him to sleep. As difficult as that will be for me, I have to take his well being into consideration first. He has fought a long, hard battle for more than 2-1/2 years now. Over the past few weeks, I have noticed a measurable difference in his demeanor. He has become very uncooperative in taking his meds, and letting me tend to him. He seems to be very weary of it all, quite understandably, and seems to have lost his will to live. The only time he seems happy is when I rock him and sing to him (even though these days I only croak like a toad.) He has been in his hat for the better part of the last 3 months, but that doesn’t seem to bother him much and he is very cooperative in putting it on. The salve seems to be helping the wounds, but whether they stay away after they are completely healed is another matter. At this point I am cautiously optimistic, but preparing myself emotionally in the event I have to make the difficult decision to euthanize him. I’m crying as I type this, so I know it won’t be easy if it comes to that. It never is. Your prayers for him would be so much appreciated.

Reggie, Misty, Katie, and Max are all doing well. Max has been sweetly standing watch over Noodle and seems very concerned with him. Misty continues to do well from her strokes, although she has some residual effects from them. However she is able to be outside again, which makes her very happy. She spends about half her time inside, but still doesn’t want anything to do with the other cats. Every now and then she will get a toy and start playing with it like she wants to interact with them, but as soon as they approach to play, she lets out a vicious hiss and that’s the end of that. Reggie and Misty took a little bunny under their wing and Reggie refused to come in, even on the cold nights, and would sleep with the bunny cuddled next to him in the thicket by the pond. I was so surprised to see that Misty slept with the bunny too! Imagine that!I named it Autumn Hope, and we started caring for it. Later I discovered that it was a boy, so in hindsight I guess that wasn’t an appropriate name for him. After a few weeks Autumn, would come running to me when I called and look up at me as if to say “I’m so happy to see you!” It wasn’t long before he let me pet him. We checked around the neighborhood, to see if anyone had lost their rabbit to no avail, so someone must have released their pet. We have had a few foreclosures in our neighborhood, so he could have come from one of them. I contacted a rabbit rescue and they said he most likely would not survive outside since he was a domestic rabbit. Unfortunately, they did not have an opening to take him. I called around and found two vets that were willing to take him in. One of them was looking for a girl as a companion to one of her rabbits, and the other one rescued animals. I didn’t know if he was a male or female at that point and I wasn’t familiar with handling rabbits, so I made an appointment with the first vet, hoping that it would be a little girl and that she would have a permanent home. Getting him there was quite a feat. I got a kennel ready for him and started putting food in it to coax him in. I was delighted that he went right in and made arrangements to take him in the next day. After 2-1/2 hours of playing chase, I gave up and the vet and I agreed to try again the next day. I wasn’t aware that rabbits lied down on their sides stretched out like a cat, but I sure learned that they did that day! After playing chase the rabbit for a while, Autumn would sprawl out on the deck and look up at me as if to say “I’m not going anywhere!" It was quite comical although I became less amused as the game continued. I finally decided that I would have to pick him up to get him in the kennel, so while I was petting him, I quickly grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and scooped my hands under his hind legs and placed him inside. He retreated to the corner and sat there shaking. I felt like such a heel! I kept checking on him during the ride to the vets and tried to pet and soothe him once we were there. Unfortunately, as you know, he turned out to be a boy, so off we went to the second vet where he was quickly settled in and I was able to say my goodbyes. The next day, I checked in on him, and they had treated his ear mites, neutered him and contacted a rabbit rescue. They will make sure that he gets a good home where he can be properly looked after. I really miss the sweet little guy and the ray of sunshine that he brought to my life, but we could not possibly take on another animal at this time. I know whoever adopts him will get a very sweet bunny that will fill their lives with happiness. Reggie in particular was not too happy for a while, having lost his little friend but he is doing better now. I will be selling some bunny t-shirts on Bonanzle shortly, and half of the profits will go to the vet that took him in to help with his expenses and her rescue efforts of other animals. If you come across an abandoned rabbit, please check with a bunny rescue for proper care and handling, as they are delicate creatures.Thank you for your continued support and prayers and have a very Happy, Healthy 2009!

Happy New Year,
Suzy & The Babies

Noodle's having A Rough Time

Since my last update, things have gone downhill for Noodle. He developed multiple nodules around the last one that developed in his lower quadrant, and one is about the size of a small orange again. Yesterday it started draining through one of the surrounding areas, which gave me some hope that it won't entail another operation, but today it is unproductive. I am going to try warm compresses tomorrow to try and get it draining again, and I'm keeping a close eye on things for any signs of trouble. He is sedated and resting comfortably with his boo boo bear right now, and I expect he will sleep through the night. I'm feeling a bit blue, because it seems that no matter what I do, we just cannot get this infection to go away. It just breaks my heart, and I feel like I have completely failed him. As always he remains my brave little soldier, as sweet as ever, snuggling up against me and purring as I tend to his wounds. I will try and get some new pictures up soon of him for you.

I have been busy loading products into our website, and at long last, we should be opening next week. Currently, we have a booth at Bonanzle.com, a very warm and friendly community filled with many unique products. You can find a wide array of things such as beautiful quality throw pillows, from Cabana Lolita's Booth, exquisite children's clothing from Canada at South Hampton Creations and authentic designer fashions & accessories from Upscale Resales Booth. We have added a line of quality pet fashions to our booth, and you will find many of the craft books that we carried while we were on eBay. Bonanzle has grown so much in such a short time, and you owe it to yourself to check it out. Hope to see you on the boards!


Misty continues to do well, and spends more time indoors than she does outside. She has gotten very playful with me, but not with the other cats. I'm beginning to think it's a lost cause. She's long forgotten any tender moments shared with Katy on the trip home from Kentucky. Reggie can't quite make up his mind whether he wants to be friends with the little ones or not. One minute he's sweet to them and the next he's hissing at them. Poor babies just don't know what to think!

Max is still obsessed with the bathroom sink. He has now taken to bringing his toys and anything else that catches his fancy into the bathroom and placing them in the sink. My sink now looks like his toy box! I've come to the conclusion that he is trying to entice the water to come out of the faucet to play, as he is quite fascinated with it when I wash my hands. He also takes the bars of soap and puts them in the sink. Never a dull moment at our house! He recently learned how to play fetch from Katie, and will bring back the ball or wad of paper endlessly like a little puppy! They are both so cute! Katie is still nursing on herself. At this point, I'm beginning to think that she will never wean herself; she certainly shows no signs of it anyway!Well, that’s all the news from our camp. I hope you'll stop by and see us at Bonanzle and also our new shop when we open next week!

Wishing you all the best,
Suzy & The Babies

Cats and Dogs being Skinned ALIVE!

Recently while researching a project, I came across a very disturbing video on the faux fur industry in China. I felt it was important to share this with other animal lovers to make them aware of what the faux fur could be that is on garments these days. These cats and dogs live a life of unimaginable cruelty, only to be skinned alive and turned into gloves, coats, hats or fur trim. Their skins are also used in the production of drums and other musical instruments. This video is extremely difficult to watch and just heart wrenching! I had to force myself to look at it, but had to often turn away unable to bear the horror of what I was seeing. As long as I live, I shall never forget, the face of the poor raccoon dog that was still alive at the end of the video despite the horrific cruelty that it had just endured. That frame will haunt me until the day I die. Even if you cannot bear to watch the video, please visit the sites and educate yourselves before doing your winter shopping this year. I know many of you that read my blog are animal lovers and I know you would not willingly want to contribute to such a barbaric industry. You can watch the video and get more information at:

http://www.animal-protection.net/

For further reading visit:

http://www.caft.org.uk/factsheets/cats-and-dogs.html

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Now I’m going to go and hug my babies and thank God that I don’t live in China!

All My Best,
Suzy