Salem Update III

Salem is now resting in the mud room off of the kitchen. He has found a new place to sleep – in the newspaper box. His litter box and water are a few feet away so he has everything he needs while he recuperates.

Lydia has been taking good care of our patient feeding him his morphine at 9 am and 9 pm. Only one crisis. Apparently his sister Tacy doesn’t recognize him. She was quite leery of him when he arrived yesterday and when he attempted to eat out of the supper bowl this morning she hissed and swatted at him. Apparently she can’t comprehend that her brother has returned or she refuses to concede her rank of top cat during his hospitalization. (The fact that a cat’s brain is the size of a walnut might be a contributing factor also) Salem’s grooming habits are less then stellar so he probably has hospital small on his coat. Oh the things we do for our pets!

NB: If you look closely you will notice the fat man is sleeping on a newspaper which is published in New Haven, MO

Salem Update II

Salem was allowed to return home this afternoon after a five day stay at the local Vet hospital.

The Veterinarian was able to extract his stones and they will be sent to a lab in Minnesota for examination and identification.

Salem has been put on a moist diet for older cats and was given a fourteen day injection antibiotic so we will not have to administer pills. He has about an eight inch incision on his abdomen stitches will be removed at his next office visit.

His doctor told us he will be running a mild temp for a few days and we are to administer “kitty morphine” in liquid form for the next few days. Syringes have been provided –no needles.

Salem is not yet out of the woods. There may be some microscopic stones left or due to inflammation he may become plugged again. We’re hoping for a full recovery.

The church ground this year is planted in soy beans however the field adjacent to it is in wheat. With wheat harvest 4th of July weekend he has about a ten day recovery period to keep the parsonage rodent free.

We have a missionary who is currently home on furlough coming to our church this evening two call committee meetings at our two vacant parishes. I have a service at Bingen Wednesday evening, an adult was confirmed yesterday and two are nearing the end of Adult confirmation Thursday. There is a wedding Saturday evening. The bride I have known since she was seven. Shut-in members need to be visited as we are in the last week of the month. Finished off the sermon this morning. Hank will be home for one of his rare weekends off. If I have time there is a farm auction Thursday. Half the neighborhood should be there. The wife is a native speaking Russian woman. Lydia's visited her once. She should be a help with Russian diction. A busy week to be sure.

Salem’s return has reduced at least a bit of stress amongst the inhabitants of our house. What was the title of that song played on the radio while growing us? Sung by the Carpenters… Bless the beasts and children. Not to be confused with Nadia's Theme - the title music for CBS' Young and the Restless.

Salem update

Salem suffers from Feline lower urinary tract disease. (FLUTD) Urethral obstruction— occurs when the cat's urethra becomes partly or totally blocked—is one of the most serious results of disease of the feline lower urinary tract.

Male and neutered male cats are at greater risk for obstruction. Complete urethral obstruction or blockage is life threatening and requires immediate veterinary attention.

If the cat is 'blocked,' he is anesthetized and a small catheter is passed first into the urethra to remove the obstruction, then into the bladder to flush it out. The cat is then hospitalized with the urinary catheter in place for at least 24 hours to make sure there is no recurrence of the obstruction. The cat is generally kept on fluids and antibiotics.

The good doctors at our local Vet hospital have been giving Salem wonderful care. We hope to have him home in a few days.

Our mouser is sick

One of our two cats Salem came down with a kidney stone and is at the local pet hospital. He's been a part of our family for the past eleven years. He's been in hospital since Thursday. The doc should tell us what options we have come Monday.