Sevvie Update

[erastes]

He managed one tiny piece of chicken this morning but was clearly no better so off to the vets we went. He has a high temperature and "probably a virus" so he's had an antibiotic, an anti-inflammatory and a appetite stimulator. He's already eating in fits and starts so hopefully he feels better already.

How is it though that people doctors say that antibiotics don't work on virii?

Fingers crossed.

I love watching the pets in the waiting room though, all the animals are so polite it's hilarious. One man had a Rottweiller who was probably as big as he was and he was sitting on the man's lap. There were several Cocker Spaniels and Jack Russels and so lovely to see their beautiful tails. I'm so happy that barbaric habit had been banned. The embarrassing thing is that the vets call the PET'S name when it's your time to go in. I die of the blushes when they come through and yell "Severus". Anyone would think I was a geek or something.

He's still eating! *happy*

Comments

[mylodon.livejournal.com]

The antibiotics won't touch the virus, but it's not uncommon to get a bacterial infection when the virus has weakened your system (like post flu pneumonia) so I guess it's a belt and braces (I just wrote breeches!).

*hugs him, you and the geeky name*

We used to have a cat called Curry (after the ice skater John) - try that at the vets!

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Ah - thank you! Nice to have knowledgeable people on my flist!

He's now lying around feeling sorry for himself again, but at least he's eaten nearly a whole pouch. What worried me yesterday was that he was interested in food and just couldn't put any in his mouth, not even chicken and he's usually uber greedy about chicken.

I like Curry. They also shout out the family name, so as I said before, it sounds like a lap dancing club.

[ariadneelda.livejournal.com]

Aww, poor kitty! I'm glad to hear he seems to feel better and I hope he gets well soon. *sends best wishes*

when they come through and yell "Severus".

Hee! I wish I could be there just to hear that. :D

[erastes.livejournal.com]

It's actually worse than that, because they yell the pets name and the family name so you get things like

"Fluffy Mcgee" and "Brandy Leeder" and "Muffin Smith"

*snorts with laughter* It sounds like a place full of lap dancers.

[aunty_marion]

When we had our cats, we discussed names when they were still kittens, and (because at the time we thought they were both boys) we half-thought about calling them Castor and Pollux.

Then Carol said there was NO WAY she was going to stand at the door to call them in if they went outside and yell "POLLUX!"

So we went for Tigger (hers) and Strider (mine)(see icon) and by the time we discovered Strider was a girl it was too late to change her name...

[erastes.livejournal.com]

And he'd have been reduced to Polly, which would have just confused him!

:)

[eledhwenlin]

I'm glad he's doing better. :D

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Thanks hun. He's looking all miserable again now, but at least he ate something.

[crossthebar.livejournal.com]

awww, poor baby..I hope he feels better soon. It's worrisome when pets are ill.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

It really is - at least this was during the week! Normally they pick Sunday!

[crawling-angel.livejournal.com]

Yes, I know! We just giggle when Puss Gwynnette is called out. Even weirder is that they know Dave's voice (it is quite deep and distinctive) when we he rings up for cat food (CD/SD formula - low in sodium). "Ah..for Puss Gwynnette," they say. The Canadian nurse can spot him a mile off.

Pets in the vets>>> I think they all feel each others pain and think 'if I'm good I can go home'.

*Puss shares his duck with Sevvie* Eat, lil evOl eyes, eat.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

*chortle* I wonder when vets started to do this? I'm sure they never used to - and now judging by the comments they all seem to!

He's still looking sorry for himself, but he is eating,bless him. Being a greedy boy pays off.

[ejab62.livejournal.com]

The vet I go to does the same - you hear 'lovely' names that way. :D

Hope Severus will be better soon. The signs are good!

[erastes.livejournal.com]

It certainly amuses me! And yes, he seems to be eating - lets hope he can shake off the virus.

[sleveen.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad to feel he is starting to feel better! Our pets give us so much...

[erastes.livejournal.com]

It's so true, and he's such a darling and a cuddlebunny. Yesterday he was even more clingy kept coming up for a cuddle as if to say "I feel crappy, mummy - DO something!"

Thanks!

[alex-beecroft.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to hear he's eating again - that's always a good sign and will give him more strength to fight it off. I think you could do worse than 'Severus' as a name. My second dog as a child got immediately renamed to Fred when we got him, because my dad refused to have to call for 'Fluffy!' on his morning walks :)

[erastes.livejournal.com]

He's eaten a lot since we got back, some chicken, a pouch and some biccies. He's still sleeping a lot but that's good too. *hopes for best*

Fluffy! What kind of monster calls a dog Fluffy!

Thanks, hun

xxx

[feed-your-muse.livejournal.com]

I'm glad he's feeling a bit better now; it's always worrying when they don't eat and can't tell you what's wrong but it sounds as though your vet has got him on the mend.

I know what you mean about the names. Before I got the puppy (who is now huge) I went through a load of names to see which I wouldn't mind yelling out loud. Settled on Bran in the end - I meant Bran the braw Welsh prince; my friend (hah!) keeps calling him Bran-flakes. ::grrrr::

[erastes.livejournal.com]

*laughs* He probably responds to that too, I call my Dad's dog Beasley (his name's Aslan) and he knows that I mean him.

Thanks hun

[catsintheattic.livejournal.com]

Ah, good news on the cat health front! :-)

I hope that he will be all well again soon.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I have the nicest flist.

xxx

[gehayi.livejournal.com]

Hooray! I'm glad that Severus is on the road to health. Poor kitty.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I'm hopeful, luckily he's a greedy boy and loves his food - Lili tends to do "dying Diva" when she's ill...

[megleigh.livejournal.com]

I hope he continues to improve.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Margaret.

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

Thinking good thoughts for Severus and for you!

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Thanks again, he's definitely perkier, but not out of the woods yet.

[lee-rowan.livejournal.com]

Glad he's feeling better. I had to do the same with my significant otter, (nag her to go to the doc, I mean) and it was not so much the virus that we both caught at Mediawest, but the secondary bacterial bug that hung on for a month after.

Have you ever given your cats immune support supplements? One of my natural-pet-care books suggests adding a little vitamin C to their food when they're under the weather--their bodies do manufacture it, but apparently supplementing can help. Small doses, like 50 mg, not a human-size dose.

Hope he's better soon. It's worse than being sick yourself, isn't it? They get so miserable and you just can't explain.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

No - I hadn't heard that - thanks Lee!

[chaos-rose.livejournal.com]

Poor kitty and poor you! It's so hard when they're sick. I ask my vet for a bag of fluids to take home so that I can administer them subcutaneously - it keeps them hydrated and makes them a lot more comfortable. It's not hard to do, promise. :)

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I don't know if the vet would let you do that here, but it's worth asking them if he stops drinking. He didn't drink yesterday but he is now, so I'm hopeful! Thanks, hun

xxx

[zamaxfield.livejournal.com]

Oh, that is good news... hope he's feeling all better in no time...

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Thanks! me too!

[mongrelheart.livejournal.com]

Poor kitty! Get well soon! Glad to hear he's eating at least :)

[erastes.livejournal.com]

he just ate his dinner and had a long drink, so all is good. He's still miserable, but I'm hopeful.

Thanks!

[annephoenix.livejournal.com]

That's good news - fingers crossed that Sevvie gets better soon.

Cats are so tricky!

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[txilar.livejournal.com]

Aw, so glad he's eating. Fingers and paws all crossed for him.

I get called in to 'Pickles!' ^_^

I like pet-watching too! You see so many different relationships, and, yes, tails! The last time I went (and poor Pickles, he's yowls like a infant, it's really embarassing. Seriously, he never stops. O_O ) a man came in with a horse dog nearly as tall as myself! I said something really intelligent like, 'Oh my, that's a big dog.'

[erastes.livejournal.com]

*Laughs* I did exactly the same to a woman with a Weimeramer today!(however you spell it..)

[nagasvoice.livejournal.com]

Hope Severus feels better soon!

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I'm trying to remain hopeful!

[angelabenedetti.livejournal.com]

A lot of vets (or doctors) will prescribe antibiotics with a virus just because the patients (or their owners, or their parents) will whinge about it and kick up a fuss because they don't feel like they've gotten their money's worth unless the doctor actually does something, even if it's just hand them pills. There's nothing you can do for a virus except treat the symptoms and ride it out, but people don't want to hear that, don't understand why it's true, and tend to get grumpy, angry, and occasionally abusive if they're not given pills. Some doctors have just sort of given in and prescribe something antibiotical for viruses because it's easier than explaining to the occasional angry moron what a virus is and why antibiotics won't work on it. The doctors who've been through the angry and abusive patients one time too often will've often just gotten into the habit, even if a particular patient is not being a jerk about it.

This is less common nowadays, though, because the overuse of antibiotics over the years has bred up bacteria which are immune to them. (Using anti-bacterial soap and such at home has the same effect.) My guess is that either Severus had a secondary bacterial infection, or your vet just hasn't gotten the word about restricting antibiotics to cases where they're really necessary and useful.

And I agree with you about cropping ears and docking tails. :/ There may have been circumstances when it made sense, back when, but now? And it never did for your average dog. I've heard that Dobermans, for example, started being docked and cropped when they began to be used as police dogs -- there were cases where a criminal they were after grabbed the dog by its ears or tail and did some serious damage. The handlers at the time figured it was better for the police dog to surgically remove the hand-holds rather than have the dogs hurt worse later with torn ears or broken tails. Okay, fine -- it kinda sucks but it makes some sense under the circumstances. But for show dogs? Or pets? Or guide dogs or rescue dogs or any of the other jobs Dobermans do now? There's no need for it, and I agree that it's barbaric as a breed standard. :/

Angie

[mzcalypso.livejournal.com]

I think the (unprintable) barbarians who set those breed standards should have their own ears docked as proof of their sincerity in their belief that it's a good idea. Lacking tails, maybe a toe or something. Not that I feel strongly about mutilating helpless puppies, or anything...

[smurasaki.livejournal.com]

I'm glad he's eating again. I hope he gets over whatever he's got soon. Poor kitty. :(

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Thanks hun!

[tharain.livejournal.com]

Anyone would think I was a geek or something

And we know THAT isn't so.

Glad to hear he's perked up.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

*smacks you*

[shoeless-girl.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear he's doing better *pets him*

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Thanks sweetie, he's had a full breakfast and is rushing around in the garden! Here's hoping he's on the mend.