EMERGENCY VET TRIP

1. Emergency vet trip.

Since Maisie gave birth to the kittens, her appetite has declined, she's been sick and her previously firm stools have become loose. A new friend who used to be a veterinary nurse called round to check her out and brought a special milky formulation and definitely thought I was doing the right thing by getting her checked out at the emergency surgery on Sunday morning.

Wendy of King's Road Vets had started this a couple of months ago, opening from 10-12 and charging an extra fee (this is standard and expected, please don't think I'm criticising as I'm just glad she was open). Except she wasn't. There just before ten, I waited half an hour before Sue the afternoon receptionist arrived to feed the animals kept in over the weekend. She told me that something had cropped up and Wendy couldn't make it. They had an agreement with a vets at Gateshead and helped me contact them. Of course I had no idea how to get there but I do have satnav. Which I didn't know how to use. Thankfully Sue helped me out with it. To be honest, I was starting get a little frazzled by this time.

Off I set with the directions blaring out. I'm sure at one point it had me going round in circles as I actually knew the route I was going until I got within a half mile of the place as it was a trip I used to make regularly to visit my mother who lived on Gateshead's Low Fell. So I got there and the vet checked out Maisie and the kittens. Apart from Maisie having a high temperature, which she treated with an antibiotic, she couldn't find anything else wrong and the kittens were fine. Maisie herself was very amenable the whole time she was being poked and prodded. The total charge was just over sixty eight pounds and most of that was  emergency fee, so for emergency treatment (one place I know charges over a hundred) that wasn't bad and I felt relieved.

Back at home Maisie's appetite has improved and she hasn't been sick since she got back.

2. Trouble at t'mill.

Sadly it's not just Maisie who needs attention.

The two Fluffy siblings are getting clumpy and smelly fur around their bums and it's too difficult to clean it on my own -I've tried. However they do have an appointment for their second flu jab tomorrow morning so I'll ring before and explain the additional problem as the plan was that after the jab to take them to the re-homing centre.

Fleas are back but I don't have enough Frontline for them all so I dosed the ones I could and had to order more online today. That's just a minor nuisance. A few of them also have the runs which I'll mention at the vets tomorrow.

And then there's Rikki the black and white boy who had an eye operation and I adopted from the re-homing centre. He's very friendly and gets on fine with the other cats but I've just noticed he's getting thin and I've a feeling it isn't because of a lack of food. If I can't get him in with the Fluffys I'll try for a later appointment tomorrow. Given that two weeks ago a cat from the re-homing centre rapidly lost weight, was found to have a massive tumour and had to be put to sleep, you can see which way my thoughts are heading.

Not happy.