I was getting ready to feed the cats this evening when I noticed Wobbles, our remarkable little cat with cerebellar hypoplasia, hiding in the back of a crate. He usually comes right up to greet me at the door, so this was odd. I got down and looked inside the crate, and I could tell right away something was wrong. He looked unhappy, and he made no effort to come out to see me.
I pulled him out and realized he felt warm to the touch. Uh oh. He was doing open-mouth breathing and it seemed labored. I brought him into the house, took his temperature, and got 105 degrees. With that, I called our specialist in Missoula, Dr. Dave Bostwick, who has treated Wobs before for pneumonia. Dave was still at his clinic, which becomes Missoula's small animal emergency hospital at night and on weekends. (Very convenient!) I hopped in the truck and rushed Wobs to town. It's an hour-long drive, and during it Wobs sat peacefully on the front seat, wrapped in a towel.
At the clinic the emergency vet examined Wobbles and shot chest X-rays, and then we put Wobs in the oxygen cage. Dave came in to read the X-rays and consult with the vet. Wobs appears to have pneumonia again, something he gets about twice a year. Why we don't know. The emergency vet started Wobs on IV fluids, gave him two injectable antibiotics (Ampillicin and Baytril), and drew blood for a full CBC and chem panel. In addition, Dave did an ultrasound of Wobbles' chest to determine whether any fluid was building up (only a little so far). They'll continue the oxygen therapy overnight, and Dave will examine him again in the morning.
The bill just for tonight came to $395.75, and will undoubtedly grow over the weekend. But this little wobbly cat is worth every penny. He's really special to us, and we just need him to pull through.
(Click on photo for larger image.)
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