"She is a special cat"

Home at last, Tiny sprang from our arms across the threshold.  She couldn't wait to get inside and walked right past her brother toward the kitchen. In the dining room she paused, Baby approached with a tentative nose meep (above photo), and Tiny struck out in rage.

We picked her up this morning, her breathing relaxed and purrbox turned on "high." SO glad to see us, and thrilled to be back home.

Our camera missed the high drama of the moment of contact between Tiny's paw and Baby's eye, but we did manage to capture the Babe's quick turn away from the assault as Tiny hissed and glared her displeasure.

Excerpts from Tiny's discharge report:

Based on her response to therapy in the hospital, [the docs suspect] inflammatory airway disease or feline asthma. Until we have the results of her diagnostic tests [of bronchial secretions], we can't rule out a possible secondary infectious component to her respiratory disease.  For this reason, you should continue her antibiotic [Prednisone replacing Clavomox] therapy until directed to stop.

You should continue to watch her closely at home over the next several days. Tiny is being discharged with an oral steroid medication that will help control her airway disease, but she is also going to go home with inhaled medications. The Albuterol should be used if she has any sudden increases in her respiratory rate or effort. The Flovent should be used on a regular basis.

They gave us a quick lesson in how to give a cat inhaled medications, complete with cat-sized mask that plugs into standard one-size-fits-all valved holding chamber. (There IS an aerosol chamber just for cats on the market, but the Angell Memorial folks didn't seem to be aware of it.) Tiny tried to escape twice -- and this from an experienced technician. We'll have to do it morning and night for the next period of time, together with the two pills ('hope we can get away with concealing those in her food). The printed sheet "Administering inhaled medications" advises

Reward and praise pet to make experience a positive one.

They forgot to add, "Good luck." We don't know whether he says this about all his patients but were touched by Dr. Grossbard's comment at the end of the discharge report:

Thank you for entrusting us with Tiny's care.  She is a special cat.

Wicked special.

Comments

[goomp]

Great to see Tiny home but the nursing care sounds like a full time job but well worth it.

[Tara]

So happy Tiny is home..good luck with administering those meds..but what a small price to pay for having your precious love back with you.

[Helen Smith]

Glad Tiny is back and well.

[Laurence Simon]

It is good that Tiny is back home.

When it comes to sniffs-and-swats, I keep trying to get a Piper thwack of Nardo on film/chip, but she is too fast.

[Kimberly]

Oh, what good news, Sissy! I'm so glad that your beautiful Tiny is home and doing well.

When we bring one of ours home from the vet, the other two hiss, swat and run away. I guess the one who has been to the vet doesn't smell right.

[Joan]

Tiny looks quite funny sticking her tongue out at her brother like that.

Glad she's home, and good luck with the nursing/care.

[pb]

Best news of this entire week. We've been hounding St. Francis with petitions for your precious pet.

Love and kisses, purrs and cuddles.

[Laura Lee Donoho]

Such great news. Thanks for posting the photos.

[plum]

Wicked good news! Best of luck w/ the pilling and meds.

[Scott]

But Baby got the last word - he's sticking his tongue out at Tiny.

That picture is priceless.