Vladi is getting lots of T.L.C.Last night we started the boys on their medication (Fenbendazole) to fight the Giardia parasites. We tried the "hold and squirt" method of putting it directly into their mouths, and that was basically impossible. Our mild-mannered boys turned into writhing screeching leopard cats. Especially Vladi, who needs his medicine the most. They clearly were not trying to hurt us (no scratches to be found), but they were willing to hurt themselves to get away. After about a half hour, the pasty medicine was everywhere, on carpets, their fur, our clothes, everywhere except in their bellies. All of us were quite ruffled and a bit pissed.
So we tried a different tact, mixing the food in their canned food, which is a bit of a last resort because they can usually sniff out anything. Amazingly all three boys ate the medicated food and we thought we were home free.
Not so fast...
Today we picked up the second parasite medication (Metronidazole) that is supposed to work together with the first one to kill the highly resistant parasite cysts. It tastes bad, so the pharmacist added chicken flavor. We added it to their favorite canned food and T, U, and V each recoiled away like we had fed them poison. To make matters worse, they lost trust in us, and later on would not even touch the food with the first medicine. So now we have removed all of their dry food, and are waiting for the food-panic to set in. Vladi only made it about two hours before he gulped his dose down. Tanji and Uschi are made of sterner stuff, so it may be a very long ten days of treatment.
So now it us against the cats (or so they think).
Tanji has taken up napping under the ottoman,just in case we try dragging him back to the V-E-T.
Uschi and Vladi are trying safety in numbers.
Poor little Vladi was a bit under the weather today(threw up even without eating his usual grass and spiders).
This is a possible side effect of the medicine so
we are keeping a close eye on him.
Maybe a hug will make him feel better.
Or maybe a big kiss.
Lick, lick, lick.
"Ew, you really need a bath."
Uschi seems to be liking his Vladi-kittena bit more every day.
This is Vladi's dream-come-true.
3 comments:
oooo poor boyz -- IF YOU've ever been on metronidazole you can sympathize w/ the boyz. lets hope YOU won't be taking it too !! side effects are beyond awful. Good luck. m a
Poor boyz! The next-to-last photo of V and U is just precious. I read in one of James Herriot's books that he would swaddle cats in a towel to make it easier to give them medicine. Is that something you wouldn't want to do because they would then utterly reject you?
Oh, we tried that,...>;-) They are strong and willful!
We really aren't worried about them hurting us, we fought hard with them and we didn't get even a scratch.
We think they will fight so hard that they will hurt themselves.
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