the daily snivel

George the cat has not been feeling well lately and, despite our very best efforts to ease his growing discomfort, he was showing very clear signs of inflammatory bowel disorder. This condition is usually the result of a food allergy, causing inflammation of a cat's digestive tract and typically manifests as regular, if not daily, vomiting.

We'd managed to get the vomiting under control several months ago with a hypoallergenic cat food formula (such foods get their protein source from animals that cats typically aren't exposed to and as such lack antibodies for, like duck or kangaroo), but George's allergic reactions were at best diminished rather than completely controlled. He developed numerous hot spots on his skin that he would scratch or groom obsessively, most vividly on his tummy. Earlier this winter we put him in a cone-shaped e-collar to keep himself from grooming so obsessively, but he quickly learned how to contort himself around it to resume all-access tummy licking, and in any case seemed to also be allergic to the plastic it was made out of. Around two weeks ago, his belly had reached the point that his belly had been licked completely clean of hair, and was red, raw, and weepy. He would lie down on a bed and leave a wet spot, it was so bad.

Although we had taken him to the veterinarian before about his problems, the best they could do was give him a shot of corticosteroids and recommend further testing. Corticosteroids and other anti-inflammatory drugs are, unfortunately, not at all good for cats, as they pose a high risk of causing kidney damage. So we're reluctant to use them as a long-term solution.

At any rate, George was clearly no longer feeling well, despite being as good-natured and loving as ever. So it was time to take him to the vet.

This time, we chose the Bytown Cat Hospital, hoping to have him treated in a facility with more expertise in diagnosing and treating these kinds of problems (as well as finding a vet with a better bedside manner than we`ve had the luck to encounter before). We took him there a week ago, and they also quickly suspected that he had inflammatory bowel problems -- given his symptoms and history, he was the right age, was an indoor cat, and didn't come into contact with other animals or pets. George was subjected to the indignity of a blood test to rule out any feline diseases or organ problems (but he was "very brave" about the big needle, according to the vet), and promptly scheduled for a skin biopsy (to rule out parasites or skin diseases) and more injections for the coming Thursday. In the meantime, he was sent home with a super deluxe prescription-only hypoallergenic cat food (made out from only the finest ducks -- no ash or carrots or snouts for my big sensitive boy!) and the distinct odour of rubbing alcohol emanating from where the vet stuck him.

I took him to his next big appointment on my way to work on Thursday -- during the day, he was put under a general anaesthetic, had various bits of him shaved, some skin samples were removed, and he was sutured back up. Then his claws were trimmed, his belly was thoroughly cleaned, and he was given a dose of antibiotics and a shot of steroids to take down his inflammation and help him heal.

Eight hundred dollars later, George is back home and clearly feeling much better. He bounced right back from the anaesthesia, and takes every opportunity to seek cuddles, purr loudly, and otherwise hang out with his favourite people in a state of contentment and comfort. He even stoically puts up with having a pill shoved down his throat twice a day.

Happily, he is hungrily addicted to his new cat food, gobbling it up with vigour and relish as soon as we feed him, and no longer listlessly picks at it like he did with the old food (nor does he signal his disappointment with it by leaving large piles of half-crunched crumbs on the floor as he once did). His belly and his other hot spots are healing up wonderfully -- and as much as the steroids and antibiotics are to be credited for this, I am of the firm belief that he's finally eating cat food that isn't provoking an allergic reaction in him. He seems so much more comfortable and happy these days.

My friend (and roommate) Mel and I couldn't be more relieved. We've been very concerned about our cat's health, and it is very upsetting to watch an animal (especially one you love) in such discomfort. We had to pull together a lot of resources, and beg and borrow some money, to make this work. Of course, we don't regret spending the money we did on him at all, but it was certainly a huge blow to our limited finances this month. Neither of us have or make a lot of money, and the veterinarian bill was paid out of money that normally goes to food and rent and other bills. But seeing George purr, and loll about happily, and smack his chops after eating his new food, makes it all worthwhile. I'm looking very forward to the day I can pet his belly without saying "eww" to myself.

I watched an episode of Family Guy tonight where Peter sprayed himself with "Tag Body Spray for Sick Cats," only to be swarmed by coughing, barfing, mangy, sick cats (including one wearing a cone-shaped e-collar) -- and, as he tries to pet one, displays the same grossed-out horror that George's angry belly inspired in me before his big day at the vet. It made me laugh, if only because my special little guy is doing so much better.

So, the moral of the story is that George is going to be just fine. Unfortunately, my beloved iBook is not. It has developed a logic board problem and is so ancient that it has long outlived even the extended warranty I bought for it all those years ago. I'm going to try to see if I can sweet talk Apple's customer relations into extending its logic board repair program (which ended well over a year ago), but if that fails I'm afraid I will be without a home computer until I start making a lot more money. Between the cat and the student loans and having to eat, I don't have anything to spare for my trusty old Mac.

Says Rob, the poor little rich lawyer.