monty hospitalized

21Jul08

One week after Monty was adopted, he started grooming himself. I was told this was a good sign and showed he has become comfortable in his environment. It also meant that I had to brush him a lot less and that there would be much less shedding on my furniture and clothes!

Last Sunday my sister mentioned that Monty was making small sneezing/coughing noises. Two days later it became a hacking/retching noise. Bryce had cared for two long-haired cats in the past and mentioned it was reminiscent of them trying to cough up a hairball. Each time, Monty would shake it off, swallow and go about his business. Bryce and I made sure to assure him it was okay to vomit by speaking to him in a soft voice (”It’s okay to puke. Bryce will clean it up.“) and petting him carefully. Each time we paid attention to him after each episode, he turned away and crawled under the bed to hide. This led us to suspect he was punished for vomiting or coughing up hairballs in the past.

On Friday morning, my sister (she stays over my apartment half the week) called to tell me Monty had vomited while she was heading out to work. (I instructed her to take a photo so I can share it in this blog, soon to come when she emails it to me!) Bryce was home that day and I pleaded him to come over to clean up the vomit and to check up on Monty. While he was over, Monty hid under the bed and only came out every hour to vomit. After the second time, he was no longer vomiting food or hairballs, it was just bile and mucus. Bryce called the hospital but could not book him an appointment until 5:20 PM. Monty was visibly uncomfortable so we decided to drop him off at the hospital and have him stay there until he can be attended to. I left work and ran to the hospital at 3:30 PM. I caught up with Bryce a block from the hospital when he was dropping him off. I’m sure they saw the panic and concern in our eyes because Monty was taken to the back right away to be looked at by the vet (in between her other appointments). We were instructed to return at 5:20 PM.

Dr. Anna Wallace looked at Monty and concluded he needed to stay overnight. His esophagus was very irritated, he had a fever, he couldn’t keep down any food or liquid, his stomach was inflated from the air he gulped while swallowing (he kept swallowing to ease the pain). He was given an X-ray to see if there was any obstruction. He was injected pain medication and was sedated to have a deep oral exam to make sure there are no lumps or punctures along his esophagus, as well as to let some air out from his stomach.

On Saturday morning, Dr. Janet Adam (Monty’s regular vet) called to notify me that Monty’s condition didn’t improve overnight. Monty was given a Barium X-ray to map out his esophagus, intestines and organs to make sure everything was in order. In the afternoon, Dr. Adam called me to inform me that they were able to administer about half of the barium and Monty kept throwing up the rest. She also mentioned that the barium is moving through Monty at a very slow rate. She explained that when cats are ill and stressed, their metabolism slows down and things take much longer to pass through. However, it can also be due to an obstruction that they have not yet detected. She also informed me that Monty is again bloated and his pain medication dosage will be increased. I was allowed to visit him between 3 to 4 PM if I wish to see him.

Bryce accompanied me and we were led to the back where Monty was being treated. I brought him his favourite mouse toy and his brush. He was in the cage closest to the floor, huddled in the corner with a cone around his head. He looked dull. His eyes were fully dilated, his fur lost its sheen and he stared far off into nothing. He looked so small and unsure of everything. At this moment, tears had started rolling down my face and I was silently crying just from seeing him in that condition.

A technician removed the cone around his head and asked us to make sure he doesn’t gnaw or pull out his IV line. He recognized Bryce and I. He tilted his head each time I placed the brush at his side. We talked and petted him for until visiting hours were over.

I don’t remember much of what happened that evening. I remember Dr. Adam called me at 6 PM before she left to inform me that only half of the barium has passed through Monty’s system. He will be in close watch that night and that all of the barium should pass by the next morning. I also remember calling the hospital at 12:30 AM to ask about Monty’s condition. The night nurse informed me that Monty still has a fever but his condition is better than the night before.

I was woken up at 9:30 AM on Sunday by a phone call from the hospital. It was Dr. Adam who told me Monty was feeling better. He was responsive despite having his pain medication dosage decreased and he was head-butting everyone (a sure sign he was in a good mood)! She said they will try to feed him solid food and if he’s able to eat and pass it through that day, he may be going home that night. I was elated!

That afternoon, Dr. Adam called again to give me the good news. Monty ate and pooped! Instead of coming just to visit him, I can come later that day to take him home. Bryce and I headed to PetSmart to buy him some presents to welcome him back home.

Monty left the hospital at 5:30 PM Sunday evening. His final diagnosis was severe esophagitis (likely hairball related). His throat is still irritated but he’s on the road to recovery. He’ll need to be fed Tonic lax (a hair ball remedy) from now on. For a week, he’ll need to be given a dose of Pepcid to block his stomach acid. His final bill came to $1,200. My mom and sister will contribute some money. His temporary introductory insurance will cover $425 ($500 for First Time Illness with a $75 deductible).

Here is Monty’s souvenir.

All that pain and trouble could have been prevented if only he wasn’t too damn polite to puke.

Monty is doing well. He’s excited to be back home. In fact, he’s rubbed up against everything and all corners are once again covered in fur. This is him Monday morning. I don’t think all his medication has passed through his system because he was staring at the back of his paw for quite some time.

Filed under: monty and the vet, monty the cat, sick monty   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: cat hospital, cat hospitalization, esophagitis, sick cat