Visit to the Vet...Round 2

What a week it has been with our cat, Ollie! The poor thing and his paw have made me so sad! Wednesday seemed to be a promising visit with the vet, as she said it looked as if his paw pad was still attached enough that it could grow back. However, in the past 2 days, the paw pad kept peeling and peeling and the toe pads have since cracked. Since our normal vet couldn't take us for an appointment until Monday afternoon, I decided to take Ollie to the emergency vet this morning. First of all...this vet was SUPER nice and I wish she was our vet all of the time! She just kept telling Ollie how cute he was and how she loved his face :) One look at his paw and she determined that she had to cut the large paw pad off and noticed that the smaller toe pads are going to fall off. She also mentioned that his paw felt really warm :( The poor thing! But I knew we were in the right place and he was going to be taken care of. So, the tech comes in and takes Ollie from me...it was actually hard to not be able to go with him. I just wanted him to have a familiar face with him. I was texting back and forth with Brian and my mom and they were trying to make me feel better about everything. And then, I heard it...Ollie screaming like I had never heard before. It was such an awful feeling and as much as I say, "He's just a cat", I think if you have ever owned an animal, you know how I feel!

Soon afterwards the tech brought him back all bandaged up and she told me that he was fine when they were cutting the pad, but when they got to putting the bandage on, he wanted nothing to do with it!

Here are some photos of Ollie with his bandage...and the one above just to show you the look of tiredness on his poor little face!

Adventures at the Vet's Office!

Well, this week has been a little different for us. Our little boy cat, Ollie, was limping around the house on Wednesday morning. I checked out his paws and didn't see anything alarming, so I thought maybe he just got something stuck in one of them. That afternoon, he was still limping...not even putting any weight on his back leg, which is when Brian remembered Ollie jumping onto the still hot stove after he shut it off when making chicken for dinner. We checked his paws again and that's when we noticed the blistering and wrinkling of his pads. Not good! I didn't have time right then to take him to the vet because I had an appointment to get to and had to babysit right after, so I spent the time worrying about my little furry child.

So, I get home from babysitting and Brian and I decide to try to make a "home-made" cast for Ollie's foot. We get the Neosporin out, the gauze, some tape, and I instantly become a doctor. However, Ollie doesn't think this is too much fun and after some nipping at Brian (I made him hold Ollie!) we let him go with his new attachment. Except, Ollie isn't liking it too much and shakes his leg as hard as he can until the "cast" falls off. Hmmm...our plan didn't work.

I wake up yesterday morning and the poor cat is now jumping on 3 legs, which is quite impressive to watch, yet sad at the same time. I, again, check out the wound and his large pad is now peeling off, with 2 of the smaller ones looking like raisins. Man...this guy got himself good! I call the vet and make an appointment for 3pm and am told that they might need to cut the pads off...geez louise, I think I could get sick at the thought of it!

The little boy is so pathetic...he climbed right into his carrier as if to say, "I'm ready for the doctor to fix me!" We arrive at the vet's office for his appointment and are taken into an exam room by one of the vet's assistants. She weighs him and takes his temperature, which is when I start asking her questions about the possibility of cutting "it" off (and by it, I mean the pad). Our conversation went something like this:

Me: "So, do you think that the vet will cut it off today if she thinks it looks bad?"
Assistant: "Well, we would only cut it off as a last resort. She will do everything she can before then to save it.
Me: "If she does cut it off, how is it done? With scissors or something?"
Assistant: "Oh no, it would be a surgery that he would have to be put under for."
Me: "Does something like that grow back?"
Assistant: "No, he will have a stub that will not grow bigger."
Me: "You're talking about his pad right? Because I'm talking about taking his pad off."
Assistant: "Oh...I thought you were talking about amputating his foot! HAHA!"

In hind-sight, this lady probably thought I was WACKO! Amputating his foot because of a burn? Cutting "it" off with scissors?! Asking if "it" would grow back...all the while she is thinking that I am talking about his foot!

Ollie and I walked out of the vet's office with some pain medication and antibiotics for him and an appointment for a follow-up next Thursday. The vet wants to see if the pad will heal itself before cutting it off...seeing as it could take Ollie up to 6 months to heal if she did that. So, we shall see...I am hoping next Thursday has a good outcome. And I hope that no amputations have to take place!

11 Rules to a Happy Marriage

Ever since I have known Carolyn and Phil, they have had something titled "11 Rules to a Happy Marriage" framed and hanging above their kitchen sink. As many times as I have read it, it never really took on any meaning to me until now...since I am married! So, I thought I would share it:

1. Never both be angry at once.
2. Never yell at each other unless the house is on fire.
3. Yield to the wishes of the other as an exercise in self-discipline, if you can't think of a better reason.
4. If you have a choice between making yourself or your mate look good choose your mate.
5. If you feel you must criticize, do so lovingly.
6. Never bring up a mistake of the past. Your silence will be greatly appreciated.
7. Neglect the whole world rather than each other.
8. Never let the day end without saying, at least, one complimentary thing to your life's partner.
9. Never meet without an affectionate greeting.
10. When you've said or done something hurtful, acknowledge it and ask for forgiveness.
11. Remember, it takes two to get an argument going. Invariably, the one who is wrong will be doing most of the talking.