Pushkin Has Been Under The Weather

Pushkin Has Been Under The Weather

I started writing this piece in November 2020; since then, so much has happened, particularly with Pushkin's  health, it is only now - in the first week of January 2021 - I have been able to write something for the blog. 

Little Pushkin - lady-like, inoffensive, our little cat with no meow - has been "going through the mill" over the time leading up to Christmas, enduring more procedures in one week than I think she has had to bear in all her years. 

It started maybe six months or more ago, when we noticed sometimes she would sneeze a few times in quick succession; but then it would pass, and it seemed as though it was just something that had tickled her nose, perhaps a loose hair or something. Pushkin has a very thick double coat, which we brush very regularly, to stop her swallowing too much hair when she is busy washing and grooming herself. (I also enjoy a good sneeze - if I get a whiff of strong perfume, it can set me off and I can sneeze umpteen times until the smell has gone).

Then sometimes she had a little cough, but again, that passed quickly, and she was back to normal, eating regularly and purring for England.

Pushkin doesn't go out wandering in the garden; the most she does during the summer is sit on the roof of the little cat house on the patio, or on the bench and sunbathe - this she needs to produce the vitamin D that she then licks off her fur. Being older now, she also does not jump up on anything, and takes a very lady-like route up onto the bench or cat-house roof, via a low wall and chair!

With this new illness, she started wheezing and gasping, and it was clearly terribly distressing for her to be in that state, and very upsetting for us to see her like that. We took her straight to our local surgery, where all the vets know her from regular routine visits, and she was put into a special kennel, where she was given oxygen therapy. Later that afternoon, the vet rang us to say Pushkin was improving, and she could come home; we went to collect her. The vet brought Pushkin to us in her carrying case, but as he was telling us what medication she had been given, she started to wheeze and gasp for breath again and we realised she as she was no longer on oxygen, she was not well enough to come back home with us. Because our vet's surgery does not have monitoring overnight, Pushkin could not be left in the oxygen kennel until the morning, and our vet didn't hesitate; he said we should take her to Wylie Vets, which is a surgery that is staffed 24 hours, 7 days a week, and where Pushkin could be looked after for as long as necessary, and be on oxygen overnight. He said Pushkin could also have more sophisticated tests there, to find out what the problem was. 

We drove straight to Wylie; she was swiftly admitted, placed on oxygen again, and we gave permission for her to have x-rays and blood tests. By then it was gone 9.00 p.m., but the vets said they would phone us later and let us know how Pushkin was faring. We were happy for them to call us at any time and, true to their word, a vet rang us after midnight to give a progress report: Pushkin had settled in alright, and was breathing better on oxygen. 

Over the next 48 hours, Pushkin was tested for everything they could think of. They felt it would be helpful if she had a CT scan, which would have to be done at another, even more highly equipped veterinary surgery called Southfields, and other tests could also be undertaken there as well.  

We collected Pushkin, and drove her to Southfields; the poor little thing must have wondered where she was going to be taken next, but we knew she was in good hands. 

The CT scan was done, along with investigations up her nose, which showed a small blood clot lodged there; they were able to remove it, and sent tissue samples for histology. The only thing we didn't go for was a lung wash, as we were told that was very invasive, and there was concern about how much Pushkin could stand. 

Pushkin's illness was really perplexing the vets at Southfields as well. All the results came back with no definite diagnosis; there was the possibility of a lungworm infection, although that was thought to be unlikely, and the main diagnosis was feline asthma. Pushkin was given a long-lasting dose of cortisone by injection; we were given antibiotics for her as well, and at  last we were able to bring her home again.  

To begin with, Pushkin accepted the pills wrapped up in a little bit of ham, but she soon got wise to that,  and refused to take them. Next, we tried crushing them up and putting them in the jelly in her food, but Pushkin is not daft, and could eat her way around anything, leaving the pills behind. 

Ten days before Christmas, Pushkin began to breath ever more heavily - rasping, breathing through her mouth, abdominal breathing, her little sides going in and out. Back we went to the vet, and she had another long-lasting cortisone injection, that would hopefully go on for four weeks.

For the first week, Pushkin was a different pussy cat! Tail up, ears up, eating well, doing her little walks round the patio - absolutely normal and lovely! - but then, just before Christmas, it seemed we were back to square one, with Pushkin struggling to breathe. We didn't pause, but went straight back to Wylie vets with her. 

Again, Pushkin was kept in, and placed on oxygen, and the vet prescribed a bronchodilator medication - it comes in capsules, and for her weight, Pushkin needed 1/3 of a capsule. The vet was very understanding, but equally clear: if Pushkin is mouth breathing, and gasping, it is terribly stressful for her, and it would not be right or kind to keep her going like that. 

In that immediate moment, we said we would be grateful if we could get her home, even if only for a day or so, to spend a little more time with her; but that we understood we would not allow Pushkin to suffer, and would bring her back if necessary. 

This brought us up to Christmas Eve, and very aware of the fact Pushkin was so unwell, we watched her even moment; but then she took a turn for the better, and we were so relieved it had proved to be the right decision to bring her home.

We had a happy, gentle family Christmas - much reduced this year, of course, but that was fine by us. We are very mindful and accepting of all the restrictions, and we are patient and will stick to the rules for as long as necessary, but we kept in touch with everyone by WhatsApp and phone and, in a strange sort of way, precisely because of all the difficulties, being able to have that contact was very special. We  must appreciate the positives in life; and another great positive was that Pushkin was home, and part of the celebrations.