Update on Ellie Bean

Haven't had time for much in the last week. Miss Ellie did in fact have her procedures last Monday. She was spayed, microchipped, and multiple biopsies were taken. We added a second antibiotic to her meds list because the vet found blood in her urine as well. She was already on one to help calm down her guts, along with a probiotic.

Honestly we were torn about doing the spay when we did, but we needed samples for biopsy and she kept trying to sneak outside and meet up with a couple of local tom cats. Knowing that an adventure like that would definitely kill her, we opted for spaying her while she was under for biopsies.

She spent her first night home in Mercedes' kennel after she irritated her sutures by crawling inside the box springs of the guest bed. Also she didn't do well in the donut thing. At all. We decided it was because she was too weak to mover her head while wearing it.

So I modified a onsie to see if that would protect her sutures.... that didn't last long.

Ultimately it was decided that I would just move into the guest room and be with her 24/7 for a couple of days because gentle redirection kept her from messing with her stitches. And all she wanted to do was snuggle anyway. We did block her access to the box springs before allowing her back in there. She wouldn't even look out the window until Friday. She was too tired and weak to care. I thought I'd have to syringe feed her if she didn't perk up soon.

We ended up back at the vet's on Thursday because she was still so lethargic and not eating/drinking well. She got some fluids and another shot of pain medicine, which helped immensely. While we were there, her biopsy results came in. In layman's terms, all of the strange swelling, the weird ropy scarring on her back leg, her inability to gain weight, is all because her system was strained for so long due to the parasites. She's so weak that it takes a lot for her to fight off anything and quite frankly she's lucky to be alive.

Our new plan of action is to get her to eat any way we can and once the sutures are removed, we'll start a course of steroids to give her a boost. FuzzyHusband produced cans of tuna in water and chicken legs to roast. Those have gone over very well with herself.

She's looking much better now. (Yes I still need to put away the Christmas tree. Been too sick to bother with it.) She's still not very energetic, but she'll come out of the room and inspect things on the main floor. No access to stairs just yet. I want those sutures out first.

That's all for now. She's doing well enough that I can actually get some housework done, so I"m off to do that. See you next week!