Tuesday 18 September 2007

Itching Moggies Part Two

Poor Mollie has had a bad few days. She started itching on Saturday night and by yesterday morning had scratched great lumps of fur from her back. Poor darling looked as if she had eczema, so I whisked her off to the vet as soon as possible. Of course the first available visit wasn’t till 5.30 pm by which time I’d consulted various friends who gasped in horror and said, ‘Oh, Flowerpot. Poor Mollie!’

She did look pretty bad. Even I winced looking at her.

By the time 5.30 arrived I’d looked up eczema, mange and a variety of other skin disorders – cancer included – so you can imagine the state I was in. We got to the surgery which was full of yowling cats, but my weekly visits paid off and Moll just sat, then lay down at my feet and snoozed while I continued to hyperventilate.

The vet was young and Irish and very cheery, put up with Moll’s growling with amazing good nature and decreed that it was a hyperallergic reaction to a flea bite. As we’ve dosed her with Stronghold, that would rule out mange (she does roll in all sorts of ungodly things but the itching isn’t where mange would be), so that was another relief.

She’s now got some anti-inflammatory pills that she has to take a double dose of this week then cut it down to once a day next week, and that should do the trick. In fact she hasn’t itched since she came back so they must be working, and I am hugely relieved that it’s nothing more serious.

The only downside is that now she’s developed this hypersensitivity to flea bites, we have to be very careful it doesn’t happen again, so she must be topped up with Stronghold regularly.

Meanwhile, she looks as if she has galloping alopecia, poor darling. Luckily, given her innate sense of humour and smiling confidence, she carries on as if nothing’s the matter. What a girl!

And I leave you with a quote from my dear SIL that certainly applies to me and my Moll.

“If you have ever been called defiant, incorrigible, forward, cunning, insurgent, unruly, rebellious . . . you’re on the right track.” - Clarissa Pinkola Estes

27 comments:

Westerwitch/Headmistress said...

Poor poor Moggie - I know that horrible feeling when there is something wrong with a much loved animal.

Hi there - I have found you through Crystal Jigsaw . . she is a member of our Purplecoo site and a blogger. She has also tagged me . . . .sigh . . for the Meme . .help can you explain . . .I think I know what to do.

ww

Flowerpot said...

hello there ww/hm and pleased to meet you - please call this way again. The rules of the meme are that you take one aspect of your personality (or something that you care about) for each letter of your name - can be middle name or nickname. Then you nominate other people. Are you more confused now?!

Unknown said...

Poor baby. Mine is now here and complaining in the loo as that was the only place I could put him when they came to clean the apartment. He wasn't well pleased!

Lane Mathias said...

Aw poor Moll. Hope she's getting better.
xx

Flowerpot said...

Liz - glad Snowy has arrived safely. Cats are so good at complaining, aren't they?

Lane - thanks for that. She';s lying underneath the bed as I type, somewhat Subdued for once. Perhaps it's the pills..

Cornish Dreamer said...

Poor Mollie, but thank goodness it wasn't anything more serious (although the poor thing loosing patches of her fur is pretty bad). I hope she gets better and to her usual self soon.

I love the quote btw.

RT

Exmoorjane said...

Yes, I found you via Crystal too - but notice we have many blogging friends in common. Poor pup - I have a Parson Jack Russell, long coated, long-legged, commonly known as Asbo for his bad behaviour. Lovely dogs but barking mad. Awful that she is allergic... Cute cat too!
The quote is great - fabulous author...loved Women who Run with the Wolves.
All best, Jane

Flowerpot said...

RT - yes sh does look awful doesn't she? but it could have been a lot worse. I think the quote's great.

exmoorjane - very glad to meet you and so glad to meet another JR owner!Yes I loved Women who run with the wolves also - had forgotten it was her that wrote it!

Cornish Dreamer said...

p.s. You've been tagged for a meme.

Flowerpot said...

thanks RT - will go and take a look.

tim relf said...

It's always scary, visiting the vets isn't it. I hope your vet is like mine and has a really nice, reassuring manner. There again, if I charged that much I'd willingly be nice and reassuring!

the rotten correspondent said...

So glad she's feeling better and not scratching so badly. Boy, you're really on a pet run aren't you?

Love love love the quote.

Akelamalu said...

Oh no poor mog, at least the itching has eased.

Flowerpot said...

Tim - good to meet you and please pass this way again. We have a large vet practice and some are better than others. The one last night was great though, and itndidnt cost me nearly as much as I'd feared which was a bonus!

correspondent - I know, for someone who never usually goes near the vet, we seem to be living there right now. And yes the quote is great!

Ak - thanks. Itching moggies are a worry!

Flowerpot said...

By the way, the instructions on my blogging here (see wording above This blog does not allow anonymous comments) suddenly turned to German over the weekend. Is this a conspiracy or have I done something to make it think in German? Anyone know?

laurie said...

flowerpot, what does mollie eat? some commercial dogfoods can cause nasty allergic reactions/hot spots.

boscoe had to switch to a very mild, grain-free food because he was getting itchy hot spots on his face and paws.

Siobhan said...

Poor Mollie. My cat Charlie had a similar reaction to a flea bite. The fur has all grown back but with a slightly silver tinge. So he's a "silver back" now. *gg* I'm a new writer with the RNA too, but haven't had my MS returned yet. Fingers crossed!

Anonymous said...

That must have been terrible for you. Sending big cyber hugs. Our animals roll in all sorts, some I haven't clue about. The worst in hen poo!

Enjoyed the meme. Thanks for nominating me!

Crystal xx

Gledwood said...

Hello Flowerpot... oh !! and what odd people you have commenting here!

oer well i wanted to tell you something... about your itchy dog.. i take it that's the dog pictured?

BEFORE I read your text I was about to tell you your dog seriously reminds me of my dwarf dwarf roborovski hamster who goes by the name of Baby Itchy... seriously they DO resemble one another except Baby Itchy is less than 2 inches long... hmmmm....

Lovely blog you've got here. I feel right at home... come by mine if you like you're most welcome!

http://gledwood2.blogspot.com is the place to be! my daily online confessional!

see you there maybe..? all the best

from

gledwood
"vol 2" ...

Gledwood said...

Oh !! I nearly 4got to tell you if you're into flowerpot related things my friend's blog might be your cup of tea it's called Me My Life My Garden and it's all about flowerpotologicalitigies
http://ruthjen.blogspot.com

and I'm at

oh i've already bored you with that info...

have a nice day!!

Hannah Velten said...

Hope Mollie is feeling better - you've had a real run of vet visits, what with Bussie as well.

My blogger has suddenly turned part-German too - is a cyberland conspiracy, I wonder?

Anonymous said...

The poor little love - hopefully on the mend now...

My blogger's all in German too, so you're not the only one!

Elaine Denning said...

The poor thing. I do hope you have pet insurance!

Flowerpot said...

laurie - Moll is on Burns food which is 100% pure stuff so it can't be that but thanks for thinking of it.

Siobhan - welcome and hope to see you again! Glad to hear your cat's better adn fingers crossed for your ms coming back from the NWS - nerve wracking time!

crystal - thanks for the hugs! Much appreciated by all.

Flowerpot said...

gledwood - good to meet you and please call by again. I will check you out later!

Hannah - yes, life has been a bit over written with vets recently - let's hpe this is the end of it all!

Graham - Glad I'm not th eonly one in German - how weird....

MissU - no neither of teh animals have insurance (shhh) - but they've never needed it so far and not sure that these visits would be covered. I might have to think about next eyar though...

Mopsa said...

Everyone is itching - poor old Moll and her allergy and poor old me with my groin itch (it was a tick, honest gov - I have the evidence!)

Flowerpot said...

hope your itching improves soon, Mopsa!