Tags: Cats. Pets.
ONE TOUGH KING OF NINGI
We recently discovered our ginger and white tom cat named Milo not eating as well as he normally does. He’s about a year old, and it’s not unusual to see him jumping from tree to tree in the bushland around our home.
We didn’t really pick up too much on his lack of appetite, and were even wondering if perhaps love was to blame — Milo has a new Burmese female friend aptly named ‘Kitty Soft Claws’. While out in the yard greeting a friend just this Saturday morning gone, I noticed Milo stationary and looking very dull in character.
Bearing in mind that his nickname is ‘The King of Ningi’, I knew then and there that something was just not quite right. Poor Milo was unable to walk, had dilated pupils and was almost entirely limp.
Luckily my friend was on the ball: ”Have you checked him for ticks?” My five-year-old son was already all over it “He has something in his ear dad!”. Kids these days are so switched on, they really don’t miss a trick (or a tick!). Sure enough, a tick had its head buried deep into the inside channel of Milo’s ear.
A quick Google to get the facts; the yes’s and no’s of bush parasites, and what should and shouldn’t be done. An even quicker phone call to the veterinary practice confirmed it was best to remove the tick ASAP, so on the rubber gloves went, and my mate was straight in the cat’s ear! He knew how to gently twist the tick without leaving its head inside Milo which would cause more toxin to flow into his bloodstream.
Now, these ticks are nastily little things that can kill your cat or other pets within days by drinking their blood, then infecting them with a type of serum, which paralyses the back legs first, moving upwards towards the front legs and then the chest and lungs.
This obviously makes it impossible to move, and difficult for the family pet to breath while the parasite is draining the life out of him or her. So in the car, the King of Ningi went, and we were off to the only local vet I could find open and was really taken aback, not by a lack of care, but by the cost.
The procedure was to inject him with an antiserum and keep him in for a day or two to be monitored, 50/50 chance of survival. Infinitely better than what we can do to help Milo as a family, “but how much would this cost please?”. “About $500 bucks”.
Wife made the decision: “Sorry I can’t afford that, we have 3 kids and a mortgage, things are a little tight at the moment if you know what I mean? That’s an entire mortgage payment”. I get home and I’m basically at the stage where I’m just hoping he makes it — that was the only vet I could find!
Not too long later, though, I manage to get hold of another one. Jackie of Sandstone Point Vet not only drove to my house in her super mobile vet clinic to inspect Milo but treated him, gave him a course of meds and me a tonne of invaluable advice! The best part?
The entire treatment was just $90! Not $500, but $90! Thanks, Jackie! Now the kids and I are having goes at syringe feeding a cranky King Milo. Let’s hope he makes it.. we’ll let you know in September! Jackie ‘the super vet’, you can call her on 0400 699 704, or email [email protected]
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https://thebribieislander.com.au/bribie-islander-funny-pet-photos/
https://thebribieislander.com.au/taking-pets-on-overseas-holiday/