Jennings Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Thank goodness I was in class this morning and not stuck in an OR until god knows when today. Got home around 1345 to find my kitty (Friday) doing some coughing/sneezing. I didn't think all that much of it, but within just a few minutes she was clearly in distress and drooling copiously. Called the emergency vet clinic in town and they said to bring her on over. By the time I started the car to let it cool down some (it was 94 here today...) and came back in the house, she was *clearly* in distress - panting furiously, drooling like crazy, and then with projectile vomiting. I scooped her up and put her in the car and off we went. When we got to the clinic she had blowout diarrhea in the exam room and more vomiting, and by now was pretty much flat out and still panting like crazy. The wonderful staff at the clinic checked her for all the usual suspect viral diseases (all negative), gave her some benadryl, started fluids, and oxygen. The vet called a bit later and said that she seemed to be responding to the fluids, but that her hematocrit (the percentage of blood that's made up of solids - i.e. not plasma) was 60%!! Not conducive to life. Like having oatmeal in your veins. The fluid would help that. Given her symptoms and lack of any known pathology, we pretty much decided it must have been a copperhead bite, although there was no obvious wound or swelling anywhere (I suspect it may have nailed her on a foot). A while later the vet called back to say her clotting times were (literally) off the chart high, further indicating a probable copperhead bite. Fortunately she seems to be responding appropriately now, and as of just a few minutes ago the vet is optimistic for a recovery. Antivenin is available, but the soonest we could get it is tomorrow afternoon, and it's about $2000 a dose - plus it comes with potentially serious and long lasting side effects for very little likely benefit. Seems like she's doing well enough on her own, so unless something changes she should be able to come home tomorrow, but will need to lie low for a few days. Copperheads are everywhere in most of the eastern US, so beware! They're not usually fatal for larger pets and humans, but for smaller pets (Friday is 14 lb), they can be. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
warthoglvr Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Wow, glad to hear Friday is responding to treatment. Poor kitty. Sounds like she might not be here if you had not come home when you did. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gary F Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Sorry to hear about your kitty, Jennings. Hope she's doing better and has a full recovery. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gonzalo Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Our animals are very dear to us....I hope your cat has a full recovery. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ikar Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Glad to hear your cat is getting better. I know what it's like when something happens to a pet. I hope your cat makes a full recovery. I haven't seen any dangerous snakes in my area and the outside cats have taken out rats, mice, mole, and a few black snakes. They've been lucky so far. Their most dangerous opponent would be a couple of the neighbors and a couple diseases that have popped up. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ross blackford Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 :D, I know what you're feeling Jennings. Earlier this year my greyhound Jack was staying at a friends house and her young employee forgot to close the garden shed door when they went to work on this particular morning. One of their clients postponed the work they were going to do at her house that day so they went home early. It's just as well they did because Jack came down the yard to greet her and then started walking back up the yard towards the shed. She noticed his back legs weren't working properly and then saw something lying in the grass. When she investigtaed it was a packet of snail bait. There were two packets ont he top shelf of the racking in her shed. One dog friendly and the other non-dog friendly. Yep. You guessed it. He'd chosen the non-dog friendly one. By the time she rang me and got him into her car he was having a ferbile convulsion and when she got him to the vet about 20 minutes from her place his temp was 41.9 celcius. After a lot of loving care from the vets he recovered fully and they told me I could take him home on the Friday. The incident happened on the Tuesday. It did cost me $3000 though. The vet estimated that he'd eaten the bait just a few minutes before my friend arrived home and fortunately he'd not eaten very much of it. Just enough to make him very sick. I hope Friday makes a full recovery in the next week or so. Our pets are part of us aren't they? I had to take him back a few times for blood tests and the last time I took him back he was out the back for a really long time. One of the young female vets came out to talk to me and I asked her why he was taking so long. Had they found something new? Was the blood gas machine broken? Was he alright? Her reply? None of the first two and yes he's fine. He's in the boss's office getting kisses and cuddles from all the girls. The head vet herself was surprised at his rapid recovery. She reckoned it was a miraculous recovery and he had his photo taken and became their "Dog of the Month" on their Facebook page. I hope that Friday is soon back to being her normal self. This incident made me appreciate Jack even more than before. , Ross. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SERNAK Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I'm glad to hear your cat is doing better now Jennings but, if you have a small opening on your kitchen's door for the cat to go out and in the house, have you checked if the snake has got into the house? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChippyWho Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 What a blow -so pleased to hear that the prognosis is good, though. The snakes here in the UK are pretty boring and non-threatening, I'm happy to say, but while staying in Seattle a while back I met a charming little black shorthair who had fallen foul of some venom. Despite a trip right up to death's door, she had fully recovered with only a horse-shoe shape around the bite where the fur never fully grew back! Otherwise as bouncy as you could wish. Best wishes to you and to Friday for a speedy recovery. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bigasshammm Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Good on ya for taking care of kitty so well. Definitely saved her. I saw a video online of snake venom mixed with blood and it instantly turned into a jello like substance. Can't imagine what that would feel like inside you. Hope all is well for the recovery. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Horrido Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Glad to hear things worked out for Friday. I am absolutely amazed there was no tell-tale swelling or inflammation from the bite. The snakes here in the UK are pretty boring and non-threatening, I'm happy to say, but while staying in Seattle a while back I met a charming little black shorthair who had fallen foul of some venom. How did a cat in Seattle get nailed by a western rattlesnake (other than in transit from east of the mountains)? http://naturemappingfoundation.org/natmap/maps/wa/reptiles/WA_w_rattlesnake.html Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ben Brown Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Glad to hear your furry member of the family is recovering! I went several years without seeing a copperhead around here (central NC), and now I've relocated two in the last two months. Ben Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Horrido Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 The snakes here in the UK are pretty boring and non-threatening, http://www.forestry..../forestry/adder Enjoy your hike! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChippyWho Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 (edited) http://www.forestry..../forestry/adder Enjoy your hike! ...HIKE???! :rofl: But ye have to admit these are pretty lame compared to more exotic critters. I mean, '...nausea and drowsiness...severe swelling and bruising...'! I live in NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, ffs -any single day without at least three of the above is a win for me...! (Love the bullet holes...) Edited June 23, 2015 by ChippyWho Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rightwinger26 Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I know it doesn't compare in severity, but I came downstairs yesterday to find my beagle standing in the middle of the living room with an empty Tyson chicken nugget bag all the way over his head, licking the inside clean. That was the first clue he'd tipped the trash can over. He's lucky I like him.......sometimes Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bigasshammm Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I know it doesn't compare in severity, but I came downstairs yesterday to find my beagle standing in the middle of the living room with an empty Tyson chicken nugget bag all the way over his head, licking the inside clean. That was the first clue he'd tipped the trash can over. He's lucky I like him.......sometimes :rolleyes:/> Were they dinosaur nuggets? Maybe all the Jurassic World commercials confused him? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rightwinger26 Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Were they dinosaur nuggets? Maybe all the Jurassic World commercials confused him? Dinosaurs do taste better than chickens. I can't say that I blame him, I mean the nugget, the finger and the tender are the best three parts of the chicken. I seriously had trouble getting mad at him because is was so.....unique, it was actually kind of genius. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted June 23, 2015 Author Share Posted June 23, 2015 Just home from the vet. Miss Friday seems not much worse for the wear. Shaved neck and front leg where they did blood draws and IV catheters, and she's pretty stinky from the diarrhea, but I'm not going to torture her with a bath right now. Got some Chinese herbal medication to help with the lack of clotting factors in her blood, so we'll see how well that goes. Always fun trying to give a cat medication. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Horrido Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 ...HIKE???! But ye have to admit these are pretty lame compared to more exotic critters. Regarding your homegrown adders, I think it's unfair to describe them as "lame": http://vignette2.wik...=20111023142313 Always fun trying to give a cat medication. I distinctly remember you mentioning you use a CO2 tank for airbrushing, and a toddlers inhalation mask should be readily available considering your profession... (From someone who's spent far too much time medicating and flushing the wounds of a cat that should know better.) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChippyWho Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 (edited) How did a cat in Seattle get nailed by a western rattlesnake (other than in transit from east of the mountains)? http://naturemappingfoundation.org/natmap/maps/wa/reptiles/WA_w_rattlesnake.html Dunno what kind of snake the perp was. I do know the kitty's family moved around a heck of a lot, though! Mostly California, Oregon, Washington. Regarding your homegrown adders, I think it's unfair to describe them as "lame": http://vignette2.wik...=20111023142313 Well, I think old Edmund's bark was usually worse than his bite in all four incarnations! Thanks for the update Jennings -I'm sure we're all pleased that the babe is out of the worst, and it is incredible how resilient they are. Give her a big hug from me -once she's lost that distinctive aroma! Edited June 23, 2015 by ChippyWho Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChesshireCat Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Thank goodness I was in class this morning and not stuck in an OR until god knows when today. Got home around 1345 to find my kitty (Friday) doing some coughing/sneezing. I didn't think all that much of it, but within just a few minutes she was clearly in distress and drooling copiously. Called the emergency vet clinic in town and they said to bring her on over. By the time I started the car to let it cool down some (it was 94 here today...) and came back in the house, she was *clearly* in distress - panting furiously, drooling like crazy, and then with projectile vomiting. I scooped her up and put her in the car and off we went. When we got to the clinic she had blowout diarrhea in the exam room and more vomiting, and by now was pretty much flat out and still panting like crazy. The wonderful staff at the clinic checked her for all the usual suspect viral diseases (all negative), gave her some benadryl, started fluids, and oxygen. The vet called a bit later and said that she seemed to be responding to the fluids, but that her hematocrit (the percentage of blood that's made up of solids - i.e. not plasma) was 60%!! Not conducive to life. Like having oatmeal in your veins. The fluid would help that. Given her symptoms and lack of any known pathology, we pretty much decided it must have been a copperhead bite, although there was no obvious wound or swelling anywhere (I suspect it may have nailed her on a foot). A while later the vet called back to say her clotting times were (literally) off the chart high, further indicating a probable copperhead bite. Fortunately she seems to be responding appropriately now, and as of just a few minutes ago the vet is optimistic for a recovery. Antivenin is available, but the soonest we could get it is tomorrow afternoon, and it's about $2000 a dose - plus it comes with potentially serious and long lasting side effects for very little likely benefit. Seems like she's doing well enough on her own, so unless something changes she should be able to come home tomorrow, but will need to lie low for a few days. Copperheads are everywhere in most of the eastern US, so beware! They're not usually fatal for larger pets and humans, but for smaller pets (Friday is 14 lb), they can be. my two main hobbies are fly fishing and red heads, as most folks will tell you. I like fishing from the Smokey Mountains up thru Sky Line Drive, ad this place is copperhead city! Never worry too much about rattle snakes. Yet I've came close to being bitten more than once. I also fish out west a lot, and this place can be very dangerous as well. Utah must have a rattler under every patch of shade! Montana and northern Wyoming also presents big bears into the mix (ones with a serious bad temper). There's danger everywhere. gary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dnl42 Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Good to here kitty is doing better. What about that snake? Any idea whence it came, where the attack occurred, or where it went? Wouldn't be fun to do this again... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted June 23, 2015 Author Share Posted June 23, 2015 No clue. We have a pet door so they come and go as they please. Also, we live out in the country, and copperheads are everywhere. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Liberator24 Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 To take a line from Platoon(Somewhat)...Did you see that head come apart? Shooting a poisonous snake is the best enjoyment in Bama. Dad and granfather took out a nine foot Rattler on time with the shotgun. Pieces of that smakes head has still yet to come back to Earth... Glad to hear about the family pet. My Russian Blue got spit in the eye by one of those stick like bugs....now, I use a can of WD40 and a match for each one I can find....pissed me off bad... -Jim Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted June 25, 2015 Author Share Posted June 25, 2015 Kitty is still feeling pretty puny today. But she ate about a tablespoon full of stinky wet food this morning, and felt good enough to go outside and lie in the grass for a little bit. A 14 lb cat vs. a pit viper... who'd have even guessed she'd survive it? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dnl42 Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 Stinky wet food is the best, at least, that's what my two GSDs show me when they eat. :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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