Friday 11 January 2013

The New Year does not start well...

After our lovely festive season which was topped off by the great meal at Annie's yesterday the New Year is not going so well.  We have been concerned by the gradual deterioration in Chivers' health and Minnie Mou seems to have become increasingly lethargic and picky about her food and both have been doing this salivating thing although Chivers much more so than Minnie.

We had hoped that it was just something that would pass but after Chivers started to throw up frothy liquid during the night we realised that there was no option but to go down to the vets first thing this morning and take both of them to make sure that they weren't passing something between one another.

The only vet that seemed to be open was the vets where Chivers managed to escape from an overnight stay - John would have preferred to go elsewhere but needs must so off we went with one in each basket, firmly in the boot with a blanket over them to try and stop them screaming the place down, they get distressed and we get distressed - it would be so much nicer if we did not have a twenty minute drive - sometimes it feels like a lifetime and, as we had to pass the scene of my recent speeding offence we really couldn't afford to break the ridiculous speed limit imposed there.

Minnie is suffering with a chronic ear condition in her right ear - she has always had a problem with this and she is so difficult to administer any kind of medication to that we really struggle with her.  She also appears to have a sore throat, hence the salivating thing and for this she needs antibiotics and an anti inflammatory drug.  She also has a strange patch on her chin which we thought started out as a tick and then I managed to remove something like a grass seed - the patch is now black and flakey - it doesn't seem to bother her and to be honest it was the least of our worries today but we are to keep an eye on it - if she will let us.

Chivers is much more poorly.  He seems to have some form of laryngitis and is very dehydrated and not eating.  His temperature and heart appeared normal but his initial blood tests showed adverse readings due to the dehydration.  Dr Inna was apprehensive about keeping him over because of the last episode so it was agreed that he would have some subcutaneous saline pockets dotted around his body to try and rehydrate and the drugs he required were to be given by syringe and Dr Inna agreed that John could do this at home after she watched him do it in the surgery.  This meant we could take him home where he would be less stressed.  We were told to watch him and then if there was no improvement return on Friday.

We made our way slowly back home rather exhausted by the whole experience and decided to slob out in front of the TV whilst keeping a watchful eye on the two cats.  Minnie Mou was absolutely traumatised by the whole experience and ran around on her knees before shooting off outside not to be seen for hours.

Chivers on the other hand was much more lethargic and we needed to keep him in - he is looking increasingly shaky and unwell.  We decided to light the fire and keep him warm but no amount of encouragement would make him eat and getting him to drink water was a battle.

I am not sure my initial choice of film was the best bearing in mind that we were both feeling so concerned and helpless.  I had selected Oranges and Sunshine - The film is based on the true story of  Margaret Humphreys a social worker from Nottingham who uncovered the scandal of "home children" a scheme of forcibly relocating poor children from the UK to Australia and Canada. Margaret reunites estranged families and brings worldwide attention to the cause. Deported children were promised oranges and sunshine but they got hard labour and life in institutions such as Keaney College in Bindoon Western Australia.  The British Government has ultimately had to apologise for their actions and rightly so - watch the film, if you didn't know anything about this scandal then you will probably find the revelations quite disturbing.  

My second choice was an archetypal Ken Loach offering featuring gritty folk from ooop North - as far North as Scotland in fact and was called "The Angel's Share".

It tells the story of a young Glaswegian father who narrowly avoids a prison sentence. He is determined to turn over a new leaf and when he and his friends from the same community payback group visit a whisky distillery, a route to a new life becomes apparent.

It was an ok film, funny in parts, violent in others and with the broad Scottish accent quite difficult to follow in places.

We were going to have some pork loin for tea but with everything that had gone one during the day we kind of lost our appetites so it was pickies - crisps and cheese and biscuit.  Minnie eventually came back in - she had a short memory - and she seems none the worse for her visit to the vet.  Chivers on the other hand doesn't seem to be responding at all and no amount of encouragement has made him eat anything although we had had some small amounts of water - he just keeps looking at us with sad eyes and we just want to take away his pain.

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