Happily Ever After
Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running
Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.
A Date with the Doctor
by admin - 20:34 on 13 February 2012
Bess was fortunate – Dr Death was busy creating a bright yellow cast for an unfortunate labrador so one of his colleagues examined our plucky puss, who remained remarkably placid throughout her ordeal.
Much stethoscope work followed, after which Dr Vet declared that the patient was in mostly good health apart from a suspicion of a heart murmur. This was unexpected. To enable further investigation, a small hole was shaved on Bess's neck and blood extracted, to be tested while we took an anxious fifteen-minute Tesco break.
Back in the clinic, Dr Vet's diagnosis was still vague: possible kidney problems (they're closely linked to the feline heart); possible petit mal; possible just-one-of-those-things-that-can't-be-explained. A glance at the still patient patient's medical history revealed a small weight loss so another needle was plunged into her, this time to inject steroids and vitamin B.
We left with a relieved moggy and several samples of renal-recipe cat food for her to try in the comfort of The Rural Retreat; less protein is the key, we were told. However, as Matchgirl pointed out, with a new diet, vitamins and performance-enhancing drugs we might never know what, if anything, will be responsible for future feline health. Dr Vet should have gone the whole hog and given her a cat scan too.
Surprisingly, Bess ate the first sample of her new food with gusto. The second went the same way. Our picky puss may at last have discovered the ultimate menu. Later, after leaf-hunting and patrolling the garden to ensure that all was well despite her absence, sleep was required. I think our puss has many years of life still ahead of her.
Marathon Update: Matchgirl has reached a long-delayed decision on which charity to support when she pounds the streets of London in sixty-eight days' time. Bess's recent troubles tipped the balance away from the Highland Tiger wildcat charity and towards the PDSA.
She's already joined its Facebook marathon group and set up a fundraising page (although she's having trouble getting her blog links to show). The publicity-shy athlete has also been offered all sorts of help by the PDSA to get her face into local papers and TV. The optimists.
Band Update: Jim and Matt have heard our recordings and declared them less than perfect. We'll try again, this time in Mr Sound Engineer's studio on a date to be confirmed.
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