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We lost our beloved Marshmallow a little over two years ago, due to diabetes and organ failure. Now, it seems we might lose our Buttons.
Buttons is a Black & White male long hair, a lot like Marahmallow. We've had him since he was 2 weeks old, from an abandoned litter. I bottle fed him into a big, beautiful boy. He is now about 10 years old. He appeared healthy, and we are regular about check ups, etc.
Today, I noticed him acting lethargic, and vomiting. Not hairballs, but something clear, white, and frothy, just like Marshmallow. Then, I noticed Buttons nibbling at some cut flowers a friend sent. I should know better, but sometimes you let your guard down. My best guess is they're Tiger Lilies, one of the most toxic flowers known to cats.
Ok, this time, no dallying, no "wait-and-see" no try-to-save-a-buck. Dh immediately set off with the cat and the flowers to Texas A&M vet school, one of the best animal ER's in the country. Right nw, they are trying to identify the flowers, via their botany dept. DS is there helping Dad, I couldn't go, I am recovering from my own surgery, I just had a hip replacement 2 weeks ago.
We learned from Marshmallow. Time is of the essence. We thought we could wait with Marshmallow until normal business hours, animal ER's are terribly expensive. But that wait cost us dear Marshmallow's life. We also have insurance on Buttons---VPI===I know it won't pay everything, but hopefully it will help defray major costs.
Everyone keep their fingers crossed----and right now, get rid of any plants in your house unless you can identify them positively as non-toxic to cats. BTW, center for disease control will do an evaluation of pictures of plants, for about $70.
Right now they are trying to determine what type of flowers they are. They are either tiger lilies---bad---or Peruvian lilies, not deadly to cats. They are not easy to tell apart sometimes, and especially in the middle of the night, with no florists open! Fortunately, A&M also has depts. of floriculture, guess they could wake them up and say what is this?
Unfortunately, we threw away the box and packing materials that came with the flowers, and the friend who sent them said she just ordered 'assorted flowers"
They are going on the assumption of the worse scenario and currently have him on IV's, charcoal gastric lavage, etc, etc..........
Ok, the may cause some stomach upset, but nothing fatal or even harmful. Thank God they were OT Tiger Lilies, which look very similar! The vets, of course, are not botanists, so they sent pictures over to CDC for identification. They came back as Peruvian Lilies! Yea!
Wrong---its not the CDC, they sent pictures for ID to a poison control center. I would like to get the number so I can post it, assuming it can be used by pet owners.
We have had some financial bends in the road over the last several years, and I've cut our budget as much as possible. However, don't be "penny wise and pound foolish". We had the money to take Buttons to the ER, and did so. Also, he does have pet insurance, which should pay something towards this. I almost dropped his insurance, but his little policy is something like $18/month, and gives us options for his care.
He is now at home, doing ok, just keeps licking his paw where they inserted an IV.
I have no plants in the house which are accessible to my cats. I have two indoor plants.....in the back "service" hall...but the furkids have no access.
I even stopped cutting flowers from my own garden to bring in the house. I am no spray, but you just never know what the neighbors are using and could be transferred.
Buttons is acting fine today. Whatever it was, its passed. He looks adorable with his new footwear---they shaved his two front paws for IV, it looks just like he's wearing boots!
Buttons is very dear to me. Of the many cats I've had over the years, this is the first kitten I've raised knowing I would keep him. I've "rescued" many strays, bottle fed to health, then found homes for them. I adopted Buttons from an abandoned litter my friend found. He was the last to be placed. He weighed about 15 oz, His eyes were barely open, still blue. His ears were attached, and his paws were like little q-tips, the claws still not retracted. He could "walk" but it was more a matter of pulling himself along with his claws. I fed him KMR, about 7-8 times a day. Then I read the label, feed 3-4 times / day! Oh, well, he grew into a healthy big boy! He would let me know when he was hungry, he had a little sign he would make, by rubbing his paw on his face. He still does that now, as a 15-pound, 10 year old cat!
That's Great News! I know that you are relieved and happy that Buttons has recovered.
The indoor cat grass another poster mentioned is a great idea. My cats are indoor/outdoor and in the summer the first thing that they do in the morning is go outside and eat wild grass. If you can find some wild grass that has not been treated, give him a treat. Even in the winter here when the wild grass is brown and covered with snow, I will pick some and oh my the greeting I get when I walk in the door is amazing.
Another indoor plant that can be grown from seeds is catnip. You can find the seeds in the herb section. Some cats respond to it and others don't. I grow that also.
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the greeting I get when I walk in the door is amazing.
