crowdog66

Mina appears to be pretty much recovered. Her eyes are dry, she doesn't sound sniffly any more, and her activity levels are at 95% of normal. And Emmie, Gods be praised, is in good health as well.

So what was it? I'm going to send an email to Dr. M (a vet clinic that allows email, imagine that!) and float the feline herpes suggestion. Based on what I've read there is no blood test diagnostic -- the tests are based on secretions from the eyes/nose/throat -- so it may be that we can't test for it unless it flares up again. *sigh*

I got up this morning, cleaned the place up from a Full Moon Group get-together last night, took out the libation to be poured on the ground under a tree in front of our building, and helped George change the light bulb in the kitchen. Whew. It doesn't sound like much, but I feel like I've accomplished a lot already. (Apologies to morgaine_inanna... a few people got lost in the call list shuffle this month, and I didn't realize you'd been missed until Saturday afternoon, which of course was much too late to call. We'll definitely catch you next month!)

For a cool photo from last night, check out my Project 365 blog at:

http://prairiecrow.blogspot.com/

Now I get to do 20 pages of MM. Oh, what joy is mine.

I just got off the phone with Dr. M, and he's scratching his head in complete puzzlement. He has no idea why Mina's eyes are watering in the absence of any other symptom except the occasional sneeze. He ran down a list of possible causes with me -- an infection in kittenhood, excessive stress, new potourri or incense, the use of Carpet Fresh or paint -- none of which fit Mina's situation. It's possible that it might be an allergy, but the fact that only one eye was watering initially is very strange.

We left off with the agreement that I'd bring Mina in again in a week if she hasn't improved, or sooner if she starts producing infected mucous or goes off her food.

This is so, SO frustrating. The mystery is driving me crazy more than anything else, since Mina doesn't seem to be suffering. This morning she was scampering around, chasing after a bit of popcorn that George brushed off the couch, and begging for some of my breakfast yogurt.

GrrrrRRRRGGGGG! What an infuriating little beast. I love her dearly, but right now I'm very worried about her.

We took Mina to the vet this afternoon because (as you will remember, O Faithful Readers) her right eye has been leaking clear fluid since Saturday morning. The vet did a thorough exam and was left scratching his head. Quote: "There is NOTHING wrong with this cat!"

So no explanation for the tears and the occasional sneezes, except for the possibility that our other cat, Emmie, clocked Mina in the eye with a paw while they were play fighting. The vet did a special dye test designed to show any scratches or ulcerations on the cornea, and nothing presented itself. (The test caused Mina's eye to fluoresce deep emerald green in the darkened exam room, which was just TOO cool.) The rest of the examination (minus the anal thermometer insertion, which has been replaced with an in-the-ear digital version) showed Mina to be a robustly healthy little beast. We've been instructed to see how she is on Thursday or Friday; the vet thinks that by then the situation will have cleared up on its own. If not, we're to bring her back in.

The funny thing is this: Dr. M, the vet in question, was always one of my mother's favorite vets. Seeing him in action today, I remember why. He and my mother relate to cats in exactly the same way, right down to the not-necessary-for-the-examination cuddles and kisses. He remarked several times on what a "nice cat" Mina is, and about the softness of her coat, her pretty eyes, and so forth. Hee.

Also, it turns out that Mina HAD been at Corydon Animal Hospital before -- the scan of her microchip pulled her up in their system. Apparently three years ago she had "incipient cataracts", something I wasn't aware of, and that condition has not gotten worse in the meantime. According to Dr. M it is something we will never have to worry about. Funny... I thought "incipient" implied "coming in the future"... but I'm glad that it won't affect Mina's future quality of life.

And a bonus: the clinic carries Eukanuba brand cat food, including Mina's brand in large bags. Now I don't have to go to hell and gone to pick up more food for her (the closest pet stores that carry it are way out by my mother's former apartment and far up Main Street). This is wonderful news, and I picked up a bag to take home with us today.

Total cost for our adventure in veterinary medicine: $104.69, including the bag of food, which was about $25. And we're probably going to get a lot of that back from PetPlan. *crosses fingers* I could actually go and check out the policy online, but right now I just can't be arsed.

George and I have splurged and ordered Chinese food for dinner, since we're both so tired and SO hungry. I'm about to start on some MM flatting tests to see how George can most efficiently help me to meet my deadline, since he has a lot to do himself in the next couple of weeks.

Oh, and my period is probably only a couple of days away. That probably explains why I was feeling like such shit yesterday and am not feeling much better today.

( A couple of photos of Mina at the clinic behind the cut, including one of the Eye Dye of DOOM )