Yesterday morning, Ida B. returned to the vet to have her teeth re-fused together. (Read previous posts for why this had to be done… it involved the ER). I felt awful taking her back since she seemed to enjoy having her mouth free to move about, despite the pain it appeared to give her. I dropped her off and anticipated her staying overnight. However, around 11am, the doctor called and said she was done and could come home after 1pm. I was happy that she didn’t have to stay there.
Thankfully, a kind volunteer picked Ida B. up from the vet and brought her home. Poor kitty… she looked so miserable. And sadly, recovery would be a bit more difficult this time: the vet requested that we keep her much-hated e-collar on so she can’t paw at her mouth, and that when we’re not home, she should be caged to restrict her activity. For six weeks. This just broke my heart.
And then this morning when I went to feed her, I saw what you see in the photo here. She just drools non-stop. Her e-collar was literally dripping with saliva. I cleaned her up, only to have more drool drip down her chin as I fed her. As I sat there, pumping 2 cc’s of food in her each minute, I couldn’t help but cry for her. As far as Ida knows, we’ve only been torturing her. I know that ultimately, we are helping her. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt to see her now, in such a sorry state. I wish I could explain to her that it will get better and that we really are trying to make her life better.
