Monday, August 23, 2004
How to Hydrate a Cat
My cat Lou suffered some intestinal distress over the weekend, prompting me to bring him into the local emergency animal hospital. After waiting 90 minutes while the attending vet administered to an ailing guinea pig, Lou had his examination.
Making a very long story short, the initial diagnosis was that there was not anything seriously wrong with him, but a secondary effect of his illness was mild dehydration. The vet recommended a "hydration course," after which Lou would be sent home for continued observation.
Opting for the hydration course I expected that they would sedate Lou and put him on a fluid IV for a few hours before releasing him, but instead they took him into a back room and injected several ounces of water under his skin. He was returned to me minutes later with a hump on his back, which to the touch was not unlike a water balloon (or perhaps one of Tigerhawk's head bumps, although I am not a primary source on that topic). Within a relatively brief span of time, Lou's water balloon was absorbed into his body and now manifests itself as nothing more than extremely thick ankles for a cat.
I am once again amazed at the tricks one can do with a cat. Would this procedure be effective with other mammals? Inquiring minds want to know.
Making a very long story short, the initial diagnosis was that there was not anything seriously wrong with him, but a secondary effect of his illness was mild dehydration. The vet recommended a "hydration course," after which Lou would be sent home for continued observation.
Opting for the hydration course I expected that they would sedate Lou and put him on a fluid IV for a few hours before releasing him, but instead they took him into a back room and injected several ounces of water under his skin. He was returned to me minutes later with a hump on his back, which to the touch was not unlike a water balloon (or perhaps one of Tigerhawk's head bumps, although I am not a primary source on that topic). Within a relatively brief span of time, Lou's water balloon was absorbed into his body and now manifests itself as nothing more than extremely thick ankles for a cat.
I am once again amazed at the tricks one can do with a cat. Would this procedure be effective with other mammals? Inquiring minds want to know.
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