Why Am I Praying for Things That Are Usually a Pain? (This Stinks!)
A $456.00 vet bill, and we still don’t know what’s wrong.
I’m not stepping on my cat’s dry food all over the floor, which I always complain about. For some reason, Paddy likes to take a pile of it in his mouth away from his dish and eat it on the carpet, leaving some for us to step on. I haven’t had to clean his litter box in four days. I’m now longing for those nuisances.
According to Paddy’s veterinarian, none of the suspects point to the problem. I’ll start with a warning for cat owners. Don’t fire up a diffuser without doing your research. Tommy and I were both suffering from the effects of a flu bug that had made its way around the Village and, from what I heard, much of the country. As a couple who has crossed the country in our motorhome five times, we’ve made friends in multiple states. They are all talking about the flu that won’t go away from California to Florida.
As often happens, I spotted a post on Facebook that led me to a purchase that wasn’t well thought out. It touted the benefits of essential oils that helped one sleep and breathe easier. An FB friend recommended the diffuser and a variety pack of oils that can be easily purchased from Amazon at a very reasonable price. I didn’t stop at buying the starter kit with the diffuser and six-pack of essential oils; I also ordered an extra box of oils.
I asked Google which oils were best for cold symptoms, and one of the suggestions was eucalyptus oil. I’d been using the diffuser a few hours a day for five days when I thought I should check in with Google to ensure essential oils weren’t bad for cats. Paddy had no issues, so I can only attribute my inkling to divine intervention. The word TOXIC in bold letters scared the heck out of me.
I immediately unplugged the diffuser and determined to give it away. A few days later, we had to move into a friend’s place to leave the motorhome at the mechanic’s for servicing. Paddy ate his food while in the RV but refused to eat once we moved into our friend’s house. When we settled back into our motorhome, he hadn’t eaten or used his potty box for two days. I assumed he’d return to normal, but he still wasn’t eating two days later, including his treats, which he never turns down.
I was wide awake at 3:00 am, freaking out, thinking that I’d poisoned my boy. I got up at 4:30 and fed Paddy, and once again, he wouldn’t eat. When he refused his treats, I determined to be at the vet’s office at 7:00, when their doors opened. I stared at the ticking clock, each second feeling like an eternity.
I spent some time on my computer looking up the symptoms of poisoning from eucalyptus oil for a cat. The only symptom Paddy had was a lack of appetite. I was grateful that he wasn’t vomiting, having tremors, having seizures, or having trouble breathing, all symptoms that could lead to eventual liver failure.
I woke Tommy up at 6:25 and told him I was taking our boy to the vet. I got dressed and put my screaming boy into his carrier. He hates going to the vet’s office, and I think he knew that’s where we were headed. He didn’t make much of a fuss when we moved him to our friend’s house. He wailed through the entire 23-minute drive. I repeatedly told him how sorry Mama was, crying often. I prayed and told God that I couldn’t take it if I’d poisoned my boy.
I love the Fayette County Veterinarian Office. I took Paddy there when he had tummy issues; they were very helpful. I also took my neighbor and his dog there when he couldn’t afford to care for Blackie, who had a problem with her face and eyes. They didn’t charge an arm and a leg, and they were thorough.
The parking lot was already jammed, and their doors had only been open for seven minutes. Six people were sitting in chairs with dogs and carriers. Thankfully, there are always at least two ladies at the front desk. One immediately asked me what she could do for me while the other was on the phone. When I explained that I was afraid I’d poisoned my boy, I started to cry again. She asked if I had an appointment, and when I told her I didn’t, I just wanted to be there when they opened. She was kind and told me to take a seat while she called one of the doctors.
Within minutes, I was escorted to a room with Paddy, where I explained what had been happening again. The doctor didn’t think the essential oils were the culprit since it had been days since he’d been exposed to them. I told her that we always had to knock Paddy out to get him looked at and that I’d hoped we wouldn’t need to since we didn’t know what his issue was. I was scared of him going to sleep and not waking up.
She asked me if I could get him out of his carrier. I unzipped the top and put my hands in to grab him, and he went berserk and tried to bite me. “I guess the answer is no,” the doctor said, looking at me. She then went over the procedures they’d perform once they gassed him. Her assistant took Paddy out of the room, and the doctor returned with the consent form for the anesthesia. She informed me that all five anesthesia machines were being used because of morning surgeries. She said it would be a while before they could get to Paddy.
She went over all the costs for checking out my boy. She provided less expensive options that would leave us with more questions. Of course, I told her to do whatever she felt was necessary to figure out what was wrong with Paddy. I asked if I should wait or go home, and when she found out I lived a little over twenty minutes away, she advised me to head home.
I called Tommy and told him what was happening and stopped at Walmart to shop before heading home. I took my time winding up and down all the aisles. It was a warm place to get my steps in. It still hadn’t reached 50 degrees outside. When I got home, I worked on my website, burying myself in something to take my mind off Paddy.
The phone rang at 10:00, and the doctor told me she’d seen something on Paddy’s lung in his X-rays that didn’t make sense, and she wanted to run more tests. Once again, she gave the cost of everything she planned to do. I’ve never experienced that with a veterinarian in my life. The costs were almost $400.00, but if you are an animal lover like me, you know there is no price too high for our fur babies’ health.
It was after noon before I heard back from her. She explained that all the tests showed that there was no cancer to be concerned about, and his liver was fine. However, she couldn’t explain what she saw on the chest X-rays. She mentioned further tests at astronomical prices and suggested we get him home and keep an eye on him.
She asked about vomiting, and I told her the day we moved into our friend’s place, he’d thrown up a couple of times, but that it was just a little liquid. The poor boy didn’t have anything in his tummy. She said she could give him a shot for nausea, but since he was awake, it would be difficult. I asked her if someone could put on some heavy gloves and hold him so she could do it. She told me she’d try, and the shot cost wouldn’t be on my bill if she couldn’t.
This brought up the subject of giving him something to increase his appetite. There were two options. A very inexpensive pill that he only needed to take an eighth of at a time or a cream that had to be rubbed on the inside of his ear. The pill costs $11.00; the cream is $54.00. It doesn’t matter how small a pill is; there is no getting it down my boy’s throat. I can’t put it in his food if he won’t eat. We opted for the cream.
The poor doctor hadn’t made it to lunch yet, and it was now 12:25. They usually take lunch from noon to 1:00. She told me she’d like to get something to eat before attempting to give Paddy the shot. It was almost like she was asking for my permission. I’ve never experienced such a wonderful, caring veterinarian in my life! I said, “Of course,” and she told me I could pick Paddy up after 1:15.
When I paid my bill, I asked the receptionist if she could have the doctor explain the lung situation to me. She said if the doctor didn’t have time to talk to me, she’d be sure to get a technician. The doctor came out with Paddy and his paperwork and medication. She set his carrier down and had me follow her to the back of the building, where she had my boys’ X-rays on a screen for me to view.
She pointed to the dark area on one side and said it should look the same on the other, but it was cloudy white. She explained that she didn’t understand what it was or why it was there, but they knew it wasn’t cancerous or major. Seeing what she spoke to me about made me feel better about the situation. I retrieved my boy and his medication, and Paddy was quiet all the way home.
I’m so glad we opted for the cream medication to smear inside his ear. This morning, I got him to eat three treats; he usually gets six and always wants more. He ate a little of his wet food around 10:00. He is still not acting like himself. He wants to be on my lap all the time. He didn’t want his lunch, and the dry food bowl that should be empty by now is still full. I put the appetite enhancer in his ear four times. I’m praying hard that it will work.
Not knowing what is going on is hard, but knowing that it wasn’t my essential oils causing it makes me feel better. I’ll still donate the diffuser and the oils to our local thrift shop. I’ll keep you posted and hope to share that he is back to normal. Our Campers for Christ Rally in Needless, Texas, was canceled because of bad weather, and it’s probably for the best. I feel better being close to the vet’s office in case he doesn’t improve.
If you’re still with me, you are a pet lover and understand how hard it is on us when our fur babies aren’t well. I appreciate your prayers for my boy. Thanks for coming along.
Charisse Tyson is a retired biker bar owner, author, blogger, and full-time RVer. You can follow her on Medium, Facebook, Linkedin, X(Twitter)