Stephanie stood up, leaned into the cage and wrapped both arms around her dog. Tears streamed down her cheeks again, falling onto Bianca’s head. Mark rubbed her back with one hand and Bianca with the other.
“If you’ll excuse me, I need to bring another client back to pick up their pet. I’ll be right back,” Kim said.
She returned a few minutes later with Bill Howard and his children.
“Mari, it’s time to go home,” Kim announced. “Your family is here, princess.” The little papillon’s tail looked like an airplane propeller preparing for flight.
Kim squeezed past the Flemings to Mari’s cage. When she opened the door, Mari launched herself into the air. Kim caught her with both hands. “I guess she wants to go home,” she said.
The instant the pup’s feet touched the floor, she ran to Bill on three legs, touching the splint to the ground on every other step. Mikey and Lizzy squealed with delight. When she reached them, Mari didn’t know whom to greet first. She pranced from Bill to Lizzy to Mikey, licking any part of them she could reach. Mikey laughed and clapped his hands.
“She looks great,” Bill noted. “And look at the bandage, Lizzy. It’s pink, your favorite color.” He looked down at his daughter. Lizzy smiled as she petted her puppy. She tried to pick Mari up but couldn’t control the excited puppy.
“Let me help you,” Bill said, picking up the wiggly puppy and holding her against his chest. Mari scrambled to his shoulder where she could lick his chin. Her tail never stopped wagging. Bill left the same way he entered, with one child stuck to each side of him.
At 5 o’clock, Blake Thomas entered the clinic with his mother, Jennifer, to pick up Captain. The fifth grader sat in a lobby chair, kicking his feet back and forth while Jennifer paid the bill. He held Captain’s green leash and collar in one hand and a big rawhide in the other.
“Want to come back with me to get Captain?” Allie asked. Blake jumped off the chair, sending it skidding into the wall. He repositioned it after getting the “look” from his mom. When they got to the treatment room, Jennifer paused at the door while Blake ran ahead.
“What’s wrong, Jennifer?” Allie asked.
“Oh, nothing. I just had a flashback to the accident. Remember all the bandage changes? Wow, I’m glad that’s over.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Allie answered. “We miss seeing you all the time. Once his leg healed, you weren’t very good about visiting.” She winked at Jennifer.
Blake ran past Snowflake into the kennel area. He spotted Captain resting in the first run. “Captain! Captain!” he called. “Ready to go home?” Captain jumped to his feet. Allie opened the gate, releasing the big black fur ball. Captain leapt over the kennel threshold in a single bound into Blake’s arms.
“Now let me show you the incision,” Allie told Blake. “Captain, down.”
Captain laid down and automatically rolled onto his back for a belly rub.
“See how nice the incision looks, clean and dry with no swelling?”
Blake and Jennifer nodded.
“If anything changes, call us right away. Feed him half his normal amount of food tonight and tomorrow morning. No treats.”
Blake reluctantly gave the big rawhide to his mother, and it disappeared into her purse. “To prevent swelling, I want you to keep him quiet for the next seven days. No wild running around,” Allie continued.
Blake buckled the collar around Captain’s neck and attached the leash.
“Keep him on the leash whenever he goes outside. OK?” Allie asked.
Blake nodded.
“When can he have the rawhide?” Jennifer asked.
“Well, we’re not big fans of rawhide chews because pieces can break off and get lodged in their intestines. When we worked at the emergency clinic, Dr. Nelson operated on several dogs to remove chunks,” Allie answered. “If you want to give him something to chew on, get the dental chews that dissolve.”
“I didn’t know that,” Jennifer exclaimed. “Hope I kept the receipt.” She reached into her purse and pulled out a folded piece of green paper. “Blake made this for you and Dr. Nelson.” She handed the card to Allie. The cover pictured an injured dog on a table surrounded by two women. The shorter one wore a nametag that read Allie. The taller one wore a white lab coat with “vet” written on the pocket because “Dr. Nelson” wouldn’t fit. Inside the card, Blake drew Captain wearing his green collar.
“Thank you, Blake,” Allie said, admiring the art. “This is great!”
Blake beamed as he hugged Captain but didn’t say a word.
“I can’t wait to show Dr. Nelson.”
“You’re welcome,” Blake finally responded. “I’ve taught Captain lots of tricks. Want to see?”
Jennifer answered before Allie could. “Not now Blake. We need to take him home and let him rest.” Blake’s lips formed a pout.
“I have to go back and take care of the other dog that had surgery today,” Allie said. “But I’ll remember so you can show me the next time. OK?”
Blake wasn’t so sure she’d remember and continued to pout. Allie and Jennifer tried hard not to laugh. Jennifer waved goodbye as she followed Blake and Captain out the door.
With the afternoon appointments over, Kim signaled for me to head to the treatment room. There I found Mark and Stephanie still sitting in front of Bianca’s cage. Allie pointed to her watch, making it clear she wanted them to leave so she could treat Bianca.
“Well, you’ve had a nice long visit,” I said, announcing my presence. Mark leaned back from the cage while Stephanie kept her hands on Bianca.
“What’s next, Dr. Nelson?” Mark asked. “When can she come home?” Stephanie caressed Bianca’s head, ignoring me.
“Not for a few days, I’m afraid,” I said with a smile, repeating the information I had told them a few hours before. “She needs some heavy-duty medicine to control the pain. It’s all injectable. As soon as I can switch her to an oral medicine, she can go home.” I paused to see if Mark and Stephanie were paying attention. “She also needs to be able to urinate and defecate on her own.”
“I hate leaving her,” Stephanie said. “She looks so pathetic.”
“I know. But it won’t be for long, and the medicine will make her sleep.” Allie walked by, looking impatient. I drew closer to the cage. “Now we need to treat her, so I’m afraid visiting hours are over.” I slowly swung the cage door toward Stephanie, forcing her to let go of Bianca. “I’ll call immediately if anything changes.”
“Promise?” Stephanie asked.
“Promise. Now go home and get some rest. It’s been a long day for everyone.” They slowly walked out of the treatment room toward the front door. Kim followed behind in case they had any questions.
“That was a long visit,” Allie said when they were gone. She turned around, holding a bowl with some canned dog food in it. “Hopefully, they’ll remember what you told them this time,” Allie said, almost annoyed.
“Bianca wasn’t the only one in shock when they first arrived,” I replied with a smile. “Remember the couple with the German shepherd who was choking on the tennis ball?” Allie nodded and sighed.
When Allie and I worked at the emergency clinic, we treated Sasha, who had been playing catch with her family in the backyard. On the last throw, the young German shepherd swallowed the ball and dropped to the ground, fighting to breathe. Her owners got lost on the way to the clinic, and in their distress, yelled at Allie when she was trying to help them. Once we got the ball out, they apologized to Allie for the outburst. Sasha never played with tennis balls again.
Sometimes I wished that Allie had the same patience for people that she had for animals. When Allie opened Bianca’s cage door, the pup lifted her head and sniffed the air. Allie held the bowl until Bianca licked every bit of food from it. “Should I give her more?”
“No, that’s enough for now. How’s Snowflake?”
“Same,” Allie answered softly. She pulled on her ponytail with
both hands to push the elastic band closer to her head.
“Any vomiting?” I asked.
Allie shook her head.
“And his lungs?”
“They sound good, but it’s hard to listen to him,” she answered.
I stopped watching Snowflake sleep to look at her.
“He purrs every time you touch him. He’s a sweetie.”
As we talked, Kim helped Goliath out of his run. She looped a leash around his neck for a trip outside. Goliath walked beside her, holding his left rear leg off the ground. He stopped at the incubator to look inside. His head was even with Snowflake.
“Come on, Goliath,” Kim commanded. “Leave the sick kitty alone.” Goliath lowered his head and flattened his ears, playing shy. Kim rubbed his neck, making his ears perk up again. She put a towel around his abdomen and held it with one hand to keep him from falling on the slick clinic floors. He turned his head to the side, staring at the sling. “Come on, big guy,” Kim encouraged him. Goliath refused to move. He did not like that towel touching his penis. I repositioned it, and he followed Kim outside.
“Since Kim has the early shift, I’m going to send her home once she’s done with Goliath,” Allie informed me. “I’ll clean up the rest of the stuff and take Bianca out before I leave.” She opened the autoclave door, releasing a cloud of steam into the air. She leaned back to keep her glasses from fogging.
“Sounds good,” I replied. “I’ll go call the Olsons’ with an update on Snowflake.” While I was on the phone with Scott, my husband Steve walked in the clinic carrying a white bag with “Leeann Chin” written across it. He placed it on the counter next to me. The scent of my favorite dinner, lemon chicken with fried rice, filled the room.
Genny hopped down from the office chair to greet him. She rubbed her entire body on his suit, leaving hair on his pants. Steve rubbed her face but did not pick her up. Genny disliked being carried.
“Thanks, Sweets,” I greeted him when the phone conversation was over. “I’m starving.”
“When I called to check on you, Allie told me about the sick cat.” He took off his tie, folded it on itself and placed it on the counter. “It sounds like it’s going to be a long night.”
“Hopefully not,” I said.
After dinner, Steve buried himself in research in the office. He loved to read about new stock ideas. I sat on a stool in the treatment room where I could keep an eye on the patients as I filled out records. Genny scampered between the two of us, begging for attention. She sat by my stool, her tail twitching back and forth. When I reached down to pet her, she ran out of the room to Steve. A few seconds later, I heard the sound of paper ripping, followed by Steve telling her to get down. Then she ran back to me in the treatment room to start the game over again.
At 10 o’clock, I gave Goliath and Bianca another dose of pain medication. Steve took Goliath outside one last time for the night while I changed his blankets.
When they returned, Steve helped me with Bianca. Because of the fractures, she could not walk or posture to go to the bathroom. She also refused to go in her bed because she was evidently a proper girl. I carried her into the run next to Goliath, positioned her rear end over the drain and squeezed her abdomen with one hand. Bianca resisted the first time but quickly got the hang of it. Her body relaxed in my arms when she finished. I carried her back to her cage and nestled her into the blankets. She licked my hand once, yawned and fell asleep.
With Bianca and Goliath tucked in for the night, I turned my attention to Snowflake. He laid in the incubator under a towel in the same position I had placed him two hours prior. A slight movement of the towel told me he was still alive.
“What’s the plan for Snowflake?” Steve asked. “Should I get out the sleeping bags, or is he coming home with us?” Steve yawned as he waited for an answer.
“He’s coming home with us. We’ll set him up in the bathroom off the kitchen, and I’ll do his treatments so you can sleep.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” Steve looked relieved.
I scurried around the treatment room collecting supplies, while Steve filled two hot water bottles for the ride home. Genny watched from the doorway, studying our every move. “Look who’s watching us.” Steve nodded toward Genny. “I’m going to try to catch her before she runs under the bank of cages.” He slowly walked toward Genny, keeping his body between her and the cages. In the past month, she had learned that we couldn’t reach her under there.
“Genny, time to go to bed,” Steve said affectionately. “Come on, Princess.” He stuck his hand out to rub her face. As only Genny could, she acted like she was going to rub him back, then bolted for the space under the cages. Steve caught her with half of her body already underneath.
“Meow, meow,” she complained. Steve placed her in the spare room that contained her litter box, food and water bowls, toys and two fluffy beds, one on the floor and one on a table. Strings holding feathers and syringe cases hung from the doorknobs. Yes, we indulged our princess.
When everything was ready, I opened the incubator top and slid my arms under Snowflake. He opened his eyes but didn’t move, not even his tail. I swaddled him in his towel like a newborn infant. Only his head was showing when I placed him in the carrier, rear end first. I placed the hot water bottles on either side of him and finished the job by wrapping the entire carrier in a blanket. Steve used both arms to carry him to my car. He placed the carrier on the passenger seat, running the seatbelt over it to keep it in place. I followed with a bag full of supplies and hopped into the driver’s seat.
“See you at home, Sweets,” I said as I turned on the car. He waved and headed off to his.
When we arrived at home, a long-haired black cat waited in the window. His green eyes glowed from the small light next to the front door.
“Look who’s been waiting for us.” Steve motioned to the window. The cat looked up at us and disappeared, leaving ripples in the vertical blinds. I pushed open the door to find Fang sitting on the entryway rug with an expectant look on his face.
“Sorry we’re late, buddy,” I said. “Are you hungry?”
“Fang’s always hungry,” Steve replied. “He eats for the hunger to come.” Fang meowed and rubbed on our legs. Steve carried Snowflake inside and placed him on the kitchen table while I filled Fang’s bowl with one-fourth cup of dry food.
I met Fang while working at the emergency clinic. He was the clinic cat who provided blood for felines in need of a transfusion. According to his record, Fang came into the clinic late one night screaming in pain because he could not urinate. He had feline lower urinary tract disease. Grit from his bladder traveled down his urethra until it formed a plug at the tip of his penis. Unfortunately, his family could not afford treatment and asked for humane euthanasia.
Fortunately, the vet on duty did not fulfill their request. She treated Fang by passing a catheter to relieve the blockage. He made a complete recovery and remained disease-free thanks to a prescription veterinary diet formulated to prevent the disease. Fang loved the food…he loved it so much that he became obese and had to go on a diet.
Fang had lived at the emergency clinic for over a year by the time I met him. He used to lay on my desk while I wrote records. A layer of long black hair always covered the surface. He received his name because he had unusually long upper canine teeth. The tips of these “fangs” extended over his lips. Contrary to his menacing appearance, Fang was a big black love sponge.
Our modest townhouse had two levels, two bedrooms with a full bath on the upper floor while the main floor had a combined kitchen and living room. The half-bath off the kitchen made a great hospital room. I placed the hot water blanket on the rug, covered it with a box padded with towels, then lined up Snowflake’s medicines on the counter. I took a coat hanger from the closet, threaded the hook through the top of a bag of fluids and secured it on a towel bar.
“Fang!” I yelled. He stood on the kitchen table, pawing the blanket over Snowflake’s c
arrier. He jumped down immediately and ran into the living room.
“Come here, buddy,” Steve called out. Fang leapt into his lap. He liked me, but he loved his dad. I removed Snowflake from the carrier and situated him in the box. After checking his vitals, I fed Snowflake through the nasal esophageal tube attached to his forehead. He purred when I fed him. He purred when I covered him with a blanket. He purred when I took his temperature. He was a veritable chain saw.
“He must be feeling better, Kris,” Steve observed. “I can hear him purring from here.”
“Cats purr when they’re happy, but they also purr when they’re sick,” I replied. “I’ve seen cats purr like crazy right before they die.”
Steve raised his eyebrows and widened his eyes.
“Purring releases endorphins that make a cat feel better. It’s like meditation for humans.”
“Or chocolate,” Steve said.
I turned off the bathroom light and closed the door.
“Let’s go to bed, dear,” I said. “I’ve got two hours until the next feeding.” Steve placed Fang on the floor. He sprinted up the stairs to our bedroom. “It’s going to be a long night…a very, very long night.”
Chapter 5
Blind Kitten
“Welcome to Burger King; what would you like for breakfast?” a male voice asked.
“Hello, Greg, a large Diet Coke, please.” On my passenger seat, Snowflake rested in his carrier wrapped in blankets. Although his condition was unchanged, he’d made it through the night. I left my window open after the order, hoping the cool morning air would give me some energy. Sleeping for only two hours at a time was brutal. My eyelids felt so heavy.
At the window, a tall man leaned through the window to take my money. Greg Neiquist and his wife Becky owned the business. Greg worked the early shift while Becky prepared the children for school. “Hi, Dr. Nelson,” Greg said with a huge smile. “Isn’t it a beautiful morning?”
Coated With Fur: A Blind Cat's Love Page 5