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Hi, I’m Dr. Maja! Read my introduction to learn more about me and Miki, the kitten who made me a cat person.
Working as a vet, I am used to seeing dogs and their faces after having unpleasant encounters with bees. Swollen eyelids, sometimes so much that their eyes can’t open, swollen muzzle, hives, or worse. But cats, not so much. Or barely ever. Cats must be so much smarter, that catching a bee or trying to eat one, is certainly low on their list of daily activities. But that’s not always true.
Not Sure What Happened
One beautiful June summer day, I was outside mowing the lawn. Lava and Miki kept me company, each for their own reasons. Lava was just following me around looking for shade, while Miki first explored the strimmer, and spent the afternoon watching us from the nearby bushes. After a few hours, I called him and there he was, but something wasn’t quite right. Straightaway I noticed one of his eyes did not look quite right. Panic hit.
Brain Fog
It’s one thing being a vet in the clinic, looking after other people’s pets. That’s what we’re trained for. And it’s something completely different when it’s one of your own. Then the vet brain shuts down, as if it was never there. Looking at poor Miki’s eye, which was almost completely closed, I already had the worst possible differentials listed out. He’s been in a fight with another cat or a different animal, or something or someone poked him in the eye. But really, there are no cats where we are, so that theory didn’t stick. It must be my fault, he must have been too close to the strimmer and now has a foreign body in the eye, or an ulcer. Both options are bad.
It Doesn’t Stop There
Trying to be a vet at home has its pros and cons. It really depends on how much your animal lets you do, and Miki was not thrilled with me trying to check his eye. Understandably, it must have been sore. He was then forced into house rest as I locked him in for the day, so I could keep a close eye on him, and he tolerated eye drops, for lack of a better word. There were more drops on the bed, than in his eye. But then his face slowly started to swell up as well. And it didn’t look pleasant.
Although I felt sorry for him, this was the clue that was missing, and now I was able to guess what happened. A sting. I went through my veterinary medicine cupboard and found the right thing for him. Of course, the biggest challenge was getting him to take the tablet. Let’s just say, no humans were injured in the process.
Miki back out exploring…
Patience Is A Virtue
Hours passed, and as expected, nothing exciting happened. Waiting for the swelling to go down was just nerve-wracking. By the next morning, Miki was back to being inquisitive and playful, demanding to be let out, while his face still looked awkward. However, his eyelids were no longer swollen and his eyes were fully open. So, before he tried to make a hole in the mosquito screen on the window, I opened the door and let him out to explore. As much as I want to hope he’s learned his lesson now, I very much doubt it. Panic over for now.
This article is a part of Dr. Maja and Miki’s series.
