So today was Esteban and Zissou’s vet appointment. The plan was to leave Zissou to go up for adoption and to get the vet’s input on Esteban’s phantom limb pain. Depending on what she said, and with the understanding that resources are limited at the humane society, I was going to offer to continue fostering Esteban and put him up for adoption from foster so that I can personally counsel any potential adopters.
BUT…. When I showed up for the appointment, the vet wasn’t there! It turned out she had thrown her back out (probably shoveling snow) and went home early. They were supposed to call and cancel my appointment, but no one did. The tech and tech assistant looked Esteban and Zissou over, weighed them, and looked over their paperwork to make sure they were set on vaccines. The tech agreed with me (and all of you who gave me advice) that it sounds like Esteban has phantom limb pain and that it would be best to adopt him from foster if the animal welfare manager is ok with it. Turned out that they also felt Zissou should be adopted from foster since I felt she should go to an experienced home without young kids and apparently that’s too much to ask of some of our adoption counselors! Everyone in the vet room agreed that Esteban looked really good, though! A lot of them hadn’t seen him since surgery. They said his coat looked and felt better (except where he is stress grooming, but Steve did that for a year after her amputation so whatever) and that he was a healthy weight! He was being really sweet and purring a lot, too. Even Zissou was in a better mood than the last time they all saw her!
On my way out, I checked with the animal welfare manager to make sure the kids could go up for adoption from foster. She was totally fine with Zissou doing it. She asked me what Esteban was doing that made us think it was phantom limb pain. She agreed, as well, that it sounded like phantom limb pain; but she asked me to reschedule his vet appointment to make sure that it is, in fact, phantom limb pain. I went to the front desk, made another appointment for next Monday and headed home.
I got halfway home and realized that the time I had scheduled the appointment for overlapped with the appointment I made to try on wedding dresses! Aaaarrrggghhh!!!! So when I got home, I rescheduled yet another vet appointment for Esteban!! If it snows next Tuesday, I think I’m just going to give up, adopt him, and take him to my own vet!!!
I seriously cannot thank you all enough for the advice and input on phantom limb pain. It will help so much when I counsel Esteban’s potential furever family. I will absolutely 100% refer them here so they are able to handle any concerns that arise throughout his life!
Both are technically available for adoption, but only Zissou is officially available. Here are the pictures I submitted for their adoption profiles:
Ohh haw haw I just read your previous post and that was from last week! Well I’m glad you made it to the clinic even if it wasn’t the appointment you expected.
Now I’ve said it a million times: you’re such a great pawrent! Haha you even blew off your wedding dress appointment for the kitties! Now that’s saying something. When’s the big day?
Let us know what the vet says about phantom pain. With so little “official” info about cats & post-op pain management, we need all the tips we can get around here.
Love those kittie pics!