While I was away at World Fantasy, I got the following email from Rob:
I took Marlowe in first thing this morning to Fremont Vet. The tissue surrounding his eye is very swollen but they eye itself does not appear damaged. He is running a slight fever. The vet asked if our cats have been fighting. It is possible but I didn’t witness any altercations. She found no evidence of injury so the likely cause is a severe herpes infection induced by stress and exposure to Hariet, or perhaps an infection contracted from his night in the hospital. They gave him an antibiotic shot and a prescription for topical salve. If the inflammation is not reduced in two days I am to take him back in.
He is active, has good appetite, and appears to be annoyed but not distressed. Luckily I’ll be home to keep an eye on him until you return.
That’s it from the Sandycrest feline ward.
Apparently, he downplayed that. When I got home, Rob said that Marlowe’s eye was so swollen it looked like he’d been in a boxing bout. So, while I was having fun in San Jose, Rob dutifully put ointment on Marlowe’s eye twice a day for a week. The swelling went down, we were relieved.
And then Marlowe started sneezing and both eyes were oozing white goo. We gave him a couple of days, hoping it would clear up. Alas. No.
So, back to the vet with the poor guy. This time we took Harriet along to get her shots. Marlowe is a perfect gentleman and very stoic at the vets. Harriet? Not so much. She literally climbed me.
The vet examined his eyes and said that it’s likely chlamydia picked up from Harriet. So Marlowe is on a new course of eye salve and oral medications for another week. Poor guy. If he were human having herpes or chlamydia would have meant he’d at least have had some fun first. In cats its just an unpleasant cold.
Harriet meanwhile, aside from a mild digestive issue, is perfectly healthy. Rob and I are considering renaming Harriet to “Vector.”
aww, poor Marlow. Max had that stress-induced herpes eye infection thing, too, when I got Abby. Who kenw?
It is ridiculous. Poor kitty. How long did Max have it?
Ah, now I get the Vector thing, which I saw on Facebook first but missed the context.
Poor kitties — both of them, since Harriet climbed you at the vet. Two of our brood require sedation for vet visits. I HATE stressing them out so much.
We’re currently treating one for urinary tract infection, and one for ear infection. The latter recurs constantly for this cat, as she had a bad infection go untreated for a long time before she came to us. Poor little thing has scratched most of the fur off her ears. Sigh…..
Hope Marlowe recovers quickly!