Cow Mau perked up a little this morning so that was such a relief.
We decided to leave earlier for the (new) clinic as we have never been to this area before.
For the previous trips, I had been driving him alone and he would mew all the way there and back. Some of our other cats would usually only mew one way (on the way there) but they would be quiet on the way back. But not Cow Mau. His was both ways. So, luckily husband wasn’t working today and was able to fetch us. I decided to sit in the back seat with Cow and instead of putting him into the carrier, I brought him into the car in his favourite tray with a sarong.
He was still mewing, but a little less. I had also sprayed Feliway into the carrier, but I find that this doesn’t really work.
Finally, this worked – covering him entirely with the sarong. He felt much better and safer.
We had some trouble locating the clinic, but reached ahead of schedule. The clinic staff was very nice and we met the vet briefly too. First impression – what a nice and kind vet!
This is the banner that explains all about the laser treatment.
Soon it was our turn.
Today’s vet had actually called our regular vet his morning to find out everything about Cow Mau’s condition. To me, that’s really a very good initiative. I really appreciate it very much.
We started talking and my second impression – This vet is so very kind, very empathetic, very knowledgeable, extremely patient and very professional. She explained how the laser treatment works. It can provide relief from the pain and also heal the gingivostomatitis. However, Cow Mau’s disadvantage is him being FIV-positive. This makes it all harder.
Before starting on the laser therapy, the vet checked his lungs and heart. All good, no blockage of any kind. She spent time to observe him too, and from the pawing (which is rather “weird”), she did not dismiss the possibility that there might be something stuck in the gums. So if laser therapy eventually does not help, then an option to consider is to give a mild sedation and go in to check if there is something stuck in the gums. It would require the special dental X-Ray which is only available in two clinics in the Klang Valley. However, this procedure comes with risks because he is already so old.
But that would come later, after we have given laser therapy a chance.
Even without eating, Cow Mau would occasionally paw. It’s as though there is no trigger but the pain is still there.
After a fairly long consultation, we started with the laser treatment. The vet and I both wore goggles and so did Cow Mau!
Is that cool or not?
Surprisingly, Cow Mau did not resist the goggles at all! He actually liked it. But of course the vet kept praising him and telling him how handsome he looked!
That’s the machine that produces the laser beams. It’s all digitalised and it has buttons to tap on depending on what the treatment is for. There is even a Gingivitis and a Stomatitis button. I asked permission to take photos and the vet says I could take photos and even videos. I did not take a photo of the device used to focus the beams on the targeted areas. Maybe next round.
The treatment lasted 15 minutes and Cow Mau cooperated well. The vet could even put the laser device inside his mouth for a short while. But it was mostly done outside at the cheek area.
When the treatment ended, Cow Mau was totally relaxed!
After the treatment, the vet tried her best to open Cow Mau’s mouth. She was very patient and did not force it. Finally, she managed to open his mouth and her assistant took a video of it. From the video which she will share with our regular vet, they will try and see if they can see any foreign object stuck to the gums. But from a cursory glance, nothing was spotted.
Final impression before we left – Such an amazing vet in all ways!
Even the clinic staff were all very kind.
The vet said there is this Japanese tube diet which is safe for CKD and heart patient. She managed to get this product when the RC renal liquid diet was unavailable.
One of the staff reads Japanese and translated all the instructions to me in English and wrote it all down. It’s basically a powder to be mixed with water in a 1:1 ratio.
The vet did say there are other options for Cow Mau too, which includes Chinese medicine, but she will liaise with our vet about this to ensure there is no interference with Cow Mau’s current medication. There is also a Fentanyl patch which humans use for pain management. This would require shaving off a patch of Cow’s fur for the patch and he might have to wear a tshirt to cover it and to prevent him from scratching it off. The patch provides slow release and a longer period of pain control.
But we will give the laser treatment a chance to work first.
We came home and Cow Mau already seemed much better in the return trip.
Cow Mau came home to a hero’s welcome by Indy and the Blondies.
He already looks so much better now, but the acid test is in the eating (lunch).
I fed him Hill’s KD canned and this time, he was able to eat three mouthfuls (tall towers) without pawing his mouth! But still, he moved his head a lot, which indicates that there is still some pain. Subsequent mouthfuls, he pawed again.
But I think he feels much better after the treatment. There is some improvement.
The next laser treatment will be next week. It is done once a week.
I was even able to brush his fur today. In the previous days, even this was impossible. He was in too much pain and was too fragile and uninterested in life.
Feel better, Cow Mau!
Life is all about moments and we want to thank today’s amazing vet for making the treatment so comfortable for Cow Mau. And we are also very grateful for the sharing of knowledge and the recommendations on other options if the laser treatment fails to provide the relief we hope for.