keeperofthehorses
Well-Known Member
Poor LeDoux. He's our orange tabby & white pinto cat, our best hunter, and he's in really rough shape. He went out to hunt yesterday morning around 6:30, his usual routine. When I threw hay once it got light out, my goats were spooked and staring at the back fence line. My wether didn't even want to eat, just stared at the fence. I took a quick look around but didn't see anything and figured 'silly senile old goat'.
Around 10, I got in my truck to pull out and decided that since the rain was easing up, I'd open the south barn doors before I left. Here comes LeDoux, walking out of the barn kind of drunk looking. I walked up to him and he crouched down, like "Pick me up". He had blood coming out of the top of his head. "OMG! LeDoux, what happened!" When he looked up at me, he had blood coming out of his nose and smeared on his front legs. He was pale and cold. I thought for sure he'd been shot in the head.
So off we go to the vet. X-rays revealed no pellets or BBs, so the vet started asking about possible kicks or falls and that it appears he took a hard blow to the head and face. Darrin & I were both stumped. About this time a technician comes out and says she found another hole on the back of his neck, that it lines up like a bite. Something big got him. I haven't seen or heard any dogs running loose, and we are pretty vilgilant about watching for dogs. The coyotes have been getting worse, but I don't know how he could've gotten away and survived a coyote. We do have a fox living on the back side, but I measured the bite marks and it's comparible to my Goldens bite, maybe a bit more narrow, so something BIG. But how did he survive and escape with only the one bite? I've lost ducks (bigger than the cat) to the eagles before but I would think there'd be more than 2 holes on him if an eagle went after him. Though that would explain the blow to the head and face. We get the occasional cougar that comes up from the river, but there's no way he could have escaped a lion.
The vet let us bring him home last night with an anti-inflammatory and anti-biotics. His face is really swollen. He ate a bit last night and has been sleeping since. He has a concussion, but no apparant skull fracture. He's purring when we pet him (which he never does, not a cuddly kitty before this). I watched him walk a bit last night, and he's off balance. Vet said cats usually recover from this, though LeDoux has taken a very hard blow to the head and we need to keep a close eye on him and bring him back for IV treatments if his brain starts swelling. So I'm watching him closely, and he's getting no worse, but just looks bad. I'm hoping that by the end of the day, he's a bit more awake.
We are going to scout the fencelines and south field today to look for tracks. It rained most of the day yesterday and much of the night, so I'm not sure what we'll be able to see. I do worry, because of the size of the bite, that whatever it is could get bold and try to get one of the ponies.
Around 10, I got in my truck to pull out and decided that since the rain was easing up, I'd open the south barn doors before I left. Here comes LeDoux, walking out of the barn kind of drunk looking. I walked up to him and he crouched down, like "Pick me up". He had blood coming out of the top of his head. "OMG! LeDoux, what happened!" When he looked up at me, he had blood coming out of his nose and smeared on his front legs. He was pale and cold. I thought for sure he'd been shot in the head.
So off we go to the vet. X-rays revealed no pellets or BBs, so the vet started asking about possible kicks or falls and that it appears he took a hard blow to the head and face. Darrin & I were both stumped. About this time a technician comes out and says she found another hole on the back of his neck, that it lines up like a bite. Something big got him. I haven't seen or heard any dogs running loose, and we are pretty vilgilant about watching for dogs. The coyotes have been getting worse, but I don't know how he could've gotten away and survived a coyote. We do have a fox living on the back side, but I measured the bite marks and it's comparible to my Goldens bite, maybe a bit more narrow, so something BIG. But how did he survive and escape with only the one bite? I've lost ducks (bigger than the cat) to the eagles before but I would think there'd be more than 2 holes on him if an eagle went after him. Though that would explain the blow to the head and face. We get the occasional cougar that comes up from the river, but there's no way he could have escaped a lion.
The vet let us bring him home last night with an anti-inflammatory and anti-biotics. His face is really swollen. He ate a bit last night and has been sleeping since. He has a concussion, but no apparant skull fracture. He's purring when we pet him (which he never does, not a cuddly kitty before this). I watched him walk a bit last night, and he's off balance. Vet said cats usually recover from this, though LeDoux has taken a very hard blow to the head and we need to keep a close eye on him and bring him back for IV treatments if his brain starts swelling. So I'm watching him closely, and he's getting no worse, but just looks bad. I'm hoping that by the end of the day, he's a bit more awake.
We are going to scout the fencelines and south field today to look for tracks. It rained most of the day yesterday and much of the night, so I'm not sure what we'll be able to see. I do worry, because of the size of the bite, that whatever it is could get bold and try to get one of the ponies.
