Last night when we were giving Captain medicine for a bladder infection we had the usual struggle. Captain had quickly outsmarted the pill popper we had purchased so we were just trying to get the pill far enough down in Captain’s mouth that he would swallow it whether he wanted to or not.

For once we were successful. As my husband was preparing to give Captain the other pill he was prescribed, he discovered that he had made a horrible mistake. My husband had given Cappy one of his own muscle relaxers, Flexeril. We rushed Captain to the emergency vet and had him there within twenty minutes. The vet gave Captain an injection to get him to throw the pill up but he didn’t. Apparently he had already absorbed the pill into his blood stream.

The vet thought it wise to keep him overnight so they could watch him and adminster any help Captain might need so we left him there. The vet and tecnician promised that if a problem came up with Captain’s breathing they would call.

Thankfully, they didn’t call but I still didn’t sleep last night and neither did my husband. He is sick at heart that he could have made such a mistake and I am sick at heart because I am the one who placed Captain’s meds on his desk, leading to the mistake. My husband’s back problem has reoccurred after being absent for several years and he stayed at home from work yesterday to try to stop the pain in his back.

In order to remind my husband to give Captain his medicine I placed the pill bottles on his desk. Then I went to work. I didn’t notice that he had his own bottle of Flexeril on it. My husband didn’t make it to the desk all day so didn’t give Captain his morning pill.

This morning very early, I went to the emergency clinic to pick up Captain. The vet told me that he hadn’t slept all night and was quite irritable. She said he would probably suffer the effects of the Flexeril for several days and made me promise to contact Cappy’s own vet about his condition.

Captain has been howling and stumbling around the house ever since. He stops to get a drink of water and a bite of food and then makes his trip around the house again. My husband thinks he is trying to regain strength in his muscles. His eyes aren’t quite as dilated as they were this morning.

I will be watching him closely and hoping that our Captain, the Wonder Cat will soon be back to his old self again, healthy and happy.

I’m also hoping for my husband’s sake that Captain gets well. Captain loves my husband more than anyone else in the world and can always make him smile. It’s most definitely reciprocated.

UPDATE: After having Captain home for several hours today, I decided to take him to our vet because he was so uncomfortable. They put him on an IV, administered some anti-seizure meds (just to be sure) and tried to give him some activated charcoal to neutralize the effects of the pill.

The vet explained to me that cat’s livers don’t respond to poison like humans’ do and the effects of the poisoning will most likely be around for about four days. Our vet consulted with a national poison control center expert and learned that the dosage of the pill Captain took was not a lethal dose. Our vet recommended that Captain be kept on an IV and made as comfortable as possible while he is suffering the effects of the drug. He threw up the activated charcoal treatment but the vet felt he may have gotten some good from it. They will try to administer another dose later tonight.

We transferred Captain back to the emergency clinic this evening so he can be watched carefully throughout the night. Then, tomorrow early, I will pick him up from the emergency clinic and take him back to the vet to stay for the day.

Captain’s a trooper and we are praying hard for him. So far, no seizures or heart troubles but he is weak and frustrated. Sabby is wandering around the house looking for him.

UPDATE ll:

Captain did well overnight. When I picked him up at the emergency hospital they told me he had another activated charcoal treatment and kept it down. He was talkative and grooming himself.

He enjoyed being home for a while before the vet clinic opened. He was ravenous and curious to see if the house had changed while he was gone. Then he took a little catnap.

He is now at the vet clinic enjoying one more day of IV fluids. The vet is very encouraged. We are hopeful that the worst is over.

Forget your worries and go visit some cool cats at the Modulators Friday Ark #122.