Who ‘murdered’ Meli? Blame for the death of a dumped kitten

~ MELI ~ July to November, 2012

On Sunday I dug a grave and buried a friend.

She was no more than a baby, and she was ill, but that didn’t stop her from dispensing more acceptance and affection than most of us have a clue on how to give. I named her Meli, meaning “honey” in Greek, because of her sweetness.

It was last week while gathering oranges in our garden that I noticed the brown tabby kitten out of the corner of my eye, lying in a sunny spot on the back patio. Surprisingly loud purring greeted me on approach. How could such a tiny thing produce so much noise?

She tried to get up and come to me, but her emaciated body was weak, hunched, and stiff. She lay down again.

Not sure if she’d bite or scratch, I grabbed a towel off the drying line, dropped it over her, and eased her into a dog kennel on the veranda. She never struggled—just kept purring.

The vet couldn’t see us immediately, so we made an appointment for the evening.

The first time I saw her

Beyond capacity

During the next hour the kitten perked up. She set up quite a ruckus of meowing. I fed her a bit and placed her back in the kennel with a cushion, a bowl of water, and a makeshift litter box consisting of a plastic pan and a few shovelfuls of dirt. As she settled down for a nap, the purring intensified. Maybe she wasn’t so ill after all.

Lots of meowing

The miserable question on my mind was whether or not to use the vet’s appointment to have the little girl euthanized.  Practically everyone on this Greek island who cares about animals is already severely overwhelmed with rescues and fosters—me included. The local shelter, Animal Rescue Kefalonia (ARK) is beyond capacity, struggling valiantly just to maintain those they already have.

I don’t even live here on the Greek island of Kefalonia—just came to try to salvage our dilapidated old family home. But add that to my “real” work, which is writing articles about animal issues, along with rescuing/fostering several critters while I’m here, and it amounts to being away from my husband and our own pack of rescued pooches back home in California for way too long.

Right now I’m already fostering one severely ill dog—Agapi, who suffers from a deadly illness called Leishmaniasis—and that is absorbing a great deal of time. As soon as I saw the kitten, I asked myself how I’d be able to manage schedule-wise and money-wise to care for yet another patient.

Agapi has Leishmaniasis, causing - among other things - lesions on legs and around eyes

Friends Julia and Keith, who are far more overwhelmed with needy animals than I am, nevertheless kindly offered to foster Meli for a while, depending on what the vet said. The two of them are working so hard to save dogs, cats, donkeys, and other creatures of Kefalonia that I hated to ask them to take in one more, but it was reassuring to have that as a safety net if it turned out I really couldn’t handle caring for the kitten myself.

Melted my heart

In the hours before our vet appointment I got pretty worried. Meli went through several episodes of vomiting and diarrhea. 

Meli after vomiting

But after visiting the vet, here’s what I emailed to Julia:

“Well, I drove to the vet’s office fully intending to request euthanasia for the kitten because she seemed so ill, and because I'm feeling totally overwhelmed and exhausted and didn't want to just fob this problem off onto you and Keith.

“But the vet opened the door of the kitty carrier and Meli proceeded to purr and mew and cuddle and follow the vet around the room and be the sweetest little creature I have ever seen.  Not the least bit scared or nervous, and incredibly affectionate.

“So all my resolve flew out the window."

Getting a thorough exam

“The vet said Meli just has a super bad case of worms," I continued in my email to Julia. "She gave her a pill for the worms, an ampule for fleas, and gave me a prescription for an antibiotic for the diarrhea. 

“Also she's terribly underweight. The vet says she’s at 800 grams, and should be about double that. I’ll go into town to get her a special diet food that helps cats with diarrhea.

“Oh and she really is only a baby—four and a half months old!

“I'm too tired to think about what to with her long-term but just wanted to update you for now. Thank you so much for caring.”

Not 24 hours after I sent that email, Meli passed away.

Who’s to blame?

Maybe some day when it’s not still so raw, I’ll describe more of what happened.  For now, I keep asking myself a question: who’s to blame for this innocent’s death?

First, I blame myself. It’s been decades since I rescued a kitten. Normally I do adult dogs. So even though I followed all the vet’s instructions, I feel that on Meli’s last day I missed some important clues, and should have taken stronger and swifter action. It’s true that I was desperately tired. But I wish I’d pushed past that and done some better, clearer thinking. Maybe that would have saved her.

Second, I blame the person who dumped her over our garden wall. Her friendliness and fearlessness meant that she must have belonged to somebody—this was no feral kitten. Why didn’t her owner get her treated for the worms?  It would have been so simple, with just one cheap little pill.

And whether it was her owner who brought her here or it was someone who found her on the street, in either case I wish they’d had the decency to drop her into our garden before her illness got so severe.

Then, why not ring my doorbell to ask for help? At least that way there could be some semblance of order and a plan. As it was, I had to scramble to gather the supplies and prepare to care for a sick kitten, while at the same time caring for a sick dog. Plus who knows how long she had malingered in our yard alone before I spotted her?

There’s another finger of blame pointing at the owner(s) of Meli’s mother and father for failing to get them spayed/neutered. Yes, these days a severe economic crisis holds Greece in its grip. Many people no longer have much disposable income, and some have virtually no income at all. But by now nearly everyone must have heard that there are two animal rescue groups on the island, Animal Rescue Kefalonia (ARK) and Kefalonia Animal Trust (KATs). The latter sometimes offers free or low-cost spay/neuter services. How about reaching out to them for help?

Kefalonia Animal Trust (KATs) uses donations to provide free or low-cost spay/neuter

Speaking of the economic crisis, many argue that while that’s raging, the government doesn’t have time or money to bother with animal issues. But by law now they have to. New legislation here in Greece, enacted last spring, requires municipalities to make humane plans to deal with stray animal populations, including spay/neuter, veterinary care, feeding programs, then returning them to the streets. (I’m not crazy about that last part, but the rest of it would be great.)

The real culprit

The biggest portion of the blame for the grievous and untimely death of this kitten belongs not to the government, nor to her previous owners, nor to whoever dumped her, nor to me. It’s hidden deep in a place that’s hard to reach, and hard to change.

Meli would still be alive today—she would still be the open-hearted, cheerful, purring little beauty who I had the privilege of knowing all too briefly; she would still be inquisitive and clever and making me laugh—if not for the one thing that’s as sneaky and sinister as cancer. 

Meli asking to be held, just a few hours before her passing

That cancerous thing is this: kittens don’t matter. Nor do puppies. Nor cats nor dogs. Nor goats nor chickens nor cheetahs nor fish.

All are either disposable or edible, one way or the other. Easy come, easy go. A zillion more where that one came from.

Ultimately, that’s who dunnit. That's the senselessly violent, insatiably sadistic, criminally insane serial killer.

That’s who murdered my Meli.

Sweet angel, you are deeply missed. Your passing ripped me apart, but then strengthened my resolve for the struggle on behalf of all the others. You will not be forgotten.

To donate or to volunteer on behalf of animals in Kefalonia, contact Animal Rescue Kefalonia (ARK) and Kefalonia Animal Trust (KATs).

Read Melissa Beamish's excellent blog about her round-the-world trip volunteering in animal shelters, including a month at Kefalonia's ARK.

ALL PHOTOS AND TEXT BY KATERINA LORENZATOS MAKRIS unless otherwise noted

COPYRIGHT 2012

The Dozen Dog Diaries (DDD) would be delighted if you'd spread the links to these articles. Please just keep in mind that reprint or re-post of more than a paragraph or two of the text or of any of the photos is allowable only by explicit permission from DDD, who may be contacted at youradopteddogATyahooDOTcom. Thanks for visiting!

On election day remember the rescuers: Animal advocacy in the voting booth

Animal rescuers good government and social policies to help us help animals. / Photo: Yvette Holzbach and Sheri Burtch, Forgotten Dogs of the Fifth Ward Project

In the United States, this is perhaps the most important day we’ll have for another four years— election day.  The outcomes of thousands of local and national races will determine a great deal about our future for decades or even centuries to come.

Most years in the past I’ve volunteered heavily for various campaigns. This year I voted, but as far as political volunteering goes, I’m sitting it out. Well not sitting exactly. You can’t sit for very long when you’re caring for a sick dog who was recently a parasite-infested bag of bones roaming the streets. I’m running myself ragged, actually.

Which is one reason why election day is important. We animal rescuers have it rough. We all run ourselves ragged.  We need people in government who get that.  Who understand that it’s not just about the animals. It’s about us too—all of us who care about animals.

We need candidates who recognize that caring about animals is not some wacko fringe neurosis. It’s an extension of caring about people.

We need authorities who see that what we do is not only good for animals but good for society. It’s helpful and constructive and healthy to care about animals.

We need leaders who know that animal rescuers make a community a better place—we make our country a better place.

In a few minutes I have to leave the desk so as to feed, medicate, and walk my current rescued dog, Agapi. That’s the Greek word for “love.” So I can’t write as much as I’d like tonight.

Before his rescue, Agapi suffered for months alone on the streets from a disease called Leishmaniasis. / Photo: Katerina Lorenzatos Makris

In fact I have dozens of articles about animals backed up and waiting in the pipeline to be posted. Doing hands-on animal rescue means I haven’t had time to finish them.

Which is an additional reason why election day is important. I don’t want to have to keep doing this.

It’s true that I’m not in the U.S. right now—I’m in Greece, where you could argue that the situation for animals is worse. But it’s not a lot worse. The status of animals in our beautiful United States is shockingly poor considering our status in the world.

Theoretically we’re one of the planet’s most highly developed countries. It’s a pity that our treatment of and attitudes toward animals reflects that so little.

Which is yet another reason why election day is important. The U.S. is the globe’s leader—or at least trendsetter—in so many ways. Why not in animal welfare?

My goal had been to present a series of interviews with animal-friendly candidates for readers to use in preparation for voting. I failed to meet that goal, in large part because I was rescuing a dog.

I know I’m not the only one whose plans, hopes, and dreams get set aside when we encounter animals in need.

And that’s yet another reason why election day is important. I want my life back. Probably, if you’re a rescuer yourself, so do you.

We need leaders bold and visionary enough to march us out of the dismal animal Dark Ages into a daring new time of light.

As you go to the polls and make your choices, as you look for the best candidates to address your needs and represent your views, please remember the animals, and remember the rescuers. 

We need your vote too.

Thank you Yvette Holzbach and Sheri Burtch of Forgotten Dogs of the Fifth Ward Project for the use of the top photo.

Please visit The Dozen Dogs Diaries again soon for upcoming articles about Agapi.

Better yet, sign in with the 'Join this blog' button above to receive an email notice whenever there's a new article.

For previous articles please see archive to the right, including:

Love comes home: the challenging rescue of a sick and bloody street dog 

Read Melissa Beamish's excellent blog about her round-the-world trip volunteering in animal shelters, including a month at Kefalonia's ARK.

To donate or to volunteer on behalf of animals in Kefalonia, contact Animal Rescue Kefalonia (ARK) and Kefalonia Animal Trust (KATs).

ALL PHOTOS AND TEXT BY KATERINA LORENZATOS MAKRIS unless otherwise noted

COPYRIGHT 2012

The Dozen Dog Diaries (DDD) would be delighted if you'd spread the links to these articles. Please just keep in mind that reprint or re-post of more than a paragraph or two of the text or of any of the photos is allowable only by explicit permission from DDD, who may be contacted at youradopteddogATyahooDOTcom. Thanks for visiting!

Treating Leishmaniasis (Part One): Vet’s instructions for curing rescued dog’s wicked disease

His eyes bleed. (Photo: Katerina Lorenzatos Makris)

by Katerina Lorenzatos Makris

It’s no fun looking at Agapi. If you’re an even slightly empathetic person, it hurts. He’s a hideous sight: bloody eyes and legs, sparse fur, and an overall scrungy look.

But he’s getting better—fast. Of course it’s been helpful to get the plentiful chow (much of it freshly homemade by his handy slave, guess who) plus the clean water, soft bed, and low-stress life he’s enjoyed since we trapped him in a small village here on the Greek island of Kefalonia. He had reportedly languished on the streets there for two years before we brought him to our place a few miles away.  

But I believe two medications are largely responsible for the improvement: Zylapour (allopurinol) and Milteforan.

The cheap drug and the spendy one

Zylapour is often used for gout in humans. (Isn't that ironic, given that gout is something that typically afflicts folks indulging in fatty diets, while dogs who get Leishmaniasis and need this med are often starving strays who can indulge in fatty diets only in their longing dreams?)

The other drug, Milteforan, is a type of chemotherapy.

Zylapour is relatively cheap.  At three euros (about $3.80 U.S.) for a packet of 30, he’ll need to receive 2.5 tablets per day for the rest of his life. 

Agapi will need these pills every day for life (Photo: Katerina Lorenzatos Makris)

Milteforan is outrageously expensive. For Agapi’s weight, 28 kilos (about 61 pounds), he needs to receive 2.8 milliliters of the liquid form of this med for 28 days, at a cost of about 300 euros ($388 U.S.).

Both of these drugs are supposed to zap a vicious disease called canine Leishmaniasis, caused by a protozoan parasite that is transmitted via the bite of a certain type of sand fly. It’s tragically common and attacks millions of dogs in Mediterranean countries, giving them nightmarish symptoms like hair loss, skin lesions, rapid and twisted nail growth, organ damage, heart attacks, and more.

For Agapi, it seems this dynamic drug duo is already starting to take effect. Dr. Amanda noticed it first when she came to give him his second checkup last Friday. She pointed out the reduced swelling in his legs and paws. The sores and ulcers there are also looking less inflamed, with signs of healing, and some bits of fur starting to grow back in. The Zylapour, she said, often goes to work very quickly.

And now, after only three days’ dosage of Milteforan, I think I’m seeing even more improvement on the legs and paws. Not so much on the eyes yet, but Dr. Amanda predicts that will come.

Leg lesions looking better (Photo: Katerina Lorenzatos Makris)

More beasties

Agapi also suffers from a tick-borne parasitic disease, Ehrlichia, which we’ll cure with a month-long course of doxycycline, an antibiotic, after he finishes the Leish treatment.

Oh and let’s not forget, at the beginning he had additional beasties plaguing him: a tape worm on the inside and literally hundreds of fleas on the outside. But in the first week we nuked those with a Droncit tablet and a Advantix ampule, respectively.

Dosing dos and don’ts

Zylapour is relatively easy to administer. I break the tablets into small pieces and hide each piece in chunks of canned dog food. We started him on this drug a couple of weeks ago.

Now you see the pieces of the Zylapour tablet...  (Photo: Katerina Lorenzatos Makris)

...and now you don't.  (Photo: Katerina Lorenzatos Makris)

*Please see note below regarding feeding pets and being vegan.

Milteforan, which we started two days ago, is more complicated.

The Milteforan comes in a cute little boxed kit complete with a vial of the liquid medication, a syringe, and six pairs of oh-so-chic disposable plastic gloves. They really, really don’t want you to touch this stuff.

Boxed kit of Milteforan (Photo: Katerina Lorenzatos Makris)

Here’s what our vet Dr. Amanda said to do.

• Prepare a large amount of appealingly aromatic and tremendously tasty food, so as to mask the smell and taste of the medication, which I gather must be pretty nasty.
• Wear gloves
• Follow the package instructions to fill the syringe with exactly the right amount of med.
• Squirt into food.
• Thoroughly mix.
• Make sure he eats it all.
• Follow up with a chaser of a little more food.
• Don’t worry if he gets diarrhea—that’s normal—but if he develops vomiting, call her so she can prescribe an anti-emetic.
• Do not miss even one day of medication. If that happened, we'd have to start all over again from the beginning. (!)

Which reminds me… time for today’s dose.

In the next post we’ll review the fascinating Milteforan package instructions. I’m not kidding--I find the little kit riveting. Or maybe I’m just desperate to squeeze some entertainment out of that dang 300 euros.

UP FOR ADOPTION: In about a month when Agapi completes his Leish treatment, he will be available for adoption. We will handle transport to nearly anywhere. Please contact youradopteddog@yahoo.com.

Please visit The Dozen Dogs Diaries again soon for upcoming articles about Agapi.

Better yet, sign in with the 'Join this site' button above to receive an email notice whenever there's a new article.

For previous articles please see archive to the right, including the following, and more...

Love comes home: the challenging rescue of a sick and bloody street dog  

Curing a street dog of two deadly diseases might be easier than finding him a home 

Can love find a way? Deciding whether or not to euthanize sick, defensive street dog 

Read Melissa Beamish's excellent blog about her round-the-world trip volunteering in animal shelters, including a month at Kefalonia's ARK.

To donate or to volunteer on behalf of animals in Kefalonia, contact Animal Rescue Kefalonia (ARK) and Kefalonia Animal Trust (KATs). 

*Please note:  Regarding the photos and references to feeding Agapi and other dogs and cats, there's the issue of using animals to feed animals. Before I came to Greece I had worked my own horde of dogs in California up to a homemade 80% plant diet. It was a process to develop recipes that would work for all of them. When I'm in Greece rescuing dogs off the street, often in emergency situations, I resort to commercial dog foods and cooking chicken stews for them in the beginning, then try to segue to plant foods, but in my experience sometimes it can be tricky digestion-wise and takes time. An ongoing dilemma.

ALL PHOTOS AND TEXT BY KATERINA LORENZATOS MAKRIS unless otherwise noted

COPYRIGHT 2012

The Dozen Dog Diaries (DDD) would be delighted if you'd spread the links to these articles. Please just keep in mind that reprint or re-post of more than a paragraph or two of the text or of any of the photos is allowable only by explicit permission from DDD, who may be contacted at youradopteddogATyahooDOTcom. Thanks for visiting!