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We are proud to present Monterey Rice as the Companion Animal of the Month for March 2010. Monterey is proudly owned by Tiffany Rice, the hospital administrator at Atlantic Animal Hospital and her fianc Lindsay Shaffer. Monterey was adopted by Tiffany and Lindsay when she was just 8 weeks old. Montereys litter had been brought to Atlantic Animal Hospital in hopes of finding a home, and sure enough Tiffany and Lindsay fell in love with the tiny black kitten. Monterey spends most of her time hanging out with Jack, a Labrador retriever mix that lives with Tiffany and Lindsay. She is very outgoing and very curious when company comes over. She loves to talk and will hold conversations with Lindsay for hours.
 | Monterey was hospitalized at Atlantic Animal Hospital in March of 2008, after eating several leaves off of an Easter lily plant that Tiffany had purchased as an Easter decoration. As it turns out, all species of lilies are very toxic to cats. Whether a cat eats the flower, licks a leaf, or comes into contact with the lily pollen, it can cause renal failure and death with in as few as 3 to 6 days. Signs of lily intoxication include increased thirst, increased urination, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and anorexia. Treatment includes inducing vomiting, administering activated charcoal, and hospitalization with IV fluids to flush the toxins out of the system. |
In Montereys case, Tiffany noticed her vomiting shortly after bringing the lily plant home. Concerned, Tiffany noticed that Monterey had chewed on several leaves, even though the plant was located on the top of the refrigerator. Tiffany acted fast and called Dr. Sukhija who met Tiffany at Atlantic Animal Hospital to induce vomiting. Lab work completed just hours after ingestion showed that Montereys kidneys were showing signs of acute renal failure. After 3 days of IV fluids and anti-vomiting medications, Monterey made a full recovery. She was placed on a special urinary and kidney health diet called Royal Canin Urinary S/O, and today, Montereys kidneys have made a full recovery.
Written By : Kaleia Corbin and Tiffany Rice.