Cats will get themselves just about anywhere and can get into a lot of difficulty by being inquisitive. Falling into a tub of diesel is where Indie found herself after squeezing through the smallest gap in the garage. This surprising turn of events led to her being hospitalised due to some unfortunate circumstances.

Like many cats, Indie can be quite active at night and had gone out to explore overnight. It transpired that she had ventured into the garage and somehow fallen into a container of diesel that had been left out, despite being out of bounds. Initially missing first thing in the morning, Indie was later seen coming indoors covered in a thick black substance and looking very much the worse for wear. At first this was a mystery, but the unmistakable smell of diesel led her owners to realise what had happened, and Indie was rushed to the vets.

She was immediately washed thoroughly to remove all traces of fuel from her coat. Her mouth was rinsed out and she was monitored at the practice for the day. Initially she seemed to have escaped lightly, but it was not until the weekend that it was noticed Indie had stopped eating and was drooling heavily.

Another visit to the vets was needed, and it appeared that Indie was suffering the effects of diesel intoxication despite everyone’s quick thinking and thorough actions. Before she was washed, Indie had clearly been trying to lick the fuel from her fur for some time, as no one knew how long she had been in the diesel. There was concern that the lining of her mouth and oesophagus had begun to ulcerate, and she would require treatment. In addition, while her mouth was healing she would need nutritional support until she felt comfortable enough to eat again.

Indie was admitted for hospitalisation. Medication to protect the lining of her oesophagus was started, along with antibiotics in case any diesel had been aspirated into her airways. Further fuel-contaminated fur was clipped from her body. She was given pain relief and placed on an intravenous drip to aid her recovery. Once she was stronger, she was anaesthetised so that a feeding tube could be placed through the skin of her neck into her stomach, allowing food to bypass her mouth and oesophagus. An X-ray confirmed the tube was correctly positioned, and it was carefully stitched and bandaged in place.

After a few days of feeding through the tube, Indie was looking well again. The nurses demonstrated how to administer feeds and medication via the tube, and her owners felt confident enough to allow her to recuperate at home while she continued to recover.

Several days later she began eating independently again and regained the weight she had initially lost following her ordeal. At this point, her feeding tube was removed during a routine consultation and her medication was gradually reduced. Indie is now fully recovered at home and, it seems, intends to stay out of the garage in future!