MS. GRAVEYARD DIRT

Geraldine, by Ms. Graveyard Dirt

Geraldine had already been regularly visiting us for two weeks before she was brought indoors for emergency care. We noticed - over a fortnight ago - that she was dragging one of her back legs during her nocturnal romps. When we first investigated the problem it didn’t seem serious, so we returned her to her outside business and ensured she had a supply of fresh water and food that was easily located.

Italics coincidentally bumped into Geraldine last week when he was leaving food out for her, and immediately noticed that she had taken a very bad turn. The right side of her face was severely swollen (you can still see the marble-sized bump distorting part of her face in this photo), her right eye was gunked-the-fuck-up to blindness, her lame leg had dangerously ballooned and she was bleeding from an unknown source (which turned out to be a hole in her swollen leg).

I didn’t think she’d survive the next 48 hours, but with the help of antibiotics and constant supervision this ole girl put up - and continues to put up - a helluva fight. A week later Geraldine’s eye is clear of pus, her face is drastically less swollen and she can now tuck her deflated leg beneath herself. The open wound doesn’t reek of necrotic death any more, although I’m still very concerned about the injury since I think I saw a severed ligament which’ll require surgery to fix.

If you’re wildlife-inclined please keep Geraldine in your thoughts. She needs all the recovery she can get before we take her to the vet for price quotes on surgery she may potentially need.