July 5 update on Flavia

[Kerry MacKenzie]

Hi everyone I'm sorry I've been out of touch---I've been going kinda crazy over Flavia's current illness and the logistics of her being cared for medically while I'm gone. Hideyo, I hope George and Angel are doing better? I'm sending lots of healthy and positive visualization for them. Also, hope Bramble is doing ok. And Nina's Grace, and all the other sick or anxiety-causing kitties. I send all my best wishes for their recovery.   I've been dumbstruck by the incredible work done by Jenn, Tad and all the other rescuers who moved so swiftly to rescue the Angel Wings cats. You guys are amazing. And thanks to all those who are offering to adopt. If I've missed anything and any sick kitty out--I think I've missed a digest along the way in the last 24 hours--I apologize, and send my best wishes.   Wanted to let you all know we went to the vet again today for Flavia's PCV, and the count is now "between 16 and 17" --it was previously 17--so I was very relieved, since it could have been so much worse. (Everything is relative, right?) She did lose another ounce and a half :>( --she's gone from 8lb 15 to 8lb 10 oz since she had her crisis and transfusion 2 weeks ago. So, no transfusion to consider right now :>). She's doing pretty well in herself--eating, drinking, playing, snuggling and going inside the box. She was so good today, too--I caught her within a minute; and when we got to the vet she had to have blood taken TWICE because the vial or tube or whatever broke. And she hasn't gone to the bathroom in the carrier since the first vet visit. Backing up~~~I ordered ImmunoregulinEqstim this morning to be shipped overnight to Dr Dodin who was Flavia's vet and who is going to let me know tonight if she'll be able to do 4 housecalls to administer it while I'm gone--the total was around $50 inc shipping so i felt it was worth taking the chance that she will be able to do the calls. I've also spoken to yet another vet at Higgins, Dr Teuber, the one who saw Flavia today, about Immunoregulin (I emailed her the articles and Kyle's emails before the weekend). I liked her. She said she spent an hour on the web--including this website--at the weekend researching it. IF Dr Dodin can't do the housecalls, I'm going to speak to the petsitter first thing tomorrow about taking Flavia to the clinic to be treated with the IR by Dr Teuber. I realize it will be added stress, but I don't feel she can go unseen by a vet for 2 1/2 weeks.... I'd order more IR and have it sent to Dr T. And I'd be calling Dr T right after that to set up a treatment schedule. But.....I've also just been reading some archive material sent by Nina, and now I'm wondering about Procrit (see below--Belinda's email, I think?). Does anyone have any ideas on which might be better--Procrit or Immunoregulin? (I don't know how Flavia's anemia is caused--we haven't done a bone marrow test.) I only have until tomorrow to decide on which treatment--it's going to be difficult to communicate with vets etc once I leave tomorrow night. Dr T also said she could give another steroid shot (I've forgotten which one). It's been a harrowing few days...now I feel a little better because as well as her count being not too bad, I think it's almost certain I'll be able to have Flavia checked up while I'm gone. One good thing....4-5 vets in Chicago are now much more aware of FelV and what can be done for it. They all seem very responsive to the printouts I email and thrust at them..thank goodness! Any more opinions are very welcome. Till later, love and hugs to you all Kerry           I just wanted to remind everyone a little bit about the facts on Procrit.  A lot of vets give people the impression that Procrit (and Epogen) are more risky for cats than the anemia that may be killing them.  Thankfully, my specialist vet knew more about it and wasn't afraid to use it when it was needed.   Cats do not "quickly develop antibodies" against it.  Vets don't prescribe it until it is a last resort because there is a risk of developing antibodies, so they want to exhaust other means first.  If they can keep the cat going for longer with B supplements and iron, or additional liver which contains a lot of iron, they will do that for as long as possible.  However, when the cat is not longer making retics, and new red blood cells can't be made, Procrit is the only thing that can help them.  They haven't developed one made out of cat blood, even though they started testing one, so, yes, there is a risk of antibodies being developed because it is made from human blood.  However, even in the testing, the antibodies only developed in 30% of the cases.  That means 70% of the cats never developed antibodies.  And when they do develop antibodies, it usually is not for about four months. What happens is the Procrit quits working, so the cats HCT or PCV starts to drop again.  So that means that if the cat does develop antibodies, he will at least have four or five months of good quality life that he wouldn't have had otherwise.  Jean-Luc would have died last December without it.  He has been on it for over a year, and it keeps him going.  When we had a vial that lasted almost six months, I found out that the tiny amount he still gets is very necessary.  The vial lost its potency and his HCT started dropping. Some vets might have automatically assumed antibodies and taken him off of it.  My vet increased the dosage and we got a new vial.  He recovered quickly, and we lowered the dosage again to the usual once a week subq shot. (I just need to make sure I pay attention to when the vial is four months old and throw it out then.)   If the anemia is not below 18%, usually Procrit is not needed yet. Jean-Luc's HCT was actually down to 13% before he was put on Procrit.  They do a blood test after it gets below 20%, and that tells them if the anemia is regenerative or non-regenerative.  If it is still regenerative, meaning they are making red blood cells, then Procrit would not help.  If it is non-regenerative, then Procrit (or Epogen) is needed, because without replacing that building block, the cat will die in very short order.   I don't want people whose cats need it to be afraid to give Procrit.  I learned some of this from my specialist vet, who does a good job of explaining things, and some from the Feline anemia list, where there is a lot of great information."   PS.  I asked my vet about this too and she said she didn't know of any positive cats that had tried it, she didn't know if it would work or not, but said if Bailey ever came down with anemia that wasn't due to hemobartenella she would certainly give it a try if I wanted to and I most certainly would.  When cats get non-regenerative anemia they are going to die it is only a matter if time, and I wouldn't hesitate to try something that may possibly save Bailey since the only other option is certain death.