Update on MK

[ETrent]

Mama Kitty is a celebrity now :0)  She is 'Pet of the Month' at my veterinarians office!  She got free treats and toys and her name will be on the sign out front for a month.  We are so proud!   This afternoon MK had her fourth treatment with Acemannan and a vitamin B12 shot.  She has gained an eighth of a pound and is quite perky.  She's eating well and is playing again.  I have even seen her run lately.  I've been giving her a lot of canned food along with her dry Chicken Soup and some supplements.   She is so brave and so good to get that abdominal shot without any fuss or resistance - you would never know that she was feral at one time.   I can't say with certainty that her improvement is due to the Acemannan - but I'd do it over again...and if she has another step backwards I think I would do this treatment again.    A month ago she got a fast-acting steroid shot (one that would be out of her system in a couple of days) and a week and a half of ammoxi drops.  Those are the only treatments she's had besides weekly Acemannan, B12 shots, and a lot of prayer since she was diagnosed nearly five weeks ago.    At the time they told me that she was very sick and would probably not recover...that she was very anemic (based on observation - they really didn't want to take any more blood than was necessary) and that because she wasn't running a fever it was an indication that her immune system wasn't strong enough to fight off secondary infections...and that I should think about saying goodbye.  She had lost 14% of her body weight.   Whatever the cause of her improvement, I am so grateful.  I am also so thankful to all of you for your comments and suggestions.  I don't always respond - especially since I'm still new - but I read everything carefully and I truly appreciate you all and I feel for all you are going through.  I've lost two kitties to cancer in the past.  There are no words to describe the grief of loosing a dear cat person.    I very much wish there were more research into this (Acemannan) and other treatments.  The only real study I've seen sited is the one done by Texas A&M.  It's just so hard to find real information if you aren't a doctor.  This seemed to be a good study and there was a control group and all of the cats tested were FeVL+ and symptomatic...but I guess I would feel better if I read, "Here are some other studies that were done that showed the same outcome".  Even if other studies were done and didn't show the same outcome - I would want to read that too.  There just seems to be a big vacuum where finding good information is concerned - I've read everything I can find and it isn't much.     Does anyone know how we can donate to the cause of testing treatments for this terrible disease?    We have one more treatment next Friday and then we are going to see how it goes.  I will be watching carefully to make sure she isn't becoming lethargic and that she still feels good.  Still taking one day at a time and grateful for the good days.   Kitty kisses to you all.