Nathan, I am so sorry this is so complicated. You sound like you are doing all you can. God bless both you and Mao.
Dede and Ki --- Nathan Kennedy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > This is a reply to all the messages. The blood was > sent to the lab, not > checked in-office, and was double-checked--came up > positive twice. So > there's not much chance it was a false positive. > But from what I've read > it is not unusual for an infected cat that's only > three months old to test > negative. He should have been retested around the > time he was neutered, > but my vet at the time did not mention that > possibility. > > Mao has actually seen three vets now (total of seven > visits). One vet did > the initial checkup, vaccinations, treatment for a > fever, and neutering. > I had moved so when the respiratory problems got bad > I rushed him to a vet > that was closer and open on Saturday. He took the > X-ray, blood sample > that came back FeLV+, and gave him steroids and mite > treatment. The third > vet I went to the next day was for the acute eye > infection, and he got eye > drugs and antibiotics added to his regime. > > The eye treatments seem to be helping, and he seems > to be adapting to his > breathing a little better. I don't think it has > actually gotten any > better, it's just a matter of being more used to his > new environment since > I moved house again. It hasn't gotten much worse in > the last two days, > although that's not saying much as I can't see how > it could get much worse > without killing him. Any exertion or scare throws > him into a length fit > of open-mouthed gasping--if it is particularly bad, > his gums do in fact > get blue. The worst is when I put the mite > medication in his ears or the > ointment in his eyes, to the extent that I am > considering stopping those > two particular medications if they're doing more > harm than good, and > hoping that the pills, antibiotics and eyedrops will > do it. > > The vet hasn't mentioned euthanasia although he has > said that the > prognosis is very bad. He has offered to see him > again and give him > something to help his immune system a bit. I think > he is doing all he > can. Even if I could get interferon, it would be > contraindicated because > he is on steroids for his breathing. Surgery would > require a specialist > and hospitalization and in his state there is no way > I would put him > through that. > > He doesn't have a hypoplastic trachea, it is being > squeezed or constricted > in one spot, either due to a growing tumor or > inflammation from his > infection. > > In any event, I'm continuing to give him all his > drugs and watching him > closely. I hope he can pull through it but I can't > let it get much worse. > It gives me just a little hope that he's still > happy to see me and rub my > face, and still has an appetite, even though he is > suffering. Last night > he even managed to get onto his scratching post > again. > > -Nathan > > > > I'm sorry that Mao is ill. At least if he is > still showing his happy > > personality, you know that he's not giving up on > himself yet. > > > > Praying for Mao that he pulls through this and > stays with you for quite > > awhile longer. > > > > Cassandra > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Nathan Kennedy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: <[email protected]> > > Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2007 10:59 AM > > Subject: Late FeLV diagnosis > > > > > >> Yesterday I got the bad news that my boy Mao was > FeLV+. This was the > >> worst-case scenario and one that I had dismissed > because he tested > >> negative when I rescued him from the street as a > baby in October, as had > >> the only other cat he had contact with. > >> > >> He saw the vet on his first visit, the next day > for vaccinations and a > >> checkup, a few weeks later for boosters, again > for a nasty fever in > >> December that cleared up shortly afterwards, and > in January for > >> neutering. > >> Other than the fever, the only problems he had > were recurring diarrhea > >> that I tried to manage by modifying his diet and > an occasional fit of > >> whooping that the vet had dismissed as hairballs. > Those worried me a > >> bit, > >> but the vet's clean bill of health, his big > appetite, energy, and growth > >> all reassured me. > >> > >> Until recently. Mao seemed to dull a bit, and > started snoring during > >> his > >> naps. Over the past week, Mao developed a nasty > case of earmites and > >> increased trouble breathing, progressing into > fits of gasping for air. > >> Since he had no runny nose and his temperature > was normal, I thought it > >> might be asthma. I took him to the vet on > Saturday, and he took a blood > >> sample and X-rayed him, finding a constriction in > his trachea. He > >> prescribed prednisone to try to make it easier > for him to breathe as > >> well > >> as treatment for the mites. Then Sunday night, > Mao almost instantly > >> developed a horrible eye infection. The third > eyelid of his right eye > >> closed over and swelled up, blinding him in that > eye and making it > >> impossible for him to close it--meanwhile, his > breathing deteriorated. > >> He > >> went back to another vet in the morning, and got > eyedrops and ointment > >> as > >> well as antibiotics. It wasn't until later in > the afternoon I got the > >> call that he had tested FeLV+. > >> > >> Mao's breathing is not improving. The slightest > exertion is enough to > >> send him into a loud fit of labored gasping, and > when he is not napping > >> every breath is strained--he can't climb his > scratching post anymore, > >> which used to be his favorite perch. Despite all > that, he still wakes > >> me > >> up in the morning purring and rubbing my face. > He still likes to eat > >> and > >> pauses between bites of his favorite food to give > me his happy look > >> through his squinting, red eyes. He has always > been such a happy cat, > >> and > >> it still shows through all his suffering. > >> > >> But if his condition doesn't get any better I > don't think he can last > >> much > >> longer. It's hard to see this happen to Mao at > such a young age (not > >> even > >> 8 months yet). The vet who diagnosed him told me > that he could have > >> gotten FeLV shortly before I found him and tested > negative. I didn't > >> think I would lose him so soon. > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> -- > >> No virus found in this incoming message. > >> Checked by AVG Free Edition. > >> Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.25/744 > - Release Date: > >> 4/3/2007 > === message truncated === "When you are in the service of your fellow beings, you are only in the service of your God" Mosiah 2:17 ____________________________________________________________________________________ Don't get soaked. Take a quick peek at the forecast with the Yahoo! Search weather shortcut. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/shortcuts/#loc_weather
