OK: Here is more information to take or leave as you chose.
Dr. Daley is a very good vet and so are the people who work there. That being
said, they are specialists and have trouble seeing beyond the science into the
whole. The Royal Princess Kitty Katt had cancer that spread pretty rapidly.
One of the doctors who works there saw her several times (she hated the place
too and he would not let me be with her when they drew blood etc) and wanted to
put her on chemo. He gave her a couple of months at the outside if she didn't
get it. I went to my vets at MAC and we had a long conversation. Kitty did
not get chemo and she had 14 months of very high quality life until she left
this world on her own. She, too, hated car rides (especially after a school
bus driver plowed into her side of the Jeep) and vets. Dr. Kohler and I spent
a long time talking about the ups, downs, rights, wrongs etc and, as I said
before, decided against chemo and to let Kitty leave this world on her own if
she wanted to. I have never regretted either decision.
Watch that carrier trick. He could try that in a parking lot and you would
have big trouble. There are other places to get blood transfusions if you
don't feel comfortable at Dr. Daley's. They are very good at what they do and
I would certainly go back there for treatment if the situation called for it
but, like all of us, they have their focuses.
If you have men who will
exclude any of God's creatures
from the shelter of compassion
and pity, you will have men who
will deal likewise with their
fellow man.
St. Francis
----- Original Message -----
From: catatonya
To: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, July 01, 2007 8:54 PM
Subject: Re: Anemia Issues
Hi Caroline,
It sounds like you're doing everything you can. I'm sure by now someone has
mentioned taking doxy in case it's hemobartonella. If it's not hemobart the
anemia is hard to beat, but there are people on the list who have bought 'good'
time for their cats with various methods. 13 pounds is a good weight, and his
behavior sounds good too. I hope the best for Monkee.
tonya
Caroline Kaufmann <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Hi everyone. I wanted to provide an update on my FeLV pos. and
lymphosarcoma cat Monkee. He saw his Vet yesterday to determine whether the
Epogen had helped his anemia. The news was very bad. Apparently last week,
when the anemia started, his Red Blood cell count was 13%. After a week (& 3
doses of the Epogen), his RBC count was actually worse, 10%. However, Monkee's
White Blood Cell count is normal (it was down last week) and his lymphocyte
count is normal. Dr. Daley also found a lymph node in his groin that is
enlarged (but it can't be felt from the outside- it runs along the artery in
the leg). His Vet said she thinks the FeLV is causing the problem, or it could
be the lymphosarcoma, but when pressed, she said that she honestly doubted it
was the cancer. She presented 3 options: (1) a bone marrow aspirate/biopsy to
determine what is going on at the cellular level; however, it is invasive and
Monkee would need sedation- which he couldn't get anyway while so anemic (so
he'd need a blood transfusion 1st, just to be able to do the biospy); However,
the biopsy, in her opinion, would probably just tell us it's FeLV causing the
anemia; (2) a blood transfusion to literally buy me more time with him; (3) try
another dose of chemo in hopes that the anemia is being caused by
lymphosarcoma, although, as I said previously, she doubted it and that was a
shot in the dark.
My mother and I did not want to put this cat through chemo again (although
he did very well with the first round). But now that he is actively anemic,
there was no way I would do it, especially knowing that Dr. Daley really didn't
think the chemo would actually help the situation. We also didn't want to put
him through a bone marrow biopsy that would probably tell us what we already
know, but don't want to admit.that for four years, I had the healthiest,
beefiest, toughest cat in the world, who never even suffered from a urinary
tract infection; who was so healthy, I wanted to test him a 3rd time this
summer for FeLV because I was sure he didn't have it..To now, out of nowhere,
in a span of 2 months, we have gone from that, to a severely anemic, suffering,
FeLV cat with lymphosarcoma.
Dr. Daley gave him days. Days. Which my mom and I were not prepared to
hear at all. I mean, he is eating, drinking, using the litter box, he is thick
(he was slightly overweight to begin with, so that is helping him now). Yes,
he's not "Monkee" as I have known him, but he just doesn't look to me like he's
on his last leg. When we questioned her on the "days" prognosis she explained
that due to the FeLV virus, and the anemia, his body is not making RBC and his
brain is not getting enough oxygen and although he seems okay now, he is dizzy,
lightheaded, probably having vertigo, and all of that will continue to get
worse because his body is not manufacturing RBC- which carry oxygen in the
blood, and eventually, his eating/drinking and making it to the litter box will
all drop off.
We asked what could be done and she said, if you "are not ready yet," she
recommended the blood transfusion, which will give him about two weeks, and
then the benefits of the transferred blood will wear off and he will start
suffering the anemia symptoms again because his body is not producing it's own
RBC. She also said that morally, with FeLV cats, she will do 2 blood
transfusions, and then that is it. It is fighting a losing battle and that is
as far as she will take it.
I was wrecked and my mother was crying too. I decided to pull myself
together and still take Monkee to the Holistic Vet, Dr. Susan Maier, after we
left Dr. Daley's. It was our first visit and I thought, I am so desperate
right now, it can't hurt. A funny story about this visit: Monkee totally
perked up as soon as we left Dr. Daley's (he hates it there!). Dr. Maier has a
few black and white "clinic cats" that roam around and as soon as we walked in,
Monkee, in his carrier, freaked out (he hates other cats-which is probably why
he ended up with FeLV to begin with!). I was carrying his carrier on my
shoulder to an exam room and I instantly felt the carrier get completely light-
there was no longer 13 lbs of weight on my shoulder! I didn't understand what
happened, but I turned around and all I saw was black and white x 3 (Monkee is
black and white), and I just grabbed the first black and white form that was
closest to me, and thank god, it was Monkee! He had opened the front flap of
his pet carrier-widened the zipper I guess with his paw and then his face, and
jumped out.in an effort to "get" the clinic cats that were following us to the
exam room! I grabbed him just in time because he was already facing off
against them ready to attack, and because he has FeLV, it scared me to death!
But that is not the behavior of a cat on his last leg! As soon as we got in
the room, he walked around and dug his paws under the door and meowed and
basically, obsessed about the cats just outside the door! It was so funny! He
really put on quite a show for Dr. Maier at his first visit! So there I am,
with my tear streaked face, Kleenex all over the place and swollen eyes, and my
cat is basically prancing around Dr. Maier's exam room acting like the King of
the Jungle!
Dr. Maier said there are things she can do to help support Monkee's blood
transfusion and make him feel better. So, we are trying Phosporus 30C,
Clostrum, Thuja 30C and essence of flowers. Has anyone else tried these on an
anemic cat and had any success? At this point, we will try anything. Plus,
Monkee seemed to enjoy his Dr. Maier visit and the whole office had a totally
different feel (far less clinical and hospital-like), which was good for both
of us. Dr. Maier said he looks great and she is by no means ready to "give up
on him yet."
However, the one thing that is troubling me the most is that, my mom asked
Dr. Daley if a FeLV cat suffering from anemia could ever "come out of it"/beat
the anemia to a point were the anemia is in remission and the FeLV goes dormant
again? (She was a biology teacher so she was thinking in terms of how other
viruses behave). Dr. Daley responded, flat-out, "no." Meaning, once it's
started, all you can do is buy more time via blood transfusions because it is a
losing battle. I wanted to know what people on this list serve thought about
that? I know I need to work on my "denial"- this is my first and only FeLV
cat, so it's all new. But this just seemed like such a troubling response?
Monkee is at Dr. Daley's right now (and pissed!) getting his blood
transfusion.
I would appreciate any insight that anyone may have, now that I finally
have some more info about Monkee's condition..
Thx,
Caroline in Kentucky
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