That would be very helpful because if Monkee needs another transfusion, I can't afford to get it at Dr. Daley's again. It did cost about $500 and I could only pay for half of it- which they were NOT happy about "allowing" me to do. But if we do another one, it will not be there.
And at that place, there is no "being with" the cat. Everything they do with is away in the back rooms (chemo, drawing blood, the transfusion, everything). Which I hate because I worked in my dad's vet clinic from the time I could walk and I have held off veins in cats/dogs for blood drawing, prepared slides, developed x-ray film, helped cleaned teeth (my dad totally should not have let us do that, but he did!), and assisted in whatever surgery I wanted to assist in etc. So it seems pretty stupid to me when they take my cat from me to work on him when he would much rather have me there with him and I can practically do anything any of the techs could do anyway. I kind of let this go though because I just wanted him to get good care and so I tried not to sweat the small stuff.
-Caroline
From: "HIDEYO YAMAMOTO" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
To: <felvtalk@felineleukemia.org>
Subject: Re: Anemia Issues
Date: Tue, 3 Jul 2007 09:00:49 -0600
Any vet can do transfusion if they are willing to do -- that's all it takes "willingness" to accommodate -- I have gotten transfusions for a several times for three different kitties of mine... the only place that I knew in my city that did transfusion was emergency clinic and charged for about $500 each time - and I so hated to go there -- the people are usually rude and arrogant and usually have to wait for a few hours to be seen -- and they won't let me be with my cat -- so I called the feline blood bank to inquire and they told me that it is a very simple procedure -- if a vet is equipped to give IV, they can give transfusions no problem.. the instruction comes with the blood -- so my vet offered to start offering transfusion service after I talkd to her -- it's great -- she let me stay wity my cat the whole time and don't have to wait around or anything...so if your regular vet does not currently offer to give transfusions -- something to think about -- I can give you the phone number of the blood bank I use to get blood regularly.. I pay for blood with my own credit card and it cost about $200, but the vet only charges $40 to give a transfusion..----- Original Message -----From: MarylynSent: Monday, July 02, 2007 5:45 AMSubject: Re: Anemia IssuesOK: 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: catatonyaSent: Sunday, July 01, 2007 8:54 PMSubject: Re: Anemia IssuesHi 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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