Before I picked her up, I went an got the largest dog cage they had--for shepherds, labs, etc. The giant one was not in stock or I would have gotten that, despite already having a large crate at home--that crate has been taken over by a rescue lab! So she is in the crate and doing ok. Still breathes faster than the others, but her nostrils are NOT flaring and she is not open mouth breathing. She is using the litterbox and eating and the others have investigated the crate and play near it and on it. Her sister often sits there next to her and often the cats will reach into the crate to her. She is sleeping in the little carrier which will help me when she has to go see the vet--I don't want to chase her around and stress her. It's not ideal, and aside from a few pitiful meows every now and then (and then her buddies run to see her) she seems ok. Tracy catatonya wrote: > > Tracy, > > I know the cage is expensive just to try, but that's what I'd do. Try > it and see if it stresses her less than being in a separate room. > Sounds like that's about all you can do for now. > > Take it day to day and find out what you can from the vet. > > I'm sorry the choices don't sound more promising. > > tonya > > --- tracy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > While reading about Ping these last few days, I knew in my gut that > > something similar was going on w/Gretel. Today I took her to the vet > > and yes, she has fluid in her chest. They tapped the chest and got > > fluid, but the x-ray also shows that her trachea is displaced, prob. > > by > > a tumor. My vet does not have the ability to ultrasound the cats, > > but > > they feel pretty confident there is something pushing the > > trachea--plus, > > the heart was obscured by something on the x-ray. If the diagnostic > > tests are completely useless--I might consider finding a vet to > > ultrasound her, but it might not be nec. depending on what the > > outcome > > of the tests my vet did today. > > > > So, the poss. diagnoses are FIP, a tumor, or heart disease. Although > > heart disease would give her the best chance of survival beyond a few > > months, it is unlikely bec. she is not yet a year old. So then we > > are > > looking at the other two.....neither offer much hope of survival > > beyond > > a few months (if that) if treated. So now I don't know what to > > do....I > > am going to pick her up from the vets' and get a large dog cage for > > her--to limit her activity and to limit her access to my other FELV+ > > and > > FELV- cats. She WILL be able to see them and have her sister near, > > but > > I can't let her roam--although if it is FIP, it's NOT a new thing and > > the others have been exposed, but mainly bec. the exertion seems to > > really stress her and I need to be able to keep her where I can find > > her > > and if need be, get her to the vet. None of my cats go outside, but > > Gretel doesn't like to be handled and so if she is already in a cage, > > well, that will help. I think I will put a small carrier in there, > > too, > > so she can sleep in that and hopefully, I can use that to transport > > her > > to/from the vet. > > > > I guess my main reason for posting is: she is NOT currently is major > > distress (except from going to the vets'), so is it reasonable to > > consider to treat her conservatively--what about reg. chest taps, or > > poss. chemo if it is a tumor? I don't want to put her down if she > > can > > still have good times, but she will be in a cage for at least a > > little > > while until we can determine what is going on. Is this cruel? I > > could > > put her in a room by herself, but then she wouldn't get to see the > > others. She never really played all that much -- maybe bec. she > > didn't > > feel well. I don't know that I believe that any life is better than > > no > > life, but I am willing to treat her and give her some time. I hate > > putting them down, but I have when necessary--still, it never gets > > any > > easier. > > > > Any advice is appreciated. > > > > > > Thanks, > > > > Tracy > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. > http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/
