Re: [Felvtalk] Dexter and Cali are together now
Ben, I guess Dexter knew that Cali needed someone to play with from Dallas. We lost our Cali last Monday and it has been to hard for me to even write about it. You were so helpful to our little Cali and Dr. Wright was wonderful in the short time we had to make so many decisions. We only had our little girl 5 months and she was tired (but a true fighter in her short little life). She ended up with fluid around her lungs and we drained it once and it refilled back up within 24 hours. She was so tired but she fought so hard for the five months we had her. She was the cutiest kitten but it was so hard to watch her laboring to breath. I just want you to know that you and Dexter were a blessing to my husband and I (and our little girl, Cali) and I promise, Cali and he are playing together now with no pain. Bless you, Ben, and thank you for all you did for Dexter and for my family in our time of crisis and pain. Cathy and Mark Ben Williams drsiebl...@gmail.com wrote: = I'd like to start off this message by thanking all of you for your kind words regarding Dexter over the past few days - - my wife and I have shared and appreciated every one of the emails - it's meant a lot to us. Unfortunately, this morning has proven to be heartbreaking to us both - we received a call first thing this morning from East Dallas Animal Clinic's Dr. Ken Cantrell that Dexter's condition had worsened over the course of the night. After picking Dex up from the Emergency clinic yesterday morning, we immediately took him to Dr. Wright at Lakewood Vet Center. Dr. Wright has been on vacation since last week and we were told that he would be back yesterday morning - but he hadn't yet returned. I took Dexter to see him on three occasions last week for his lymphocyte T-Cell Immunomodulator injections, but was only able to see him that Monday. When we took Dex in on Friday when the swelling of his feet and face had begun, we were given no advice by his staff who were unable to do anything other than give Dex his shot and usher us out the door. They are all very caring people and I don't blame them for anything, but I feel that any vet who runs a practice where he is the only doctor on staff, should do a bit more to keep his patients informed about his availability - that way precious minutes or hours or days aren't wasted waiting for him to return. Fortunately, several weeks ago, when trying to convince Dr. Wright to order the LTCI treatment (which took him over a week to do) I was referred to the East Dallas Animal Clinic by the LTCI folks - they had used the medication before. East Dallas Animal Clinic is a wonderful place. We've worked with Dr. Ellsworth and Dr. Cantrell there - - they are both compassionate and make a point of taking calls from concerned pet owners. They have both been wonderful to work with and have been open to taking every conceivable avenue with Dex's treatment. I only wish we had been seeing them from the start. We rushed Dex to them yesterday morning as soon as it became clear that Dr. Wright wouldn't be returning. Again, I don't blame Dr. Wright, but when we took Dexter in for his checkup three weeks ago and Dr. Wright informed us that anemia had set in, his advice was to take him home and make him comfortable. A week passed as I researched and tried to communicate with him about alternate treatments and off-label meds. When you factor in that week and the week he took to order the LTCI meds, that's two out of the last three weeks where Dex had little treatment. Again, why the difficulty in getting anything done for Dex? East Dallas, however, fit Dex in on the first day we spoke with him and started him on Acemannan injections. They had two remaining doses remaining of that drug; a drug that was very beneficial to Dex last year when he was first diagnosed. they sacrificed those 2 doses for Dex without question - had I gone to them earlier, perhaps it would have had more effect on him. Regardless, Dex seemed to make improvements while on Immunoregulin, LCTI and the acemannan. FeLV and FIV are horrible diseases, though, and I felt like there was something always sneaking up on Dex while we treated him. We seemed to reverse the anemia, but his Lymph nodes were swelling. Some days they would go down, other days, they would blow up. When the mystery feet and face swelling started last week, he even responded well with benadryl. That thing sneaking up on Dexter? Full blown cancer - it wasn't just in his lymph nodes, it was in his liver and spleen - it had probably made his heart swell. His breathing was becoming more and more labored and we struggled with the decision of when Dexter was in too much pain to continue. Yesterday, Dr. Cantrell started chemotherapy on Dex, as well as steroids. He seemed to tolerate the meds well, but over the course of the night, he became more jaundiced and vomited, while his body temperature dropped to 94 degrees. His little
Re: [Felvtalk] Dexter
Ben, Try not to remember what happened after Dexter gave his small sigh. Take comfort that his sigh to you was his sign that he could now relax and breath freely. What happens after that is just what the body does naturally. Many times, an animal can urinate or have other fluids that come out from their mouths and noses because the body is just relaxing and riding itself of all types of fluids. It is very natural and some animals do it and some animals don't. It has nothing to do with suffering. Dexter knows you loved him and he loved you. That is WHAT MATTERS. Don't go down the road of what if's. You were a good family and Dexter loved you. I have never been able to have children so my pets are my kids. I take the decision to end a kids life very seriously (as I know you did). I believe it is the last huge responsibility I do, as a loving parent is to make sure my child has the best quality of life they can have. That is exactly what you did for Dexter. You didn't want to see him continue to struggle to breath and you helped him to be peaceful. Look to your other kids to help you get through. See the life in them. They will show you the way. You are a compassionate and loving man. Cathy Ben Williams drsiebl...@gmail.com wrote: = Thanks so much, everyone. It's been a really hard day for us and I'm haunted by seeing Dexter this morning struggling so hard to live. You've all been so wonderful and your kind comments have really helped today - if anything, we are realizing even more now just how much we love that little boy. He was so special to us. If I may, I have a question regarding Euthanasia for those of you who have been through this before - for those of you who are squeamish, please just skip this one: Dexter passed peacefully when Dr. Cantrell administered the euthanasia this morning. He let out a small sigh when the initial sedative was injected and silently slipped away when the final injection was made. A few minutes later, as we were still petting him, a fair amount of yellow, clear liquid came out of his mouth and nose. I assume this was fluid that had started to collect in his lungs, perhaps part of the jaundice from his liver? I don't know - I just can't stand the idea that he was in severe pain for a while there and that, perhaps, we put him through it. He had a chest X-ray on sunday night and no fluid was visible. Or, maybe it was missed. Sorry for the awkward question. On Wed, Jul 6, 2011 at 12:46 PM, Lynda Wilson longhornf...@verizon.netwrote: My heart is breaking after reading your story! I'm truly sorry Dexter is gone, but he will live within your heart now. You did so much for him and he fought the battle as much as he could. My thoughts are with you at this difficult time. Lynda - Original Message - From: Ben Williams drsiebl...@gmail.com To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2011 9:46 AM Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Dexter I'd like to start off this message by thanking all of you for your kind words regarding Dexter over the past few days - - my wife and I have shared and appreciated every one of the emails - it's meant a lot to us. Unfortunately, this morning has proven to be heartbreaking to us both - we received a call first thing this morning from East Dallas Animal Clinic's Dr. Ken Cantrell that Dexter's condition had worsened over the course of the night. After picking Dex up from the Emergency clinic yesterday morning, we immediately took him to Dr. Wright at Lakewood Vet Center. Dr. Wright has been on vacation since last week and we were told that he would be back yesterday morning - but he hadn't yet returned. I took Dexter to see him on three occasions last week for his lymphocyte T-Cell Immunomodulator injections, but was only able to see him that Monday. When we took Dex in on Friday when the swelling of his feet and face had begun, we were given no advice by his staff who were unable to do anything other than give Dex his shot and usher us out the door. They are all very caring people and I don't blame them for anything, but I feel that any vet who runs a practice where he is the only doctor on staff, should do a bit more to keep his patients informed about his availability - that way precious minutes or hours or days aren't wasted waiting for him to return. Fortunately, several weeks ago, when trying to convince Dr. Wright to order the LTCI treatment (which took him over a week to do) I was referred to the East Dallas Animal Clinic by the LTCI folks - they had used the medication before. East Dallas Animal Clinic is a wonderful place. We've worked with Dr. Ellsworth and Dr. Cantrell there - - they are both compassionate and make a point of taking calls from concerned pet owners. They have both been wonderful to work with and have been open to taking every conceivable avenue with Dex's treatment. I only wish we
Re: [Felvtalk] Cali - 7 month old kitten - Update
Hi Everyone: I took Cali to Dr. Wright here in Dallas as Lakewood Vet Hospital. He is very compassionate and took a lot of time trying to explain what was going on. He agreed that it was highly unlikely that Sasha would get the virus since Cali had probably had the virus from birth and they have always been indoors. Sasha has been vaccinated and she also tested negative on Monday of this week. He is doing a IFA test to be sure of Cali's situation. He drew blood on Wednesday, but then his office called yesterday and said that I needed to bring Cali back in because the lab (or someone) messed up the test, and it had to be redone. So I still don't know the results. He wanted to start her on 1cc of Interferon Alpha 2B (1X a day for 7 days and then 1 time a week for thereafter). She ate really well yesterday all day long but is still really tired and basically wanted to eat, drink water, and sleep. Last night, before I started the Interferon, she started breathing with short, fast, breaths. She was still eating and drinking well, just seemed to be breathing more abruptly than normal. I went ahead and started her on the medication, but now this morning, she doesn't really want to eat and isn't drinking much water. She is still breathing kind of hard. I called the Vet and told them I wasn't going to bring her in to draw more blood today because she seemed nauseaed and she has been at a vet almost every day this week. They tell you not to stress a cat the is FeLV+ and then you need to take them to a stressful environment everyday. I don't understand. I told them they would have to draw the blood on Monday morning. I guess my question is, can the Interferon give them nausea? She hasn't thrown up, but she smacks her lips together, which I think is a sign that she has an upset stomach. The Vet said that I needed to be concerned about her not eating, but she was eating before I gave her the Interferon. It's just last night her breathing changed to quick short breaths, before I started the medication, so I don't know if that is something I should be more concerned about more than the not eating, or what. Too many things are changing, and I don't know what to do first. Please give me some input. Thanks, Cathy ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Cali Kitten - Going to see Dr. Wright in Dallas at 2:00 today
Ben, I am going to see Dr. Wright at 2:00 today. Cali ate really good last night and actually played a little, but today her fever is back up and she doesn't want to eat. Thank you for your suggestion of Dr. Wright. I will see what Dr. Wright has to say and let everyone know. Cathy Ben Williams drsiebl...@gmail.com wrote: = I have to agree - we give all of our kitties a supplement called kittievite - it's a malt paste with a good daily multivitamin included... They never want to just eat the stuff, so we smear a little on their haunches, and they go about cleaning themselves and getting their vitamins. Works like a charm and the effects are almost immediately noticeable in their luxuriously shiny coats! On the subject of vets in the Dallas area, we see Dr. Benjamin Wright at Lakewood Vet Clinic - he's great with felv cats and is always open to trying new things. He saved our Dexter last year, so I have nothing but awesome things to say about him. His office can be reached at 214.826.4800. Dr wright is ordering the T-cell treatment for Dexter - hoping to have it thursday. Ben On Jun 21, 2011, at 4:37 PM, Natalie at...@optonline.net wrote: Cathy - I forgot to mention that good veterinarians also believe in vitamin supplements. Our vet always gives any of our sick cats injectable vitamin supplements to help them get better, Vitamin B12, C etc. - ask your vet or future vet - it helps a lot! Natalie -Original Message- From: felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] On Behalf Of ckess...@cox.net Sent: Tuesday, June 21, 2011 5:14 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Cc: Kelley Saveika Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Cali - 7 month old kitten Thanks Kelley, When we adopted Sasha, she had been tested and vaccinated when we adopted her. We had her tested again yesterday and she was still negative. I live in a two bedroom apartment, so it's really hard to keep them separated unless we adopt out Sasha. I don't really want to do that either. I have seen a post for a vet in Dallas at Lakewood Veterinary Hospital that seems to work with people with kittens who are FELV+. I guess I will look into him. Blood transfusions are so expensive though. There is so much to do and it seems like so little time. I appreciate your words of encouragement. Cathy Kelley Saveika moonv...@gmail.com wrote: = Hi Cathy, I feel your pain - when my Missy was diagnosed with severe congenital heart disease, I thought I would die. But they all die of something, unfortunately, and I think the special health kitties are the most special in other ways. We have a wonderful lady on this list who volunteers in an FELV sanctuary. Maybe she can give you some advice. I would definitely change vets - we adopted out a double pos (FIV+ and FELV+) to a lady in Waco about 2 years ago and she is going strong. I would get a confirmatory IFA test. I would get my other cat tested and vaccinated. You may want to separate them. Some do and some don't. I would not put her to sleep because she may be carrying a virus that may make her sick someday. Even the feral cat people are getting away from PTS based on the result of a test. Love and light, Kelley On Tue, Jun 21, 2011 at 3:40 PM, ckess...@cox.net wrote: I am new the site and I am just crushed. I have never had cats before and I adopted a shelter kitten from Petco in Plano, Texas. She had Ringworm to start with and she was tiny, but she was playful and is as sweet as can be. We live in Downtown Dallas so she sits in the window of our high-rise and overlooks the skyline. Last week, she became very lethargic and on Friday, I became worried so I took her to the emergency room. She's always been little, but playful and happy until last week. They did a Feline Leukemia test and it was positive. The only thing I had ever heard about Feline Leukemia before Friday night was that all cats who get it - die. Cali is only 7 months old and I can't stop crying. I just moved to Dallas last July. I have always had Dachshunds but I didn't think that dogs should be in apartments, so I got Cali. Then I didn't want Cali to be by herself, so I got another shelter kitty from the Petco in Bedford, (named Sasha) and she is very healthy. The emergency room vet and the Vet that I took Cali to have both told me that I need to put Cali to sleep so that Sasha won't get sick and Cali won't get better so she should be put down. For all of you out there, please say a prayer for me and Cali. She is a Blue Cream Tabby, she weighs 5 pounds and she has been a real fighter. I don't know how I will find the strength to put her to sleep. She is so little. I want her to get better. I can't stop crying. Cathy Kessel (858) 361-8972 ___ Felvtalk mailing list
[Felvtalk] Cali - 7 month old kitten
I am new the site and I am just crushed. I have never had cats before and I adopted a shelter kitten from Petco in Plano, Texas. She had Ringworm to start with and she was tiny, but she was playful and is as sweet as can be. We live in Downtown Dallas so she sits in the window of our high-rise and overlooks the skyline. Last week, she became very lethargic and on Friday, I became worried so I took her to the emergency room. She's always been little, but playful and happy until last week. They did a Feline Leukemia test and it was positive. The only thing I had ever heard about Feline Leukemia before Friday night was that all cats who get it - die. Cali is only 7 months old and I can't stop crying. I just moved to Dallas last July. I have always had Dachshunds but I didn't think that dogs should be in apartments, so I got Cali. Then I didn't want Cali to be by herself, so I got another shelter kitty from the Petco in Bedford, (named Sasha) and she is very healthy. The emergency room vet and the Vet that I took Cali to have both told me that I need to put Cali to sleep so that Sasha won't get sick and Cali won't get better so she should be put down. For all of you out there, please say a prayer for me and Cali. She is a Blue Cream Tabby, she weighs 5 pounds and she has been a real fighter. I don't know how I will find the strength to put her to sleep. She is so little. I want her to get better. I can't stop crying. Cathy Kessel (858) 361-8972 ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Cali - 7 month old kitten
Thanks Kelley, When we adopted Sasha, she had been tested and vaccinated when we adopted her. We had her tested again yesterday and she was still negative. I live in a two bedroom apartment, so it's really hard to keep them separated unless we adopt out Sasha. I don't really want to do that either. I have seen a post for a vet in Dallas at Lakewood Veterinary Hospital that seems to work with people with kittens who are FELV+. I guess I will look into him. Blood transfusions are so expensive though. There is so much to do and it seems like so little time. I appreciate your words of encouragement. Cathy Kelley Saveika moonv...@gmail.com wrote: = Hi Cathy, I feel your pain - when my Missy was diagnosed with severe congenital heart disease, I thought I would die. But they all die of something, unfortunately, and I think the special health kitties are the most special in other ways. We have a wonderful lady on this list who volunteers in an FELV sanctuary. Maybe she can give you some advice. I would definitely change vets - we adopted out a double pos (FIV+ and FELV+) to a lady in Waco about 2 years ago and she is going strong. I would get a confirmatory IFA test. I would get my other cat tested and vaccinated. You may want to separate them. Some do and some don't. I would not put her to sleep because she may be carrying a virus that may make her sick someday. Even the feral cat people are getting away from PTS based on the result of a test. Love and light, Kelley On Tue, Jun 21, 2011 at 3:40 PM, ckess...@cox.net wrote: I am new the site and I am just crushed. I have never had cats before and I adopted a shelter kitten from Petco in Plano, Texas. She had Ringworm to start with and she was tiny, but she was playful and is as sweet as can be. We live in Downtown Dallas so she sits in the window of our high-rise and overlooks the skyline. Last week, she became very lethargic and on Friday, I became worried so I took her to the emergency room. She's always been little, but playful and happy until last week. They did a Feline Leukemia test and it was positive. The only thing I had ever heard about Feline Leukemia before Friday night was that all cats who get it - die. Cali is only 7 months old and I can't stop crying. I just moved to Dallas last July. I have always had Dachshunds but I didn't think that dogs should be in apartments, so I got Cali. Then I didn't want Cali to be by herself, so I got another shelter kitty from the Petco in Bedford, (named Sasha) and she is very healthy. The emergency room vet and the Vet that I took Cali to have both told me that I need to put Cali to sleep so that Sasha won't get sick and Cali won't get better so she should be put down. For all of you out there, please say a prayer for me and Cali. She is a Blue Cream Tabby, she weighs 5 pounds and she has been a real fighter. I don't know how I will find the strength to put her to sleep. She is so little. I want her to get better. I can't stop crying. Cathy Kessel (858) 361-8972 ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org -- Rescuties - Saving the world, one cat at a time. http://www.rescuties.org Vist the Rescuties stores and save a kitty life! http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home?tag=rescuties-20 http://www.zazzle.com/rescuties* Buy or renew magazines and help our kitties! http://www.magfundraising.com/rescuties Please help Trooper! http://rescuties.chipin.com/trooper And it is the most divisive incivility to tell true animal lovers they can’t complain about it, that they can’t fight for the animals, that they should sit down and shut up and allow the killing to continue. - Nathan Winograd ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org -- Cathy Kessel (858) 361-8972 ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
