Re: [Felvtalk] Update on our Lydia
It sounds like she is very jaundiced? (yellow) Is she being treated? Sounds like liver failure/hepatic lipidosis. This is treatable, but often deadly if not treated immediately carefullyit is usually a somewhat long road to stabilize I believe, though have heard or one or two making great improvements within a couple of weeks. Usually they would need to be force feed or have a feeding tube, and would be an a SAME based med, such as Denosyl or Denamarin. My vet in these cases has prescribed a cocktail including other supplements such as arginine and cartinine...I can't recall what else, and of course don't know what specifics in the bloodwork may or may not call for particular supplements. Please pardon if I missed something, as I see mention of her eating on her own, just worried since it sounds like she is jaundiced, if that was being treatedI'm at work so read quickly, but if she is jaundiced she definitely needs to be treated. Caution in amounts is imperative, there is an excellent Yahoo group for feline assist feeding I have seen mentioned on this website, if that is needed. On Sat, Oct 2, 2010 at 1:28 PM, Anndrea DeLozier unspecifie...@gmail.comwrote: Oh, I guess I hadn't put her name in the first message, so I can see why people don't know what I'm talking about :) The heading was: [Felvtalk] Questions about FeLV My name came up as: A D And it was posted: Tue, 28 Sep 2010 00:26:52 -0700 Anyway, any idea how much Pet Tinic I should give her? Any thoughts on an iron supplement? Liquid seems to be the way to go :) Also, and I hope I don't sound too dumb.but can kitty have human blood in a transfusion? And/Or, can her sister (if she's FeLV negative) donate blood to her? Biological sister, not adopted sister :) Would a vet do a transfusion from one cat to another? Any idea if it would be extremely expensive? We are going to be moving 1400 miles away, and we leave on the 15th. It'll take a few days to get there. I know that will be stressful on her, is there anything I can do to make it any less stressful? Like if she rides on someone's lap instead of in a crate.or get one of those calming collars I've seen at Walmart.? They have some kind of pheromone or something on them, I think.? There will be other cats in crates, and 2 dogs possibly in crates, possibly not, but the dogs and this cat get along very well. She has continued to eat baby food.not a ton, but some.and she urinated the other day (on the floor - missed the box, I guess) and it was a very string yellow color, but not orange, brown, or red.like a.hi-liter yellow, but really concentrated. Like if you hi-lited the same spot on a piece of paper over and over.hope that makes some sense.lol. She's still real yellow-skinned (and paw pads and nose and gums). She has been more alert the last few days, but still not active much. The vet she saw was very sure that she won't make it. He kept saying he has seen cats with the levels in her bloodwork, and it never turns out good. I don't expect a miracle (thought it would be nice), but if she can live for a while, and not be in pain or discomfort, I have to try.ya know? If she makes it until the 15th, and makes the trip, I will be looking for a vet that is maybe a bit more optimistic.but realistic, too. Oh.and guess what? She was purring for me the other morning :) That was the first time I'd heard/felt that in a while. She seems to not want to be warm. She won't stay under the covers at night like she used to, prefers the bare wood floor to the soft beds, and we even found her in the empty bathtub yesterday. Most of her day is spent in the top of a tall laundry basket, laying on a fleece blanket. At night she sleeps at the foot of our bed. Anyway, any more info, encouragement, ideas, etc. are greatly appreciated :) ~Anndrea ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Update on our Lydia
Oh, I guess I hadn't put her name in the first message, so I can see why people don't know what I'm talking about :) The heading was: [Felvtalk] Questions about FeLV My name came up as: A D And it was posted: Tue, 28 Sep 2010 00:26:52 -0700 Anyway, any idea how much Pet Tinic I should give her? Any thoughts on an iron supplement? Liquid seems to be the way to go :) Also, and I hope I don't sound too dumb.but can kitty have human blood in a transfusion? And/Or, can her sister (if she's FeLV negative) donate blood to her? Biological sister, not adopted sister :) Would a vet do a transfusion from one cat to another? Any idea if it would be extremely expensive? We are going to be moving 1400 miles away, and we leave on the 15th. It'll take a few days to get there. I know that will be stressful on her, is there anything I can do to make it any less stressful? Like if she rides on someone's lap instead of in a crate.or get one of those calming collars I've seen at Walmart.? They have some kind of pheromone or something on them, I think.? There will be other cats in crates, and 2 dogs possibly in crates, possibly not, but the dogs and this cat get along very well. She has continued to eat baby food.not a ton, but some.and she urinated the other day (on the floor - missed the box, I guess) and it was a very string yellow color, but not orange, brown, or red.like a.hi-liter yellow, but really concentrated. Like if you hi-lited the same spot on a piece of paper over and over.hope that makes some sense.lol. She's still real yellow-skinned (and paw pads and nose and gums). She has been more alert the last few days, but still not active much. The vet she saw was very sure that she won't make it. He kept saying he has seen cats with the levels in her bloodwork, and it never turns out good. I don't expect a miracle (thought it would be nice), but if she can live for a while, and not be in pain or discomfort, I have to try.ya know? If she makes it until the 15th, and makes the trip, I will be looking for a vet that is maybe a bit more optimistic.but realistic, too. Oh.and guess what? She was purring for me the other morning :) That was the first time I'd heard/felt that in a while. She seems to not want to be warm. She won't stay under the covers at night like she used to, prefers the bare wood floor to the soft beds, and we even found her in the empty bathtub yesterday. Most of her day is spent in the top of a tall laundry basket, laying on a fleece blanket. At night she sleeps at the foot of our bed. Anyway, any more info, encouragement, ideas, etc. are greatly appreciated :) ~Anndrea ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Update on our Lydia
Yes, get some Feliway (facial pheromone)and spray it into the carrier a few hours prior to leaving because if it's fresh, it's a bit strong. You can take cat out once in a while, but it's not really safe in lap...I had a friend whose cat was in the car, she got into a slight fender-bender, opened the door and cat got out on a highway - she never found it again. Keep them safe inside a proper cat carrier - get a larger one where you could place a small baking dish with litter, etc. No, you cannot do human blood to cat. From a cat to another, yes - vets usually have donor cats living at hospitals. Don't know where you live - cost varies from area to area. Yes, those calming things could work - but how about Bach Flower Remedies' Rescue - put into water, into mouth, spread fur away on forehead and place a few drops on it. You cannot overdo. Does kitty drink enough water/? You might want to give her water with an eyedropper throughout the day. If she's anemic, I';m surprised that she wants to keep cool Good luck eith the trip and the little one! I'll be thinking of you all! Natalie -Original Message- From: felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] On Behalf Of Anndrea DeLozier Sent: Saturday, October 02, 2010 1:28 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Update on our Lydia Oh, I guess I hadn't put her name in the first message, so I can see why people don't know what I'm talking about :) The heading was: [Felvtalk] Questions about FeLV My name came up as: A D And it was posted: Tue, 28 Sep 2010 00:26:52 -0700 Anyway, any idea how much Pet Tinic I should give her? Any thoughts on an iron supplement? Liquid seems to be the way to go :) Also, and I hope I don't sound too dumb.but can kitty have human blood in a transfusion? And/Or, can her sister (if she's FeLV negative) donate blood to her? Biological sister, not adopted sister :) Would a vet do a transfusion from one cat to another? Any idea if it would be extremely expensive? We are going to be moving 1400 miles away, and we leave on the 15th. It'll take a few days to get there. I know that will be stressful on her, is there anything I can do to make it any less stressful? Like if she rides on someone's lap instead of in a crate.or get one of those calming collars I've seen at Walmart.? They have some kind of pheromone or something on them, I think.? There will be other cats in crates, and 2 dogs possibly in crates, possibly not, but the dogs and this cat get along very well. She has continued to eat baby food.not a ton, but some.and she urinated the other day (on the floor - missed the box, I guess) and it was a very string yellow color, but not orange, brown, or red.like a.hi-liter yellow, but really concentrated. Like if you hi-lited the same spot on a piece of paper over and over.hope that makes some sense.lol. She's still real yellow-skinned (and paw pads and nose and gums). She has been more alert the last few days, but still not active much. The vet she saw was very sure that she won't make it. He kept saying he has seen cats with the levels in her bloodwork, and it never turns out good. I don't expect a miracle (thought it would be nice), but if she can live for a while, and not be in pain or discomfort, I have to try.ya know? If she makes it until the 15th, and makes the trip, I will be looking for a vet that is maybe a bit more optimistic.but realistic, too. Oh.and guess what? She was purring for me the other morning :) That was the first time I'd heard/felt that in a while. She seems to not want to be warm. She won't stay under the covers at night like she used to, prefers the bare wood floor to the soft beds, and we even found her in the empty bathtub yesterday. Most of her day is spent in the top of a tall laundry basket, laying on a fleece blanket. At night she sleeps at the foot of our bed. Anyway, any more info, encouragement, ideas, etc. are greatly appreciated :) ~Anndrea ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Update on our Lydia
Is FeliWay something I might find at like PetsMart? I know it isn't safe to have her on a lap.I guess I wasn't thinking about that part.thanks for bringing it up.I'm so focused on her not feeling well, it totally slipped my mind what could happen to her if she's not in a crate most of the time. I am hoping to use a large enough crate for her to have litter, food, and water in there.she will definitely have food and water available (as will the other cats in their crates). Too bad human to cat blood transfusion won't work.me and hubby have both said if we could, we'd go so far as to give her organs (or parts of organs - like a piece of my liver), we wouldn't even hesitate :) I'll call around on cost.but would I want to be having a transfusion done shortly before we're moving, or should I call around at the new place (assuming she makes it there)? That Bach Flower stuff.the vet said not to do shots because of her weakened immune system.I'm not sure I should be giving her anything I don't know anything about.does that make sense? Lydia doesn't drink a lot of water. She is not really active, and when I see her having a hard time swallowing, I get her non-needled small syringe and give her a couple drinks. I need to get more in her.she was getting more when she was lapping up really watery cat food, but I was worried she wasn't getting enough food, so went and got baby food. She eats that right out of the jar, but doesn't seem to want water by itself anymore. I will try to get more water in her from now on, since she hasn't been drinking it much on her own. Yeah, I thought anemia would make her feel cold.I mean her paw pads seemed cold for several days, but they feel normal warm now.hope that's a good thing.I sure know the cold feet didn't feel right. And, sorry to press the same question over and over, but does anyone know how much Pet-Tinic I should be giving her? And of an iron supplement (if it might help)? Thanks :) ~Anndrea Yes, get some Feliway (facial pheromone)and spray it into the carrier a few hours prior to leaving because if it's fresh, it's a bit strong. You can take cat out once in a while, but it's not really safe in lap...I had a friend whose cat was in the car, she got into a slight fender-bender, opened the door and cat got out on a highway - she never found it again. Keep them safe inside a proper cat carrier - get a larger one where you could place a small baking dish with litter, etc. No, you cannot do human blood to cat. From a cat to another, yes - vets usually have donor cats living at hospitals. Don't know where you live - cost varies from area to area. Yes, those calming things could work - but how about Bach Flower Remedies' Rescue - put into water, into mouth, spread fur away on forehead and place a few drops on it. You cannot overdo. Does kitty drink enough water/? You might want to give her water with an eyedropper throughout the day. If she's anemic, I';m surprised that she wants to keep cool Good luck eith the trip and the little one! I'll be thinking of you all! Natalie ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Update on our Lydia
Yes, any pet supply store carries Feliway. There's even a dog counterpart available now. Don't put water in there - it'll spill and everything will be wet. Give it to her once in a while of with an eyedropper. We have traveled a lot with our cats and dogs - cross-country, to Europe and back Transfusion isn't always IT - does she really need it according to the vet? Rescue remedy can be given anytime - it's not a shot - cannot interfere with anything! PetTinic - sorry, I forgot to answer: My vet prescribed .25 mL twice a day for an adult cat with regular anemia (he was not FeLV+). He always reminds me not to give too much of it. If you use a small amount of really hot water in the food, the flavor comes out and cats love it. -Original Message- From: felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] On Behalf Of Anndrea DeLozier Sent: Saturday, October 02, 2010 2:53 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Update on our Lydia Is FeliWay something I might find at like PetsMart? I know it isn't safe to have her on a lap.I guess I wasn't thinking about that part.thanks for bringing it up.I'm so focused on her not feeling well, it totally slipped my mind what could happen to her if she's not in a crate most of the time. I am hoping to use a large enough crate for her to have litter, food, and water in there.she will definitely have food and water available (as will the other cats in their crates). Too bad human to cat blood transfusion won't work.me and hubby have both said if we could, we'd go so far as to give her organs (or parts of organs - like a piece of my liver), we wouldn't even hesitate :) I'll call around on cost.but would I want to be having a transfusion done shortly before we're moving, or should I call around at the new place (assuming she makes it there)? That Bach Flower stuff.the vet said not to do shots because of her weakened immune system.I'm not sure I should be giving her anything I don't know anything about.does that make sense? Lydia doesn't drink a lot of water. She is not really active, and when I see her having a hard time swallowing, I get her non-needled small syringe and give her a couple drinks. I need to get more in her.she was getting more when she was lapping up really watery cat food, but I was worried she wasn't getting enough food, so went and got baby food. She eats that right out of the jar, but doesn't seem to want water by itself anymore. I will try to get more water in her from now on, since she hasn't been drinking it much on her own. Yeah, I thought anemia would make her feel cold.I mean her paw pads seemed cold for several days, but they feel normal warm now.hope that's a good thing.I sure know the cold feet didn't feel right. And, sorry to press the same question over and over, but does anyone know how much Pet-Tinic I should be giving her? And of an iron supplement (if it might help)? Thanks :) ~Anndrea Yes, get some Feliway (facial pheromone)and spray it into the carrier a few hours prior to leaving because if it's fresh, it's a bit strong. You can take cat out once in a while, but it's not really safe in lap...I had a friend whose cat was in the car, she got into a slight fender-bender, opened the door and cat got out on a highway - she never found it again. Keep them safe inside a proper cat carrier - get a larger one where you could place a small baking dish with litter, etc. No, you cannot do human blood to cat. From a cat to another, yes - vets usually have donor cats living at hospitals. Don't know where you live - cost varies from area to area. Yes, those calming things could work - but how about Bach Flower Remedies' Rescue - put into water, into mouth, spread fur away on forehead and place a few drops on it. You cannot overdo. Does kitty drink enough water/? You might want to give her water with an eyedropper throughout the day. If she's anemic, I';m surprised that she wants to keep cool Good luck eith the trip and the little one! I'll be thinking of you all! Natalie ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Update on our Lydia
Ok, I will get some Feliway and see if it helps her on the trip :) I didn't think about water spilling.we're going to have to make a lot of stops anyway because I'm having knee surgery Tuesday and have to get out and stretch like every hour or two.I can try to get some food and water in her on those stops and when we stop for the night. The vet hasn't really said anything about transfusion since the bloodwork came back. We had taken her in on a Friday, so had to wait until Monday for the FeLV test results. He gave us antibiotics for her, and called Friday night to let us know some of the bloodwork tests had come back and that she is VERY anemic and that it looks like her bone marrow is not making new red blood cells. He was gone that next week, and another doctor gave me some hope, but was also very realistic about it. Once he was back in the office, he called and was very adamant about putting her down. I asked about pain.if she might have any and how I would know if she does. All they told me was she'd cry out and would pant like a dog. They said I would definitely know something had changed and that it was important. She has never done those things. I might try both.? Feliway and rescue remedy.? I never thought about the hot water helping make it more tasty.I assumed people said to dilute it because she probably doesn't have much energy to chew food. but, I need to keep getting water into her, too.so maybe a little hot water in her food would be good :) Don't be sorry.I hope I didn't come across.like.I was snapping at you.I totally didn't mean for it to sound that way :) Ok, 0.25 ml. I'm sure that wouldn't be too much.the bottle was saying 2.5ml for a 25lb dog or cat.but I want to make sure I don't OD her, so I will do 0.25. Thanks a ton for the info and suggestions :) This is just so hard on me and my husband (who Lydia claimed as hers the moment we brought her home :) ). She is just so amazing :) ~Anndrea Yes, any pet supply store carries Feliway. There's even a dog counterpart available now. Don't put water in there - it'll spill and everything will be wet. Give it to her once in a while off with an eyedropper. We have traveled a lot with our cats and dogs - cross-country, to Europe and back Transfusion isn't always IT - does she really need it according to the vet? Rescue remedy can be given anytime - it's not a shot - cannot interfere with anything! PetTinic - sorry, I forgot to answer: My vet prescribed .25 mL twice a day for an adult cat with regular anemia (he was not FeLV+). He always reminds me not to give too much of it. If you use a small amount of really hot water in the food, the flavor comes out and cats love it. ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Update on our Lydia
Here are some travel tips. I've made several long road trips with my cats. Some will eat in the car and some will wait until we get settled in a motel for the night. I take several jars of meat baby food for the road. Most truck stops have a microwave oven so you can gently warm the baby food. I carry a bottle of water just for Pequita, my CRF kitty. At every stop I'd syringe 10 cc's of water to her. I've found a large carrier works well. In the back it will hold a small aluminum pan filled with litter. I put the food and water in when I stop. I have back problems and need to stop every couple of hours for a stretch. I carry a med. size rubbermaid tub with litter for the motel. I set up the litter box, food and water in the motel bathroom. Feliway spray for the carriers and motel rooms well help settle the cats. Can you check now to see if the area you are moving to has a vet familiar with FeLV? Good luck Sharyl --- On Sat, 10/2/10, Anndrea DeLozier unspecifie...@gmail.com wrote: From: Anndrea DeLozier unspecifie...@gmail.com Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Update on our Lydia To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Date: Saturday, October 2, 2010, 1:28 PM Oh, I guess I hadn't put her name in the first message, so I can see why people don't know what I'm talking about :) The heading was: [Felvtalk] Questions about FeLV My name came up as: A D And it was posted: Tue, 28 Sep 2010 00:26:52 -0700 Anyway, any idea how much Pet Tinic I should give her? Any thoughts on an iron supplement? Liquid seems to be the way to go :) Also, and I hope I don't sound too dumb.but can kitty have human blood in a transfusion? And/Or, can her sister (if she's FeLV negative) donate blood to her? Biological sister, not adopted sister :) Would a vet do a transfusion from one cat to another? Any idea if it would be extremely expensive? We are going to be moving 1400 miles away, and we leave on the 15th. It'll take a few days to get there. I know that will be stressful on her, is there anything I can do to make it any less stressful? Like if she rides on someone's lap instead of in a crate.or get one of those calming collars I've seen at Walmart.? They have some kind of pheromone or something on them, I think.? There will be other cats in crates, and 2 dogs possibly in crates, possibly not, but the dogs and this cat get along very well. She has continued to eat baby food.not a ton, but some.and she urinated the other day (on the floor - missed the box, I guess) and it was a very string yellow color, but not orange, brown, or red.like a.hi-liter yellow, but really concentrated. Like if you hi-lited the same spot on a piece of paper over and over.hope that makes some sense.lol. She's still real yellow-skinned (and paw pads and nose and gums). She has been more alert the last few days, but still not active much. The vet she saw was very sure that she won't make it. He kept saying he has seen cats with the levels in her bloodwork, and it never turns out good. I don't expect a miracle (thought it would be nice), but if she can live for a while, and not be in pain or discomfort, I have to try.ya know? If she makes it until the 15th, and makes the trip, I will be looking for a vet that is maybe a bit more optimistic.but realistic, too. Oh.and guess what? She was purring for me the other morning :) That was the first time I'd heard/felt that in a while. She seems to not want to be warm. She won't stay under the covers at night like she used to, prefers the bare wood floor to the soft beds, and we even found her in the empty bathtub yesterday. Most of her day is spent in the top of a tall laundry basket, laying on a fleece blanket. At night she sleeps at the foot of our bed. Anyway, any more info, encouragement, ideas, etc. are greatly appreciated :) ~Anndrea ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Update on our Lydia
I'm not sure the origin of this line but please consider carrying some ice packs. I traveled two hours, stopped to visit a lady that Kitty apparently didn't care for (she hid under some towels and stayed there for another hour or so in very moderate weather). When we arrived at my holistic vet's, Kitty was very overheated. Luckily I had extremely cold water bottles in a cooler. I travel with ice packs and extremely cold water nowno matter how hot it is. Additionally, this could be a life saver in case of a car breakdown . On Oct 2, 2010, at 6:36 PM, Sharyl wrote: Here are some travel tips. I've made several long road trips with my cats. Some will eat in the car and some will wait until we get settled in a motel for the night. I take several jars of meat baby food for the road. Most truck stops have a microwave oven so you can gently warm the baby food. I carry a bottle of water just for Pequita, my CRF kitty. At every stop I'd syringe 10 cc's of water to her. I've found a large carrier works well. In the back it will hold a small aluminum pan filled with litter. I put the food and water in when I stop. I have back problems and need to stop every couple of hours for a stretch. I carry a med. size rubbermaid tub with litter for the motel. I set up the litter box, food and water in the motel bathroom. Feliway spray for the carriers and motel rooms well help settle the cats. Can you check now to see if the area you are moving to has a vet familiar with FeLV? Good luck Sharyl --- On Sat, 10/2/10, Anndrea DeLozier unspecifie...@gmail.com wrote: From: Anndrea DeLozier unspecifie...@gmail.com Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Update on our Lydia To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Date: Saturday, October 2, 2010, 1:28 PM Oh, I guess I hadn't put her name in the first message, so I can see why people don't know what I'm talking about :) The heading was: [Felvtalk] Questions about FeLV My name came up as: A D And it was posted: Tue, 28 Sep 2010 00:26:52 -0700 Anyway, any idea how much Pet Tinic I should give her? Any thoughts on an iron supplement? Liquid seems to be the way to go :) Also, and I hope I don't sound too dumb.but can kitty have human blood in a transfusion? And/Or, can her sister (if she's FeLV negative) donate blood to her? Biological sister, not adopted sister :) Would a vet do a transfusion from one cat to another? Any idea if it would be extremely expensive? We are going to be moving 1400 miles away, and we leave on the 15th. It'll take a few days to get there. I know that will be stressful on her, is there anything I can do to make it any less stressful? Like if she rides on someone's lap instead of in a crate.or get one of those calming collars I've seen at Walmart.? They have some kind of pheromone or something on them, I think.? There will be other cats in crates, and 2 dogs possibly in crates, possibly not, but the dogs and this cat get along very well. She has continued to eat baby food.not a ton, but some.and she urinated the other day (on the floor - missed the box, I guess) and it was a very string yellow color, but not orange, brown, or red.like a.hi-liter yellow, but really concentrated. Like if you hi-lited the same spot on a piece of paper over and over.hope that makes some sense.lol. She's still real yellow-skinned (and paw pads and nose and gums). She has been more alert the last few days, but still not active much. The vet she saw was very sure that she won't make it. He kept saying he has seen cats with the levels in her bloodwork, and it never turns out good. I don't expect a miracle (thought it would be nice), but if she can live for a while, and not be in pain or discomfort, I have to try.ya know? If she makes it until the 15th, and makes the trip, I will be looking for a vet that is maybe a bit more optimistic.but realistic, too. Oh.and guess what? She was purring for me the other morning :) That was the first time I'd heard/felt that in a while. She seems to not want to be warm. She won't stay under the covers at night like she used to, prefers the bare wood floor to the soft beds, and we even found her in the empty bathtub yesterday. Most of her day is spent in the top of a tall laundry basket, laying on a fleece blanket. At night she sleeps at the foot of our bed. Anyway, any more info, encouragement, ideas, etc. are greatly appreciated :) ~Anndrea ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/ felvtalk_felineleukemia.org ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Update on our Lydia
Anndrea, First, my greatest sympathy for your current situation. Second, this is the first email I've seen concerning Lydia so I don't know anymore than what's in this email. Here's what I can tell you: 1. felv, especially in younger cats and kittens can be horrible. 2. The main problems Lydia has, according to lab work, are severe anemia (hematocrit of 16%) with a very minimal to almost non regenerative anemia and a lymphocytosis (lots of lymphocytes) Anemia is defined as low red blood cells - red blood cells carry oxygen and carbon dioxide, without them you're in trouble. Regenerative anemia is when your bone marrow is making new red blood cells (this is evidenced by the presence of nucleated red blood cells i.e. NRBCs). The problem Lydia has is that her red blood cell count is very low and her bone marrow is not effectively making new ones. The hard part about felv is that the virus infects the cells of the bone marrow and basically kills their ability to make new cells or causes them to make cancerous cells. Red blood cells only live on average three months. If Lydia does not make new rbcs her old ones will die and she will become more anemic. This is why some people chose to do blood transfusions. You will have to do transfusions multiple times and unless there is some way to inhibit the virus or kill it, the bone marrow will continue to not make healthy rbcs. There are some variations on this theme and nothing in medicine is one hundred percent, but I have seen this stage in a felv cat more than once. I have never successfully beaten it for any decent period of time. 3. The additional remarks at the end of your lab work are really just describing features of rbcs or platelets. Rouleax means the rbcs are sticking together, poikliocytosis means the rbcs are irregular in size and shape. 4. The elevated lymphocytes suggest either they are attempting to kill the virus or that there could be a lymphoma. 5. The bilirubin levels are barely elevated. If higher they could suggest liver problems or a process of hemolytic anemia (felv cats often get this from a hemobartonella infection that infects the rbcs and destroys them) It is barely elevated and there was no mention of agglutination of the cells so I don't think she has this infection. 6. How you chose to proceed is a difficult question. Different people have had different experiences, but mine have never been good once they have gotten to this point. You could try all kinds of things like LTCI injections, mannitol, transfusions, epogen, anemoaid, pet-tinic and others people in this group could suggest. For me, I believe we have to try something new since theses seem to only sporadically work. If they work for Lydia that would be absolutely fabulous and I would love to know, step by step, exactly what you did. 7. There is something that hasn't been tried, to the best of my knowledge, by anyone in this group. It is an herbal tonic comprised of four herbs known to fight cancer and have multiple other medicinal properties. There is no guarantee, but I don't think it would hurt to try. Unfortunately, you don't have a whole lot of time to come to a decision. She is at a low hematocrit and will need some form of intervention shortly. I am sorry I don't have more to offer than this, but I pray that it helps you in some way. God bless you in this one and if I can help you in any other way, please let me know. Jenny On Fri, Oct 1, 2010 at 12:12 AM, Anndrea DeLozier unspecifie...@gmail.comwrote: I asked some questions a couple days or so ago, and got some wonderful responses! However, I have not figured out how to reply to messages on here, so I am starting a new thread.hope that's ok. I got Lydia's lab work and it reads as follows (I am only posting the tests that came up outside the normal range): Globulin=2.8 (should be between 3.0-5.6) Total Bilirubin=0.5 (should be between 0.0-0.4) Direct Bilirubin=0.4 (should be between 0.0-0.2) Cholesterol=68 (should be between 82-218) Glucose=153 (should be between 70-150) Potassium-3.6 (should be between 3.9-5.3) A/G Ratio=1.2 (should be between 0.4-0.8) RBC=3.44 (should be between 6.0-10.0) HCT=16.0 (should be between 29-45) NRBC=5 (should be between 0-2/100 WBC.WBC=9.1 - should be between 4.2-15.6) Neutrophil Seg=18 (should be between 35-75) Lymphocytes=57 (should be between 20-55) Monocytes=5 (should be between 1-4) Eosinophil=20 (should be between 2-12) Auto Platelet=70 (should be between 170-600) Then there's these, I have no clue what these (and most of the above) are. Poikilocytosis - Slight Platelet Comments - Platelets appear moderately decreased (50,000-120,000) Remarks: WBC Corrected for presence of nucleated RBC's Acanthocytes - slight Rouleaux Slide reviewed microscopically Absolute Neutrophil Seg = 1638 (should be between 2500-12500) Everything else
Re: [Felvtalk] Update on our Lydia
I also never saw your original post on Lydia, so I don't know what her condition is or what led you to have these tests to begin with. My Fuji had an HCT of 17 about 8 weeks ago. I was very concerned she would need a transfusion. She has since bounced back and hasn't had the anemia since. She does get chemotherapy for lymphoma, but because of a low wbc/neu count cannot get treatments. She has only had two treatments since the beginning of August. At the point where her HCT was so low, I was convinced it was non-regerative because it had been steadily declining. It seems that wasn't the case! Don't give up on your kitty yet! I personally believe that each one has their own special ability to fight. On Oct 2, 2010, at 5:09 AM, jbero tds.net wrote: Anndrea, First, my greatest sympathy for your current situation. Second, this is the first email I've seen concerning Lydia so I don't know anymore than what's in this email. Here's what I can tell you: 1. felv, especially in younger cats and kittens can be horrible. 2. The main problems Lydia has, according to lab work, are severe anemia (hematocrit of 16%) with a very minimal to almost non regenerative anemia and a lymphocytosis (lots of lymphocytes) Anemia is defined as low red blood cells - red blood cells carry oxygen and carbon dioxide, without them you're in trouble. Regenerative anemia is when your bone marrow is making new red blood cells (this is evidenced by the presence of nucleated red blood cells i.e. NRBCs). The problem Lydia has is that her red blood cell count is very low and her bone marrow is not effectively making new ones. The hard part about felv is that the virus infects the cells of the bone marrow and basically kills their ability to make new cells or causes them to make cancerous cells. Red blood cells only live on average three months. If Lydia does not make new rbcs her old ones will die and she will become more anemic. This is why some people chose to do blood transfusions. You will have to do transfusions multiple times and unless there is some way to inhibit the virus or kill it, the bone marrow will continue to not make healthy rbcs. There are some variations on this theme and nothing in medicine is one hundred percent, but I have seen this stage in a felv cat more than once. I have never successfully beaten it for any decent period of time. 3. The additional remarks at the end of your lab work are really just describing features of rbcs or platelets. Rouleax means the rbcs are sticking together, poikliocytosis means the rbcs are irregular in size and shape. 4. The elevated lymphocytes suggest either they are attempting to kill the virus or that there could be a lymphoma. 5. The bilirubin levels are barely elevated. If higher they could suggest liver problems or a process of hemolytic anemia (felv cats often get this from a hemobartonella infection that infects the rbcs and destroys them) It is barely elevated and there was no mention of agglutination of the cells so I don't think she has this infection. 6. How you chose to proceed is a difficult question. Different people have had different experiences, but mine have never been good once they have gotten to this point. You could try all kinds of things like LTCI injections, mannitol, transfusions, epogen, anemoaid, pet-tinic and others people in this group could suggest. For me, I believe we have to try something new since theses seem to only sporadically work. If they work for Lydia that would be absolutely fabulous and I would love to know, step by step, exactly what you did. 7. There is something that hasn't been tried, to the best of my knowledge, by anyone in this group. It is an herbal tonic comprised of four herbs known to fight cancer and have multiple other medicinal properties. There is no guarantee, but I don't think it would hurt to try. Unfortunately, you don't have a whole lot of time to come to a decision. She is at a low hematocrit and will need some form of intervention shortly. I am sorry I don't have more to offer than this, but I pray that it helps you in some way. God bless you in this one and if I can help you in any other way, please let me know. Jenny On Fri, Oct 1, 2010 at 12:12 AM, Anndrea DeLozier unspecifie...@gmail.comwrote: I asked some questions a couple days or so ago, and got some wonderful responses! However, I have not figured out how to reply to messages on here, so I am starting a new thread.hope that's ok. I got Lydia's lab work and it reads as follows (I am only posting the tests that came up outside the normal range): Globulin=2.8 (should be between 3.0-5.6) Total Bilirubin=0.5 (should be between 0.0-0.4) Direct Bilirubin=0.4 (should be between 0.0-0.2) Cholesterol=68 (should be between 82-218) Glucose=153 (should be between 70-150) Potassium-3.6 (should be between 3.9-5.3)
[Felvtalk] Update on our Lydia
I asked some questions a couple days or so ago, and got some wonderful responses! However, I have not figured out how to reply to messages on here, so I am starting a new thread.hope that's ok. I got Lydia's lab work and it reads as follows (I am only posting the tests that came up outside the normal range): Globulin=2.8 (should be between 3.0-5.6) Total Bilirubin=0.5 (should be between 0.0-0.4) Direct Bilirubin=0.4 (should be between 0.0-0.2) Cholesterol=68 (should be between 82-218) Glucose=153 (should be between 70-150) Potassium-3.6 (should be between 3.9-5.3) A/G Ratio=1.2 (should be between 0.4-0.8) RBC=3.44 (should be between 6.0-10.0) HCT=16.0 (should be between 29-45) NRBC=5 (should be between 0-2/100 WBC.WBC=9.1 - should be between 4.2-15.6) Neutrophil Seg=18 (should be between 35-75) Lymphocytes=57 (should be between 20-55) Monocytes=5 (should be between 1-4) Eosinophil=20 (should be between 2-12) Auto Platelet=70 (should be between 170-600) Then there's these, I have no clue what these (and most of the above) are. Poikilocytosis - Slight Platelet Comments - Platelets appear moderately decreased (50,000-120,000) Remarks: WBC Corrected for presence of nucleated RBC's Acanthocytes - slight Rouleaux Slide reviewed microscopically Absolute Neutrophil Seg = 1638 (should be between 2500-12500) Everything else showed as in the normal ranges listed with them. At the top of the first page it says: Reticulocyte count=0.7 (should be between 0-1) Absolute reticulocyte=24080 (should be between 0-50,000) An absolute reticulocyte count greater than 50,000 of blood is considered evidence of regenerative anemia. Degree of regeneration: (aggregate reticulocytes) 15,000 - NONE 50,000 - SLIGHT 100,000 - MODERATE 200,000 - MARKED FeLV antigen (ELISA) - POSITIVE (result has been duplicated) I hope this isn't too long to post.I had no idea what people would or wouldn't want to know. These results are of blood that was drawn on 9/17, I have no idea what her numbers are now. I did get her eating some stage 2 meat baby food. She's only eaten half a jar, but that is more food in the last 24 hours than she probably ate the few days before that.and before the baby food her food mostly consisted of water. I am not force feeding at this time, since she sniffs it and eats on her own, and drinks water on her own when she's thirsty. She does seem to have some difficulty swallowing, but she is still getting food and water down. Also, what is the correct dosage of Pet Tinic for her? She is MAYBE 5lbs, and the bottle says : dogs and cats 2.5 ml per 25lbs of body weight. So she should get a fifth of that, which would be 0.5ml, right? Thanks to anyone who has helped and might help in the future.and sorry again for making this so long. ~Anndrea ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
