Re: Gary - anemia
Jill, Please know I'm right there with you. My Hannibal has a hematocrit of 10 and is no longer producing red blood cells. My vet told me we aren't going to reverse this but want to keep him comfortable. He was still himself when I went to the vet Monday but is starting to seem tired and not himself today. Like you, I value quality. I want to do a transfusion but my vet told me there is nothing worse than watching a cat have a reaction to the blood and on top of that it is temporary and will buy him maybe a month. There is no long term solution to this. It is killing me because he will be 3 this year and I was hoping he was my survivor out of my litter of 3 kittens that had it from birth. I think that the best thing I can do for him, though, is let him go. He was so scared taking his meds last night. I decided no more meds today. I don't want him scared of me whether we have hours or days together. Either way, I know how you feel. --- Jill Poe [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: The blood test came back and Gary is not overproducing blood cells from her marrow, which I guess was the worst possible scenario. The vet said we can either a) do a blood transfusion and start tetracycline and hope for the best (even tho we don't think her anemia is bacterial caused) or b) PTS. I told my b/f to call her back and ask about the Dexamethasone. That shounds like a better option than the tetracycline, to me. It sounds like we may just have her through the weekend. We won't continue to treat her aggressively (chemo, etc) if she isn't doing well - we, personally, value quality of life over quantity and don't want to make her more uncomfortable for her last few days. Plus, the vet says the blood work doesn't show her anemia is due to lymphoma anyway. This is really sad for us but I guess we were expecting it. We had just hoped it was later rather than sooner. Jill __ Do you Yahoo!? Take Yahoo! Mail with you! Get it on your mobile phone. http://mobile.yahoo.com/maildemo = Amy Wilkins Woof Wagon www.woofwagon.com __ Do you Yahoo!? Meet the all-new My Yahoo! - Try it today! http://my.yahoo.com
Re: Gary - anemia
Jill, Hannibal had a hard time with his meds yesterday and I haven't seen him eat or drink yet today. He took a treat or two but that is what makes me think he has entered a downward spiral. Gary is in my prayers and I hope you get the time to say goodbye. I know how important that is. Keep us posted. --- Jill Poe [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Amy, Thank you so much for your post. I'm sorry about your kitty too. :( I think we may do the blood transfusion and I'd like to try the dexamethesone just so we have another few days with Gary to say goodbye. I don't think we could even take her home from the vet without a transfusion. They said that when they gave her her medicine today, she didn't take it very well and they ended up putting her in an oxygen tank for a while. I think the blood will brighten her up a little so we can have her at home. I'd also like to have her PTS at home, rather than at the vets, but that will be up to my boyfriend, since it's his cat. I know he was pretty upset when we put my Semuta to sleep. Thanks for your kind words. I'll let everyone know when she comes home. Jill __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Find what you need with new enhanced search. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250 = Amy Wilkins Woof Wagon www.woofwagon.com __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Find what you need with new enhanced search. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250
Re: life spans of positives-- anemia
They have been tested for hemobart and we even did antibiotics just in case we missed something. they are also on prednisone, a steroid. they take interferon but obviously not the feline one. I'll look into the auto immune reaction. I think that would show up in the chem panel/bloodwork that I do every few months but I'll ask my vet about it. --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Have they been tested for hemobartanella, a bacterial infection that causes anemia and needs antibiotics? and have you tried steroids-- someone on this list has a positive who became anemic from destroyign her own red blood cells with an auto-immune reaction (which the oncologist thinks simon did as well) and shots of depomedrol for 6 months helped her cat reverse that condition and stop destroying her red blood cells. And then there is epogen/procrit if it is a kidney-related issue. And possibly most important, it is possible that the feline interferon that has to be imported from Europe will stop the anemia caused directly by the FeLV virus. I have lost 2 to anemia, Simon whose anemia was lymphoma-related and Buddy whose anemia was either related to lymphoma or FIP (he never got a definitive diagnosis). Michelle In a message dated 2/8/05 9:12:20 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Michelle, I had one family - mom and 3 kittens. mom is going on 4 years old but doesn't have much time left. she is no longer producing red blood cells and her hematocrit is falling. her son hannibal is 3 years. he has had it since birth and his hematocrit is 10. he probably has only days left. her other kittens died at 9 months and 11 months, one from anemia and one from lymphoma. I also had another cat die at a bit over 1 (anemia) and i have 2 adults 2-3 that are still doing well. I don't think many people see how anemic these cats get. I do blood work on all mine every 3 months so i can see how they are doing. almost all of mine have died from the anemia. has anybody figured out a way to stop this? my vet has researched it over and over again. people have told me to do the liver shake, use pet tinic or iron supplements, etc. i don't do any of this because my vet tells me you can give the cat all the iron you want but if the bone marrow can't make the cells, it doesn't help. I don't want to keep giving my cats meds that don't help. if anybody has reversed the anemia, please let me know. I've considered transfusions but my vet says after 1 or 2 transfusions, you get too much cross-reactivity. = Amy Wilkins Woof Wagon www.woofwagon.com __ Do you Yahoo!? Meet the all-new My Yahoo! - Try it today! http://my.yahoo.com
Re: life spans of positives
Michelle, I had one family - mom and 3 kittens. mom is going on 4 years old but doesn't have much time left. she is no longer producing red blood cells and her hematocrit is falling. her son hannibal is 3 years. he has had it since birth and his hematocrit is 10. he probably has only days left. her other kittens died at 9 months and 11 months, one from anemia and one from lymphoma. I also had another cat die at a bit over 1 (anemia) and i have 2 adults 2-3 that are still doing well. I don't think many people see how anemic these cats get. I do blood work on all mine every 3 months so i can see how they are doing. almost all of mine have died from the anemia. has anybody figured out a way to stop this? my vet has researched it over and over again. people have told me to do the liver shake, use pet tinic or iron supplements, etc. i don't do any of this because my vet tells me you can give the cat all the iron you want but if the bone marrow can't make the cells, it doesn't help. I don't want to keep giving my cats meds that don't help. if anybody has reversed the anemia, please let me know. I've considered transfusions but my vet says after 1 or 2 transfusions, you get too much cross-reactivity. --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: If it is not too hard, could people let me know the ages of their positives now, and the ages of positives who have passed? I keep being told that I was being unrealistic in my hope that Simon, and my others, would live longer than they did. I had heard of positives living as long as 14. My Jo died at age 3, Buddy at age 18 months, and Simon was around 4. My largest grief right now is about his suffering and what he went through, but I am also so grief-stricken at how short his life was. And it was short, very short, at 4 years old, when cats can live to 20. But I also feel like it was short for a positive, like I should have been able to help him live longer than that. I am trying to assess my expectations of this, regarding my remaining positives as well, and so just want to know what the age spans really are for positives who are well cared-for, so maybe I can be more honest with myself about what truly can be expected. Thanks, Michelle = Amy Wilkins Woof Wagon www.woofwagon.com __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Find what you need with new enhanced search. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250
Re: kitten bite (a little Off-Topic)
Rachel, Just keep an eye on the bite and make sure you are up-to-date on your Tetanus shot. I got bit by one of my rescue kittens a few weeks ago and thought it was nothing. It was just a tiny bite. Within 24 hours, my hand was HUGE. The girls at work flipped out and told me to call the doctor. I did and he wanted to see me and immediately put me on antibiotics. I guess cat bites can be pretty bad because they carry s much bacteria. As long as it looks good, I think it is fine but don't hesitate to see a doctor if it gets all swollen or looks infected. = Amy Wilkins Woof Wagon www.woofwagon.com ___ Do you Yahoo!? Declare Yourself - Register online to vote today! http://vote.yahoo.com
Re: Flutie got his wings
Karen, Flutie sounds wonderful and so sweet. I'm so sorry to hear about him. I lost my Cosmo and Mystique around that same age because of not being to make red blood cells anymore. This disease is awful. Flutie was so lucky to have you found you and I'm sure his time with you was precious. Cherish that and know Flutie is with friends now but will always be with you in your heart. Amy __ Do you Yahoo!? Win a $20,000 Career Makeover at Yahoo! HotJobs http://hotjobs.sweepstakes.yahoo.com/careermakeover
RE: Desperately looking for home for Big Boy (FELV+)
Chris, I don't mind you asking at all. When I lost Cosmo, I instantly adopted another one. I'm taking Luigi from Columbus, Ohio. I know she had some other offers from people so I can ask her if she thinks any of those people would be interested in Big Boy. I would have taken him if I'd known you still had him. I already committed to Luigi and I promised my boyfriend I won't exceed 5. I did not hear from those people that the vet mentioned. She said she would have them call me if they decided to adopt a friend for their kitty. Maybe they decided against it. You still have no interest in keeping him? Amy __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Search - Find what youre looking for faster http://search.yahoo.com
Re: Please add Pips to the Candle Light Service
Jen, I'm so sorry about Pips. I know exactly how you feel since I lost Cosmo yesterday as well. His hematocrit was going down so quickly. I've seen several kittens go down this way. I was hoping to try transfusions or erythropoetin but it was too late. He was going down so quickly. I couldn't wait and let him get to labored breathing and all that because I know the end result. He was just too weak to put him through all that. My prayers and thoughts are with you. Hopefully are babies are having fun together. Amy __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Search - Find what youre looking for faster http://search.yahoo.com
Re: OT: Luigi Doesn't Have Much Longer (his photos)
Does anybody know if Luigi is ok? __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Search - Find what youre looking for faster http://search.yahoo.com
Re: Desperately looking for home for Big Boy (FELV+)..and AKIRA's B-day
All I know is I am grateful for every moment I have with my kitties. They are so precious. I accept they are sick but my boyfriend is heartbroken to think they won't be around forever. He is going to have a really difficult time when I lose one. Prior to moving in with him, I lost 2 kittens around the 1 year timeframe. Now everybody is doing wonderful, knock on wood. I was so nervous when I moved with him that the stress would hurt them but they love it. They are so happy and have never purred so much in their life. They have so much more room to run and they spend a lot less time alone now. I hope now that they are settled and happy that they live very long lives. Amy __ Do you Yahoo!? Get better spam protection with Yahoo! Mail. http://antispam.yahoo.com/tools
Re:
Kim, I'm sorry to hear about your kitty. I have four leuk positives and lost one to anemia last year with a hematocrit of 5 when she died. 6 is really low but you have a miraculous kitty with a will to live. My vet said most don't survive below 10-12. It does sound like leukemia especially with the high lymphocyte count. I pray it is not but it sounds like it could be. If it is leukemia, what is the reasoning for the bone marrow test? They were able to tell from the blood smear if there were baby red blood cells in my cat's blood. There were very few which meant the leukemia had invaded her bone marrow and she was no longer producing red blood cells. Since red blood cells die every so many days (60-90 or something like that), I knew unless I did transfusions she wouldn't have long. I did lots of research and the transfusion would only buy her about 2-4 weeks. After the first one, each transfusion becomes more risky and less likely to help because of autoimmune stuff and the cat having a reaction to the blood. Normally you can't do more than 2-3 I guess. I was told it was very tough on the cat so I chose not to do it just to buy her a couple weeks. She died peacefully at the vet with no suffering. She was happy til the last day. I woke up and she was weaker than usual and I took her to the vet. They said she probably had about 24-36 hours but the drive home would probably kill her and that she would probably start open mouth breathing which is painful and scares them. I didn't want to take that chance. I asked for some time alone with her to think about it. After I held her for about 10 minutes, kissing her and trying to decide, she looked up at me and cried and then started gasping for air. I knew that was it. I couldn't watch her scared so I held her while she was put to sleep. I know this is not probably making you feel better but believe me with this disease, it helps to know what you may be in for. I hope you have a very different outcome but I wanted to tell you how it went for me. Maybe it will help in some way. You and your kitty are in my thoughts and prayers and I'm wishing you the best. Please keep me posted. I hope all goes well. It is amazing what love does for these cats and it is so obvious this kitty is loved. Mine have survived stuff that nobody thought they would. My mom cat had round worm, hook worm, lung worm, coccidia.. She had a broken hip, leg, and ankle and has two bullets in her, one in her chest and one in her leg. She survived it all and is happy as can be. She also had 3 babies when I found her and was living out in the cold. Just have faith and know you are doing such a special thing caring for this kitty. Amy __ Do you Yahoo!? New Yahoo! Photos - easier uploading and sharing. http://photos.yahoo.com/
Re: RIP Cupid
Tracy, I am so sorry to hear about Cupid. Words can't make it any easier but I hope it helps to know that Cupid is at peace and hopefully playing with all our babies that have passed. My thoughts are with you. Amy __ Do you Yahoo!? SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! http://sbc.yahoo.com
Re: Hlp pls - How to Boost Felv+ Immune System
Joy, Thanks for the info. I've used interferon on one of my kitties but only because she was anemic from day one and was on steroids and other meds to try to help her. Both my mom and my one year old show no signs. They are fat and very happy and both eat like pigs, have from day one. I also have a 9 week old kitten and now a 4 week old. Can they start it anytime? My vet just called me and told me that she checked around and I have talked to people at Cornell and at many places and they all say that the interferon doesn't really seem to help and that there have been no studies done to show that cats without it do worse than those with it. I apologize for being so skeptical. I totally support the people who are trying it. I've just never been one to throw meds at an animal and I am a scientist and have seen the placebo effect in action many times. People put their animals on a medicine and instantly think they are doing better even if they aren't. I'm not saying that anybody here is imagining it. Maybe this interferon is fantastic. I'm just trying to weigh the benefit of giving it to my cats who are on no meds right now. I know when I had to medicate my other babies, they hated it. I don't want to make these cats (4 of them) take medicine the rest of their life if it won't help but I would hate to think I passed up any opportunity to give them a better chance either. I'm so torn. I'm taking my two kittens to the vet tomorrow so maybe I will get it and start them on it. __ Do you Yahoo!? SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! http://sbc.yahoo.com
