Re: Stomatitis gone south?
Hi Nina! Jimi Too Cool's vet seems to be clueless about where the pain is emanating from. He was just guessing stomach or esophagus. I will do some re-reading, I had forgotten, if I ever knew, that stomatitis can affect other organs, hmmm. I think the mystery is that he really does not have the stomatitis anymore, though, since his mouth is looking good now, if the strict definition is about the mouth (mouth=stoma, I think?). I will do some more reading, thanks, Nina. I have given him Pepcid in the past so I have a dose calculated for him. I could mash some up in his food to see if it helps or not, good idea. I haven't noticed certain foods causing the pain since his mouth healed up but I will try and make note if there is a correlation. I tend to feed him only food that I know he can tolerate at most any time, such as juice from cat food cans, human baby food, Hills A/Dand he does well with milk and dairy products, surprisingly. And he loves them. Actually, I will keep these tips handy for the next time around because happily, he is eating well right now! And a lot, yay!!! The depo-medrol kicked in last night! :-) Thanks again, Anne and Jimi Too Cool, Simms and Sophie in MI among other furry friends * Hi Anne!I've always loved Jimi Too Cool's name, and I remember Sophie too. I'm so sorry to hear about Jimi's distress when eating. Isn't that just the worst? To watch them be interested, to know they are hungry, and then to see them react to something as benign as food with pain and terror! I don't know enough about stomatitis to advise you, I do remember reading that it can eventually effect other organs and bodily functions. What does your vet say? Would Pepcid or Reglan help? Does he have the same reaction to everything he eats? I wish I could offer solutions, you and he are in my prayers that you find relief for him very soon.NinaAnne Gatica wrote: Hi everyone, I feel so badly that I can't keep up with the posts on this great list as I used to do, although I do try when I can. I haven't posted for a while but probably the people who have been on the list for while will know my Jimi Too Cool. I also have sweet Sophie as my friend, (who had the destroyed anus situation), too, but today it's about Jimi Too Cool. Jimi Too Cool, 8, FeLV+, had been doing pretty well but he has needed depo-medrol injections more and more often as he aged for his severe chronic stomatitis. He has gotten to the point that the shot will only last him about 2 weeks. I had switched him to Metacam for a while but last time I tried and gave two hefty Metacam doses in a row, neither kicked in for him. I am sick at heart because he is down to 8 lbs. from his strapping 18 lbs. at one time and his hair is coming out in clumps. He gets PetTinic, CoQ10, lysine (and clindamycin as needed), pretty regularly. His mouth checks out just fine at the vets lately. The last six times he has gone, they have found nothing in his mouth to indicate stomatitis. He has terrible pain when trying to eat, though, crying out in pain after a few bites, (when he is doing poorly). So I am pretty sure it has to do with his digestive tract. Does stomatitis "travel"? Anyone else had the problem of the pain going down into unseen regions like that? He got a shot on Saturday and just started eating this morning. He drank small amounts of "juice" from canned cat food, some human baby food, some milk and ate a bit of chunks of cat food. He did well until he ate a good bit and then gagged and ran in pain. I am thinking that the food level maybe reached the area where he has pain? Like esophogus or upper stomach? Jimi is terrible to catch and treat. He is a loving, sweet wonderful boy but don't try to catch him and take him to the vet or try to syringe him some medicine. It is a real struggle every time, battle of wits, for sure. I am also having a rough time financially so can't afford pricey investigations, although I would sell things if I knew a procedure or test would possibly save him. If anyone has any ideas or input on what can be done for my boy or shared experiences, I would appreciate it so much. My goal is to just keep my boy pain free and to make his life fairly good. If he continues to have such pain, though, I know I will have to make a decision. Does anyone know of a good pain killer beyond Metacam and depo medrol that would help him but also not drug him up sky high where life is a blur? Thank for listening, Anne and Jimi Too Cool, Simms, and Sophie in MI among other furry friendsEnd of Felvtalk Digest, Vol 18, Issue 42
Re: Stomatitis gone south/Tonya, my sincere condolences, too
Tonya, You have all my sympathy on the loss of your Grayson. I am so sorry for your loss. Thanks for your coming in to talk about Jimi, Tonya, that was so nice. I love how you call him J2C, too! Thinking of you in this sad time, Tonya, Hugs, Anne and Jimi Too Cool, Simms and Sophie in MI, among other furry friends From: catatonya [EMAIL PROTECTED]Subject: Re: Stomatitis gone south?To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.orgMessage-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED]Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"Hi Anne, I certainly remember you and think of J2C and Sophie often. I think it's a miracle what you've done for Sophie especially. I don't have any advice for you since I haven't yet had to deal with these symptoms. I do agree with what you said though about making him comfortable. My first positive hated the vet too. After a while I decided to stop putting her through the treatments and let her go. Hugs and prayers for you all. tonya
Re: Stomatitis gone south?
Michelle, Good ideas, thanks! I wonder if a vet dentist would help, though, since Jimi's mouth is OK now, unless this pain he has is related to the stomatitis, somehow. Hmmm. I will think on that. I am interested in Immuno-Regalin and Acemannan, too. I know there is some info on the main page of the feline leukemia page, I will go over there next. I forgot about slippery elm! I have some that is already in a little vial and is syruppy but maybe it is better if you make up a fresh batch. I will give that a try, for sure. I guess I am confused, I thought prednisolone is depo-medrol. Another thing to research and think about. I sure appreciate all the tips, Michelle. Anne and Jimi Too Cool, Simms and Sophie in MI, among other furry friends ***88 Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2006 22:02:32 EDTFrom: [EMAIL PROTECTED]Subject: Re: Stomatitis gone south?To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.orgMessage-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED]Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"Here are my ideas (all just shots in the dark):1. Go to a veterinary dentist rather than a regular vet. They are more specialized.2. Try one of the intensive immune supports that have seemed to help other kinds of immune problems in positive cats, like Immuno-Regulin or Acemannan.3. Try slippery elm syrup (open five capsules into 1 cup of boiling water, stir constantly until it thickens, shut off heat and stir while it cools-- it makes a syrupy consistency) if you can syringe it into him so it goes in his mouth and then he swallows it. It's supposed to be soothing to inflamed mouth, throat, stomach, intestines, etc. I would syringe 3 cc's a few times a day.4. Try prednisolone shots instead of depo-medrol. Several people on this list have found it worked better than depo for their cats with various problems.Michelle
Re: Stomatitis gone south?
Belinda, Thanks so much for all the links! This is great, lots of food for thought. So, how was pancreatitis finally diagnosed with Bailey? I don't think I have read a lot about pancreatitis in cats but have done some reading about dogs with it. I'm sorry you lost your sweet boy that way. Anne and Jimi Too Cool, Simms and Sophie in MI, among other furry friends Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2006 05:36:30 -0700From: Belinda [EMAIL PROTECTED]Subject: Re: Stomattis gone south?To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.orgMessage-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED]Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Hi Anne, With Bailey sometimes when it was getting to be feeding time he would hide, I'd have to find him and then there were tow times when I was feeding him and he jumped and ran, caught me completely by surprise. Every time I got close to him he would run, it took me a few minutes both times to start feeding again. I told my vet about it but since his blood work or other tests didn't indicate pancreatitis we didn't really consider it. It was only after he passed we figured it out, by then it had turned into cancer. Diarrhea is not a common symptom, vomiting would be more likely but some cats don't do that either.*Here are a few websites that talk about it:*http://www.howtodothings.com/pets-and-animals/a3143-how-to-identify-and-treat-feline-pancreatitis.htmlhttp://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=1cat=1329articleid=334http://www.soundvet.com/Pages/Rsrc/Cases/CS0509.01/Feline_pancreatitis.html(this page has measurements of what the normal feline pancreatic structure should be, maybe print it out and take to your vet as a guideline)http://www.vin.com/VINDBPub/SearchPB/Proceedings/PR05000/PR00114.htmhttp://www.marvistavet.com/html/pancreatitis__feline_.htmlHere is a page with several links:http://feline-diabetes-search-engine-swicki.eurekster.com/Feline+Pancreatitis/Bailey's symptoms were, lethargy, and weight loss, once he had the feeding tube he had discomfort when being fed, but his bloodwork, ultrasound, and xray all showed his organs as normal, except his spleen which was slightly enlarged but biopsies of that came back normal. He started out being anemic, not sure if that is a symptom or not, but we attributed his lethargy and anorexia to that. Once we had his bloodwork all normal again we couldn't figure out why he wasn't bouncing back. It was pancreatitis all along. Jimi does not have diarrhea but it makes sense to ask for pancreatic testing. Thanks, Belinda. I will ask the vet next time. I guess that could make him cry out and run after eating a bit, right?-- Belindahappiness is being owned by cats ...Be-Mi-Kittieshttp://bemikitties.comPost Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittenshttp://adopt.bemikitties.comFeLV Candlelight Servicehttp://bemikitties.com/clsHostDesign4U.com [affordable hosting web design]http://HostDesign4U.comBMK Designs [non-profit animals websites]http://bmk.bemikitties.com
Jimi Too Cool problem
Hi everyone, My Jimi Too Cool, 10 year old black domestic shorthair with feline leukemia, is in his last stage of life, I am sure. He has been slowly going downhill. He is just bones with fur and won't eat. His pain is controlled with depo-medrol and tramadol and he is not in distress, pain is under control, but he mostly just sleeps a lot. Well, tonight he made a break for it and went outside and won't come in and it is at freezing temp now. 32 degrees, I believe. No wind, though. I have cat-fence-in so he is not straying but I can't reach him. Every time I go out to try and bring him in, he runs for cover under the deck. Have any of you run into this problem? I have heard that cats and dogs like to go outside to die. Could that be it, I wonder? I am so worried about him as he is so skinny and he is not used to this cold weather. He can come in, though, if he would like, as I put the cat door back into the window, just for him, although I had it stowed for the cold weather until spring. I am trying to relax because I know he could come in if he wanted to so he must not mind it outside. Sigh Thanks, everyone. Anne and Jimi Too Cool and Simms and Sophie in MI
Re: Jimi Too Cool problem
Dear Marylyn, Leah, Michelle, Tonya, Diane R., Phaewryn, Barb, Elizabeth and Gloria, Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your responses. Jimi came in at the crack of dawn and disappeared somewhere but when I woke up a few hours later, he was in bed with me, sleeping. That was nice to see as he has shun my bed recently for my isolated areas. He is gone again now but at least I know he is OK and not frozen solid. Marylyn, your post helped a lot. I am glad to read that maybe they like the coolness. He does have some areas he could curl up in, an old dog house with fleece covers in it and I just put a carpet sample under the deck, too, thanks for the suggestion. In case he gets out again. Leah, I'm so sorry to read about your loss of Bubba. I try to keep up with the posts but am so far behind right now. I like how you described your last times with Bubba. That is how I hope it will be for Jimi, too. Michelle, your post made a lot of sense to me and I felt great comfort from it. Diane, I think you are right about the talking to him. He does seem to appreciate it and will slowly close his eyes in acknowledgement. I do think he really hates the coercion more than anything right now (with trying to get meds and fluids and some A/D). Phaewryn, I appreciate your post. He won't eat at all, though, so trying to tempt him with food will not work, I'm afraid. He had severe stomatitis for years but now I think it has progressed down his esophagus or lower because his mouth looks good but it is painful for him to eat. Barb, thanks for sharing your own perspective and experience. I'm sorry that you lost Ninja. It is so hard to be an animal lover at times. Tonya, Elizabeth and Gloria, thank you so much for your caring messages and your prayers. Many thanks and hugs, Anne and Jimi Too Cool, Simms and Sophie Frequently they want to be alone when they leave this world. Perhaps it is easier for them to leave without their people around willing them to stay or perhaps they think it will be easier on their human friends if they do not have to watch. Also, some like to feel the cool ground during their last while---some just want to be cool. The Royal Princess Kitty Katt and Ebony Thomas Katt both sought out cold tiles over blankets and warm places. I took Ebony outside to let him enjoy the earth while waiting for his vet on New Year's Eve night. Know that you are letting him do as he needs to even if it breaking your heart and frightening you. He loves you for that. Keep the cat door available to him and consider putting a blanket or something warm under the deck for him (this is more for you than for him). ** Dear Anne, My heart goes out to you, since it was just 8 days ago since I lost my Bubba. He, too, sought out hiding places shortly before he died. I think that Jimi is trying to find a place to be alone more than anything else. When Bubba finally became too weak to move around the apartment, I kept him right next to me so I could hold him and stroke him and talk to him. That meant a lot to me and I think that it meant a lot to him, too, because even though I think he was in a coma at the end, his tail would switch and he would purr when I talked to him and stroked him. Leah * What's happened since then? I know it is distressing, and I would be trying to get him in too. But it is true they want to do this, often, to die, and it is also true that hypothermia is supposed to be one of the most painless ways to die, and to help with other kinds of pain, I think. If he passes, or passed, outside, it really may be the best thing. Though I completely understand your distress. Michelle I'm sorry Anne. Maybe he does want to be private. I don't know. You are both in my prayers. tonya * Anne, I'm so sorry you have this added worry at a time like this. But yes, you're giving him a choice, and if he wants to come back in he will. If you know he's still alive, you could go out from time to time and just sit and talk to him -- tell him his story, tell him what he means to you. Do this even if you can't see him just then. This will help both of you. He'll know you're caring for him without trying to coerce him, and you will be together in every way except physically. Hugs to you both. Diane R
Please add Jimi Too Cool to the CLS
Dear kind fellow cat lovers, Jimi Too Cool has passed over to the other side with the help of his favorite vet, Dr. Greene, at 11:30AM today. Things went pretty smoothly and Dr. Greene was very kind and sympathetic. Jimi had suffered from the side effects of feline leukemia for half of his 10 year lifetime. It started with painful stomatitis and travelled down the esophagus and beyond, making it very difficult for him to eat. In the last several months, he has gone downhill, becoming skin and bones, practically, even though he could eat well and a lot when his steroid shots kicked in. This last weekend, he became like the walking dead and cried out pitifully now and then. His eyes looked tired and sad and glazed. The tramadol that was added to his meds wasn't helping anymore, either, it seemed. I have been blessed to have my boy for so long, especially in light of his disease, so for that I am very grateful. He was a noble, silly, friendly, brave, loving, smart, quirky and beautiful boy. He has my heart. He was very much a COOL boy all his life, too, from the time I scooped him up from an ATM machine location on a busy, dangerous street, up to and including his death. At our first meeting at the bank, he just sauntered over and sat beside me calmly and resolutely and happily, making it known he was not leaving my side and that was how it stayed. Jimi liked to headbutt us often and with force. He also liked to hang upside down like a bat and he also did his camel imitation for our entertainment, making his back hump greatly, as he was a tall and solid boy with long lanky legs. He was also somewhat like a dog, following us on our heels often. Phaewry and Marylyn, thank you for your recent posts concerning Jimi. I want to answer them when I feel a bit stronger. Tamara, thank you, dear friend. Love and hugs to you, too, as always. I wanted to send the following poem along with this message because it reminded me so much of my boy, Jimi Too Cool, and helped me get through the euthanasia. Anne and Simms and Sophie and Jimi Too Cool, in spirit in my heart always A Parting Prayer Dear Lord, please open your gates and call St. Francis to come escort this beloved companion across the Rainbow Bridge. Assign him to a place of honor, for he has been a faithful friend and has always done his best to please me. Bless the hands that send him to you, for they are doing so in love and compassion, freeing him from pain and suffering. Grant me the strength not to dwell on my loss. Help me remember the details of his life with the love he has shown me. And grant me the courage to honor him by sharing those memories with others. Let him remember me as well and let him know that I will always love him. And when it's my time to pass over into your paradise, please allow him to accompany those who will bring me home. Thank you, Lord, for the gift of his companionship and for the time we've had together. And thank you, Lord, for granting me the strength to give him to you now. - © Brandy Duckworth, 1998 Jimi Too Cool Summer 1996 - Dec. 18th, 2006
Re: Please add Jimi Too Cool to the CLS
Dear Michelle, Phaewryn, Kelly, Sally, Dianne (and Asia), Del, Diane R., Wendy, Sherry, Barb, Marylyn, Gina, Peggy, Leah, Kelley, Sheila, and Belinda, (I hope I didn't omit anyone) Thank you all so much for your support and gentle condolences and for sending such love to Jimi Too Cool. I am sure he can feel it. I read all your messages and cried and felt peace and comfort, too. I am very touched and overwhelmed and grateful. You are all the most caring people. I hope to write more in a bit, once I have felt better but for now, I did want to write to Peggy. Peggy, you have my sympathy on the loss of your Scooter. I did manage to read some of your posts because he also suffered from stomatitis, correct? I am sorry that I missed your post that he had passed away. I am so far behind in posts on all my lists, unfortunately. Hugs and love to you all, bless you, Anne and Simms and Sophie with Jimi Too Cool in spirit, always
Re: Please add Jimi Too Cool to the CLS
Dear Gloria, Nina and Faye, Thank you so much for your beautiful messages. Faye, thank you for coming forward just for my boy, and Gloria, as always, thank you. and Nina, always, too. Nina, I appreciated your thoughts about loss and transition so much. I have a long time internet friend with whom we have many discussions and are constantly trying to find a way to deal with this awful grief, not only for our own cats and dogs but for animals everywhere. She and I both have a lot of animal friends living with us (although I no longer take any in, due to financial problems, and haven't for a few years now) so we both know we will have to face many more heartwrenching goodbyes. Your thoughts were very helpful for me. If you don't mind, I would like to share them with my friend? I can leave your name and email off, of course, and just paste your comments, if that would be all right. Also, I got a very wonderful message from Paolo in Italy asking for pictures of Jimi Too Cool so I sent him a couple but wondered, like he wondered, if maybe any of you might like to see him, too. I don't know how to post pictures to this group but I did make a little web page for him a few years ago that has a picture of him on it, if anyone would like to see what he looked like. The address is http://ourworld.cs.com/annlmla2/myhomepage/cat.html Thanks, everyone, Anne and Simms and Sophie and Jimi Too Cool, in spirit, always, among other fur covered friends
Re: Please add Jimi Too Cool to the CLS
Dear Kayte and Kerry and Susan, Thank you so much for your kind condolences. They are so appreciated. Diane R., Marylyn, Susan and Nina, thank you for taking the time to go see Jimi Too Cool's picture and I was so touched that you liked his pic. I did think that picture did demonstrate his laid back and sweet personality. :-) Nina, I would sure be honored to have your insight the next time Sylvia and I start discussing dealing with death and grief, for sure. I also like the idea of transitions. Sylvia found great comfort in the Conversations with God book series, as the author speaks of humans and animals being in only a very brief interlude when one dies. Merry Christmas to you and all of you earthly angels who help and comfort and care, Hugs, Anne and Jimi Too Cool, in spirit always, Simms and Sophie and all the furry friends here in MI
condolences and thanks
Clarissa and Kerry and Sally, I am so sorry to hear about your losses. Pogo and Bandy and Tiny will all be together now along with my sweet Jimi Too Cool. I share your pain and your sorrow. Thank you, Kerry and Tonya and Cindy, for your wonderful notes of condolences. It sure does make the hurt go for a little while, at least, with your caring and understanding words. Hugs for you all, Anne and Simms and Sophie among other furry friends, with Jimi Too Cool in spirit, always, sadly missed so much Anne, I'm so sorry. I always loved his name. I know you are going to miss him so much. But he will be with you now and forever. tonya Dear Anne, I'm so sorry to hear the sad news of your sweet Jimi Too Cool. He couldn't have wished for a better mom, that's for sure. He was one smart cat, picking you out at the bank all those years ago. Thanks for sharing with us in the midst of your tears the story of how you met. I love your description of the antics he entertained you with. He was clearly a cat with a huge personality. I hope all the fun and good memories he's given you will comfort you at this sad and difficult time. I'm glad Sophie is doing well, and Simms too. love and hugs to you and your babes, Anne, Kerry Anne, I am so sorry to hear about your sweet boy Jimi Too Cool. It sounds like he was full of personality. I know it must be so hard for you. It is nice that you can remember all the happiness and laughter he brought into your life. Your in my prayers. Cindy
Re: Please pray for Lucy
Michelle, You have my prayers. I agree, the power of prayer is a real force, I do believe! Anne and Simms, Sophie and other furry friends in MI and Jimi Too Cool, always with me in spirit Subject: Please pray for Lucy The vets are still all stumped by her case but think it is wet fip. I have been researching feverishly and she is on a lot of meds and is eating, but otherwise seems to be going downhill. Someone on an fip list serve emailed me about a cat who had all the same symptoms plus additional ones who was not given any hope and was hospitalized and not eating. The man got all his friends to pray for his cat, even though he himself was not religious, and his cat inexplicably completely recovered. The vets can not explain it, but it is 5 months later and he is fine. I have read medical studies saying that people who are prayed for tend to get better more frequently and faster, for whatever reason (the study was written by doctors from a medical, not religious, perspective and they offered no hypothesis of why). So I am asking all of you to pray for Lucy to get better, for her to start producing red blood cells again and for the fluid to go away from her belly and for her symptoms to all get better. If you would pray for her even once, I would appreciate it. I have tried everything else. thanks as always, Michelle
Thank you so much from Simms' mom
Thank you, Lance, Wendy, Tee, Sheila, Marylyn, Sherry, Cassandra, Melissa, Tonya, Diane R., Elizabeth, Sally and Gina. Your kind and comforting words meant so much to me on the loss of my beloved boy, Simms. I am saving all of your messages for always in a folder I have for Simms. Hugs, Anne and angels Simms, Jimi Too Cool, Buggs, Nala (all felv+ babies) and all my other sweet babies in MI
Re: Thank you so much from Simms' mom
Thank you so much, Chris, Kerry, Terrie, Sherry and Nina. Your messages meant so much to me in this sad time. I wrote a few notes to you all below, too. I wish I had had more energy to do this with all of you other very kind cat-loving people who wrote. With love to you all, Anne and Felv+ angels Simms, Jimi Too Cool, Buggs and Nala and the other living sweet guys with me (Sophie, too, who is doing well and can be sassy now!) Chris, I didn't know about your history about Simms and Tamara! I love knowing this. I am so thankful I wrote back to Tamara about Simms. One look at his picture and I was a goner. I liked what you said so much about reserving a corner of our hearts for Simms. It reminds me of a favorite piece of mine: written by Dr Harry Cooper: Every pet owner has a heart like those old Chinese medicine chests. They have two hinged doors and up to 50 drawers inside. each drawer is for a pet. While the pet is alive the drawer remains open. When the pet passes the drawer is closed. But, and this is the important thing, another drawer must be opened! You can go back to the closed drawers any time you like. They are not locked. Open them. Enjoy them. They are full of things no one can take away - wonderful memories. Kerry, I always am so happy to see you are still on the list, although I am not able to get on much anymore. Terrie, I admire your hard work so much and you have been doing it for so long. And taking in seniors, bless you, Terrie. Sherry, I am northeast of Flint in a tiny little farming town called Otisville. We are pretty far apart, eh? Nina, your message touched me so much. I know you guys are there with me as I am with you even if we don't have time to drop a line. That is what I have always loved about this list. I especially loved this line, Nina: :* } Souls so unique and special that Heaven can't seem to be without them.
Belinda, please add Miss Sue to the Candlelighting ceremony?
Belinda, Miss Sue was not feline leukemia positive. She was with me for 8 years and was 10 years old. She died suddenly on Friday. I suspect her poor heart as she was obese and although I was working on it with her and thought some progress was being made over the last year, it was very slow going. I suspect she had a metabolic disorder, though, as her coat was always greasy and flecked with dandruff-like particles, ever since I first got her. She was a sweet and never complaining girl, very friendly to humans who visited, which is an oddity in itself at my house. Most of my cats run and hide until the stranger is gone. She always purred when I pet her and loved being combed and watching birds out the window. She was white with tabby-like striped patches. She was loved by all who knew her. Thanks, Belinda, Anne and angels Jimi Too Cool, Simms, Buggsy and Nala, all feline leukemia positive and lots of other fur covered friends in MI, including Sophie, who loves you all here
Re: Belinda, please add Miss Sue to the Candlelighting ceremony?
Marylyn, Susan, Wendy, Caroline, Diane R., Glenda and family and Tonya, Thank you all for your kind and comforting messages. I am missing my sweet girl so much. Marylyn, I loved the image of Miss Sue actually playing with the birds now. Caroline, my condolences go out to you on the loss of your sweet Monkee. I have not been able to keep up with posts recently, sorry to say, but wanted to read more about the ceremony you had for Monkee. He was truly loved, that much was plain to see just from the topic titles regarding Monkee. Will you take another cat for a friend? That is very much a nice thought about the quiet and peace that came out of Monkee's passing. Susan, the vet never suspected diabetes with Miss Sue and she never exhibited the classic symptoms of excessive thirst and/or peeing and/or weight loss so I think I can safely say that no, she was not diabetic. Thank you all so much, once again. Your support is so appreciated, as always, Anne and Sophie and the other fur covered friends in Michigan along with FeLV angels Jimi Too Cool, Simms, Buggsy and Nala * I am so sorry she had to leave. Remember that now she can play with the birds. Marylyn *** Hi Anne, I am sorry to hear about Miss Sue. Greasy coat, dandruff obese sounds like she was diabetic? Was she diabetic? Susan J. DuBose Anne, I'm really sorry to hear about Miss Sue's passing. I hope you are doing ok. Prayers going out for comfort for you. :) Wendy ** Caroline Kaufmann [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Belinda, please add Miss Sue to the Candlelighting ceremony? I also wanted to express my sadness at your kitty's passing. Having just lost my beloved Monkee in the early morning hours of July 16, I can truly say that I feel your pain. And sadly, I had just told my mother that this list serve has been really quiet...literally, since Monkee's passing. That almost all of the topics discussed since he passed have been Off Topic. It made me oddly happy to think that Monkee's passing kind of kicked off a period of peacefulness for the members of this group. It just seemed like no one was really having any crises with their feleuk cats. And, although another member's non-feleuk cat- Keisha- passed just before Monkee on that Sunday, from what I could tell, no one else has lost a cat since Monkee and Keisha-- almost two weeks of quiet. I'm sure that sounds a little out there, but I couldn't help but notice that in the wake of Monkee's death and it just really comforted me to think that no one else was having to go through what I've been going through these past almost two weeks. For me, I realize that by having only Monkee, he was my absolute world and my house has been too quiet and lonely since he's been gone. You have your other babies to focus on and to lean on, so take advantage of that. Best of luck to you and the remainder of your babies. ** Anne, I'm so sorry Miss Sue had to leave you. It sounds like she was a sweetheart. Gentle Bridge vibes to her. Diane R. ** Anne, I'm sorry your little girl, Miss Sue, is gone. She obviously knew she was loved. It sounds like you took very good care of her...It has to be very hard after having her for so long...Glenda and family *** I'm so sorry for your loss of Miss Sue. tonya
[Felvtalk] Please add Woodgie and Grey to the candlelighting ceremony
Dear Belinda, Would you please add my Woodgie's name to the candlelighting ceremony list? She was not feline leukemia positive. She was 9 years old, a sweet little tortie girl, who had severe allergies all her life, including those awful rodent ulcers on her lip now and then. I don't know what she died of but since she was doing great only hours beforehand, and demanding her lunch and eating it heartily, I am thinking heart. Two of her siblings died young of heart problems but since she survived her youth, I thought she was safe. She died Thanksgiving day, November 27, 2008. Grey died on May 17th, 2008, at age 16. I feel terrible I forgot to ask you to add his name to the list at that time, apparently. He was not FeLV positive, either. He was really my daughter's cat, although he ended up with me for most of his life. He was a friendly, bottle-cap fetching lovable comedian, all grey but with a white splash on his chest for flair. He died of liver cancer. Thanks, Belinda, Anne in Michigan with FeLV angels Buggs, Jimi Too Cool, Simms, Nala and Sammy and other beloveds waiting for me at the bridge ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] Thanks, everyone (re:Woodgie's and Grey's departures)
Kerry, Diane R. and Gloria, Thanks so much for the kind condolences. I feel terrible that I have not kept up with the list very well lately. You guys have always been there for me. I hope all your kitties are doing pretty well and all your loved ones, fur and skin. I lost my epileptic lab mix, Shaft, age 12, the week before I lost Woodgie, so it was an awful time there. Still hurting but you guys know how it is, so hard on the hearts of we who love animals. Hugs, Anne and recent angels Grey, Shaft and Woodgie P.S. Sophie is doing great, though! For those who remember her, the little tortie who had her rectum destroyed by a careless vet. So many of you wonderful people were there for her and me and donated, too, for her repair. :-) P.P.S. I had to go onsite to read the messages, strange how I can't read them via email anymore, or at least easily. ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] Please add Jonathan to the Bridge list
Jonathan died on March 3, 2009 of undetermined causes. He had recurrent colitis but otherwise, his blood work and physicals were fine. Jonathan was 17. He was not FELV positive. I adopted him at age 9 from a cat shelter. He was a polite, beautiful easygoing Ragdoll with Siamese type markings. He took years to warm to me as he was so broken hearted to lose his family. He was a lovely friend and companion in his last years. Thank you, Anne in Michigan and FELV angels Nala, Jimi Too Cool, Buggs and Simms among other beloveds who are living and passed on ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Please add Jonathan to the Bridge list
Thanks, Belinda, for adding Jonathan and your kind messages, Marylyn, Diane and of course, Belinda. Anne and angel Jonathan in Michigan FELV angels Nala, Jimi Too Cool, Buggs and Simms among other beloveds who are living and passed on ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Please add Jonathan to the Bridge list
Thanks, Terrie, so much, as always. I love what you do for the Siamese kitties. They have always caught my heart and Jonathan was no exception from the very start. :-) Christy, thank you for your kind note. I live in a little rural town northeast of Flint. Where are you? I will keep this email as new so I can remember to check your name next time I go to Facebook. I rarely go there as I am kind of a dummy when it comes to Facebook! Anne in Michigan and FELV angels Nala, Jimi Too Cool, Buggs and Simms among other beloveds who are living and passed on ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Please add Jonathan to the Bridge list
Gloria, Thank you so much for your kind message. He was a very wonderful boy. Oh Anne, how sweet - he sounds like such a lovely, lucky kitty. I'm sorry for your loss. Gloria Anne and angel Jonathan in Michigan and FELV angels Nala, Jimi Too Cool, Buggs and Simms among other beloveds who are living and passed on ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Stomatitis gone south?
Hi everyone, I feel so badly that I can't keep up with the posts on this great list as I used to do, although I do try when I can. I haven't posted for a while but probably the people who have been on the list for while will know my Jimi Too Cool. I also have sweet Sophie as my friend, (who had the destroyed anus situation), too, but today it's about Jimi Too Cool. Jimi Too Cool, 8, FeLV+, had been doing pretty well but he has needed depo-medrol injections more and more often as he aged for his severe chronic stomatitis. He has gotten to the point that the shot will only last him about 2 weeks. I had switched him to Metacam for a while but last time I tried and gave two hefty Metacam doses in a row, neither kicked in for him. I am sick at heart because he is down to 8 lbs. from his strapping 18 lbs. at one time and his hair is coming out in clumps. He gets PetTinic, CoQ10, lysine (and clindamycin as needed), pretty regularly. His mouth checks out just fine at the vets lately. The last six times he has gone, they have found nothing in his mouth to indicate stomatitis. He has terrible pain when trying to eat, though, crying out in pain after a few bites, (when he is doing poorly). So I am pretty sure it has to do with his digestive tract. Does stomatitis travel? Anyone else had the problem of the pain going down into unseen regions like that? He got a shot on Saturday and just started eating this morning. He drank small amounts of juice from canned cat food, some human baby food, some milk and ate a bit of chunks of cat food. He did well until he ate a good bit and then gagged and ran in pain. I am thinking that the food level maybe reached the area where he has pain? Like esophogus or upper stomach? Jimi is terrible to catch and treat. He is a loving, sweet wonderful boy but don't try to catch him and take him to the vet or try to syringe him some medicine. It is a real struggle every time, battle of wits, for sure. I am also having a rough time financially so can't afford pricey investigations, although I would sell things if I knew a procedure or test would possibly save him. If anyone has any ideas or input on what can be done for my boy or shared experiences, I would appreciate it so much. My goal is to just keep my boy pain free and to make his life fairly good. If he continues to have such pain, though, I know I will have to make a decision. Does anyone know of a good pain killer beyond Metacam and depo medrol that would help him but also not drug him up sky high where life is a blur? Thank for listening, Anne and Jimi Too Cool, Simms, and Sophie in MI among other furry friends
[Felvtalk] Present For You
Here's an amazing thing http://www.freenokiagoodies.com/info.html Check it! ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] Hi, new member here
Hi, wanted to introduce myself and my cats. I adopted two new adult kitties from a rural no-kill shelter in my area a little over a month ago, after my 15-year-old cat passed away. Little orange Dublin and hunky white and tabby C.J. are both about two years old males -- Dublin more of an estimate since he was found as an adult at a TNR station covered in oil on St. Patrick's Day (C.J. was in rescue since he was about five months old). I adopted them both as being FeLV negative, though I'd found out that Dublin had initially had a positive ELISA, then a negative when he was retested after six weeks in quarantine. The woman who runs the rescue swore to me (as her vet told her) that false negatives are common but false positives are not. Well, so much for that; I know better now. I had them retested after three days at my house, because I learned that Dublin had had ten teeth removed at a dental a few days before he came home and my vet's office said that such bad teeth at a young age was a common sign of FeLV. And yup, Dublin's third ELISA was a strong positive, as was a follow-up IFA. C.J. tested negative, and got his first Purevax vaccination that day, followed by the booster two weeks later. I agonized for a few days about sending Dublin back to the rescue, where he'd go to a FeLV+ cat sanctuary, but he is such a special, amazingly sweet cat (gives hugs and kisses, just amazingly social) and was so thrilled with me and my home and is absolutely crazily besotted with my greyhound! I couldn't break his little heart. So I've kept him, and he and C.J. (also a wonderful, loving boy) mix, since C.J. was already exposed to him at the rescue (along with most of their other cats!!). I am really heartened by what I've read in the archives about how many of you have mixed cats without the negative ones converting. I manage to keep their food separate and change their water and scoop their litter twice a day, but these guys play and wrestle a lot, which is nervous-making. Except for the bad teeth, Dublin seems really healthy. He did have a bad case of chin acne when he came, but it's healed up really well. He eats voraciously and has gained some weight, has a lovely silky coat, and is becoming quite a rowdy little troublemaker too, always pouncing on C.J.'s tail (he never played at the rescue). It's not unreasonable to hope he might have a few good years, is it (though I know there's no way to predict)? I've also seen mention of various supplements you give, and I wish someone could give me a lowdown on what you essentially recommend (that is reasonably affordable) and exactly how you dose it. Lots of pictures of the cats here if you want to see them: http://s511.photobucket.com/albums/s357/PrairieProf/New%20cats/ Anne ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] New member (correcting an error)
I meant to write, of course, that I was told that false POSITIVES are common but false negatives are virtually unheard of. My vet kind of shrugged when I told him that, though no one can give me a good account of why Dublin had a negative ELISA on his re-test when he is very clearly positive. Anyway, he's a lucky, lucky little kitty, as that false negative landed him in a home. ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] New needle-less vaccine for FeLV
This is the vaccine my C.J. just got in the past month. It's supposed to be about 99% effective according to the literature and much safer in regard to the chance of vaccine-related sarcoma. My understanding is that it's what vets who keep up with the cutting edge are using now. I don't know what you mean about buy it outright ... it requires a special tool called a VetJet to administer -- kind of shoots it through the skin at high velocity with a big pop. It looks like a cordless drill! ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] Off day / couple of questions
My Dublin seems to be doing quite well over all, happy and playful most days and eats anything that isn't nailed to the floor. Once or twice, though, he's had an off day, most recently Sunday. On Sunday, he kept his eyes shut or barely squinted them open, and he seemed lethargic. He did eat normally. By Sunday night he seemed to be coming around and was fine yesterday and today, with normal activity. Any insight into this? He does sort of squint one or both eyes at time, but I've had his eyes examined by the vet (with the machine that looks into the back of the eye) after the last day he squinted badly and no signs of disease were found. His pupils are not as reactive to light as most cats' and tend to stay (evenly) dilated, but they do react some and the vet didn't seem worried about it. No signs of eye infection or URI then or now. I'm also noticing he drinks quite a bit of water. I read that FeLV can cause kidney disease? Is this something I should be concerned about? I'm thinking of taking Dublin to the vet Friday (when I have a little more time) even if he acting fine and asking for bloodwork so we can see where we are. Is there anything I should ask my vet particularly to look into or examine? He's an excellent vet and very supportive about Dublin but I'm not sure whether he'll be thinking about all the things he should look for in a FeLV+ cat. ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Off day / couple of questions
I had my Dublin to the vet today for full bloodwork. Though I only heard the results on the phone, it apparently looked pretty good. His red blood cells were just below the normal range (29 with 30 as the low end of normal) -- the vet is going to research the protocols for helping to bring it up and check with his supplier about Immuno-regulin. His white cells were low normal. Everything related to organ function was good. The bad news is that when he was inspecting Dublin's mouth (he has just *awful *gingivitis even though he had a dental six weeks ago and I've been using Maxiguard gel every day, which my vet thinks is the best product) he found he has a bleeding growth on his gum. So now we have surgery scheduled for Tuesday to remove it for biopsy. The vet did seem fairly optimistic that it could well be other things than a malignancy (squamous cell carcinoma being the most common source of cat oral tumors :( ) -- in particular he said something about how if they didn't get all of the root during one of his ten dental extractions the week before I adopted him (done by another vet) that could cause such problems. Meanwhile, he got an antibiotic injection to hopefully help clean things up in there. Sigh, sure hope my baby is OK -- and not too thrilled about the huge expenses so soon. And I'm kicking myself -- after researching here I meant to ask about testing for hemobartonella as a possible cause of anemia, but totally forgot when the gum business cropped up. I guess we could test when he has the surgery. Meanwhile, he eats vigorously and is very lively, galloping back and forth across the house with his brother C.J.! ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] Dublin woke up from surgery blind
I am devastated -- my FeLV boy Dublin had major dental surgery yesterday to remove the rest of his teeth due to severe stomatitis and feline resorptive lesions (his third dental surgery in six months). He came through OK it seemed, and his bloodwork turned out to be very promising (his mild anemia around December had reversed with his hematocrit in the middle of the normal range). But something seemed off with agitation and his eyes and the vet realized that Dublin seems to be blind. He did all the ocular tests they do and nothing physiologically can be found wrong -- no detached retina, no bleed, no evidence of hypoxia, etc. But only his left eye is even minimally reactive to light. The vet believes the blindness to be related to the FeLV, although I'm still totally confused about the suddenness of this all. Dublin has always had something weird about his eyes -- the pupils stay mostly dilated and while they constrict a little it's definitely not like a normal cat. I wondered if he had an eye problem and could see well even before I adopted him and learned he was FeLV+. But he seemed to see fine. While Dublin is physically stable he is apparently extremely agitated and the vet wants to keep him at the hospital until he settles down and begins to adapt. He was with him until 10:30 last night and says that Dubbie has scarcely been out of a tech's arms since. (He is the most loving, people-oriented cat, and is not stressed just from being at the vet -- it's almost a joke how much he likes it there.) I am crazy with distress and also with anxiety about bringing him home (have another cat, pretty rowdy, and a dog), though everyone says blind cats can do well. I'd appreciate any encouragement -- or in particular any insight into a FeLV-blindness link. Anne ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Dublin woke up from surgery blind - UPDATE
Well I got surprisingly good news when I stopped at the vet around 5:00! Dublin is calmer, he drank and ate well, AND his pupils are showing light reflex now!! They constricted and he even flinched away when the vet shone the light in his eyes. So at least he should be able to sense light and dark, and with this much improvement in one afternoon who knows what there will be in a few days? The vet used inhaled anesthetic, not ketamine. It's still a mystery to him why this happened, and he is *extremely* cutting-edge and educated and experienced, and has never seen anything like this. It's not from hypoxia as the way they do the anesthetic apparently prevents that (the patient is getting oxygen during and after), not hypertension as that would show signs in the eye. Maybe something neurologic related to the FeLV? The vet and I are both frustrated not to know, but it's so hopeful that he is getting -- and feeling -- somewhat better. ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
