Re: Cryptococcosis (Was Prednisone - Thank You)
Thank you. You just gave a name to something I think I'm dealing with in an older kitten who has had what appeared to be a persistent uri. We've already made a vet appointment and planned to culture the nasal discharge but I think you've given me the name -- Cryptococcosis -- and I know exactly what I'm looking at. [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: The cat with the ear tumor would be MUCH better off long-term by having the ear removed than by being on pred long-term. There is a very involved, but effective total ear abalation surgery that removes the entire ear canal, including the inner and outer ear, and usually leaves a normal looking ear flap, but if the tumor involves the flap, you could take that as well. If it's only on the flap, of course, that's VERY easy to remove. I have not heard of Pred being used for seizures, but I could be wrong there. The extreme nasal discharge you are describing sounds like it began as a Herpes outbreak, or possibly Calici, and has since turned into a bacterial nasal infection in some of your cats. I would advise stronger or different antibiotics if you are not seeing improvement within 1 week of starting your current antibiotics. Another thing worth trying is testing the mucous for fungal infection, which often is something that is overlooked unless the owner specifically requests it be checked for. Here is a lab service that can test for most URI issues: http://www.zoologix.com/dogcat/Datasheets/FelineRespiratoryPanel.htm But, I would consider also doing a fungal test, at least for the most common nasal fungal infection, Cryptococcosis, as it is a serious issue if left untreated (the fungus can eat out the bones in the face if left to fester - it can also lead to some of the other symptoms you mentioned in your other cats, like blindness, and seizures - it's all around a NASTY thing that should be seriously considered if antibiotics do not help). http://www.vin.com/proceedings/Proceedings.plx?CID=WSAVA2003PID=6653O=Generic Phaewryn http://ucat.us/domesticcatlinks.html Special Needs Cat Resources http://www.iGive.com/html/refer.cfm?causeid=21303 Sign up for iGive and a percentage of your purchases helps save animals!
Prednisone - Thank You
What a gratifying thing to get such caring and educational replies from you folks about my Timmy. I guess we get so used to bearing the burden on our own shoulders that we forget there are kindred souls out there doing the same thing. Well I am familiar with pred and its evils, I am unfortunately on it because of rheumatoid arthritis for which I refuse to take the going drugs, which are linked to lymphoma and blindness, both of which my father had, so my risk is increased right there. But I sure need SOMETHING. Plus, I have osteoporosis so I definitely should not take pred. So I take Miacalcin for that. The options are not very attractive in this business of getting old and sick! As for my vet, he did say something to the effect that pred can be and is used in felv cats to suppress some of the symptoms and assist in managing it, not that it impacts the disease and of course with the understanding of its undermining the immune system. My previous vets before I moved also used pred for various things and actually, I do, too, with my large population of all sorts of not only conditions but personalities. I will use it briefly for a cat who is so miserable it won't eat, can't smell food, can't breathe because of nasal discharge, etc. Usually it will get them eating pronto and get them over that hump without force feeding. I started this with the previous vets who would spike their initial shot of antibiotics in the office, for such things as severe URI's and urinary problems. It can get them peeing without being catheterized quite frequently. So this is the type of usage I use it for. I also have a cat who is pretty blind, who has seizures and I give it to him during spells when he's having more seizures. I have a couple cats who have severe stomatitis that nothing has worked for, so I use steroids for them to try to manage it. I know it sounds like I use it a lot but it's really not that much per cat and it's only after I and the vet have tried other things first. I try to keep it to surge type treatments and wean them off it asap. But I find it very valuable for sick cats. We have also used it for various cancers we have dealt with. Right now I have one who has a very ugly, nasty, runny tumor in his ear that has been removed once but came right back, and I don't think he could survive without his steroids, that thing gets out of control without them. We are looking for a specialist to operate again. The tumor is benign. In Timmy's current situation, he just got the upper respiratory that is still going around my brood but actually, he's been snotty in the nose since I got him some months ago, but it wasn't severe. I treated with clavamox at first and that was good except for the couple deep bites and all the scratches I got giving it to him, but it came right back and since it didn't seem to be bothering him and he wasn't sneezing it around, he was eating and acting very well, I figured I'd save the antibiotics for down the road when I figured we'd need them more. Actually I treated a couple times, once with baytril., but no steroids till this time. This time he got real sick with it as did my negatives who got it, some did die very quickly from it. We don't know what it is except it's viral. I've had a horrible winter with it, the worst of my life as far as sick cats. It's been a nightmare. But Timmy stopped eating suddenly and nothing tempted him, I tried all my tricks, salmon, etc etc, I have a cupboardfull. I got him on baytril immediately and then some dex and did get an immediate response from that in the eating department and he's been eating well ever since. He's been on it several days and today I am going to look very closely at starting the tapering process. No, I'm sure Timmy wasn't at this place more than a day or 2 at most because believe me, I monitor the whole area thoroughly on a daily basis. I do a roundup a little ways away from the actual farm buildings and provide food every day. Actually the dumping has gone way down the last year+. Before that, it was SEVERAL new ones per week. Now there has only been a few the whole winter and spring so far. All the locals know what I am doing etc. I even had the game commission people checking on me because someone called them saying I was acting suspiciously...Word gets around. This is a very small-town, rural area. Anyhow, I know who is there and who is new today. I have even, let's say, gone places perhaps I should not have gone, in order to rescue some, knowing they needed rescued! There is no way he was there surviving and going blind from the taurine thing. Believe me, I would dearly love to step in and not only feed the farmer's cats, but try and doctor them to a certain extent too, and especially spay and neuter. There are no subsidized programs around here. But there is just no way I could ever broach the subject with this farmer. Besides, I am managing all this
Re: Prednisone - Thank You
The cat with the ear tumor would be MUCH better off long-term by having the ear removed than by being on pred long-term. There is a very involved, but effective total ear abalation surgery that removes the entire ear canal, including the inner and outer ear, and usually leaves a normal looking ear flap, but if the tumor involves the flap, you could take that as well. If it's only on the flap, of course, that's VERY easy to remove. I have not heard of Pred being used for seizures, but I could be wrong there. The extreme nasal discharge you are describing sounds like it began as a Herpes outbreak, or possibly Calici, and has since turned into a bacterial nasal infection in some of your cats. I would advise stronger or different antibiotics if you are not seeing improvement within 1 week of starting your current antibiotics. Another thing worth trying is testing the mucous for fungal infection, which often is something that is overlooked unless the owner specifically requests it be checked for. Here is a lab service that can test for most URI issues: http://www.zoologix.com/dogcat/Datasheets/FelineRespiratoryPanel.htm But, I would consider also doing a fungal test, at least for the most common nasal fungal infection, Cryptococcosis, as it is a serious issue if left untreated (the fungus can eat out the bones in the face if left to fester - it can also lead to some of the other symptoms you mentioned in your other cats, like blindness, and seizures - it's all around a NASTY thing that should be seriously considered if antibiotics do not help). http://www.vin.com/proceedings/Proceedings.plx?CID=WSAVA2003PID=6653O=Generic Phaewryn http://ucat.us/domesticcatlinks.html Special Needs Cat Resources http://www.iGive.com/html/refer.cfm?causeid=21303 Sign up for iGive and a percentage of your purchases helps save animals!
Re: Prednisone - Thank You
Bless you Teresa, for being you:) Prednisone can be very effective with helping a number of things, you simply have to be aware of its effect on the immune system with long term use and weigh the benefits. With my Ninja, it controlled her seizures (believed to be caused by a meningioma) quite well for about 3 months when we had to add phenobarbital to the mix. She was seizure-free for her last 2 months:) Your crew is very lucky to have you as a caretaker. I've spoken about this with other list members (and my therapist) about how there seems to be an inverse relationship between wealth and compassion. There are always exceptions to any rule, but I have run into this one an awful lot since I've been on the fringes of rescue and involved with this list. Keep being who you are and doing what you do; you ARE making a difference. Barb+Smoky the House Puma+El Bandito Malito My cat the clown: paying no mind to whom he should impress. Merely living his life, doing what pleases him, and making me smile. - Anonymous - Original Message From: Teresa [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2007 5:48:39 AM Subject: Prednisone - Thank You What a gratifying thing to get such caring and educational replies from you folks about my Timmy. I guess we get so used to bearing the burden on our own shoulders that we forget there are kindred souls out there doing the same thing. Well I am familiar with pred and its evils, I am unfortunately on it because of rheumatoid arthritis for which I refuse to take the going drugs, which are linked to lymphoma and blindness, both of which my father had, so my risk is increased right there. But I sure need SOMETHING. Plus, I have osteoporosis so I definitely should not take pred. So I take Miacalcin for that. The options are not very attractive in this business of getting old and sick! As for my vet, he did say something to the effect that pred can be and is used in felv cats to suppress some of the symptoms and assist in managing it, not that it impacts the disease and of course with the understanding of its undermining the immune system. My previous vets before I moved also used pred for various things and actually, I do, too, with my large population of all sorts of not only conditions but personalities. I will use it briefly for a cat who is so miserable it won't eat, can't smell food, can't breathe because of nasal discharge, etc. Usually it will get them eating pronto and get them over that hump without force feeding. I started this with the previous vets who would spike their initial shot of antibiotics in the office, for such things as severe URI's and urinary problems. It can get them peeing without being catheterized quite frequently. So this is the type of usage I use it for. I also have a cat who is pretty blind, who has seizures and I give it to him during spells when he's having more seizures. I have a couple cats who have severe stomatitis that nothing has worked for, so I use steroids for them to try to manage it. I know it sounds like I use it a lot but it's really not that much per cat and it's only after I and the vet have tried other things first. I try to keep it to surge type treatments and wean them off it asap. But I find it very valuable for sick cats. We have also used it for various cancers we have dealt with. Right now I have one who has a very ugly, nasty, runny tumor in his ear that has been removed once but came right back, and I don't think he could survive without his steroids, that thing gets out of control without them. We are looking for a specialist to operate again. The tumor is benign. In Timmy's current situation, he just got the upper respiratory that is still going around my brood but actually, he's been snotty in the nose since I got him some months ago, but it wasn't severe. I treated with clavamox at first and that was good except for the couple deep bites and all the scratches I got giving it to him, but it came right back and since it didn't seem to be bothering him and he wasn't sneezing it around, he was eating and acting very well, I figured I'd save the antibiotics for down the road when I figured we'd need them more. Actually I treated a couple times, once with baytril., but no steroids till this time. This time he got real sick with it as did my negatives who got it, some did die very quickly from it. We don't know what it is except it's viral. I've had a horrible winter with it, the worst of my life as far as sick cats. It's been a nightmare. But Timmy stopped eating suddenly and nothing tempted him, I tried all my tricks, salmon, etc etc, I have a cupboardfull. I got him on baytril immediately and then some dex and did get an immediate response from that in the eating department and he's been eating well ever since. He's been on it several days and today I am going to look very closely at starting
