viennabelle (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
viennabelle) wrote2010-02-03 02:14 pm
viennabelle) wrote2010-02-03 02:14 pm
Troubling Times for the Kitties
I haven't been posting here for a long while, but thought I'd drop a post, since many of David Malinak's old friends are online here. As many of you know, we adopted David's two cats Pilot and Scout after his passing. Once they resolved initial conflicts with our other cat, they settled in well. All appeared fine.
However, we'd noticed that Scout was acting slightly listless and thin of late. As it was time for his annual veterinarian appointment, we took him in a little over a week ago, along with the then healthy appearing Pilot. Because of our concern, we had the vet take a blood test. Those results showed a very high anemia score, but no other indications. The likely cause for this is either a parasite or cancer. The former is preferable, since it is treatable. Cancer may be harder to treat. We have started administering steroids and Doxycycline--a course that is prophylactic for either. Scout is not eating much, moves little, spending his days crouched in a corner, but there are signs that he is starting to respond to the steroids.
Monday, we noticed Pilot (the older cat) was behaving differently, lacking energy and having difficulty walking. Pretty soon, he quickly lost all energy and stopped most eating. We took him in to the vet, where he had an elevated temperature. His bloodwork only showed elevated protein levels.
Based on this, we are concerned that both animals might have a shared condition, although the indications are different. With both sick, there is concern they might have feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), which can vary in symptoms, is largely untreatable, contagious and fatal. The vet ordered a titer for that disease this morning off Pilot's bloodwork. We are crossing our fingers that this is not the case.
We have isolated the sick cats, to protect them from sharing any further infection and to protect the one cat that remains well. We are trying our best to help them recover and trying to keep them comfortable. While these cats have only lived with us for a little over a year, they've become family--and are very dear to us. However, I wanted to share this news because I know that, though cats, they have touched many lives--and been meaningful in the ways that they comforted David in his darkest hours..
Mary and Rick
However, we'd noticed that Scout was acting slightly listless and thin of late. As it was time for his annual veterinarian appointment, we took him in a little over a week ago, along with the then healthy appearing Pilot. Because of our concern, we had the vet take a blood test. Those results showed a very high anemia score, but no other indications. The likely cause for this is either a parasite or cancer. The former is preferable, since it is treatable. Cancer may be harder to treat. We have started administering steroids and Doxycycline--a course that is prophylactic for either. Scout is not eating much, moves little, spending his days crouched in a corner, but there are signs that he is starting to respond to the steroids.
Monday, we noticed Pilot (the older cat) was behaving differently, lacking energy and having difficulty walking. Pretty soon, he quickly lost all energy and stopped most eating. We took him in to the vet, where he had an elevated temperature. His bloodwork only showed elevated protein levels.
Based on this, we are concerned that both animals might have a shared condition, although the indications are different. With both sick, there is concern they might have feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), which can vary in symptoms, is largely untreatable, contagious and fatal. The vet ordered a titer for that disease this morning off Pilot's bloodwork. We are crossing our fingers that this is not the case.
We have isolated the sick cats, to protect them from sharing any further infection and to protect the one cat that remains well. We are trying our best to help them recover and trying to keep them comfortable. While these cats have only lived with us for a little over a year, they've become family--and are very dear to us. However, I wanted to share this news because I know that, though cats, they have touched many lives--and been meaningful in the ways that they comforted David in his darkest hours..
Mary and Rick