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- Mar 28, 2018
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I've been searching the forums and reading experiences regarding fevers of unknown origin. FIP comes up a lot, and it's been a scary read. I'm hoping someone has had a situation similar to this (warning: this is long. But I've included pictures!)
This post is about Mojo, but the story begins with Ernie.
(Mojo)
(Ernie)
On February 11, our only indoor-outdoor cat, Ernie, disappeared. That is a long story in itself, but to shorten it, on February 19 we find out what happened eight days prior: the neighbors' boxers punched through their fence and attacked him. Another neighbor brought the dogs back to them. The dogs got out again and attacked him again. The dogs' owners left Ernie for dead on a driveway. They knew he was our cat. On February 23 a kind neighbor searched for and found Ernie's body in his crawl space. The body didn't smell yet. We were traumatized, but so grateful to lay him to rest.
I share all this because Ernie was bonded with our Mojo. They were best buddies since 2013 when they were both 2 years old. This year Mojo suddenly found himself with no one to play with. He'd sit by the front door and just wait, but Ernie never showed up.
(Mojo and Ernie digging through the trash at 6am)
So we tried adopting a friend for Mojo, but this cat, from a foster home, was not the right fit for our family. We brought him back to his foster momma who has had him for two years and picked up Benson, a five-month-old tabby kitten, from the same foster home on March 3. Benson and Mojo became instant friends. (This is not challenging, since Mojo loves everyone he meets).
On March 9, Mojo stopped eating and started hiding.
On March 10 he started vomiting foam, gagging every few minutes, and hiding.
On March 12 he went to the Emergency Room (it took us that long to get him in a carrier). He got fluids, a blood panel, xrays, and an ultrasound. No diagnosis, but his creatinine was elevated, as were his globulins. They gave us antibiotics our regular vet was reluctant to try. On March 15 we brought him home ($3,500 poorer)! During this time, Benson also went to the vet for a mild upper respiratory infection.
On March 16 Mojo was back to his old self, wrestling with Benson, eating well. He went back to eating his Rad Cat even though he was prescribed a renal diet because he wouldn't eat their icky renal food!
(Mojo and Benson, all tuckered out)
On March 20, Benson went back to the vet because his URI wasn't better. He got medications and I pilled him twice a day for a week. His goopy eyes cleared up in five days, and his sneezing eventually slowed, other symptoms disappeared.
On March 26 Mojo falls ill again. He relapsed, maybe? He stopped eating and started hiding in strange, remote places. This cat is not a hider. He is typically bouncing all over his people, and is my shadow all day long. That day, his vet gave him fluids, put him in the oxygen tank for irregular breathing, brought down his 105 fever, gave him an injectable antibiotic, and an appetite stimulant. We find out his Rad Cat was recalled. Still unsure if this is even related.
The appetite stimulant doesn't work. He won't eat or drink. On Thursday, March 29 and Saturday, March 31 we give him subcutaneous fluids. We begin syringe feeding him slurries of pate + water because he will not eat.
April 1 our princess, Olivia, stops eating.
(Olivia, Princess-of-All-the-World)
April 2 Mojo goes back to the ER. They decide he might have a muscular problem with his right back leg because he doesn't like when they try to extend it. They want to keep him two nights. They estimate $2000 for treatment. He has also lost nearly 2 pounds. We take him home with pain meds and a new antibiotic to try instead. They can't run an infectious disease panel because of the injectible antibiotic he was given prior. I am now giving Mojo antibiotics and painkillers twice daily.
April 3 Olivia goes to the vet. She has a 105.7 fever. She is given something to bring it down, blood work is sent to infectious disease panel, and she gets an injectible antibiotic and an appetite stimulant. When she comes home, she eats like a hoover vacuum! And MOJO EATS ON HIS OWN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN AGES. Oh my goodness. He ate!!! This is the point I went from feeling like I was watching him slowly die to thinking there might be some hope.
Our vet becomes concerned that Olivia has what Mojo has, and suggests there is a "missing link" we aren't seeing. Both Mojo and Olivia are now under quarantine together.
What I'm wondering is...
I originally thought this was poisoning from the recalled Rad Cat. But it doesn't seem that way. The vet originally thought so, too, but has leaned away from that idea.
Could this be something the new kitty, Benson, brought home? Could he have given them FIP? Could the first foster-kitty we returned have brought something? Is there something I'm not thinking of?
The vet gave more credit to the idea that Ernie may have brought something home since he was an indoor-outdoor cat. He was neutered at 2 years old and was a definite roamer who got into all sorts of cat fights. Could that be possible?
Benson was cleared by the vet other than his upper respiratory infection. Is it likely that a URI would manifest in such a way in both my older cats? That seems unlikely, but maybe someone has experience with this...
I apologize that my thoughts are all over the place on this. Does anyone have any idea what this "missing link" could be? Or am I looking for a connection where there is none?
Thanks for any thoughts you may have!
This post is about Mojo, but the story begins with Ernie.
(Mojo)
(Ernie)
On February 11, our only indoor-outdoor cat, Ernie, disappeared. That is a long story in itself, but to shorten it, on February 19 we find out what happened eight days prior: the neighbors' boxers punched through their fence and attacked him. Another neighbor brought the dogs back to them. The dogs got out again and attacked him again. The dogs' owners left Ernie for dead on a driveway. They knew he was our cat. On February 23 a kind neighbor searched for and found Ernie's body in his crawl space. The body didn't smell yet. We were traumatized, but so grateful to lay him to rest.
I share all this because Ernie was bonded with our Mojo. They were best buddies since 2013 when they were both 2 years old. This year Mojo suddenly found himself with no one to play with. He'd sit by the front door and just wait, but Ernie never showed up.
(Mojo and Ernie digging through the trash at 6am)
So we tried adopting a friend for Mojo, but this cat, from a foster home, was not the right fit for our family. We brought him back to his foster momma who has had him for two years and picked up Benson, a five-month-old tabby kitten, from the same foster home on March 3. Benson and Mojo became instant friends. (This is not challenging, since Mojo loves everyone he meets).
On March 9, Mojo stopped eating and started hiding.
On March 10 he started vomiting foam, gagging every few minutes, and hiding.
On March 12 he went to the Emergency Room (it took us that long to get him in a carrier). He got fluids, a blood panel, xrays, and an ultrasound. No diagnosis, but his creatinine was elevated, as were his globulins. They gave us antibiotics our regular vet was reluctant to try. On March 15 we brought him home ($3,500 poorer)! During this time, Benson also went to the vet for a mild upper respiratory infection.
On March 16 Mojo was back to his old self, wrestling with Benson, eating well. He went back to eating his Rad Cat even though he was prescribed a renal diet because he wouldn't eat their icky renal food!
(Mojo and Benson, all tuckered out)
On March 20, Benson went back to the vet because his URI wasn't better. He got medications and I pilled him twice a day for a week. His goopy eyes cleared up in five days, and his sneezing eventually slowed, other symptoms disappeared.
On March 26 Mojo falls ill again. He relapsed, maybe? He stopped eating and started hiding in strange, remote places. This cat is not a hider. He is typically bouncing all over his people, and is my shadow all day long. That day, his vet gave him fluids, put him in the oxygen tank for irregular breathing, brought down his 105 fever, gave him an injectable antibiotic, and an appetite stimulant. We find out his Rad Cat was recalled. Still unsure if this is even related.
The appetite stimulant doesn't work. He won't eat or drink. On Thursday, March 29 and Saturday, March 31 we give him subcutaneous fluids. We begin syringe feeding him slurries of pate + water because he will not eat.
April 1 our princess, Olivia, stops eating.
(Olivia, Princess-of-All-the-World)
April 2 Mojo goes back to the ER. They decide he might have a muscular problem with his right back leg because he doesn't like when they try to extend it. They want to keep him two nights. They estimate $2000 for treatment. He has also lost nearly 2 pounds. We take him home with pain meds and a new antibiotic to try instead. They can't run an infectious disease panel because of the injectible antibiotic he was given prior. I am now giving Mojo antibiotics and painkillers twice daily.
April 3 Olivia goes to the vet. She has a 105.7 fever. She is given something to bring it down, blood work is sent to infectious disease panel, and she gets an injectible antibiotic and an appetite stimulant. When she comes home, she eats like a hoover vacuum! And MOJO EATS ON HIS OWN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN AGES. Oh my goodness. He ate!!! This is the point I went from feeling like I was watching him slowly die to thinking there might be some hope.
Our vet becomes concerned that Olivia has what Mojo has, and suggests there is a "missing link" we aren't seeing. Both Mojo and Olivia are now under quarantine together.
What I'm wondering is...
I originally thought this was poisoning from the recalled Rad Cat. But it doesn't seem that way. The vet originally thought so, too, but has leaned away from that idea.
Could this be something the new kitty, Benson, brought home? Could he have given them FIP? Could the first foster-kitty we returned have brought something? Is there something I'm not thinking of?
The vet gave more credit to the idea that Ernie may have brought something home since he was an indoor-outdoor cat. He was neutered at 2 years old and was a definite roamer who got into all sorts of cat fights. Could that be possible?
Benson was cleared by the vet other than his upper respiratory infection. Is it likely that a URI would manifest in such a way in both my older cats? That seems unlikely, but maybe someone has experience with this...
I apologize that my thoughts are all over the place on this. Does anyone have any idea what this "missing link" could be? Or am I looking for a connection where there is none?
Thanks for any thoughts you may have!