- Joined
- Aug 25, 2022
- Messages
- 9
- Purraise
- 2
Seeking medical advice for Josie, who has severe cell values and is in need of immediate intervention or euthanasia. If anyone can offer insight and provide recommendations on potential causes for her condition, diagnostics, treatments, etc., we would greatly appreciate your help.
Some background information and notes:
3/15/22:
Thank you,
Sara & Josie
Some background information and notes:
3/15/22:
- Annual Examination at Vet
- Rabies vaccine
- Manual stool extraction
- Started Miralax for constipation
- Adopted and brought home 2nd cat named Leo. He had a history of ringworm and was rescued from a flea infested area. His ringworm and fleas were resolved prior to adoption.
- Discovered Leo had tapeworm
- Treated both Josie and Leo with OTC Dewormer (Bayer praziquantel)
- Applied Frontline Plus
- Josie’s mouth was hanging open and had bloody lower left gum
- Brought to ER Vet 1, they were booked so we left. She was sitting in her carrier on top of a transport cart while I called around ERs.
- Admitted to ER Vet 2, and sent home with antibiotics (Clindamycin 25mg/ml OralSusp 20ml bottle, 2ml every 12 hours) and pain meds (3x Onsior 6mg, 1 every 24 hours)
- Progress exam at Vet
- Applied Frontline Plus
- Discovered Josie limping on front leg
- Exam at Vet
- Sent home with 3x Onsior 6mg for suspected minor sprain
- Josie was still limping/elevating paw
- Follow up exam at Vet
- Weight was slightly lower than in June
- They shaved underside of paw and suspected an old puncture wound
- Sent home with 10x Enrofloxacin 22.7 tablets and topical Chlorhexiderm solution
- Discovered scab around Josie’s neck. Suspected Leo had scratched her.
- Observed Josie losing clumps of fur and aggressively scratching her head/neck area.
- Suspected possible fleas. I did not find fleas on her (I found white flecks in the flea comb and suspected dead skin), however I gave her a bath with flea shampoo and reapplied Frontline Plus.
- Observed Josie hiding in odd spots around house. She’s always been a bit of a scaredy cat and has always slept or hung out on the bed, under the bed, or on the couch. She’s been avoiding her usual areas and have found her:
- inside dresser
- in closet
- in bathtub
- on dressers
- on windowsills
- next to air vent
- Called Vet because I was concerned about scabs around her neck which were getting larger
- Exam at Vet
- Vet noticed elevated heart rate, agitation, and weight loss
- Area around scabs was shaved. Told to use Chlorhexiderm.
- Bloodwork done (Idea FeLV Antigen and FIV Antibody by ELISA Add-on, HealthCheck Plus Profile)
- Sent home with 21x Prednisolone 5mg
- Blood results came in
- Vet discussed transfusion, possible bone marrow biopsy/cancer, ultrasound, euthanasia
- Brought back to Vet to have blood redrawn and retested (no results yet, vet said blood appeared thin)
- Started Clavamox 15ml (given 1ml every 12 hours)
- Comment from vet at University of Minnesota: “It could be feline leukemia or FIV, cancer,immune mediated hemolytic anemia, or immune mediated neutropenia, immunemediated pancytopenia.There is an anemia panel apparently that can be run. The owners either need to be all in to treat and hope they can fix it or they need to consider humane euthanasia. Those cell counts are pretty severe.”
- Using litter box (more urine than stool)
- Stools are hard and small
- Urine output is lower
- Confining herself to my bedroom. I had them separated for a week or so and keep the bedroom door shut at night as Leo can stress her out.
- Scratching has diminished greatly, but she occasionally will frantically scratch/lick paws, neck, and ears
- Appetite is decreased but she is still eating some. She tends to eat more after steroids and if I eat at the same time as her.
- Occasional meows that seem/sound unusual (not yowling, just different)
- Not as interested in getting pets/scratches, but will purr at times when she is scratched
- Sleeps in bed next to me at night
- Tired at times and general lethargy
- Not active
- Alert
- Drinking water occasionally (she never drinks from her water dish and I’ve always mixed water into her wet food)
- Her general diet is wet canned food (Sheba, Fancy Feast, Wellness, Weruva). Only since adopting Leo has she had some dry food because he needs to gain weight so it sits out (Orijen original)
Thank you,
Sara & Josie