- Joined
- Sep 15, 2021
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- 21
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- 58
I am sitting here in disbelief, with tears running freely down my face. I have to manage my business, and it is impossible to do so and will remain very difficult in my present condition.
I posted yesterday about my cat's perceived distended tummy on this thread: My male cat has a swollen abdomen, and I am feeling extremely anxious today.
Well, I was at the vet bright and early today. This vet is standing in for my regular vet who is on holiday. It is a small satellite vet station, as we are rurally based. He is young and seemingly inexperienced (perhaps recently qualified?), but took his time to do a thorough check-up.
At first, he said that there didn't seem to be any Ascites present in the cat's belly, but after further prodding, he decided to draw out fluid with a syringe from Gryskat's belly. And he managed to fill the syringe within seconds. It is therefore clearly Ascites. The fluid was yellow in colour and appeared to be slightly cloudy.
He will now submit the syringe content for testing but has told me that we are looking at FIP as the most likely diagnosis. He did admit to me that testing for FIP is fraught with some difficulty (I don't know why), and it is always difficult to give a clear diagnosis in this respect. He has also told me that whatever the final verdict is, the prognosis is very poor, and I must prepare to part with my cat in the coming days or weeks.
He has ruled out heart function as a possibility.
I find this extremely hard to bear, and it will only become harder for me in the coming days and weeks. What other potential contributors could there be to Ascites, other than FIP, cancer or organ failure? Is there a condition that could be less serious?
I believe that there is a drug that is very promising in curing FIP. However, the vet told me in no uncertain terms that I can forget about getting it in my country (South Africa)
Is there any hope at all? Am I to resign myself to absolute hopelessness and my beloved furbaby to a quick passing?
I posted yesterday about my cat's perceived distended tummy on this thread: My male cat has a swollen abdomen, and I am feeling extremely anxious today.
Well, I was at the vet bright and early today. This vet is standing in for my regular vet who is on holiday. It is a small satellite vet station, as we are rurally based. He is young and seemingly inexperienced (perhaps recently qualified?), but took his time to do a thorough check-up.
At first, he said that there didn't seem to be any Ascites present in the cat's belly, but after further prodding, he decided to draw out fluid with a syringe from Gryskat's belly. And he managed to fill the syringe within seconds. It is therefore clearly Ascites. The fluid was yellow in colour and appeared to be slightly cloudy.
He will now submit the syringe content for testing but has told me that we are looking at FIP as the most likely diagnosis. He did admit to me that testing for FIP is fraught with some difficulty (I don't know why), and it is always difficult to give a clear diagnosis in this respect. He has also told me that whatever the final verdict is, the prognosis is very poor, and I must prepare to part with my cat in the coming days or weeks.
He has ruled out heart function as a possibility.
I find this extremely hard to bear, and it will only become harder for me in the coming days and weeks. What other potential contributors could there be to Ascites, other than FIP, cancer or organ failure? Is there a condition that could be less serious?
I believe that there is a drug that is very promising in curing FIP. However, the vet told me in no uncertain terms that I can forget about getting it in my country (South Africa)
Is there any hope at all? Am I to resign myself to absolute hopelessness and my beloved furbaby to a quick passing?