I'm devastated...I'm still reeling from what's happened.
I went to Australia for two weeks to visit my fiancee. My sister was staying and watching the furkids. All went well until right before I left. She told me the last day I was there (Thursday morning) that Simon had a little bit of a sniffle. I told her to keep an eye on him and when I got home if he was still sniffly I'd take him in, that it was probably a URI.
I left Thursday afternoon and thanks to flight delays and such it took me nearly twenty hours to get home, during which I was pretty much unreachable. She picked me up from the airport and told me that Simon (my ten month old british shorthair) still seemed mostly ok but he was a bit lethargic and had peed on the floor. This was about ten o'clock at night. I told her that we'd go and pick him up and take him to the emergency vet.
We reached my house and I went into his room and just looking at him I knew he was bad. During the time it had taken her to pick me up from the airport he had gotten ten times worse. His eyes were swollen, his back legs and tail were covered in urine and he was barely able to stand. I picked him up and said 'we're going right now' and we got back in the car and headed to the emergency vet. I called them on the way and to my surprise they said they had several criticals come in in a short amount of time and couldn't take him, so we were diverted to another emergency vet I had never been to before. They immediately took him in back.
A short time later I had a consult with the vet. I was expecting to hear he had a really bad respiratory infection but to my shock, the vet tells me that the problem is his heart. He said he was severely anemic and his heart was enlarged, he had a severe murmur, and it looked like he had fluid around his lungs. They put him in an oxygen cage and I was able to see him briefly before I headed home...I'd been conscious over twenty four hours at that point. They were going to run more tests and do a consult with a cardiologist and I left them my numbers to get hold of me. Got home and they called about three am and then again at just after four. Long story short the tests/xrays/ultrasounds left us in between a rock and a hard place.
They thought it could be a congenital defect of the heart, in particular the valves, which was shredding his blood cells and basically sending him into heart failure. Or, that it was FIP. He was so badly anemic they were recommending a blood transfusion but admitted the transfusion could send him into immediate cardiac arrest and for either condition would be little more than a bandaid.
I got about four and a half hours of sleep and drove back in to see how he was doing. They brought him to me in a room and I'm not sure he even knew who I was. He had a glazed look, limp and lethargic, and was having a hard time breathing. Twice I thought he would pass away right there in my arms and after a bit more discussion with the vet I decided to let him go. I paid to have a full necropsy done so I could give it to the breeder if it did turn out to be a congenital issue.
It was so heartbreaking. He was my special little Handsome, such a cuddle bug who just loved to be held and give kisses. He'd reach up and give you a gentle little pat on the face and was always purring. He loved everyone and just wanted to be snuggled. I still feel sick from the whole thing.
I did email the breeder and let her know and that I was getting a necropsy. She nearly made me cry again in her response...she's just as devastated and offered me a little chocolate smoke boy she had been planning to keep for show. It was so incredibly sweet but I told her I'd have to think about it...I'm too emotionally gut-punched right now to really think about it.
Good bye my little Simon...Mama will miss you forever.
View media item 293172
I went to Australia for two weeks to visit my fiancee. My sister was staying and watching the furkids. All went well until right before I left. She told me the last day I was there (Thursday morning) that Simon had a little bit of a sniffle. I told her to keep an eye on him and when I got home if he was still sniffly I'd take him in, that it was probably a URI.
I left Thursday afternoon and thanks to flight delays and such it took me nearly twenty hours to get home, during which I was pretty much unreachable. She picked me up from the airport and told me that Simon (my ten month old british shorthair) still seemed mostly ok but he was a bit lethargic and had peed on the floor. This was about ten o'clock at night. I told her that we'd go and pick him up and take him to the emergency vet.
We reached my house and I went into his room and just looking at him I knew he was bad. During the time it had taken her to pick me up from the airport he had gotten ten times worse. His eyes were swollen, his back legs and tail were covered in urine and he was barely able to stand. I picked him up and said 'we're going right now' and we got back in the car and headed to the emergency vet. I called them on the way and to my surprise they said they had several criticals come in in a short amount of time and couldn't take him, so we were diverted to another emergency vet I had never been to before. They immediately took him in back.
A short time later I had a consult with the vet. I was expecting to hear he had a really bad respiratory infection but to my shock, the vet tells me that the problem is his heart. He said he was severely anemic and his heart was enlarged, he had a severe murmur, and it looked like he had fluid around his lungs. They put him in an oxygen cage and I was able to see him briefly before I headed home...I'd been conscious over twenty four hours at that point. They were going to run more tests and do a consult with a cardiologist and I left them my numbers to get hold of me. Got home and they called about three am and then again at just after four. Long story short the tests/xrays/ultrasounds left us in between a rock and a hard place.
They thought it could be a congenital defect of the heart, in particular the valves, which was shredding his blood cells and basically sending him into heart failure. Or, that it was FIP. He was so badly anemic they were recommending a blood transfusion but admitted the transfusion could send him into immediate cardiac arrest and for either condition would be little more than a bandaid.
I got about four and a half hours of sleep and drove back in to see how he was doing. They brought him to me in a room and I'm not sure he even knew who I was. He had a glazed look, limp and lethargic, and was having a hard time breathing. Twice I thought he would pass away right there in my arms and after a bit more discussion with the vet I decided to let him go. I paid to have a full necropsy done so I could give it to the breeder if it did turn out to be a congenital issue.
It was so heartbreaking. He was my special little Handsome, such a cuddle bug who just loved to be held and give kisses. He'd reach up and give you a gentle little pat on the face and was always purring. He loved everyone and just wanted to be snuggled. I still feel sick from the whole thing.
I did email the breeder and let her know and that I was getting a necropsy. She nearly made me cry again in her response...she's just as devastated and offered me a little chocolate smoke boy she had been planning to keep for show. It was so incredibly sweet but I told her I'd have to think about it...I'm too emotionally gut-punched right now to really think about it.
Good bye my little Simon...Mama will miss you forever.
View media item 293172
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FIP is such a cruel, sudden disease and is always fatal. No words can take away your pain. Know that Simon had a wonderful life with you, and knew for sure that he was loved. 
Rest in peace, Simon, you gorgeous boy 
[emoji]128062[/emoji][emoji]128062[/emoji] 
I hope that knowing the cause is able to bring you some small comfort 
