never, never, ever...
Oct. 24th, 2006 05:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wordinistaAsk your hormonal adult daughter, "So, how far are you going to take this?" in relation to her possibly terminally ill cat.
Ever.
Next thing you should never say: "You can't go into hock over an animal. I know you love her, and she is a love, but she's just an animal."
Never, ever say that, either. Trust me on this one.
EDIT: I forgot to mention that the vet called last night with... not-good news. Her hematocrit level was down to 7% (should be around 30-40% in a healthy cat), and that her anemia is the non-regenerative type, which increases the likelihood of FeLV. Her initial test (a basic blood test) came out negative, but he wants to do a bone marrow test to make sure it wasn't a false negative, because all signs seem to be pointing to FeLV.
EDIT the Second: I wrote to a local feline specialist today and got the following reply:
Bronte is going to need a blood transfusion w/ a PCV of 7 % regardless of the cause of the anemia. A bone marrow aspirate after she is stabilized from the transfusion is a logical next step. I am assuming she has been tested for FeLV and FIV. It sounds like she originally was being treated for a red blood cell type parasite called Hemobartonella. It is usually treated w/ doxy and pred for 3 weeks. It also usually shows a regenerative anemia. Immune mediated anemias in cats are rare except in FeLV positive cats.
Dammit.
The doc then went on to recommend two veterinary internists in the area.
Dammit.
Never again. Never, never again -- I am not ever, ever getting a random kitten from an "oops" litter ever again. I'll go to the pound first. I'll buy a purebred cat. But if there's any way I can avoid going through this kind of heartache again, I'm doing it.
Ever.
Next thing you should never say: "You can't go into hock over an animal. I know you love her, and she is a love, but she's just an animal."
Never, ever say that, either. Trust me on this one.
EDIT: I forgot to mention that the vet called last night with... not-good news. Her hematocrit level was down to 7% (should be around 30-40% in a healthy cat), and that her anemia is the non-regenerative type, which increases the likelihood of FeLV. Her initial test (a basic blood test) came out negative, but he wants to do a bone marrow test to make sure it wasn't a false negative, because all signs seem to be pointing to FeLV.
EDIT the Second: I wrote to a local feline specialist today and got the following reply:
Bronte is going to need a blood transfusion w/ a PCV of 7 % regardless of the cause of the anemia. A bone marrow aspirate after she is stabilized from the transfusion is a logical next step. I am assuming she has been tested for FeLV and FIV. It sounds like she originally was being treated for a red blood cell type parasite called Hemobartonella. It is usually treated w/ doxy and pred for 3 weeks. It also usually shows a regenerative anemia. Immune mediated anemias in cats are rare except in FeLV positive cats.
Dammit.
The doc then went on to recommend two veterinary internists in the area.
Dammit.
Never again. Never, never again -- I am not ever, ever getting a random kitten from an "oops" litter ever again. I'll go to the pound first. I'll buy a purebred cat. But if there's any way I can avoid going through this kind of heartache again, I'm doing it.
