Hey Marissa, I just read this post. I am so behind from being out of town for a week, and am reading backwards!
No apologies needed for living your life. No one here expects anyone to be around all the time, or even any of the time. We are here to help when someone needs help. It's good to know that Slinky's UTI was diagnosed and now he's on antibiotics. I know now that he wasn't given doxy from this post, so I still feel that it's important to try that. If the vet says that Doxy can treat the UTI, ask if you can switch to that. I'm surprised the vet didn't mention it. I think a lot of vets just see FeLV+ and assume that there's no hope, so their mind won't go to any other possibilities, like hemobartanella. I wish they weren't like that but so many are. My Cricket got REALLY sick when he was two years old, with a very high fever that went all the way to the top of the thermometer. The vet tested him for FeLV, and said he was positive. The vet stopped trying to help him then, but I didn't know it. I left him there early in the morning and assumed they were doing their jobs. Even though I told the vet to give him intraveneous fluids if they had to, they didn't and he just kept getting sicker and they gave him no sustenance; I had no idea this was going on for a day and a half. Something kept telling me to go get him, that something wasn't right, so I left work in the middle of the day and went to the vets. That's when I found out that they weren't taking proper care of him and I got PISSED! I demanded antibiotics and I took Cricket home and every hour syringe fed him a little water and some canned A/D, plus his meds. I didn't even know about subQ then. Cricket pulled through, but it's ONLY because I did NOT listen to that vet. I wrote a complaint against him to the State Veterinary Board, but the way things are in Texas, they just wrote me back saying they found that the vet hadn't done anything wrong. Bullshit (excuse my language). Giving fluids is the most BASIC of care. Hello. Anyway, I learned from that experience to trust my gut. And if your gut is telling you to keep trying, despite what the vets say, then keep trying. Where there's a will, there's a way. Cricket lived for two more years with NO issues at all. All he had was a simple infection, and the vet was willing to give up because of that damn FeLV stamp on his forehead. Don't be afraid to do the subQ fluids. It really does make kitties feel better. If you touch Slinky's gums and they are sticky instead of moist, then he needs fluids. You will be surprised at how much better he will feel. I wish I had known all of this when Cricket was sick. Also, try finger feeding him some meat baby food (without any additives like garlic or onion; I can't remember which one is bad, I think the garlic). Slinky might like that. Deli food also. Tuna. Whatever you can get him to eat right now; it's VERY important that Slinky does not go without food or he can develop feline lipidosis (fatty liver disease) quickly. The A/D is great too, but you will have to get it from the vet. It's VERY smooth, and goes through a syringe quite nicely, although you might have to add just a little water. Please keep us posted on Slinky. Prayers going out for him. If you need anything, just ask. The list is usually pretty quiet over the weekend, and should pick up Monday. I will try to keep checking my email to see if have any more questions. :) Wendy ____________________________________________________________________________________ The fish are biting. Get more visitors on your site using Yahoo! Search Marketing. http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/arp/sponsoredsearch_v2.php
