I'm sorry to hear about Leloo doing so poorly, but there may be reason for hope depending on what the cause of her anemia is. If she is fighting a bacterial infection, she might be helped with antibiotics. My Grace was slightly anemic, and even with running extensive blood work, we never really found out what was causing it. My vet thought she might even be fighting the FeLV itself. She did have a temp (I think it was about 104), was lethargic and had also stopped eating. She had also been licking cement stones. This has happened to her three times, each time I thought I was going to lose her. The first time my regular vet had prescribed Clavomox, which would help while she was taking it, and for a few days after, and then the symptoms would flare back up. When I went to my internist, she prescribed Doxycycline, (it's a human drug that she called into my pharmacy), and it has worked two times. The second time she also had some immune boosting help from the feline interferon, but the Dox worked on it's own also. Why don't you ask your mobile vet if he thinks there's a chance it might help her?
You are fortunate to have Sally so close by. Don't hesitate to call her, if you need her, she's wonderful for moral support too. We're all praying for you and Leloo.
Much love, Nina
Steve Williams wrote:
I took Leeloo to the vet yesterday and was prepared (well, not quite) to let her go, but was assured she wasn't in pain, so I continue. She had just gone down hill so quickly. It seemed as soon as a wrote an email to the list, she got even weaker.
Just as some of you suggested, Leeloo was severely anemic. I told the doc I had been (trying) to syringe food and water, mostly water and explained that she fought it and got so out of breath from even the small syringed amount I gave her. He explained that the anemia was not letting oxygen get distributed through the body via the blood, so she was out of breath by even the smallest amount of exertion. He suggested I give here only a few drops of water, then wait, and repeat very very often. This worked SO MUCH better--I was feeling so bad at the struggle and exertion she was going through. I was so clueless about anemia and this little bit of info was so helpful to know. Her temp was also very low. The vet also gave me NutriCal to feed her.
This morning, she actually will drink some water! This hasn't happened in about three days on her own. However, after a few laps of water, she goes into heavy breathing for 10 or 15 seconds. I wait, offer her the water again after a bit, and she drinks a little bit more. I also tried a very tiny amount of baby food, and she did lap at it! But once again, after a few laps... heavy breathing. I mixed a tiny bit of NutriCal in with the baby food and she ate the tiny bit, mostly off my finger. She pees, so her liver is still working, though sometimes pees on were she is lying. I have a nest built for her. I have a hot pad with a blanket on top formed into a nest, then a towel on top. I change the towel whenever she pees on it. Sometimes I time it right and carry her to the cat box and she will sometimes pee.
I'm thinking at this point, I can give her enough water on constant vigil. Thank you very very much Sally from San Jose for offering to help with SubQ fluids, but I think I can do the water successfully as I am able to be with Leeloo all day long every day. I may call upon you yet for help (Sally lives probably 40 minutes away from me). So much for the water, but I feel giving Leeloo enough food may be a problem without over-taxing her system. I will try carefully and see what I can do.
We have been having some beautiful warm sunny days here in the Santa Cruz, California area. Two days ago, I opened the door onto the deck and surprisingly Leeloo hopped out. She immediately started licking the wood deck (she couldn't hop out to the deck now though). I have been reading the Simon and Levi emails where Pica was mentioned... yet another confirmation of anemia.
I asked the vet about getting blood work and he said I would have to go elsewhere to do it! He is a mobile vet and is very inexpensive and has other facilities where is does surgeries, spades/neuters. But, I guess you have to be affiliated with veterinarian hospital facilities? Anyway, I get the feeling if go down that road, things start to get very expensive. She has anemia, what else would the blood work tell me?
Sally and others mentioned giving PetTinic or HiVite drops which have iron and B vitamins. How do I get this? Vet or store? Antibiotics won't do anything for anemia, right?
The hind leg problem is in the background. The vet did check again and said that he does find something wrong. Whether she injured it then went into anemia because of the FELV and stress from injury, or the leg was a symptom of some other virus is of no matter at this point.
Thanks everyone for all your support. Looks like I got carried away with this long rambling update.
Steve
