You are danged if you do and danged if you don't. The life of a feral cat is not kind and you knew that and were trying to help the situation. You can't kick yourself for a bad vet and bad luck. I am willing to bet there are few on this board that haven't had to deal with at least one bad vet in their lifetime. After my last bad vet, I decided that Yes, I would have to micromanage my pets' healthcare but I really don't feel like I should have to. I thought that was what we were paying them to do.
I am sorry about Gypsy. You have been trying to find a solution to Gypsy's problems for a while. No one really knows what causes IBD in cats. The vaccine connection may or may not be the cause. You did your best and that is all anyone can expect. None of us are omniscient.
I am really sorry about your pain and wish there was something I could say to make it better. Your heart was in the right place. Who knows what else you may have saved Gypsy from? A feral life is not a particularly safe life. The average lifespan would have been less than 3 years if you hadn't got her. It could have ended up being a hard 3 years at that. I'm sorry. I wish I knew something better to say.
From: Nina <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: felvtalk@vlists.net
To: felvtalk@vlists.net
Subject: I'm losing my Gypsy
Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 14:41:59 -0800
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Hello Everyone,
I'm so distraught about my Gypsy. She's the "feral turned house cat" that I've written to you about before. She's had Inflammatory Bowel Disease since Aug of '04, and nothing I've tried has helped her. I given her Prozyme, Probiotics, Pred shots, Flagil, Benefiber, I've even started adding Colloidal Silver to her food. She has wasted away to a walking skeleton and hasn't played in months. The problem is compounded by not being able to put her in a carrier and take her to the vet, it's just too stressful for her (and at this point the sedative needed to allow her to be handled, could kill her). Even the house vet that came out wasn't able to examine her. He prescribed Methyprednisone shots (every 2 weeks), along with Metronidazole liquid that she took in her food for about 15 days before she started to refuse it. I've called a highly recommended East/West vet that I hope will be able to give me more ideas. I had tried putting her on a novel protein diet, but she stopped eating. When I began giving her the foods she loves again, she seemed to gain a little weight, but this morning she refused her favorites (salmon and liver). I'm afraid I'm on death watch at this point and it's killing me.
One of the most disheartening things about her condition, is that I think I'm responsible. I didn't know the dangers at the time, and I was doing my best to protect her, but I think I inadvertently gave her this condition when I had her vaccinated. She had been vaccinated once, when I first trapped her, and then spent months with my FeLV kittens (before I knew their status). She was negative when I tested her, and I had them give her two more series of shots afterward. The vet (someone I won't use again), mistakenly gave her a total of 3 rabies shots along with all the other vaccines and it was only a month later that she started showing her symptoms. I took a healthy, vibrant kitten off the street, exposed her to FeLV and then gave her IBD with too many vaccines! I can't tell you how miserable I feel.
Thank you for letting me vent. I'm so frustrated and heartsick. I don't think I even have the option of helping her cross. How peaceful could it be for her to have a strange person trying to give her a shot? Not to mention, trying to find a vein to put it in. I feel like I'm going to vomit.
Nina
