Update On Stan (plus a couple videos)

I talked to the vet this morning, she had called on Saturday after our vet appointment but I missed the call and they were closed when I got it.

Anyways, we talked for about an hour. She said all the testing that they could do there they had done (checking protein levels in the sample, shaking for foam, checking for clotting when exposed to air) and it had all pointed towards FIP. She said that we can send it out for more testing - apparently the lab they use has a test for FIP, but I'm going to have to look into that more to see what exactly they are testing for because as far as I was aware from reading on here and on other sites, there was no test for it while they are alive. The test is $75, but there are two other tests for other things that we can do with the sample and blood - one is for feline leukemia, I don't know what the other is, I can't remember, but for all three it's $110. She said that they wouldn't charge us for drawing the blood and getting a new sample from his abdomen if we chose to do the testing after the week is over, if we choose to do it now then they just need to get blood as the sample from his abdomen is good for a week. She did say that all of his symptoms are pointing to FIP as the most likely cause of his issues. So now the decision rests with my boyfriend and I as to whether or not we want to do more testing, if we are going to do it we have to wait until this weekend when our roommate gives us the rest of her rent. Mike doesn't want to do the testing, he thinks it is a waste of money since we already have a diagnosis and that we can use that money to help make Stan as comfortable as possible until he passes. I see his point, but if there's also a chance that it could be feline leukemia rather than FIP then I think we should go that route. I know I will get my way and get to do the testing by the weekend, so it's really a moot point. The vet said that it's ultimately our decision and she will support us either way, she understands that money is tight right now with it being the start of the month and what we went through with our other vet and one of our dogs a few weeks ago (TONS of money for a UTI because the vet wouldn't listen to me).

I had thought that he still wasn't pooping, but last night one of the dogs brought out a bundle of litter from the box that I had assumed was pee but when I saw the dog with it I started running around the apartment yelling, "Stan pooped!". The vet laughed when I told her that. She said that he was most likely been pooping the entire time, but that it was so liquidy that it looked like urine in the box after he was done. Since he really only poops at night and I didn't see him doing it, it would be hard to tell.

So for now, he's almost back to acting like his normal self. He's eating his mush fine, drinking plenty, isn't dehydrated and taking his meds like a champ. He's back to being vocal, he just lays around a bit more. We've been letting him into our bedroom now, something we hadn't done before because I'm allergic. We thought we'd let him do it now because he seems to enjoy laying with us.. I just make sure he stays at the end of the bed. So far I'm not too stuffed up in the morning yet.

Anyways, that's the update. Here are a couple of videos that I managed to get uploaded from my cellphone. The first is Stan the second day we got him when I was giving him his dinner, the second is from the third or fourth day after we got him when he was playing catch with me.

Stan ate a little less today than yesterday, but he did he quite a bit yesterday (a can and a half) so I'm not overly concerned yet. He is using his litterbox normally, poops have returned to normal and it appears that the fluid in his abdomen has decreased slightly. The vet said to weigh him and keep an eye on it, if his weight is going down then the fluid is as well - good sign. He is laying around a lot less, he seems to be happier that we're allowing him in the bedroom now. We have to pick him up and bring him in with us, but he leaves when he wants to and seems perfectly content to lay in a big pile with the woofers on the bed.

The vet said that if we wanted to try any homeopathic remedies for any of his symptoms to contact her and she will advise us if the ideas we're having are good ones or not, what dangers there may be, etc. She said the same about any conventional treatments we see online as well, so we're just doing a lot of research right now. I asked her if it was alright to spray some lavender water on the dog beds that he's stolen (poor puppies!) and if it would make him calmer, since we use it in our bedroom and he seems to be calmest in there. She said it was worth a try and since he won't be ingesting it there shouldn't be any problems. I had read something about echinachea (sp?) being used in cats as an antibacteria and antiviral treatment, so I'm going to ask her about that as well when I call next (probably tomorrow). I had read conflicting things online as to whether or not it was harmful to cats, so of course not treating until we have her ok, and we're going to wait until he's done his antibiotics to even start anything else.

you can always TRY homeopathic remedies. if it is FIP they might help, and they are unlikely to hurt. homeopathic remedies can be astonishingly effective (they sure as heck worked for my teething up-every-hour to nurse baby!)

Unfortunately, I couldn't call our vet today as I had hoped. Stan is doing a bit better, ate quite a bit today, took his antibiotics like a champ and has been moving around more. The fluid doesn't seem to have gone down today, but it does appear to be down still from when we brought him into the vet so that's a plus.

I can't find a holistic vet close to us - the closest one seems to be part of the University of Guelph, and it's about an hour and a half away. I think the stress of the car ride there would be way too much for him but I'm going to call and see if the vet will give a consultation over the phone if they have his vet records. I'm kind of doubting it though because they will want to actually see him. He doesn't seem to stress while actually at the vet, it's just the car ride and I can't see stressing him for 3 hours being good for him.

I have read a lot of positive things on echinacea, at least one that I can remember off the top of my head was actually a case study written by the vet so I'm looking into that more. It seems to be very intensive but with good results.

Hopefully I'll be able to get ahold of the vet tomorrow before I have to go to work, if not I'll leave a message for her to call me at work if she can.