Cat with FIV

Update- Remy went to the new clinic today. very pleased. The vet said he has fIV but is healthy except for herpes and of course resorption and minor stomatitis. He will be having a dental procedure next Thursday. We will have to do 2 surgeries if he needs full mouth extraction due to his FIV. I feel so lucky. I had no idea that 10 minutes from me was this state of the art facility with a dental specialist on site. This is the only clinic in my city (San Jose Ca.) with recognition by the American Academy of Feline Practioners as a cat friendly hospital. Nice place, cat climbing shelves in the office etc. Bonus, less expensive that my other place. Feeling happy about Remy's chances. Vet also said I have no reason to separate my cats.

I am SO happy you looked around and found this place! AND liked the vet! Having a great place in a time of need is priceless. :heart2:

that all goes well next Thursday!

I can't believe it. I heard from the rescue that I adopted Remy from. They said they would pay for his surgery . They wanted me to use their vet. I responded that I really wanted him to go to the specialist he is scheduled with. Within an hour of sending that e-mail they responded that they had contacted my vet hospital and made arrangements to be billed for Remy's surgery AND future costs related to resorption and stomatitis. I am teary eyed. Not just that Remy will have all the care he needs but that there are still people who take responsibility and do the right thing without any problem. They admitted they dropped the ball and Remy deserved better than they had given him.This was a surprise to me.A huge relief as I truly was getting overwhelmed by the worry about all this money.By ythis time next week I hope Remy is on his way to feeling so much better.

The vet wanted the card before  hand? That is so rude. I would be shocked to have that happen.

Sometimes vets do give breaks when you spend a lot with them. I think prices are very dependent on area I am in San Jose Ca. and a limited blood panel here ruins about $250 full $350 . The cleanings run about $600-$650 . Extractions push that price up considerably. There are vets further south that are less expensive. I just can't imagine any of my cats being okay with an hour or more drive in each direction.I also like having someone close by. Sometimes I feel like I should just give the vet clinic my bank account numbers and let them have the whole thing. Maybe the keys to my car too.It's okay  though, the cats are important to me, I don't spend money buying jewelry etc. I am pretty down to earth, I am a homebody , I like to hang out with my family and my animals. I know people who think I am nuts spending money on pets. Truly, I think they are missing out on a lot by not having cats.

I am glad to hear things are looking up for you two! Very best of luck!

I'm glad everything is going well!

Remy goes in for surgery first thing in the morning. I am so nervous! I pray that he can have the full mouth in this procedure. It would be nice to just get it out of the way so he can just be done with it. They said he may  need tow surgeries. I guess the vet is cautious and that is good. We will see. It would be so wonderful if he comes out of this with no pain and can go about the business of being a happy cat.

two surgeries....

Two surgeries are typically done so that the cat can eat on one side of the mouth while the other heals, or at least that is what has been explained to me by the dental specialist and our other vets here.

We have an FIV+ kitty in our rescue (she's in a permanent foster home) who has had to have 4 teeth extracted over the past year. Her other teeth look good right now; but, our dental specialist said that if she develops stomatitis we will do a full mouth extraction...in 2 "phases."

I hope Remy gets some relief with this surgery and heals quickly!

Thank You CatPack, the surgeon said he does need a full mouth extraction because the resorption will continue as will the stomatitis. They do not think they will be able to do the full mouth tomorrow. They said they will have a better idea once they are in surgery and will be in contact with throughout the procedure.

Remy came out of surgery about an hour ago. I can pick him up in 2 hours. They were unable to do a full mouth extraction. They did get 12 teeth. The vet said that she didn't feel it was safe to keep going and we can schedule more extractions. She did say they got all the resorptive lesions and the teeth most affected by the Stomatitis. The Stomatitis thankfully had not extend to the throat. ( My Leo has that , his began in the back of the throat) she said Remy will probably feel great when recovered.I am glad Remy is fine but a little sad that he will have a repeat surgery.Thank you all for your good wishes.Can't wait to go get the little guy and get him settled snuggly and warm

:rub: :rub: Aw, I'm sorry he'll have to go through it again, but I'm sure he'll feel much better after this! everything heals up without a hitch!

 If anyone sees this and has a suggestion please I would love to hear it. Remy is home. I was supposed to give him a syringe of Buprenorphine 1/2 hour ago and as I suspected even as loopy as he is he is fighting. He is the sweetest cat but also the only one I have never successfully given meds to. He is now freaking out - hiding- he fights like the devil. I know they found him in a feral cat colony years ago but this is ridiculous. I knew I should have left him in the hospital overnight. No one is answering the phone at the clinic and I am afraid he will be suffering all night. Is it okay to mix it with food?

Maureen Bradley said:

 
 If anyone sees this and has a suggestion please I would love to hear it....

I was supposed to give him a syringe of Buprenorphine 1/2 hour ago...I am afraid he will be suffering all night.

Is it okay to mix it with food?

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Hi Maureen!

I have NOT been following your thread.......but, it appears that the Buprenorphine was given for post-extraction pain control.

Buprenorphine will ONLY work if it gets absorbed by the mouth tissue - the interior of his mouth. It does NOT "work" WHEN SWALLOWED.

It's usually given out in tiny syringes containing just a few drops of the solution....you only need to squirt it into the side of his mouth - NOT down the throat. (Nothing should ever be squirted down a cat's throat, anyway.)

All of that said, your Veterinarian really would have been better advised to apply a 'pain patch' on Remy's abdomen during the surgery - these last for 3-4 days and provide no-muss- no- fuss pain relief......and prevent all that you're now gong through. Here's more info about them: Fentanyl Patch

It's not too late for that.........he will be in considerable pain for several days yet - I would contact the Vet and arrange for one of these to be applied.

Adequate pain relief speeds recovery and healing time - apart from ethical and comfort considerations.

While he's recovering, I would NOT allow him free-reign of the house...I'd confine him to the smallest room, with a "safe space" in there too.

I really urge you to contact the Vet and get the patch (the Vet must put it on).

Hope that helps!

Thank you White Patch!!!!- I ended up with a hell of a night. This morning I took Remy back and he was given an injection for pain that the surgeon said would last for 3 days. She warned that he may act very strange, almost euphoric for the first 36 hours. He is spacey. That is better than the night we had last night. The poor guy went through to much stress and tore me up but good. He is the sweetest cat in the world but his feral beginnings show when you try to medicate him. I think part of the problem is that I adopted him in May and from the beginning I had to treat his ears etc. My other cats grew up with me and never had to have treatments until many years had gone by so we had built a foundation of trust. I had tried to explain before the surgery that he was virtually impossible to pill or anything else and I had requested the pain patch. The surgeon had said she didn't like to use the pain patch I can't remember the reason, They did give him a shot of Convenia as an anti-biotic. That makes me nervous. I feel like a failure, I always though there was no cat I couldn't get medicine into.I very much appreciate your response.

I'm so sorry for all you both went through last night. But I'm SO glad you took him back for the shot, and he's getting pain treatment he needs.

Hun, you cannot blame yourself for not being able to get medicine in him. My FIV+ boy was rescued as a feral at 3 or 4 years old. He was very sick, and I had to get a number of meds into him initially. He was isolated though, and ate on the ground. I was able to constrain him and quickly get the meds in him. Now that he is not isolated, and eats up on a cat tree (and no one ever changes eating spots), I have tremendous fear of ever needing to give him meds again. ...and I actually proactively bought a cat bag, just in case I ever need to. I've trained him to like eating treats in our small bathroom - the only place in this home where a cat can be isolated.

Don't know if you want to consider it, but this is what I bought for Chumley. http://www.klaw-kontrol.com/

I was warned that they run small. They do, and given he's gained weight, the large one I ordered probably isn't large enough now. He weighs 13.5 to 14 pounds now, and I suspect I'd need the extra large.

Continued for your boy!

LDG, you are a saint! Remy actually spent 3 years in the rescue shelter before being placed for adoption. In almost every way he is very gentle. He is a cat that loves other cats and rolls over for pets. Never makes any fuss unless, you try to carry him or give him medication. Then you see his roots. I had tried to tell the surgeon before hand that I feared he would be impossible to dose. That is why I allowed the Convenia and had asked about the pain patch.I am just glad this injection lasts 3 days. I expect he will be fine by then. I wish they had thought of giving it to him yesterday.Funny, today I was going over the chart of cat teeth they gave me yesterday and counting the teeth they had marked indicating his extractions. They had told me 12 I counted 18. I called just because inquiring minds want to know. Sure enough it was 18. Hmm, the rescue group got a break in what they paid out. That's good actually the surgeon said that originally she took 12 and decided Remy could stand to lose a few more. Its all good, I hope he feels better. I can't wait to have the next surgery over with. Remy is not a cat who would allow me to brush his teeth. Since I know the back of his throat is not affected by the Stomatitis I want the rest out before it is. My Leo has it in the back of his throat. My ex vet was awful and poor Leo has suffered. This new vet asked if she could see Leo because the old vet may have told me nothing more could be done for him my new vet doubts that. keep your fingers crossed.I can't wait for Remy to come around so I can see if he feels better without those teeth. They warned me this shot could make him euphoric and spacey for 36 hours. Lol, he looks like he is meditating on the secrets of the universe!

By the way LDG, I am going to buy that cat bag. Remy weighs 12.9 so it should be fine. Leo weighs 19 lbs so I am not sure about hi. He is relatively easy to medicate/ groom etc. so probably doesn't need the bag.

How's he feeling today?

BTW, I did use the cat bag once, though not on Chumley. It would HAVE to have been Tuxedo, because he's the only other cat I have some issues with. The trick? Have ALL the zippers zipped other than the main one that goes up across the back. Put some treats down so they're standing on the bag (the long way), and attach the velcro that goes around the neck (it holds it in place) and then quickly zip them into it. They will struggle - but there's nowhere to go. Talk soothingly, do whatever you have to do, and give treats afterwards. But getting that velcro neck piece in place first - and snugly, is really the key.

I never could make a kitty burrito with a blanket. This makes it SO much easier!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!