When they thought that Chip had hemobartonella, they took blood and looked at it under the microscope and could tell that way, they gave him a blood transfusion from one of our other cats and put him on I think it was tetracycline and one other med. I think they can tell from looking at the blood on a slide under the microscope.
-
Too many ads? Join our community of cat lovers now to reduce ads by 90%! Click here to join for free!
Ginger needs to stay at the hospital
- Thread starter purrfectcatlove
- Start Date
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #102
Maliynn I think that is the medication Ginger will be on over the weekend . I sure will ask about a test for that blood deseas tomorrow .
Here you go Hedi, this looks like a great article with specific information for you.
Article on Hemobartonella including tests to do
skritches to Ginger from me next time you see her,
Article on Hemobartonella including tests to do
skritches to Ginger from me next time you see her,
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #104
Thank you Pat & Alix that was very helpful for me . I know she don't have feline leukemia , she was testet when I let her spayed . In that article it don't say anything about those swollen nodes at all , so maybe she still has canser .
Heidi, it very well could be hemobart, but sometimes a slide exam in the clinic lab is not enough.
Your vet knows this, but she may not have discussed in greater detail with you, so please call and ask about getting a full feline serology done to rule out hemobart, coombs, toxoplasmosis or immune-mediated anemia, lymphoma,... all of which need to be ruled out when the hematocrit is so low. Sometimes it is also necessary to include an ELISA for FELV/FIV/FIP because snap tests done in the clinic may not always be reliable, especially given her symptoms at this time.
You may have to prepare yourself for a possible blood transfusion, your vet probably has a donor-cat at the clinic for such a reason, but do discuss this thoroughly with your vet so that you are fully prepared for what to expect.
The medications appropriate at this point are heavy doses of prednisone and tetracycline, plus antibiotics, fluid support and nutritional support, until further labwork reveals the actual condition. Regardless of the blood-borne disease type, these medications are commonplace to treat blood disorders.
In advanced cases or those that the vet is simply stumped, or that serology doesn't confirm anything definitive, a bone marrow aspiration can be done to rule out different types of cancer, however, I would use this as a last resort only, it requires anesthesia, is not a comfortable procedure and in a 2-year old cat, it probably wouldn't define cancer (unless it were an inheritable-type, rare). At this point, the biopsy should confirm the lymph node reaction and determine the likelihood of cancer. But, pending the biopsy and because she is not a good candidate for anesthesia right now, I would definately opt for a full feline serolgy ASAP. This needs to be sent to an outside lab and may not get the results for up to 5 business days. In urgent cases, your vet can call the lab to get faster results. Please talk to your vet about this immediately.
Whatever she is suggesting toward treatment, or possible blood transfusion, please heed her advice, blood disorders are very difficult to treat, especially in critical cases, it must be agressive and almost impossible to predict the outcome.
Having treated such diseases, and personal experiences with them, I would like to encourage you to follow your vet's direction and not give up with treatment. I've seen severe cases improve in time and with aggressive treatment, although expensive, it is worth it to see recovery.
Hang in there and keep in constant contact with your vet. If Ginger is being hospitalized, visit her every chance you get, she needs you there as often as possible for support, for encouragement to become stronger during treatment.........................Traci
Your vet knows this, but she may not have discussed in greater detail with you, so please call and ask about getting a full feline serology done to rule out hemobart, coombs, toxoplasmosis or immune-mediated anemia, lymphoma,... all of which need to be ruled out when the hematocrit is so low. Sometimes it is also necessary to include an ELISA for FELV/FIV/FIP because snap tests done in the clinic may not always be reliable, especially given her symptoms at this time.
You may have to prepare yourself for a possible blood transfusion, your vet probably has a donor-cat at the clinic for such a reason, but do discuss this thoroughly with your vet so that you are fully prepared for what to expect.
The medications appropriate at this point are heavy doses of prednisone and tetracycline, plus antibiotics, fluid support and nutritional support, until further labwork reveals the actual condition. Regardless of the blood-borne disease type, these medications are commonplace to treat blood disorders.
In advanced cases or those that the vet is simply stumped, or that serology doesn't confirm anything definitive, a bone marrow aspiration can be done to rule out different types of cancer, however, I would use this as a last resort only, it requires anesthesia, is not a comfortable procedure and in a 2-year old cat, it probably wouldn't define cancer (unless it were an inheritable-type, rare). At this point, the biopsy should confirm the lymph node reaction and determine the likelihood of cancer. But, pending the biopsy and because she is not a good candidate for anesthesia right now, I would definately opt for a full feline serolgy ASAP. This needs to be sent to an outside lab and may not get the results for up to 5 business days. In urgent cases, your vet can call the lab to get faster results. Please talk to your vet about this immediately.
Whatever she is suggesting toward treatment, or possible blood transfusion, please heed her advice, blood disorders are very difficult to treat, especially in critical cases, it must be agressive and almost impossible to predict the outcome.
Having treated such diseases, and personal experiences with them, I would like to encourage you to follow your vet's direction and not give up with treatment. I've seen severe cases improve in time and with aggressive treatment, although expensive, it is worth it to see recovery.
Hang in there and keep in constant contact with your vet. If Ginger is being hospitalized, visit her every chance you get, she needs you there as often as possible for support, for encouragement to become stronger during treatment.........................Traci
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #106
WOW Traci you sure have given me a lot of info here . Thank you so very much . I wrote all the important things down for tomorrow to ask my vet about the feline serology test . Thank you again Traci you were very helpful for me and Ginger
.
- Joined
- May 18, 2003
- Messages
- 498
- Purraise
- 1
that she needs. ((Hugs)) to your kitty and I pray that she will get better soon. It is hard when our little furkids aren't feeling well.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #108
Thank you catlover . Yes it is very hard to watch and also not knowing what in the worls is going on . Thats when I wish they could talk to me and tell me how they feel and what hurts them .
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #109
I talk to the vet today and she told me that they had to give Ginger a blood transfusion this morning . Dr. Heather said to me that she thinks Ginger has hemobat . We did talk about the feline serology test , the vet said she would not do it at this point they are doing already some blood work right now .She also said it would cost me over & 200 dollars to make that feline serology test
, phew . Ginger is hanging in there and if there is any chane she would give me a call . Otherwise we will talk on monday again and go from there .
** sending more good vibes to Ginger **
That is exactly how I feel when one of mine is unwell, and it's so utterly frustrating and painful when you want so hard to make them feel better and take the pain away for them.
Keeping you and Ginger in my thoughts, and also sending my **many good vibes**.
Sure hope she gets better, maybe with the transfusion and getting the medication she will get better. I know when they gave Chip the transfusion he seemed to get a little better, sounds like they are doing the same as they did for him. They did do alot of bloodwork on him too. They also gave him IV fluids too that seemed to help him some.
I'm glad there is an answer and now a direction as to what to do for Ginger...I wish miss gingersnap a full recovery. Sending lots of healing vibrations her way,
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #115
Thank you all sooooooo much , you don't know how much that mean to me
Hedi, sending big hugs to you and to Ginger too...
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #117
Thank you Sue , how nice of you .
More hugs for Ginger
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #119
I just got of the phone with one of the girls working on the desk by the vet . I was told I can pick up Ginger
after 2pm today . Dr. Heather will talk to me then about Ginger . I wonder what that could mean ??? I hope nothing bad
Hedi,
Hopefully she is stablized after her transfusion, and can come home to your tlc and meds. I wish her all the best, and you as well,
Hopefully she is stablized after her transfusion, and can come home to your tlc and meds. I wish her all the best, and you as well,
