Getting Help for a seriously ill kitten

Hello everyone,

Last July, I adopted a stray female kitten-- an American short hair cat.  My wife and I named her Phoebe..  My home already has 2 other male cats that were over 2 years old.  I have grown very attached to Phoebe.  She is a sweet little cat (probably now about 9 to 10 months old),  In August, Phoebe was fixed and she got all of her shots.  But sometime later, I noticed small spots of blood around the cats' water bowls.  I could not tell who was bleeding, but found out when Phoebe came down with a 105 degree fever.  My Vet did not know what was wrong--all but her temperature was normal.  I took her to another Vet and she diagnosed her with Calisi virus. This virus is highly infectious to other cats.  After a day and half of intensive care, we broke Phoebe's fever with antibiotics. She had a big mouth sore--as this was causing the bleeding above.  I bought Phoebe home and continued giving her antibiotics  She started coming down with the upper respiratory infection that comes with the disease.  Today,  Phoebe's symptoms are still present.   I have spent close to $2000 on Phoebe's medicare. My wife has been sick, also, and has not been able to work as much as we need.  Phoebe's illness will be chronic, and I fear my other cats already have the disease.  The cats where together about 3 months before we knew she had this virus.

Does anybody know where the best place to be get help for Phoebe (like medical care)?  This is really a nightmare.  I am having some anxiety about continuing on with Phoebe's treatment.  I have no desire in trying to get rid of the kitty.  No one would really want her anyways.  The Vet that diagnosed her seems confident that  if we could get her disease calmed down, Phoebe could still have a long life.  But doing this this could be quite difficult.  The costs and debt are mounting with the Vet.  What do you with a cat in this state? I don't want to put her down--she is so young and full of life.  Except for the cold and some small bleeding from her tongue, she acts like any active cat. I am afraid she will go into pneumonia once the antibiotics are finished.   And if the other cats get sick, then, I don't know what I will do.  Does anyone have any comments are suggestions?  Anything would be appreciated.  Thanks 

I would Google the you-know-what out of this virus - never heard of it. I'm sure you'll find some info to allay some of your fears.

I wish I could help you more specifically, but I don't have a lot of experience with calicivirus.  However, there is a ton of information on the site.  Here's a link with some of the threads. 

http://www.thecatsite.com/newsearch?search=calicivirus

I will say that I have a kitty with herpes and one of the things that keeps the virus at bay is a good diet and keeping stress to a minimum.

Thank you for your reply.  The Vet that diagnosed my cat gave me hand outs on the virus.  And I have googled the virus and the info found did not make me feel any better.  I guess this virus is somewhat like the herpes/aids virus in humans.  It is something that rarely goes away--although I think remission is possible.  It affects the immune system and a shock (such as surgery/spaying) activates the disease in cat that carry the disease.

http://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/infectious-parasitic/c_ct_feline_calicivirus#

My cats are vaccinated against it, but the Phoebe had the virus before vaccination.  And because the virus has many different forms and changes frequently, no cat is immune from all of the different type strains. 

Thanks again

You can do a search here on forum for Calicivirus.  I don't think it's as gloom and doom, but it is a chronic condition that can be managed.  I have a cat with herpes and once we got her healthy, she's only had 2 flare ups in 10 years.

You are overthinking and worrying on this, honestly.

Calici is the 2nd most common upper respiratory infection (URI) in cats, number one is herpesvirus ( technically called Rhinotracheitis)

Neither ever actually leave the body, and most chronic as your girl is during their younger age, once fully matured their immune systems do a great job at keeping things in check.

It doesn't require vet care or antibiotics unless she seems sick to the point of needing antibiotics.

Azithromycin seems to have the best impact on these 2 viruses by the way. Once a day for 2 weeks.

Calici can and does turn in to pneumonia but not usually in an older kitty, this is for the very young, very immature systems.

In time it will heal and seem to be gone, and can be gone so long you almost forget it's in her hiding away.

You will see it come out during times of stress, a move, a new pet, any sudden drastic changes at home, or surgery/illness.

Otherwise she will live a perfectly normal life.

You have spent too much already with this, and if need be, I would simply call the vet to request a different antibiotic if you think she has symptoms enough that they might be helpful.

Antibiotics have no effect on a virus as calici is, but what it does do is, when a cat gets a virus, their systems start to work on ridding themselves of it, but before that happens, bacteria wants some of the action and when that happens, the immune system is taken away from working out the virus and focuses on keeping the bacteria out, it can not do both successfully.

So the virus continues to wreak havoc, while they struggle with fighting off the bacteria.

When given an antibiotic, this takes the job over of fighting bacteria, allowing the system to focus on the virus, they start to get better this way.

When an antibiotic doesn't seem to do enough to keep the bacteria away, it is not allowing the immune system to do it's job on the virus, so as I said above, azithromycin would be my request from the vet next if/when needed.

Try to steer clear of googling the heck out of something like this, you will read all of the things over and over, scaring the poop out of you and feeling doomed, but what you won't read over and over is how manageable it is once her initial outbreak is cleared.

If your other resident cats have had their kitten vaccines and 1 every 3 years or so they will probably be protected.

If at some point you see one start getting a cold, don't panic, a vaccinated cat if he does catch the virus will usually have just one outbreak then done for some reason, not like your girl who was not vaccinated.

CatWoman707 and Stephanietx,

Thank you so much for your replies.  I have great tendency to worry too much about things, especially about my cats.  Since I have no children, they are like my kids.  Your words above have helped me gain a more positive prospective on her illness. Right now, the Vet has on her on 14 days of Doxycycline 6 ml a day.  She has taken her 14th dose this evening.  Before we mixed it up with food, she spit up the first 2 doses.  There might be a dose or 2 left.  I am not sure it has done her any good and will ask the vet about azithromycin.  I now have Phoebe quarantined from the other 2 cats. Should I can continue this until Phoebe's symptoms are completely gone?  She stands and cries to get out of where I am keeping her.  She licks water from my bathroom faucets/sinks, and loves to get into everything she shouldn't (including toilet brushes and paper).  Every time I open the door to my bedroom, she runs out and we have to chase her down.  I am looking forward in letting go into other parts of the house with my other cats.

I will just have to keep treating her until the virus has been tamed.  If you have any other thoughts or suggestions, please update this thread.

Again, much appreciated

Glad the post helped some.

This is a personal choice, the fact is, they have already been exposed to it, it lasts for about 2 weeks in the environment also, so imagine how long she will have to be separated, plus the fact that her symptoms may get better but also mild symptoms might linger a while too.

Her immune system needs to mature fully which it is not yet but will be soon.

If your other cats are full grown healthy adults, and were vaccinated as kittens, there's a good chance they won't ever get it.

I say personal choice since it's not out of the question, and I wouldn't want to convince you of one way, then later down the road one of them shows signs of a cold, you think I swayed you wrong.

It's just hard on the cats to be confined and they have exposure now anyway.

Doxycycline is not my preferred drug of choice for calici. 

Also remember in case your vet happens to mention this as an option, but no covenia shot. Covenia is a 2 week antibiotic shot but is more for skin type issues, or surgery, not for this, yet vets use it loosely and it can have some negative reactions.

I'd ask for azithromycin personally. It took me many years of rescue to come to that conclusion too. 

Just to add on your comment, I can completely relate to your saying they are your kids. I am so attached to my girls, and now that they are seniors I worry all of the time, almost like an obsessive preoccupation, always looming, they have some senior health issues, but unless they are having a great day and eating well, they are constantly in my mind and I am like a doting mother hen.