Update on Danielle

The Vet called today with the results of Danielle's culture. The infection in her head is a STAFF infection. OY, OY, OY.....

He said that the antibiotic she is on is right for this. We go back to the Vet tomorrow for a checkup.

Now I am off to research staff infections in cats on the web. Sheesh.

Anyone have to deal with that?

Thanks.

Hissy, you mean a staph infecton in cats is contagious to HUMANS???????/ I thought when an animal has something, it cannot be transferred to humans, except ringworm.

The Vet did not tell us that....we have been petting her for 3 weeks, and we feel fine..ooh geez...

Am I gonna come down with something, even after 3 weeks?? She is also all over the apartment,.....

Dodo


Mostly in her ears. She also has it in her eyes, and mouth. The Vet who called yesterday seemed most concerned about her ears. I will know more when we take her to the Vet tonight.

I don't belive it is ringworm or rabies. As far as the other two forms, I have no idea. But she has been slobbering all over me for 3 weeks, and I am okay, ..... didn't know she had Staph until yesterday when the culture came back, and hopefully by now the meds are killing the infection.


From what I understand Toxoplasmosis is only a danger to pregnant women??

Thanks Dodo

My3boys....


Sigh.



Sigh.


Well, I am going to call my doctor, explain the situation, and find out what if anything I should be looking for in myself or my husband if we turn up sick. Hopefully, the strain she has is NOT transferrable, (which I will find out tonight), and we are all okay.

Thanks.

I now think my baby has a cold

The Vet will tell me tonight.

She has been sneezing A LOT, and when she is asleep, I can hear her stuffy nose. She has also been extra lethargic the last two days. But it is the sudden sneezing that concerns me.


Are colds dangerous to cats? Do cats get colds often?

Okay, Update from the Vet:

The Vet thinks Danielle is older than 5.
She still has ulcerated ears from the staph infection. She needs another week on meds.
She is missing a quarter of her teeth.
She goes on her thyroid meds tomorrow (tapozole), which the Doc says will become toxic within the next two years, so she will have to have surgery or iodine treatment eventually.

I am angry, horrified, numb, saddened, empty, and afraid to get more attached. I love her sooooo much.

They also took a FIV/FeLV test, because we can't trust the shelter anymore even though they said she was negative. I get the results Saturday.

There are a whole host of side effects from the tapozole, which she may or may not get.

She is suffering so much.... I can't take this. I am a basket case, and I know I am going to burst into tears soon. This is my first pet, we have had her 3 weeks, and this poor little girl is breaking my heart. She has no one to love her except hubby and me. Has she ever had anyone love her?????????????????
I don't know how to handle all this.

Sorry to vent. That is the update.

Seda, Thanks for your response

The Vet said she saw no signs of a cold. But she has been sneezing a lot the past two days, so I think it must be allergies.

I spoke to my INternist, who said not to worry about catching a staph infection from a cat.

The Vet said it was possible, but not to really worry about it.

As far as drugs, she is now on the eye cream for just a few more days. Her mouth is better. Her ears are still badly ulcerated inside, so she needs at least another week of Orbax (antibiotic pill), and her ear drops. She may need longer. Vet said it will be cured, we just don't know when.

Today she starts the Tapozole for thyroid. I have to watch her for side effects. I bring her back next week for a blood work up, which she will have to have a lot of now to make sure her levels are okay, and that the Tapozole is not affecting her kidneys.
Eventually, she will need either Iodine treatment or surgery for the thyroid.

The Vet did not suggest anything to strenghten her immune system.

By the way, what is "zootonic"?

AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, new update on Danielle.

Her ears are healing a bit, but now she has developed an upper respiratory infection. She has been sneezing and sniffling terribly. It started last week, but got better over the weekend, and we thought it was allergies. But it is back, and worse, so the Vet could see. Her eye is also getting worse again.

Now her meds are increased, ear drops, eye drops, nose drops, and oral pill.

The doc took her off the thyroid meds for 4 months, since Danielle has been having what could be a reaction to the meds, but it could also be her cold.

How much more does this poor kitty have to take? I asked the Doc how an indoor cat could develop an upper respiratory infection now?? She said, maybe she got it at the shelter, and it was incubating. Anyone ever hear of this??

Poor Danielle....The Doc said she is a mess, and this will take a loooooonnnngg time to heal.

I hope she DOES heal.

Thanks Sandie.

It is just sooo hard, this poor kitty comes to her new home and is bombarded with torture treatments. And now, her treatments are increased from 2 times a day to 4. OY OY..... I worry about her
mental state.

sigh.......

Thanks again.

Thank you Jacquie,

Okay. My first mission alone failed dismally. :LOL:

Hubby has been helping me morning and evening administering meds. He holds her down, while I give her the meds.

Well......Her new eye drops have to go in 4 times a day. This means that twice (while he is at work) I must do it ALONE.....groan...

Well. Today was my first attempt to grab her by the scruff of the neck and hold her long enough to put in the drops. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That little mushy face squirmed, slithered, and took all of a milisecond to get away from me. Picture me on the floor, trying deperately to hold on to a cat that is trying desperately to get away from me, and you got the picture. Well...the eye drops went ungiven, and I am a very, very bad mommy with a very, very poor grip.

Sigh.....

Anne-Claire,,,,

thank you.

Unfortunately, since we started treament, Danielle has lost all interest in play. All I can do is cuddle her, if she will let me.

My husband she is scared of.... Now with me trying to attack her during the day, she will probably start staying away from me too.

I want to cuddle her, but if she runs under the bed or behind the wall unit, well.......... I can't show her how much I love her, and that breaks my heart.

I try to cuddle her....

But she looks at me with a "mommy you betrayed me" face and hides.

I am trying to keep chin up, but today, after her eyes were getting better on the new eye drops, she suddenly had a setback.

I noticed that one of her eyes, (the lesser affected of the two) is all goopy and she is keeping it half closed. It is obviously bothering her.

We go back to the Vet on Thursday.

Is she EVER going to get better?????

Here is the latest:

We saw a different Vet tonight, since we brought her in on an emergency basis. I like this Vet better than the other. We go back in a week.

Here are the facts of the evening:

Danielle's ears are "pretty good"
Here eyes are a mess. We went back to the old steroid/antibiotic cream.
She must remain on the Orbax (antibiotic) at least another week.
She still gets the nose drops.
New News:.... She DOES have Calici Virus. #@!!%#&#@
Well, the doc says it will all run its course.
Now here is more new news....based on her mouth, he thinks she is about 12 years old!!!!!!!

He asked where did we adopt her, and we told him. He said that he has had several sick cats that came from there. ggggrrrrrrrrrr
He said nowadays, cats can sometimes live into their 20's. Kittens can live into their 30's perhaps. I was floored by that!

He said usually it is the thyroid that starts the problems, and then the heart and kidneys go, or they develop some other problem. He seemed to think that even if Danielle is around 12, with proper monitoring, she can live many more years. He said in a few months, we will redo the thyroid test, and see if the levels are any different. Best scenario is that she would not have to take the meds, although I am not counting on that. He said lets let her get rid of all these viruses and infections first before testing again.
Anyway, that is the update.

Lorie and Sandie, I saw your responses under "drooping eyelids". Thank you very much. I will check out those links. Now I will also look up Calici Virus. Somewhere back in these threads, someone suggested that, (sorry I can't remember who), and I asked the other Vet and that Vet said no. This new Vet recognised it immeadiately.
Sigh....

Danielle seems better!!! Wheeeeeeeeeeee!!!
:blubturq:


Her energy is up a bit, and her sneezing is almost gone. She still has a runny nose and the eye infection, but I think her ears are healing and she does go off the Staph meds on Monday. The next Vet visit is Tuesday night, so we will see then.

Thank you all again for your support. I'm gonna have LOTS more questions about my little darling.

Sandie, thanks.


What is FVR?