Traci, abandoned cat that I may have to take home....

[Traci]

Sara, this is wonderful to hear she is recovering.

If your vet gives the ok for a dental Monday, please try to get a pre-surg done and/or CBC to ensure the infection has cleared. Also, I would wait a week after the dental to give the vaccinations. (providing she recovers well from the dental)

[Sara]

She's had two CBC's, she would need another? Last time it was so difficult to get the blood out I hate to put her through that again. Wouldn't the last CBC be enough to tell if she could withstand the dental? Also, I fear that the terrible condition of the teeth is preventing all the infection from clearing. That would make the CBC show some infection and the only way to clear that entirely would be the dental. What do you think? Her teeth are really bad, stained brown and greenish and they look very long because her gums are receding. I assume that's gingivitis. She even has some teeth missing that must have just rotten and fallen out. She's been on antibiotics for a long time now.

I'll wait a week after her dental for the vaccines. I don't want to stress her out or do too much at once.

I notice she still drools ocasionally. Do you think it's just the dental problems?

I am hoping she feels so much better after the dental. She must have tooth aches and discomforts.

[Traci]

Depends on when exactly the last CBC was done...if it's been over a month, I would suggest one prior to the dental....your vet can double-check her hydration status prior to the dental, but I would still recommend at least the pre-surg (i.e., BUN/creat/ALT/total protein).

[Sara]

Will she be hard to place with this feline virus? The thing is she did improve with antibiotics. I would feel so much better if she did not have any permanent virus, just the flu. I think it would be easier to place her in a home if she was not a latent carrier. Are there many households with cats that have this virus? I am only two weeks away from going out of town and months away from moving into a loft. I am getting worried.

Hopefully tomorrow, if she checks out okay today, she will have her dental. Vests last lesion has closed now with antibiotics, so he may be ready for his vaccines which will be a big load off my mind.

The cats are all driving me crazy. They hate to be locked in the first half of the house.

Cleo is doing great BTW, eating, using the litter box, gaining weight and confidence. Her hair has stopped falling out, her eyes are nice and clear. She looks great. She loves to be petted and to have her belly rubbed. She will make somebody a wonderful pet. She's lonely though locked in the guest room.

[Traci]

The only way your vet can adequately confirm herpesvirus or calicivirus is to do a swab culture, if she didn't do that, then she may be guessing and forming an inconclusive diagnosis.

Cleo could have had a mild upper respiratory infection that was exasperated by the oral infection, ....this does not mean it is necessarily herpes or calicivirus, but the only way to know is with the swab culture. If it is herpes, then Cleo can carry the virus for life and can infect other cats, but if those cats are vaccinated and kept current on their vaccinations, their risk of infection is low. Herpes is relatively easily treatable, but the owner should be aware of the common signs to monitor, especially infections, secondary infections, etc, that should be treated right away at the onset.

[Sara]

Traci, I think a swab culture is in order. The new owners should know exactly what she has or does not have. This not knowing makes it hard to place her. At the very least she could hang out in the house with the rest of the cats until we place her. The quarantine is very hard on all of us. She's getting her dental tomorrow, I will ask for the calicivirus and herpes swab. Thanks for the stellar advice as always. Your such a sweetheart. Cleo really is making an incredible recovery and her spirits are high, no emotional problems that I can see. She's the perfect pet. Maybe a bit shy at times but that will go away quickly.

[Traci]

I sure wish you had better veterinary care available to you, at the very least, a vet who will utilize testing procedures where necessary and actually take the time to explain things to you in greater detail.

Without a cytology to confirm, she can't say with 100% certainty that this is or is not herpesvirus or calicivirus....although her symptoms could have indeed indicated either. When the dental surgeon gets a clearer picture of her teeth, looks closely at the ulcerations, etc and determines the extent and cause of the oral problems, he can then further determine if stomatitis is in fact confirmed as a result of herpesvirus. Calicivirus as well can cause oral ulcerations, but this is where both conditions need a swab cytology to confirm. Both are treatable conditions, and the future owner should be made aware of this, along with symptoms to watch for...I would suggest downloading an information sheet from any reputable veterinary website and giving it to the new owner with instructions to get Cleo regularly examined and monitored, *if* herpesvirus or calicivirus is in fact the correct diagnosis. A second veterinary opinion would be ideal for Cleo and you, but I realize you may not have that option, at least ask your vet or the dental surgeon to consider a swab cytology.

A new owner shouldn't be scared to adopt a cat with diagnosed herpesvirus, but should be educated on the condition, what to watch for, keeping stress reduced at all times, ensuring vaccinations are current as well as other pets vaccinations being current....getting frequent vet exams, etc. If you thoroughly screen a potential candidate to adopt Cleo, be sure you choose someone who is obviously committed to her health care, has a reputable vet to see, and I would recommend giving that person a copy of Cleo's health records or having them see your vet in the future since she knows Cleo's condition, etc.

[Sara]

*sigh* My vet says there is no swab cytology test for these things available here. I'm going to call the vet university and double check. I'm so frustrated. I'm going to google and print out information on calicivirus, herpes and should I print out coronavirus too? I don't know much about feline pathology and I get confused with all these feline diseases and viruses. I need to get it straight in my own head. I'll see what I can do about finding out more about this swab cytology. It just can't be that they don't have this here.

This is a great idea to find out exactly what she has and dowload information on it for the new owner (if I ever find one). I will definately give the new family all her medical records etc. I am recording everything. Her meds, her cleaning, etc. With her history she will need a family that will look for all these things and practice preventive care.

One thing I do know is Vest is sensitive because of this skin allergy he has had and I really don't want to expose him to anything. He also had that knee surgery years ago. BTW, he is lesion free for the first time in so long! The new derm. got rid of the lesions with antibiotics. Now he will be examined by the derm. and we will get instructions on how to get him off the hypoallergenic food slowly. I think he will be able to get his vaccines now that he is not taking antibiotics. Who knows, maybe those allergy shots worked and he won't be allergic to regular food anymore. He stole a few licks of cream the other day and no lesion. That is on his list of allergins. I gave him shots for 9 months, I sure hope it worked. I think his problem after that was a secondary bacterial infection on the lesions from licking them. The shots also caused some lesions.

Whew, that's all for now.

[Sara]

Cleo is in recovery from her dental right now at the vets. She said that her mouth was much better than she thought it would be and she only needed two extractions. She said her weight is better, her fur, her skin, everthing. She said she looks VERY healthy right now. She also found a woman who will babysit her while I go on vacation for 15 pesos a day. I would have to see her home and meet her though. So far we have not found a permanent home for her yet.

[Sara]

PS

Since Vest got his vaccines today the vet is pretty confident that Cleo is perfectly healthy and only had the flu and the infected teeth and that we could introduce her to the other cats in a couple of days. Do you think this is risky? It sure would be nice to not have to get a baby sitter and let her live here in peace until we find her a permanent home. I hate shuffling her around like this when she has already been abandoned and has lived such a bad life these past years. I'm not sure what to do but we will call the university to see about that swab culture. It's too bad we don't have everything here in Argentina. I get so frustrated sometimes. I know my other cats will hate her and they will have to smell her from under the door for a day or so but they also hate being locked out of the back part of the apartment. They have been living in the front part for a month now.

We are leaving on vacation Dec. 24th.