Barney is an Angel Now.

[Emeraldgreen]

Well the vet just called and he isn't looking so good. He hasn't gained any weight!! She said that he has so many diseases going on that she is wondering if it wouldn't be better to just let him go at this point.
She said that his left ear still has the growth down inside and it and it is bleeding. His right ear has an infection and she thinks it's a bacterial infection of some sort.
She asked me what the next step was. Once again, had to make a decision right on the spot and with all the efforts put out by Pettalkers and all the donation cans and ads it just didn't make sense to me to put him down today. I think Angela was ready to let him go today because the vet was saying that Angela told her she is leaving and he doesn't have a home and if he is this sick etc... etc.. and I totally get where she is coming from but I wouldn't even know how to return the money in the cans to total strangers, so why not spend it on Barney and give one last kick at the can.

The vet said "alright, but if we're going to keep going with this, it's important that he get tested for FELV and FIV." I totally agree so she is testing him for that right now. I asked her if she thought it would be safe for Barney to be with other cats if those tests come back negative and she said "yes, I would feel comfortable with him being with other cats 'if' these tests come back negative." This is important in case someone offers to foster him and they have other cats.

She also wants to retest his thyroid and see where that's at. She said that he is nowhere near healthy enough to have surgery on his ear and she said that we need to take one step at a time.

Right now, I feel like I'm the only who has met Barney who is standing behind him. I know all you guys are and it means a great deal but I wish everyone else who has come in contact with him wasn't bailing on him like this.

Anyway, that's where it's at. I have to be at work in a few minutes so I'd better get going.

[jennielynn1970]

I will be praying hard for Barney that he tests negative for both FeLV and FIV. You can have a false positive, but not (as the vet told me) a false negative. I had one cat test FIV+ 3 times, and then at 2yrs old, he tested negative 2xs. I know FeLV is the more serious of the two... I hope he doesn't have that! FIV is an immune deficiency and it can be managed, but he would need to get over all those other issues in order to be able to battle FIV for a good long time. We've have FIV+ cats at the shelter and most have lived long lives. I had Mac after he had been in the shelter for 10 years, and he made it another 2 1/2. So, 12 1/2 years as FIV+ is a good long life.

Will keep hoping and praying that Barney isn't positive for either of those diseases though! He needs every break he can get!

[Randi]

Dear sweet Barney, I hope you'll make it! And I hope the tests will come back negative for FELV and FIV. I so wish you will get better soon and find a loving forever home.

I'm sending lots and lots and positive thoughts and kisses.

[Purr-tender]

Well, the FIV/FELV test results should be ready before Angela leaves the vet, it only takes about 10-15 minutes to show pos. or neg. But, even if he is positive that is not a death sentence. He is eating and drinking which is half the battle. It would not even cross my mind to euthanize him at this point. That the vet and Angela even thought about it scares me. Lara, you know that there are tons of PT prayers going up for Barney.

Mary

[momtomany]

Lara if your hubby would allow temporary fostering, I will send money to help with costs of doing so. He has such a will to live that I hope he can continue to have a fighting chance. I not sure if this would be good for him, because the loving human contact is important for him, but what about bordering him? If I wasn't so far away, I would try and talk my husband into fostering...........but it would be hard as I fail everytime I have done it. I know many of us are already attached to him

[Moesha]

I'm scared to read any updates about Barney. I sure hope that things went well with his test!

[Medusa]

This makes me feel like crying. I'm w/you, Lara, I certainly don't want to bail on him. Unless an animal is truly suffering, I feel there's no such thing as a lost cause. I do understand your position, though; your husband has a say in all this as well and Angela can't stay forever. Usually when I feel that things are out of my hands, I gain a sense of peace but in this instance, I'm feeling sad for this sweet boy. He's had such a sad, tough life and now he's learning how loving the human touch can be. To take it all away from him would just be so cruel but if he's so sick and there's no one who can care for him, you may have no choice. I know how much you love the guy and you've put forth such effort. I wish I was there to help. I hope that when I read an update tomorrow that there's some good news in all this. Whatever the case may be, all of us PTers know how hard you've tried w/Barney and how much you love him. God, this is so sad. I want so badly to hug that boy. His sweet face just haunts me. He looked so scared and sick in the beginning and now he looks so peaceful and content, even though he's still sick. Sigh. I'm making things worse, so I'll sign off for now, praying that all will go well for Barney.

[Emeraldgreen]

Lara if your hubby would allow temporary fostering, I will send money to help with costs of doing so. He has such a will to live that I hope he can continue to have a fighting chance. I not sure if this would be good for him, because the loving human contact is important for him, but what about bordering him? If I wasn't so far away, I would try and talk my husband into fostering...........but it would be hard as I fail everytime I have done it. I know many of us are already attached to him

That is so kind of you. I am currently in the process of asking my husband if we can take him in. He would be in our shop which is next to the house but it will be alot better than outside. I cannot believe that no one has called about him. His picture is in the weekly insert that goes in 2,500 mailboxes and it's up on our local website. I was sure a few people would call. I didn't even mention his health troubles in the ad. I figured that I could tell people when and if they called.
I've already asked my husband and he is mad right now but I'm hoping that he will soften up over the next few hours. I will still have to find him his furrever home though. I'm fairly certain that Barney will be able to come here but I'll know for sure by tomorrow after we talk about it some more.

Angela has offered to buy him a new little heater that I can put in the shop for him which is great.

I went over there after work and we bathed him again. I swear he likes it! The water is nice and warm and then he washes himself afterwards. Tonight he was washing his back legs which he hasn't attempted before so we were happy to see that.

Angela said that today when she got home and went into see him, he was laying on his side and looked very comfortable. Then he got up and stretched one of his back legs straight out. So cute.

She bought him some new food and he loves it. She found some wet food at the pet store with a low glycemic level by Merrick and it has little pieces of carrots and stuff, like a stew. She got alot of different flavours. She also got some Orijin dry food and he likes that too. She said he pigged out on it today and his little tummy was huge because he ate so much. lol

That's the scoop. I'm just so relieved that he tested negative. I called the vet from work yesterday afternoon because I thought this test was usually an inhouse test but the receptionist said they sent it off by courrier to have the thyroid tested and the felv/fiv was done there as well so that is why we had to wait. It seemed like forever but it was worth the wait.

Candace, I agree, the fact that he hasn't lost any weight is good and I need to be grateful for that.

[rg_girlca]

I just finished reading all the posts and I cannot thank you Emeraldgreen and
Angela enough, for doing all that you can to help precious Barney. I had major LES just looking at his pictures and video's. He looks so pitiful that it breaks my heart.

Big time prayers on the way for Barney that he is able to pull through everything and is able to live out the rest of his life knowing nothing but love.