Poppaea has a URI

[phesina]

I just had her at the vet on Monday for blood work, to check on her kidneys. Things are pretty much the same there, and I continue to give her 100 ml of fluids and kidney wet food (Purina NF).

He diagnosed the URI and also a lower resp infection and gave me some Doxycycline to give her .35 ml every other day. I just gave her her third dose today. She still is weezing some. He wants to hear back from me today maybe see her again, or give her some more medication.

I have her in the bedroom with "my" cats, because she's been with them since she came down with this. I have my two fosters in the living room. I'm continuing to keep them separate because I don't want the fosters to pick up the URI. (They have a potential new home to go to in a couple of weeks.) They were just finishing medication for URIs when I brought them here from the Michigan Humane Society.

I don't know if Sparkler is catching that. (See my other message here in Cat Health about her appetite being off.) I don't have another place to isolate Poppaea, because I only have the two rooms, living room and bedroom.

Would the steam treatment that Karen's vets recommended for Mary's Coco Puff be helpful perhaps? Any other suggestions?

Thanks,
Pat (and cats)

[cassiesmom]

Oh, dear Princess Poppaea! I hope you feel much better soon! The steam might help. :love

Edited to add a candle: http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/...g&cid=18171907

[Pinot's Mom]

I know the sound of a kitty with a respiratory infection well - it's a haunting sound. I'm sorry you have to hear it, and sorrier for poor Poppaea! I do not have groundbreaking suggestions, however. Pinot had a severe one with a viral disease when we first got her. The emergency vet had her for about 8 hours on IV fluid and meds which did a world of good. She wasn't completely cured, but it put her on the path. Those things take a bit of time to completely kick. {{{hugs}}}

[phesina]

Thanks, Elyse and Maggie. I just got back from the vet's with Poppaea. He did a couple of x-rays. The good, GOOD, GOOD news: No Tumor! which he had suspected as a possibility, lymphoma or myeloma (?).

The not really that bad news, there is wear and tear showing on the cartilage connecting the ribs to the spine, which he said probably makes breathing harder or painful for her. This is an old-cat kind of development, and she's at least 18 years old, more likely 20 or more.

He told me to bump up the Azithromycin (not Doxicyclene) to each day over the weekend, and he gave her an injection of Depo-Medrol and said to call him on Monday with an update.

He also thought the steam treatment could help.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I sure hope that the medicine will help her. Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are being sent her way.

[phesina]

Thanks, Tracey!

[momoffuzzyfaces]

Aw, poor baby, I hope she feels better soon. Prayers for you both. You are really going through it right now.

[phesina]

Thank you, MoFF!

[phesina]

Poppaea was still wheezing quite loudly this morning when I got her out to give her some food and her Azithromycin and her sub-q fluids.. Another call in to the vet...

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so sorry to hear this. I hope she'll start feeling better soon. Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are being sent her way.

[Karen]

Eucalyptus steam, I say! Love to you both!

[phesina]

Thanks, Tracey and Karen.

Oh, I did give her a steam session this morning! And I'm about to give her another. How do I mix in eucalyptus with it?

This afternoon she hasn't been so noticeably wheezy. When I pick her up and listen to her chest, I can hear it, but not at any distance from her.

This morning, I picked her up out of her condo and brought her into the bathroom to give her her first dose of food (wet Purina NF with some Purelax [CVS generic Miralax] mixed in) and then her dose of Azithromycin and then her sub-q fluids, which was probably enough upset to start her wheezing audibly.

The vet agrees with me on this. He thinks the medication is working; it just takes a little longer than I'd thought, or been hoping. He said to update him again on Wednesday.

Please keep the prayers and good wishes coming! Thanks from Poppaea and me.

[Karen]

Thanks, Tracey and Karen.

Oh, I did give her a steam session this morning! And I'm about to give her another. How do I mix in eucalyptus with it?

This afternoon she hasn't been so noticeably wheezy. When I pick her up and listen to her chest, I can hear it, but not at any distance from her.

This morning, I picked her up out of her condo and brought her into the bathroom to give her her first dose of food (wet Purina NF with some Purelax [CVS generic Miralax] mixed in) and then her dose of Azithromycin and then her sub-q fluids, which was probably enough upset to start her wheezing audibly.

The vet agrees with me on this. He thinks the medication is working; it just takes a little longer than I'd thought, or been hoping. He said to update him again on Wednesday.

Please keep the prayers and good wishes coming! Thanks from Poppaea and me.

Just crumble some Eucalyptus leaves into the water - if the steam is coming from a sink, or shower, I guess putting the leaves where the water hits would be most effective. My school nurse all those years ago said sprinkle the leaves over hot water, then drape a towel over your head that encompasses the bowl and breathe ... but that's a tad difficult to do with a kitty, I am guessing.

[cassiesmom]

Please keep the prayers and good wishes coming! Thanks from Poppaea and me.

Noted and will be praying for Poppaea and Sparkler too

[phesina]

Thank you, Elyse, from both the girls and me and the rest of the gang!