Gravely ill kitty....help!

[slick]

Oh Jennie, this must be so heartbreaking for you. I'm glad that the vet is at least on the right track. I will continue my prayers for sweet Sam.

[Jennie Lu]

Another visit to my baby Sammy to wish him good night, but I'm afraid it may have been a goodbye. If only he'd respond to his meds and rest comfortably through the night...the heartworm results will be in tomorrow and may offer better treatment suggestions.

The poor little guy suffered through an unsuccessful attempt to insert a feeding tube. He's got some blood coming from his nostrils from the trauma of the attempt and very sore there now. He barely opened his eyes for me, and just layed his head on my hand while I scratched him and closed his eyes. My baby is worn out from the fight. I don't expect him to make it through the night, and gave instructions not to intubate him, if he has problems and doesn't respond to oxygen through a mask and stops breathing, to let him go. I can't see putting him through more discomfort just to prolong his agony.

Please pray for my boy Sammy and me tonight.

[Shady]

That is just horrible, what a terrible ordeal you and Sammy are having.

Tinkerbelle, Kewpie, Spike, Rocky and I will include Sammy and you in our prayers tonight.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Jennie, I'm so sorry to hear that Sammy isn't doing well. Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are being sent your way. Please take care.

[slick]

My tears are flowing for you and your precious baby. If God chooses to call him to the RB, may his journey be a peaceful one, knowing that he is loved by a very caring Meowmie.

Jennie, he will not leave your side and will watch over you for all eternity until you meet again.

{{{hugs}}}
slick xo

[sandragonfly]

jennie, my heart gets heavy and heavier as I was reading more and more about your special dear sam..

your sam has automically went into my thoughts and I hope to check back in with at least no heartworm, much less painful for him!

don't forget we're here and thinking of you for your sam,...prayers from across the ocean!

hugs,
~ gina & her ark

[TopCat3]

This is terribly, terribly sad, made difficult reading, must be even more difficult for you both to live through. I'm so sorry to hear this, and quite alarmed too. I had no idea indoor cats could get heartworm. We'll be very, very careful next summer, here. I hope your next post is better news and Sam's distress stops soon, one way or another, it's for the best. My thoughts are with you. TC3

[furrykidsmother]

Just wondering how Sammy was doing today and if you got the results of the test yet. Let us know please.

[ramanth]

I'm so sorry to hear about Sammy.

I hope the source of illness is discovered soon and that he recovers.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

I'm so sorry to hear Sammy is not responding well. I sure hope we get a good uppydate today.

{{{hugs}}}

I know this doesn't help you and Sammy right now, but it might help someone else. Feline heartworm is becoming more and more prevalent. Everytime I go to the vet I see ads and pamphlets all over the place for Revolution which is really kind of a "cure all" type medicine. You put it on the scruff of their neck once a month and it prevents fleas, several parasites and also heartworms. And yes, heartworms are a problem even for inside only kitties. If you check out the Revolution website you'll find much more information than I've got here. So, hopefully this will not be all in vain for Sammy if even one kitty is saved because their meowmy heard about the threat of heartworm and the Revolution to cure it.

Come on Sammy, please get better.

[Barbara]

Our thoughts are with you and Sammy.

There have been miracles here on PT and we send thoughts for one.

[sandragonfly]

checking in...nothing still.

[lvpets2002]

i am so heart broken for Sam. My babies all send prayers & good blessing. Hey mom maybe this picture will cheer you just a bit. Best of Luck & now I need to have a talk with my Vet on that heartworm issue & my babies.

[Jennie Lu]

Well, I finally got home to give an update on Sam. I expected all night for the phone to ring, but it never did. This morning at 9 I went to the vet's and asked about him and was led to his "suite" ( hooray! he made it through the night!). As I walked in he raised his head up, started purring, and looked at me through eyes that were much more alert! He'd just had his meds so was breathing hard from the stress of that, but still was doing better than last night. I was definitely in a happy shock. I left a can of tuna for him if his doc approved, hoping it would tempt him to eat. I wasn't able to talk to her, but she called me later on and let me know that last night the on call vet called her and let her know that he didn't think Sammy was going to make it through the night. I guess he surprised everyone because they all said he's doing so much better today. He didn't eat the tuna, but his nose is stuffy from yesterday's feeding tube attempt...maybe he can't smell and therefore can't taste either. His xrays are no better, no worse, but are different in the location of cloudiness/fluid. Still no fluid when tapping the chest. The heartworm test came back negative, so his illness is still a puzzle, but his doc is treating him now for congestive heart failure. She let me know that the subq fluids have left, and are usually the first to do so, so the lung fluid should be next (hopefully). She also said it is possible that he has a very aggressive lung infection which has caused the pulmonary vessels to compress against the heart (?) and that may explain the differences in the xrays from time to time. Sam did have a respiratory illness (sneezing, runny nose) in December or January that actually was brought home from the vet's by Huey (the oldest who was in for a UTI) and passed through the household. All got antibiotics and recovered from their symptoms, but maybe poor Sam didn't get all the bacteria out of his lungs. Needless to say, all my guys and gals are going to the vet pronto for serious exams and chest xrays.

So, bottom line is we still don't know what it is, but we've got to be getting closer by process of elimination. Doc has contacted a specialist at the University of Alabama for suggestions and ideas and we'll have another chest xray tomorrow to compare to today's. I'm on my way back in to see him now. Keep the prayers comin', 'cause they sure helped out last night! Thank you all so much...it helps me so much. I'll keep you posted.

Jen

[Karen]

How good that he's at least seeming kind of better, not just "surviving" which seemed even too much to hope for! He'll still be in our prayers, thankfully God will know your Sam from Sam the baby girl we're all also praying for (!see here if you don't know what I'm talking about )