Bad news about Faline, newly adopted cat

[Lizzie]

I took Faline, one of the FIV cats, to my vet tonight because she has very noisy breathing and some discharge. I had found in her notes on Sunday that she was diagnosed with a chronic URI last year. She does have a URI and is on heavy-duty antibiotics for at least 3 weeks, and I was warned that she could be on them pretty much for life. The dried blood discharge from her nose is because her nose is dirty and the stuff is drying on it causing sores, so I have to put vaseline on her nose, I will add aloe vera also - unless someone here thinks that's a bad idea, or has a better idea of what to put on her nose. What about vitamin E? Has anyone used that on sores on cats? The good news is that her eyes are clear.

Her gums are a mess and bleed easily so she may end up having all her teeth extracted, though not until we've stabilized her UTI since she'd be an extremely poor anesthetic risk at present.

Major problem is what I do with this cat in the future. According to my vet, she could be harboring fungal infections in her nose and goodness knows what else and those can infect other cats. I thought I'd assessed the risk to Newcat as being small because FIV is hard to transmit, but I'm ashamed to admit I didn't know about the other transmission problems. She may have to become my bedroom cat for life though I'd wonder then if she wasn't better off at the shelter.

[Catty1]

Oh dear - no, hon, she IS better off with you. At least - WORST case - you may have to find her a home where she is an only cat.

Did the vet say that IF she has this fungal stuff, that it will always be there? And do antibiotics do nothing?

I have heard great things about tea tree oil - if she is a bedroom kitty for a while, put some of that in a vaporizer.

You'll get good ideas here from PTr's, I know.

HUGS to dear Faline and you!

Catty1

[Corinna]

I don't know what the vet would saybut I used human yeast infection cream (very small doses) on Merlins sores from his out brakes of rashes (funcgal ) as part of his cancer. cleared them up in a week or so. rub it in to the infected area . I would hold him from licking it for 10 mintues or so letting it get in. might not hurt to try on nose if it works try a litter in the nose on a q tip.

[moosmom]

She may have to become my bedroom cat for life though I'd wonder then if she wasn't better off at the shelter

She is WAY better off with you! If you bring her to a shelter, they'll kill her because of her "chronic" problems. A lifetime bedroom kitty beats a dead one!!

[Lizzie]

Corinna - thanks for the tip about a cream, but I won't try that unless it does turn out that she's got a fungal infection. The vet said we should treat as a basic viral infection and if it doesn't get somewhat better in three weeks, then we'll look at fungal infection, sinus infection, nasal tumor, head x-rays, and other unpleasant stuff.

I've been with this vet for twenty years and he's got mad at me a number of times for tilting at windmills as he sees it. In the early years, he nagged at me about all the problems my cats would have because I had more than two cats in the house. I've never had more than 13 cats and I have a 5 bedroom, 2 living room, etc. house and the problems were minor. Then he went ballistic when I fostered a kitten with ringworm and was convinced it would be passed to all my other cats - it didn't, I'd done isolation nursing and knew what I was doing. Then I kept the foster kittens who turned out to have feline leukemia, he predicted gloom and doom that didn't happen. So, he always slams me with the worst possibilities from the start. I know Faline doesn't have a bright future and I truly am focused only on her having the best life I can give her for as long as she can enjoy it. I wish he'd accept that and not think I'm expecting miracles.

Donna - she came from a no-kill shelter that has just built a special very large room for their FIV cats. It was a comfortable place and the cats were either racing around playing, or cuddling together in boxes, or sitting in huge window with large window sill. They have volunteers in that room frequently, cuddling the cats. It's probably because I hate loss of freedom more than anything else that I worry about her being a bedroom cat. That room was large, but it was also pretty crowded.

Thank you for the support, everyone, I really do need it right now as I wonder if haven't truly gone too far.

[Laura's Babies]

I so hope it works out for you and that baby. That vet should have faith in you by now but he has the job of giving you the worst that could happen so you won't go back one day and say "Why didn't you tell me this could happen?"

[jenluckenbach]

WOW, that is so much to deal with But I know that you will make the best of it. Faline will be a much loved cat. What more could she ask for?

[catmandu]

Even if she is a Bedroom Cat,she is a lot better off than being in a shelter.
At least with you he is in a Furr Ever Home.where Faline is loved.
We are sending Prayers for Faline that the White Coats can give her as Good a Life as possible.

[doolittleky]

Lizzie,
Even though she came from a large room no kill shelter I still believe she is better off with you than at the shelter. I have two FIV+ cats that live with a friend due to the fact that I have alot of special needs cats in my one bedroom condo that get sick alot so trying to bring them into my already crowded condo is not a possiblity. At my friend's they stay in his bedroom and are perfectly happy and content to be there. Do I wish I had a bigger place where they could live with me, yes but I am doing the best I can in the situation. Ivy and Scooter have a good and safe home and are happy and loved. That is what you are giving Faline. I do have one suggestion for you. I don't know if your vet had mentioned immune boosters or not but there is an injection, I believe the medicine is spelled egstim( some vets use interferon) that Ivy started off getting once a month, now he gets it every two weeks. This is a medicine that is suppose to boost their immune system. recently my vet also added to their regime a lysine paste that they get that is also to help their immune system. If they aren't already on something like this maybe you could ask your vet about it. Ivy I trapped back in 1999 and the vet estimated his age around three at that time. he is doing very well. Scooter I have had about a year I guess and he is about 5 and also is doing well. So please don't feel bad about taking Faline out of the shelter and giving her the love she deserves. Remember since her immune sytem is bad that it will take longer for her to get over stuff. She just needs a little more time that is all.
Melissa