posted 01-20-2004 12:29 PM         

Thank you in advance for your help.

posted 01-20-2004 12:43 PM         

I would consider getting a second opinion. I didn't with my kitty and I have always wondered. Since there isn't a definative lab test you have to be sure the vet has the right diagnosis.

posted 02-17-2004 09:05 PM         

Casey fought it. He had always been a finicky eater and small in stature for his breed, so it took a while before we noticed the weight loss. He started keeping to himself alot which we attributed to some recent changes in our household, a move, etc.
Then, Casey stopped eating. We took him to the vet and got the blood work done. We found out about three weeks later (this was excrutiating to wait), that Casey had fip. I later read that a lot of cats are exposed to this virus in catteries and can develop it when they encounter stress.

After his diagnosis, we decided to try to keep Casey alive with the best quality of life for as long as we could. The vet gave him a prednisone injection, and we gave him predinose pills (the initial injection gets it into their systems faster). For a little while, he showed improvement. It came to a point, however, when we were using empty syringes that our vet gave us to give him soft food (that our vet also gave us). He always acted so hungry yet unable to feed himself. We used an infant dropper to try to keep him hydrated. We even tried pedialyte to balance his electrolytes. This helped some as far as comfort measures go. Casey lasted for about 6 weeks like this. We cuddled with him a lot and provided him with warmth and a lot of attention during this time, treasuring the moments that we had with him. He was my husband and my first pet together (we adopted his brother, Bear, soon after Casey as a companion). It was hard to see him this way, and he fought it.
Every day, he would make himself get off of the couch to circle around the main floor twice. He had such determination. But, he started to make noises when we tried to move him - and I think that his whole body started to hurt. One day, we noticed that he was staggering with his hind legs (this disease can attack their neurologic functioning too), and we decided to put him out of his suffering at that point. He had also become incontinent. Having Casey euthanized was one of the hardest things that I have ever done. He was such a loyal cat for his short 2 1/2 years. We buried him in the backyard in a hat box with a small quilt. I later planted a small rose garden and put a little statue over his resting place.

His brother, Bear, also took it hard. He began a ritual of yowling in the middle of the night in front of the front door (though they were both indoor cats). One of my other cats, Pumpkin, was distraught too. When we had to separate them, he would sleep beside the guest bedroom door, which is where Casey was kept for a while. We finally let Casey out since the other cats were so distraught and because they had all been exposed to him during his entire illness.

This occurred about 13 months ago, and I hope that none of my other cats develop the illness because four of them were exposed to Casey while he was sick. I heard that they usually develop it within 4 months after exposure, but I don't doubt that it could incubate until stress occurs?

Anyway, after this long story, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for your loss. I guess that I also wanted to share my experience since I still think about Casey whenever I see my rose garden. It is nice to hear about other kind souls who care so much about animals. It can be emotionally and financially stressful. I will always be glad that we were able to make Casey's final weeks and days as comfortable and pleasant as we could. Take heart!

Maggie.

[This message has been edited by maggie4 (edited 02-17-2004).]