11/16 Tawny Update

Sorry for the late post again everyone, thing is we (Venita & I) don't usually get any updated info from the clinic until later in the day. In the mornings the clinic doesn't really have any new info until after their morning rounds, then the docs are super-busy all day but we are confident everyone there is watching over Tawny very carefully. And when they talk to us they talk to us at length.

Venita talked to Dr. Hebert at length today and plans to post a more detailed update later, here's basically what I know from talking with Venita a couple of hours ago and also Tawny's other vet, Dr. Amanda, a couple hours before that:

Tawny is not doing as well as she was last week. She is up to 2.5u of insulin BID plus some "regular insulin" to bring her #s down. She is eating well on her own, still eating S/O dry but yesterday I got her some LC Friskies and they started mixing that w/her S/O today and she ate both. However her BGs were running in the 300s and even hit 400 at one point, today she came back down to the high 200s finally.

She has been running a temp up and down all day, since last night actually, she hit 105 today (ouch!) and her lowest was 101-s/thg for the day.

She does not act like she is in pain, but Dr. Amanda did mention that she is "still depressed", which I kind of thought she looked depressed yesterday when I visited her too. Dr. Amanda said Tawny followed Dr. Hebert all the way over to the Internal Medicine Unit this morning with her tail in the air, she described it as "it was so cute."

Tawny is grooming, that's a good sign, and talking, and when she walks around she walks around with her tail in the air in what would be totally-typically-Tawny-mode.

They are very concerned about her temp and are talking about giving her a low dose steroid to bring it down if necessary, the one Dr. Hebert wants to give her is called Dexemethadone SP.

They did another ultrasound today and said they could see her pancreas now, as opposed to the one last week they described as "boring". They couldn't see anything then. But her pancreatitis test from last week came back in the gray area, so this was not really a surprise to me today. And there is some lymph swelling.

Venita took really good notes when she talked to Dr. Hebert (Dr. Hebert & I played phone tag all day) and Venita will post a better, more medically correct update later.

Tawny will be in the hospital several more days yet, minimum. She is really, really sick, so please don't stop the healings. We are so grateful. The power of this Board is magnificent and I miss my girl. Nobody is sleeping curled up around my head this week. And don't forget Jill & DH & the others that need our love and healing wishes right now.

Thank you all as usual I am in your eternal debt.

Desi, et al

There is a western blot test for felobart which is the cheaper, and best way to test for it. Stick to your guns on that. Many vets want to run the PCR...very expensive and will only give a positive test during an active cycle. The Western Blot will pick up the antibodies.

Hi,

Desi and I were posting at the same time, so I took my post down.

There's not much from Wednesday's report that Desi didn't mention.

Certainly the most troubling thing is Tawny's fever. The high point measured today was 105.6 degrees and the low point was 102.3. (A cat's normal temperature is 100.5°-102.5°F.) There definitely is a serious infectious or parasitic process happening that the ABx just aren't taking out.

The vet did see some enlarged lymph nodes during the ultrasound.

I asked whether Tawny was in pain. Dr. Hebert doesn't think so. She has a normal heart-rate, she walks around (no meatloafing), and she does not flinch when her abdomen is palpated.

I asked what they do for a fever. Dr. Hebert said they watch it. Tawny is receiving a broad spectrum ABx (Baytril), and they may change that to Doxycycline. They are considering whether she might have Hemobart, a parasite that attacks the red blood cells and that causes anemia and fever.

The clinic also changed out Tawny's IV catheter from a rear leg to a front leg. She urinated on the rear leg catheter, and so they moved it, not wanting to risk an infection from the urine being in contact with the catheter site.

As Desi said, Dr. Hebert believes that Tawny would benefit from a low dose of steroids, specifically Dexamethazone SP. Desi and I discussed that and agreed that Tawny would benefit from steroids, and Desi was going to call the clinic to authorize it. It is a tool that the vets need to use to get Tawny some relief from whatever infectious or parasitic process is happening to her. Her diabetes can be managed around the steroid treatment.

I will continue my prayers for you and Tawny. Please get well sweet girl.
It sounds like you have some wonderful vets that really care about her and are going the extra mile for her. I like that Tawny is trying as well... walking with her tail up.

I hope tomorrow her fever breaks and she feels better. (((((((((Desi)))))))))) I wish we could do more, but please know you are both in our thoughts and prayers.

Marjorie and Gracie said:

There is a western blot test for felobart which is the cheaper, and best way to test for it. Stick to your guns on that. Many vets want to run the PCR...very expensive and will only give a positive test during an active cycle. The Western Blot will pick up the antibodies.

Click to expand...

Marjorie. I just Googled "felobart" and got no hits. What is felobart?

Marjorie and Gracie said:

There is a western blot test for felobart which is the cheaper, and best way to test for it. Stick to your guns on that. Many vets want to run the PCR...very expensive and will only give a positive test during an active cycle. The Western Blot will pick up the antibodies.

Click to expand...

Marje, I googled this too and got nothing, same as Venita, what is it? Antibodies for what?

D

Prayers & HeaLING WHITE LIGHT for Sweet Tawny!!! Hope she feels even better tomorrow!

DD & Tinkerbell said:

Marjorie and Gracie said:

There is a western blot test for felobart which is the cheaper, and best way to test for it. Stick to your guns on that. Many vets want to run the PCR...very expensive and will only give a positive test during an active cycle. The Western Blot will pick up the antibodies.

Click to expand...

Marje, I googled this too and got nothing, same as Venita, what is it? Antibodies for what?

D

Click to expand...

Could she have meant this? Fel. Bartonella Western Blot
As if "fel-o-bart" was slang or jargon for saying Feline Bartonella? I saw it written as above in a list of tests from a lab.

Just a guess. :?

And an excellent guess, CD. I found this article on MarvistaVet and will ask the vet about it today. I have to think they have considered it, especially in such a flea-prone environment as Louisiana, but I will ask. Especially if Azithromycin is the clear ABx of choice for that infection.

Tawny doesn't go outside much, but she is in frequent contact with other pets that do.

Hoping they find just the right meds to give to Tawny, and her fever comes down and she feels even better today.

I'm keeping sweet Tawny and her devoted beans in my prayers.