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-   -   Looking for some help/insight for our new white bengal kitten who is sick :( (http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=85674)

AerisAllieandPJ July 17th, 2014 09:54 AM

Looking for some help/insight for our new white bengal kitten who is sick :(
 
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Hi friends,
I am new to all this but happy to be here. My boyfriend surprised me six days ago with a white snow bengal kitten, born April 21 of this year. To be honest I never had cats before and even am allergic. But within minutes of having her I fell in love, she's the sweetest, cutest thing I've ever seen. And if when she gets bigger I start to sneeze, I'll take those allergy pills. At least I hope she gets bigger.... here's the sad part. My boyfriend picked this particular kitten because she looked so hungry and so tiny and so sad and he felt he could help her and save her. Day 2 we realized her weight and....here it is...pot belly... were actually a problem, not just from malnutrition. We researched like crazy and assumed it was some kind of worms, though her stool was pretty clear. She did have some fleas, that we took off and cleaned her real good. Another main concern was her lethargy. All she does is sleep, but again, everyone keeps telling us that's cats and even kittens need more sleep than newborn babies. :shrug: I wouldn't know! We took her to a FREE vet appointment that we got from a friend's coupon and the vet drained fluid from her tummy which was...straw colored. I know... :( She then proceeded to tell us she is very suspicious that it's FIP. We cried because we knew the news probably couldn't have been worse. I hyperventilated actually. :(
We have a different vet appointment today in which I am hoping they will actually run tests to find out exactly what's going on. But I wanted to post her symptoms and the FIP symptoms she lacks, in hopes maybe someone will have some insight or words of wisdom for us. Her name is Aeris (pronounced air-iss)

-[U]She's got the pot belly[/U], but we also found in our research that malnutrition and worms causes this so does FIP, liver failure, intestinal or blood parasites as well and even cancer.
-[U]She is bones thin[/U] She weighs 1.9 lbs when she should be 3 lbs
-[U]The pet place was not attentive to her and only fed her Gerbers baby food[/U] Hearing from the vet how appalled she was to hear this, we quickly made the switch to something else (Wellness, Blue Buffalo)
-[U]She is extremely lethargic and sleeps most of the day and night[/U]
-[U]When she is up she is alert and cuddly [/U] She was playing a lot up until last night when she had no interest in playing anymore
-[U]She poops and pees great [/U] Still litter box training she still has mistakes now and then.
-[U]Her poop was hard first few days but when we switched food now it's soft, light colored and she goes frequently[/U]
-[U]No fever ever[/U]
-[U]No loss of appetite this girl loves to eat and often[/U]
-[U]The straw colored fluid[/U] Not sure if this is a symptom of anything else though I pray it is.

I know everyone will say take her to the vet- which I have done and of course I am going again today to a different one. I guess I just hope maybe someone has some hope. My bf and I believe in holistic healing and a healthy lifestyle. We've read a lot about kittens who had FIP who took tons of vitamin c and sodium ascorbate, and heathy organic food and lots of water who were able to have their cats longer or even cured them (rare cases I suppose) We are willing to do anything other than lose her. Anything is greatly appreciated.

:pray:
Allie, PJ and Aeris (who is currently fast asleep on my chest)

RUSTYcat July 17th, 2014 01:43 PM

[QUOTE=AerisAllieandPJ;1067153]...My bf and I believe in holistic healing and a healthy lifestyle. We've read a lot about kittens who had FIP who took tons of vitamin c and sodium ascorbate, and heathy organic food and lots of water who were able to have their cats longer or even cured them (rare cases I suppose) We are willing to do anything other than lose her.[/QUOTE]

Hi [B][COLOR="Blue"]AerisAllieandPJ[/COLOR][/B] and welcome to the forum !

There is a specialized online community of people like yourself - newbies to FIP - and many others who are managing their FIP kitties' health who have years and years of collective hands-on experience (12 years) - a community that has 2200+ members and cats...........in short, a place where I would go for information, advice and guidance.

I have personal experience with this type of group - I can assure you that these people will have the very latest information about treatments/drug trials/research results..........all the things you will want and need to know. Groups like this usually have lists of Vets who can competently work with these cats.

They will also know about these reports you've read about......but, common sense should tell you (or, at least strongly caution you about) that, if such stories were true, none of the current ongoing research would be happening....the online group I'm talking about would not exist....people would not be losing cats to this disease.

OK - here's that group: [URL="https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/FIPCatSupport/info"][COLOR="Blue"]Support and Information for Owners of FIP Cats[/COLOR][/URL] Just click the [B][COLOR="Indigo"]+Join Group[/COLOR][/B] button.......get yourself a new, separate email address in that process - it's a busy group and that will help you sort and manage the info.

That group will 'take you away'.........please do keep us updated, though.

One final piece of advice from my own and others' personal experiences: NEVER, ever, never....make 'final decisions' before first, stepping away and discussing everything with experienced knowledgeable people who are at "arm's length" from you.....and, while it's difficult, force yourselves to keep emotions out of this - if you don't, you won't be able to think clearly and make informed, rational choices.

Hope some of that helps !

Longblades July 17th, 2014 03:20 PM

Rustycat gave you a great answer. I'm just going to add my own experience which is that not all Vets are up to date on FIP, how it progresses or how to handle it. I homed a stray kitten to a friend who was devastated when his Vet advised Willie had FIP and should be PTS very soon. Thank heavens he called me and another friend because while Willie is a carrier he has never developed the disease himself and is still fine and healthy these 8 years later.

Sadly an adult stray, one we went ahead and neutered before knowing he did have full blown FIP, was not so lucky. Murphy had wet FIP and deteriorated rapidly. We euthanized him a week after trapping him. We saved him from a horrible death, he would literally have rotted from the inside out. It's kind like having terrible peritonitis.

My own cats, three, had a lot of exposure to Murphy, he lived in our yard all summer and I saw him lying close to them sometimes. My cats remained healthy to good old age and never got FIP.

I hope your wee baby is all right.


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