Carl
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 20, 1999
- Messages
- 3,304
Subject:
Blaze is gone.
Date:
Sat, 07 Jun 2003 16:17:26 -0500
From:
Tammi <rajah@stardustdreams.net>
To:
When I gave Blaze his feeding this afternoon, he went into serious
respiratory distress. Meaning he was essentially suffocating. We rushed
him to the vet's office (thankfully open until 1 and this was at 12) and
they put him on oxygen, took X-rays, and did bloodwork. After the results
of the bloodwork, we decided the best thing was to let him go, so he was
put down at 3:30 this afternoon.
The results of the bloodwork? His red blood count, which is supposed to be
in somewhere like the 40-60 count range (I think that's right?) was at
10%. Seriously, seriously low. White count was low. Another blood count
(I forget which) was seriously, seriously low. Plateletts (sp?) were very,
very low. Something that started with a B that is created by destroyed red
blood cells was through the roof -- the highest normal reading is .9 -- his
was 5.9. She said that's what was making his urine yellow.
Basically, his body was destroying itself. Our options were to put him
down, or do a blood transfusion and hope he made it through the weekend,
but the vet felt that the transfusion wouldn't take and after a few days
he'd be right back so low. In other readings, it showed that his body was
destroying itself in other ways dealing with the intestines, and that he
was essentially "melting down".
Upon discussing it, and asking Blaze what he wanted, we decided the best
thing was to let him go. He'd already mentally "left" us anyway this
afternoon before we got him to the vet's.
We still don't know exactly what made Blaze so sick, but again the most
likely diagnosis is FIP, though there are some other parasites and
infections that could have started the ball rolling. My bet is that he had
a fungal/bacterial/parasitical infection that had him sick since January,
but that the stress from that infection finally got to be too much for his
body and it triggered the dormant FIP. That's just my guess, but the vet
said that's a very possible diagnosis.
On Monday, I'll be picking up the plaster paw-prints this particular clinic
makes for all their patients that are lost. It's a nice little memento,
along with a lock of his fur.
Thank you all for your prayers and support.
If someone from the DIS group would/could post this to the DIS, I would
appreciate it. Les, could you please post this to both Cats and Think Like
A Cat for me? Right now, I don't have the strength to post this update to
my usual places.
Blaze is gone.

Date:
Sat, 07 Jun 2003 16:17:26 -0500
From:
Tammi <rajah@stardustdreams.net>
To:
When I gave Blaze his feeding this afternoon, he went into serious
respiratory distress. Meaning he was essentially suffocating. We rushed
him to the vet's office (thankfully open until 1 and this was at 12) and
they put him on oxygen, took X-rays, and did bloodwork. After the results
of the bloodwork, we decided the best thing was to let him go, so he was
put down at 3:30 this afternoon.
The results of the bloodwork? His red blood count, which is supposed to be
in somewhere like the 40-60 count range (I think that's right?) was at
10%. Seriously, seriously low. White count was low. Another blood count
(I forget which) was seriously, seriously low. Plateletts (sp?) were very,
very low. Something that started with a B that is created by destroyed red
blood cells was through the roof -- the highest normal reading is .9 -- his
was 5.9. She said that's what was making his urine yellow.
Basically, his body was destroying itself. Our options were to put him
down, or do a blood transfusion and hope he made it through the weekend,
but the vet felt that the transfusion wouldn't take and after a few days
he'd be right back so low. In other readings, it showed that his body was
destroying itself in other ways dealing with the intestines, and that he
was essentially "melting down".
Upon discussing it, and asking Blaze what he wanted, we decided the best
thing was to let him go. He'd already mentally "left" us anyway this
afternoon before we got him to the vet's.
We still don't know exactly what made Blaze so sick, but again the most
likely diagnosis is FIP, though there are some other parasites and
infections that could have started the ball rolling. My bet is that he had
a fungal/bacterial/parasitical infection that had him sick since January,
but that the stress from that infection finally got to be too much for his
body and it triggered the dormant FIP. That's just my guess, but the vet
said that's a very possible diagnosis.
On Monday, I'll be picking up the plaster paw-prints this particular clinic
makes for all their patients that are lost. It's a nice little memento,
along with a lock of his fur.
Thank you all for your prayers and support.
If someone from the DIS group would/could post this to the DIS, I would
appreciate it. Les, could you please post this to both Cats and Think Like
A Cat for me? Right now, I don't have the strength to post this update to
my usual places.