Prayers for Gracie Please

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-23-2002
Prayers for Gracie Please
14
Thu, 04-21-2005 - 8:25pm

This is such a difficult post...I have been extremely brokenhearted over the past 24 hours. I heard back from Dr Sharyn yesterday. She said she'd heard back via e-mail from the FIP expert at Texas A&M (Dr Wolf) and also from the internal medicine specialist at VSEC hospital in Kansas. Both had reviewed Gracie's blood tests and her cytology report. Sadly both had told Dr Sharyn that they think Gracie has FIP and will die. The specialist at VSEC said he did not see any point in my bringing Gracie to see him for more testing. He said they see cats like her all the time and he seemed confident it was FIP. I was told to give her 1/2 pill of prednisone twice a day to help reduce inflammation, to hopefully increase her appetite and make her feel generally better. The down side is it supresses her immune system and there's no going back. :-( I still can't accept this since Sharyn had just last week led me to believe this was NOT FIP and that there was hope. Now it's all gone again. How can they be so certain when she's been holding her own....maintaining her weight, playing with Misha, keeping a mostly normal temp, having normal eyes and heart and other organs?? I wish they'd do a coronavirus teter test as well as MRI or something to non-invasively show what's going on inside her. I need more proof! I am sending her records to Dr Pedersen at UC Davis. He is supposed to be the world's best expert on FIP. He just had an article on FIP in the June issue of Cat Fancy where he said he is against vets misdiagnosing FIP without having all the facts. I pray he'll respond to me and confirm if I should get any more tests. I am just in shock and don't want to give up on her unless every expert tells me they are 100% sure it's FIP. I am forced to give her this med now and basically give her as much comfort and support as I can while she's still reasonably well. If she begins to decline (which is hard to imagine since she's done so well for 2 months now) and shows signs of pain and/or organ failure, then I will of course, with much remorse, be with her as she leaves this world. It was horrible watching ^Gandalf^ be euthanized and I have a feeling it's going to be even worse watching Gracie....she's had such a close bond to us all and she really is our baby! Then I will have to once again tearfully watch as she is cremated. When we had ^Gandalf^ cremated we saw a beautiful figurine of a cat that looks like gracie that you can put the ashes into. I think that's what we will choose to hold her ashes.....the thought is making me cry again.

I wish I had better news. I couldn't even post last night I was so torn apart. Thank you all for your friendship, support and prayers for my Gracie. I wish she could have a miracle! Misha is going to miss her so much and it will break my heart to see it.

Love & Hugs,

A very sad Suzy





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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Fri, 04-22-2005 - 6:13am

I'm so sorry Suzy.

Cat =^..^=
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-01-2003
Fri, 04-22-2005 - 7:51am
You have all the prayers from me that I can give. Hugs to you


^Dusty^,^Tiger^,^Ellie^and Scooby,Elvis and Maggie’s Mom,
Rachael and Jordan‘s Mom
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iVillage Member
Registered: 02-13-2005
Fri, 04-22-2005 - 8:23am
I'M REALLY SORRY ABOUT GRACIE. I HAVE A CAT WHO IS FIP WE FOUND OUT ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO DUSTY AS DONE FINE TELL LAST FEB. THEN

LOVE IS SHOWN BY DEEDS, NOT WORDS.

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-06-2004
Fri, 04-22-2005 - 9:44am
Keep the faith. Maybe she will surprise everyone and be ok. May I ask what signs of sickness she showed or is showing now? My dog is on predisone 5 mg. every other day for a week or so for allergy problems. The vet talked like it wouldn't be a problem. My dog weighs close to 45 lbs. I hope Gracie beats whatever is wrong with her. All you can do is take good care of her, keep her comfortable and enjoy each day. We all know how our cats health can take a turn for the worst in a moments time. You and I have both lost beloved pets so unexpectly. Gracie knows she is loved. Donna
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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Fri, 04-22-2005 - 7:14pm

I don't know what to think either Suzy.


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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-23-2002
Fri, 04-22-2005 - 11:00pm

Thank you (((Cat)))....I tried e-mailing you some info on Dr Pedersen. I'm wondering if you've ever had any cats in your practice that have maintained their weight and not declined quickly who had dry FIP?

I quit giving Gracie prednisolone after just 4 half pills over the past 48 hours. I don't want to suppress her immune system to the point of no return unless I'm more positive it is FIP.

I hope I'm doing the right thing. I'm praying and following my heart and gut instincts.

Hugs,





iVillage Member
Registered: 01-23-2002
Fri, 04-22-2005 - 11:03pm

((((Joanne)))) Thank you so much for your kind words and prayers! I will pray also for your sweet Dusty. It's not easy.

Hugs,





iVillage Member
Registered: 01-23-2002
Fri, 04-22-2005 - 11:16pm

Bless your heart ((((Donna)))). We have lost babies so unexpectedly and it never gets easier. Even knowing Gracie may be dying and I have time to say goodbye it's still horribly painful.

Hers signs are mainly lack of appetite (she only eats small amounts of dry cat food and isn't too inclined to eat canned or anything else I try to tempt her with.) I have to force feed her Science Diet canned A/D 3 times a day which had kept her weigh steady at least.

She also sometimes has diarrhea....kind of pudding like if you can imagine. The 2 days of prednisolone did stop the diarrhea funny enough. I stopped giving it to her this evening for fear it will suppress her immune system before I have a chance to consult with the FIP expert on Monday or Tuesday for his opinion.

She usually has temps ranging from 101-102.8, sometimes going up just over 103. She doesn't have the very high supposedly unresponsive fevers that I've read FIP can cause. She also does not have any FIP typical eye or obvious central nervous system changes that I can detect. Her heart is normal as well as other organs according to her CBC blood tests. Her total protein and globulin are high as well as her being anemic. This is consistent with FIP but could be from any other chronic inflammatory illness also. I read FIP causes increased white blood cell count which she so far does not have. I am just not ready to give up and say this is FIP when she continues to hold her own and have untypical signs. In one of Dr Pedersen's articles he said: "...however, if any animal with FIP has a chance to build up enough immunity and turn the disease around, it is the cat that is still maintaining weight and activity." This sounds like my Gracie! I can at least pray she will turn this around.

I'm glad your dog is doing better. My Patches has allergies and/or asthma so she's also on prednisolone.

Hugs,





iVillage Member
Registered: 01-23-2002
Fri, 04-22-2005 - 11:20pm

Thank you Leslie....I wonder that myself. I will have to do a bit more research. I know if it is FIP that suppressing the immune system is ok since the immune system becomes the cat's enemy. But when a cat like Gracie is doing well mainting the status quo why would I want to suppress the immune system yet....in the small hope it's something else she will need that immune system to continue to fight it. I pray the 2 pills worth I gave her in 4 doses won't do any harm.

Hugs,





iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Sat, 04-23-2005 - 7:23am

You have mail :)

Cat =^..^=

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