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Cat Health > I\'m getting better!
Leo
It's all about- the ear floof!
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 | | Purred: Tue Nov 24, '09 11:55pm PST | |  | |  | | I know, it's a tricky situation. Where we live (Arizona), there is no rabies vaccination law for cats. If there was, both my sister Lucy and I would get medical waivers from our vet. Lucy has severe allergies and she had a life-threatening reaction to vaccinations as a kitten. Mom and the vet talk about it every year and the vet is adament about not vaccinating Lucy- she feels that it is more likely that Lucy would die from the rabies vaccination than ever be exposed to rabies. It makes mom uneasy but we go with the vet's recommendation- Lucy's reaction was very scary and very severe.
And now that I have my health issues, likely related to vaccinations, we are definitely following the neurologist's advice, no more vaccinations. Mom even worries about my biological brother Charlie and vaccinations and she will talk to the vet about whether he will receive vaccinations in the future. Probably not- too worried about a neurological or immune-mediated reaction.
Talk to your neurologist and talk to you vet about it, especially if they think the condition might be immune-mediated. It's a difficult decision to make and it was helpful for us to have recommendations from the vet and neurologist.
So glad to hear you are doing so well! |  |  | |  |
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» There has since been 1 post. Last posting by Torbjorn, Thu 1:06 pm
Cat Health > is surgery our only option for object/tumor
» There has since been 7 posts. Last posting by Sootball , Wed 5:40 pmPlus Power of the Paw > Riley needs a miracle
» There has since been 29 posts. Last posting by Louis LeBeau , Today 5:52 amCat Health > I\'m getting better!
Leo
It's all about- the ear floof!
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| | Purred: Sun Nov 22, '09 7:23pm PST | | | | | | Great news, Bear! So glad your tests came back negative! My condition is a form of polyneuropathy. Immune-mediated means they aren't sure exactly what caused it, something in my immune system just went haywire. The neurologist said it's probably from vaccinations. Just so you know, I didn't have to have any biopsies. The neurologist did the following tests to diagnosis my polyneuropathy:
Electromyography (EMG)
Nerve conduction velocity studies (NCVS)
Spinal tap and spinal fluid analysis
He was going to do an MRI, too, but based on the above results he didn't need to. The good thing about this condition is that it is treatable. The one warning he gave was that I shouldn't have any vaccinations until I have been healthy and off all medications for at least one year. He said that even then, he didn't really think I should have any more vaccinations ever again as that would be very likely to cause my immune-system to start attacking my nerves again. If they determine you have the same condition, be sure to ask the neurologist about vaccinations.
I'm so glad to hear that the tests were negative and you are getting better! Stay healthy, my friend!
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» There has since been 4 posts. Last posting by Torbjorn, Thu 1:06 pmCat Health > Pet Insurance?
Leo
It's all about- the ear floof!
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| | Purred: Sun Nov 22, '09 7:09pm PST | | | | | | Leo and Charlie are covered under Petplan. I've been mostly happy with them and it turned out to be a very wise investment as Leo has a neurological condition. Luckily, I had purchased the insurance a couple of months before he got sick.
The only thing that's been frustrating with Petplan is that I have had to fax and re-fax the same paperwork 4 times! Finally, I ended up just scanning it, sending it as a PDF, and getting a confirmation receipt/email. It was a hassle but besides that, all is well. I pay $10 a month per cat and a $100 deductible per illness. They reimburse 90% of vet bills and 70% of ER/Specialist visits (including the neurologist and neurological testing). You can sign up for different deductibles and reimbursement rates and then your monthly premium will be a little higher or lower.
When Leo was really sick it was a relief to know he had health insurance. Unfortunately, my other cat and my dog are too old/have prior conditions so they don't have insurance. | | | | |
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» There has since been 2 posts. Last posting by Cleopatra, Mon 8:18 am
Cat Health > 6 yr old Long hair cat troubles
» There has since been 5 posts. Last posting by Lucky, Mon 1:17 pmCat Health > I need you guy's feedback once again, consistent diarrhea !
Lucy
Chatterbox
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| | Purred: Mon Nov 16, '09 4:45pm PST | | | | | | Hi Kenji ~ I just wanted to mention another option. Lucy had chronic diarrhea for years and she was on all the vet prescribed limited ingredients and allergy formulas including z/d and Royal Canin 23. Sometimes the diarrhea would stop for a month or two with a new food but it always came back. Her allergies then got much worse and in addition to the diarrhea she started developing horrible lesions on her skin.
A year ago, she saw a new vet. At that point, her diarrhea was horrible and she was on tylosin AND metronidazole; neither was helping. The new vet asked if she had ever had a blood allergy test. No one had ever mentioned that as an option. I was desperate at that point so Lucy had the test; they drew blood, sent it to an allergy testing lab, and 10 days later I got the results in a booklet. I was shocked- Lucy has severe allergies to more than 30 different allergens, including severe allergies to 7 food ingredients (Corn, barley, eggs, alfalfa, flax, peanuts, flaxseed meal, tomato pomace).
The results booklet also listed brands/formulas of food that she CAN eat. Turns out she's allergic to all kibble. I immediately switched her off the vet presciption food to an all wet diet. Her diarrhea cleared up within 2-3 days and 16 months later, she is still doing very well, no diarrhea.
The test is expensive ($300-400) and some vets do not believe in it (they think it gives false positives). But I think it saved Lucy's life. Now I know exactly what she is allergic to and whether I feed raw or commercial wet, I know exactly which ingredients to avoid. If you are interested, I am happy to pass on the name of the company/lab that we used. A number of other Catsters with allergies have also had this test done and I've only heard positive results. Just another option to consider. Take care. | | | | |
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» There has since been 1 post. Last posting by dino, Nov 19 3:50 pmCat Health > 6 yr old Long hair cat troubles
Leo
It's all about- the ear floof!
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| | Purred: Mon Nov 16, '09 4:19pm PST | | | | | | I also wanted to say I agree with the other poster about getting a trim. Leo's long-haired, too, and when he was having his problems the vet trimmed and shaved the fur on his bottom so I could clean him more easily and effectively. Take care and keep us updated! | | | | |
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» There has since been 11 posts. Last posting by Lucky, Mon 1:17 pmCat Health > 6 yr old Long hair cat troubles
Leo
It's all about- the ear floof!
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| | Purred: Mon Nov 16, '09 4:08pm PST | | | | | | I know that times are really tough right now but it definitely sounds like your kitty needs to be seen right away. If your vet won't work out a payment plan, I'd start contacting the Humane Society and/or other animal groups in your area to see if anyone can help.
Leo had similar symptoms a couple of months ago. After a visit with the neurologist, he was diagnosed with Peripheral Neuropathy (presumed immune-mediated). What that means is that the messages from his brain were not getting through to the nerves in his legs and anal muscles. At first I thought it was just his back legs but then he started having problems pooping and then the neurologist discovered that he also had problems in his front legs, they just weren't as noticable.
This condition can be caused by diabetes, hyperthyroidism, or in Leo's case- immune-mediated (meaning likely related to vaccinations a couple of months prior causing his immune system to attack his own nerves).
I don't know if this is what your cat has but there are other conditions that can also cause similar symptoms. Once Leo's condition was diagnosed and he was put on the right medication, he's made an almost full recovery.
Purrs that you can get your kitty into the vet (maybe a different one for a second opinion) and find out exactly what's going on. Take care. | | | | |
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» There has since been 12 posts. Last posting by Lucky, Mon 1:17 pm
Cat Health > Seizure or something else?
» There has since been 8 posts. Last posting by Hypatia, Nov 19 9:51 amPLEASE NOTE: Due to the rapid nature of forum postings, it's quite possible our calculation of the number of ensuing forum posts may be off by one or two or more at any given moment. |
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