Sunday, December 13, 2015

Another Reason to Fix the Boys. Jake has Hemobartonella

Remember Jake, trapped at a Tangent trailer park, who came out as tame, once safe up at Odd Cat Out?




Well Jake went to the emergency vet yesterday.  He was limp and lethargic.

It was determined Jake was severely anemic, almost dead from anemia in fact.  He got a blood transfusion and is still at the clinic.  His fate is uncertain, but if he survives he will be treated for hemobartonella, a blood parasite caught through the bite of an infected flea or tick.  Or...through the bite of another infected male.

You got it.  Fighting males spread the disease, especially when a bite wound becomes abscessed.  It is more prevalent in unfixed young free roaming males.   A cat can hide the symptoms for some time.  The symptoms can come and go.  But, it can also suddenly overcome them, as it did with Jake.

Treatment is simply antibiotics.  And a blood transfusion.  It usually is not detected until a cat crashes from anemia so by then, the cat is so anemic a transfusion is needed.  Doxycycline is the antibiotic of choice to treat it.

Hopefully Jake can make a comeback.  His vet bill will be large, because he had to go to the emergency clinic.

If you'd like to help with Jake's vet bill, contact me.   Or check back here later, as I will find out the best way to donate.  I know OCO has a paypal donation button, just need to find it.  I'll replace this paragraph when I'm sure what it is, with the way to donate. Ok, you can donate here. Tell them its for Jake, if you do.

Read about Hemobartonella by clicking here.

I've been reading about Miss Daisy's condition, known for short as SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth).   What I read astounded me, that a cat with SIBO needs antibiotics for four to six weeks, not ten days.  I am going to go back to the vet with this information, see what she says.  Also, cats with SIBO often lack B12.  Sometimes cats are given B12 injections, but also sometimes death can result from B12 injections.  So I am looking to increase her food intake of B12 instead.   Liver, beef or chicken, is a good source.  Nutritional yeast has B12 only if it has been fortified.

Last but not least, remember Dandy?  He was the Albany stray male, found terribly sick by a woman, who has no money.  His eye was swollen shut.  His entire face was swollen badly.  He was dripping blood, skinny and lethargic.  She had not been able to find a shelter or rescue to take him and had no money to even get him euthanized. She called me and I made some calls and CATS agreed to take him.  I drove him straight up to the vet clinic they use.


Dandy with a drain tube.

Well this is Dandy now, healthy and happy.  He's huge and loves to be on your lap.  Dandy is FIV positive, but do not let that stop you from contacting CATS (Cat Alliance Team Sanctuary) and adopting him.  He's awesome!

6 comments:

  1. Good luck to all of the sick cats. I am happy that they have gotten treatment. I give one of my cats B12 shots and they are going well. However, it's always better to do it with food if you can. Unfortunately, that was not on option in this case.

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    1. I may go that route with Miss D.

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  2. Good for Dandy! What a joy. My blessings to Jake and Miss Daisy. Poor dears.

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  3. Dandy is a different cat. Almost unrecognisable. Yay.
    Good luck to Jake. And Miss Daisy.

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  4. i made a donation to odd cat out but failed to see anywhere to specify it for being for jake. my email with paypal is close to my name i use for commenting so maybe you can mention it to them. that or else the payment will go through my actual name which is darlene f. i made the payment around 9:15 calif time. hopefully the donation will be used towards jake but if not, i will still be ok with it because they sound like a great place. wish i could donate more but i had to take early retirement plus i accumulated a few vet bills myself this year with one of my 4 having to be put down do to suspected cancer (she had an mri done due to one problem which quickly escalated to problems literally head to toe. then one of my other cats became diabetic so that one is on insulin and special diet. anyway, hope the donation goes for jake but it has been sent.

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    1. Thanks Darlene, that is terrific. I'll let Keni know, that it was for Jake. I hope he makes it, haven't heard an update in awhile.

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Round Up

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