Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)
I had a beautiful cat named BB. He showed up everyday on my back porch, so I would feed him, and he was constantly fighting with other stray cats. One day, he showed up in really bad shape, skinny, and wouldn’t eat. We were sure that he wouldn’t make it through the night.
He did, and the next day we took him to our Vet. He was diagnosed with FIV (feline AIDS). We had him neutered, medicated, and thoroughly checked out. We were hoping that he would stop fighting so much after being neutered, it helped some. The antibiotics got him going again. We could not bring him into our house due to the problem of infecting the rest of our cats. He stayed in our guest bedroom at night, and we let him out each day.
Every time he got injured from fighting, or just got a little ill, we gave him antibiotics, and it worked. The FIV just weakens the immune system, so every event has to be treated with liquid antibiotics. It did the trick every time.
For over 10 years, BB lived an amazing life, and was always happy. He died suddenly on our porch one day, we think that he ate a mouse that had been poisoned (RIP BB!!!). So…
Don’t Give Up!!!
Back in 2006, I was living in an apartment in Grapevine, and a young couple next door asked if I wanted their kitty. When I told them that I couldn’t have any more cats, they said “well we’re moving, so we’re going to leave her”. Obviously, I took her in. She was less than a year old, and pregnant. I named her “Mama Baby”.
She had 5 kitties under the couch, I tried giving them away, but soon became attached to all of them. FYI, I found out that if you put an add on Craig’s list stating “free kitties”, you will get calls from people that want to feed them to their pet snakes, because they are too cheap to buy mice (pretty awful, huh?). I raised all of them, and made several moves throughout their lives. Most are gone now, from old age and various illnesses, but I still have the two sisters, Purple and Rainey. They are 18 now, and both suffering from kidney failure. I found out that about 80% of cats and dogs will have kidney failure if they live long enough. But it CAN be treated.
The first sign is drinking lots of water, losing weight, and getting lethargic. The problem is, you think because they a drinking a lot, they should be okay. Not the case. The water is going right through them because of their failing kidneys, and they get severely dehydrated. Any Vet can do blood analysis, and determine the stage that they are in. That’s exactly what happened to Purple. The Vet can give them intravenous fluids (IV fluids) and medication, and you will be amazed at the difference. We brought home a couple bags of fluid and needles, and it is quite easy to do yourself. Open the link Kidney Failure to get information on new medications, ask your Vet for a prescription for Benazepril and Calcitrol in various flavors. They are compound medications that are available via mail order, but you need a prescription. Call Roadrunner Pharmacy at 877-518-4589. You will be amazed at the results!
We know that she won’t last forever with her condition, but she is not suffering, and doing well. Your Vet can also tell you about some special food choices that help as well. So…
Don’t Give Up!!! Life Saving Medications!!!