Skippy just hasn’t rebounded from his illness back in August. Since we’re gonna be gone next week, I made an appointment for him on Monday.
Skip has a 104° temperature. Normal for a cat is 101.5°. This is just a little less than his temperature back in August. The vet didn’t like that Skip had lost so much weight. He didn’t like that Skip’s breathing appeared labored. The vet mentioned fluid in the lungs. And because of his FIV status, he was concerned that something badnasty was going on with Skipper.
Skip got the works as far as tests go. The x-rays showed nothing, everything looks as it should. Skip even had some poo in his bowels.Then came the bloodwork. The vet said since it wouldn’t really take all that long, I could just wait for the results.
And the results?
Well, nothing bad. The only thing was his WBC; white blood count - the white blood cells are what the body produces to fight off infection. The trouble with FIV (or HIV in humans) is that the body’s immune system doesn’t work right. When there’s an infection, the body doesn’t make the needed white blood cells. So, the count would be lower than it should be. When Skip had the bloodwork last August, his WBC was around 11,000. Not bad, normal, really. Today it was 31,000. Which is a good thing to know. It means that his immune system is working. And it means he’s fighting off an infection somewhere. The vet said since the x-rays were clear (no fluid in lungs, the organs are all the proper size) that it might be in the blood system. So, Skip is on a different course of medications now.
In August, he was given doxicycline. Today, he’s on clavamox. Twice a day. For two weeks.
Alicia said “you better put him someplace where I can find him” so he can be medicated. Looks like Skip will be spending a couple of days in the crate next week.
The first thing Skip did when we got home and he got out of the carrier? He ate.
Yay.
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