A second opinion

The more I thought about it the more I wasn't happy. If there was a chance the diagnosis was wrong, that could mean Millie's eye might be saved, but not if no one paid attention and gave her a chance.

The next check up was a week later and it was to be with one of the practice partners. This would be make or break for the surgery as far as I'm concerned. But then I started to mull it over, what if waiting a week meant she could no longer be helped?

Willow and Millie on my knee

Another vet at another practice was recommended to me. So on Friday 19th July, we went for a second opinion. The vet had done his homework. He'd had all the test results faxed over and had read the diagnosis.

He checked Millie's eye with dye and had a good look inside. He explained he was checking for any ulceration as the steroid drops we were using are good for swelling but can make an ulcer worse. He saw no ulcer, but did say there was starting to be a build up in her eye.

After further examination he concluded that, based on the evidence, he would come to the same diagnosis. Most likely FIP, but like the other vet, he could not say for absolutely certain.

I talked to him about the contradictory 'plague scenario'. He was cautious, but agreed that the information and advice I'd been given was a little extreme.  He went on to say that he would not consider euthanasia necessary as she was so well in all other respects, but there might be a point when  her eye needed removing.

The way he said it made me think euthanasia had been indicated in her records and he disagreed. Well I also disagreed in the strongest terms. If I had taken their information and accepted it, they would have advised me to put her to sleep and maybe even her sister too.

Everything we'd read was supported, if not a little cautiously, by the new vet who, unlike mine, had done some research or had existing knowledge. He mentioned the name Dr Diane Addie from Glasgow University and told me to look up her findings if I wanted to know the real deal with FIP.  It just so happened this was one of the sites of information we'd come across already.

For the first time I felt a little better. I accepted that Millie could have a killer disease, but there was a slim chance that she might not. That way there was still hope. In addition all the information we'd read about not needing to isolate meant we didn't have to keep the kittens locked away. We just needed to manage ways to reduce the risk of cross infection.  It meant that whatever time she had could be spent with us and that was a big deal.

We carried on with Millie's medication for the next few days. There used to be a hint of a pupil showing, but this was slowly starting to be obscured by the white substance creeping higher everyday like silt.

Millie

By the time of our next appointment on Thursday 25th the eye was full. The senior vet told us it was puss. I discussed the incorrect information given out and he suggested this was down to the previous vet being 'over cautious'. I'm still not sure how I feel about this as being 'over cautious' could have lead to euthanasia. I set this to one side for the moment as my priority is Millie.

Through talking to him it became clear he was willing to consider other treatment. The eye, he said, was redundant and posed a risk that infection could travel down the optic nerve to her brain. 

In his words we had 'a window of opportunity' and I should think about having her eye removed. There was no need to think, I agreed. Looking at her eye I wanted it gone. It was her best chance.

Eye is full of puss

We starved her overnight and I dropped her into the surgery at 8.30am. The senior vet was performing the surgery himself and he had given me confidence in his ability.

When I collected her later that day the sight of her was a bit of a shock. She had to wear a lampshade to make sure she couldn't scratch her stitches. 

Millie with her stitches and 'lampshade'

I was told it was normal if blood came out of her nose and to only feed her plain food to begin with.

Today she's eaten well but other than that she's very dozy and is sleeping or snoozing a lot. 

I suppose it will give her time to heal and maybe the meds have induced it, but I always worry when they are quiet.

Millie the day after her operation

There is no way of knowing if I've bought her any extra time, but I know I've done my best for her.

Pop over to the Corona Virus and FIP page if you want to know more.

The results are in...???

On Monday I called for the results. Only one part had returned and they couldn't tell me anything until everything came back.  I tried again last thing to see if anything more had come through and the answer was still no.

Tuesday lunchtime I was on the phone again.  Still nothing.  I asked if the result could be rushed through as I was so worried about all my cats.  Once more it was a no and, "they should be back in a few days".  I put the phone down with my head swirling.  I wasn't sure how, ringing for results on Monday had suddenly turned into waiting until Thursday. 

I decided the vets needed to know I wasn't happy.  Later that day I called again and explained the information I'd been given.  I said that if I'd been told they would be several days I wouldn't be quite so annoyed.  I advised that according to their practice the lives of 9 cats were riding on these results and asked if someone could just please ring the lab so I would know when they would be available.  I also mentioned the attitude of the vet.

It was then the receptionist started to apologise.  It turned out we had seen a locum and from what was said it seemed I was not the first person she had upset.  I was assured that she wouldn't be covering for them again and the receptionist agreed to call the lab and find out about the results.

Poor Millie

Later that evening another vet called me from the practice.  She explained that they were still waiting for Toxoplasmosis results but that the FIP result was the one that had been back from Monday and it was positive.  Now following all my research I know that there is actually no test for FIP, so this is a little misleading. What I was actually being told was that she was positive for coronavirus.  I will be dedicating a page to this virus and disease shortly.

I don't actually understand why no one could give me this result on the Monday, but at least I now had it.  The vet on the phone wasted no time in telling me what a bad situation this was for Millie and my other cats.  She made an appointment for me to come in the following Thursday the 18^th. 

Millie continued to play and act as if nothing was wrong. I continued to research as everything I’d read didn’t seem to ring true to the information I was being given.

Thursday came.  The vet examined Millie’s eye once more. She then proceeded to tell me that I needed to make ‘decisions’ about both kittens as they would spread this disease to all my cats who would not be able to then leave the house.  She also told me that I needed to alert the Cats Shelter (I’d already spoken to them right at the start) as I had, in her words, ‘opened a can of worms for your own cats and the cat shelter’ 

I really couldn’t understand what I was hearing. This is my simplistic understanding of it:-  The coronavirus can be passed on yes, but in most cats it seems to be like us getting flu.  FIP occurs due to the body’s reaction to the virus.  From what I’ve read the FIP disease can not be passed on and will only occur in a small number of cases.  It’s actually not that common. It seems to me that it is generally young kittens or older cats who are weak or have immunity issues who become more susceptible*. Those with FIP will still be shedding the virus in their poo, so this is where the main cross contamination risk comes from.  Cats do not become immune to it either, they can continue to re-infect each other, although there are ways to reduce the risks with good litter hygiene.  In a multi cat house like mine it will be harder to eradicate.

I tried to discuss my understanding with the vet, but she insisted that FIP could be spread and that I needed to consider my options for both kittens.  In addition it's still worth pointing out that whilst FIP is possible, it is not confirmed.  When I asked if it was worth seeing an eye specialist, it was knocked back.

All the way home I cried, but by the time I got there I’d picked myself up again.  I would not be trying to ‘get rid’ of the kittens.  Even if I wanted to, who would take them?  There are hundreds of unwanted healthy cats and kittens without homes, what chance did my two have?

I moved as much furniture out of the cat room as I could and went out and bought the best high street cat tree I could find (not that impressive) and some new toys.  Do you know why?  Because I wasn't giving up on my little girls, even if they had to stay in one room, we would manage and they would be loved.

In the back of my mind I was thinking, if I think they're wrong about the advice they're giving me, how am I supposed to have faith in the diagnosis? I decided it was time for a second opinion.

  

*please note:- these are only my own interpretations – if you’re affected by this I’ll be posting links to the resources I used and I’d strongly suggest you read and make your own decisions – and if your pet is ill, see your vet

Room with a view

We decided it was time for the kittens to leave the small upstairs room and move into the official 'Cat Room'. It's a much bigger room with glass doors onto the outside world and a big window overlooking the garden.  Definitely a room with a view.

Millie and Willow playing in a paper bag

We still brought them into the living room too, so they could play on the cat tree.  It allowed them playtime and gave the other cats chance to familiarise under our watchful eye.

Things seemed to be going ok.  Then a few days later I went into the room and Millie had one eye partially closed. It also looked a little swollen underneath. 

Millie with a sore eye

My thoughts were that maybe Willow had caught her with a claw when they were playing, I decided to monitor it for the day.  The following morning the eye was slightly more open, but you could see it looked darker than normal and just not right, so I made an appointment with the vet.

On Wednesday 10th July my Mum and Daughter took her as I had to work.  The eye was checked with the use of dye to highlight any scratches or foreign bodies.  There was nothing obvious and she came home with some cream.

I don't know if it was a natural progression of the problem or the cream, but the eye seemed to get worse and took on a very cloudy appearance.  Millie continued to eat but didn't play, she found places out of the way to curl up in.  Not a hint of spirit or the usual 'tortietude' When we returned to the Vet three days later I doubted Millie still had her vision in that eye.  As you can see from the photo below, it was also very red and sore looking around the edges.

This time I was able to take her myself, it was Friday the 12th.  The same vet examined her and decided that it could be a number of things and blood tests were needed.  She advised it could be FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus), FeLV (Feline Leukemia Virus), FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis) or Toxoplasmosis.  I asked about the seriousness of these and if they could affect my other cats.

The response was unexpected.  The vet was very abrupt.  In her opinion the damage would already have been done to my other cats.  Any virus would have travelled right through the household.  I was told it was likely that the kittens would need to be found new homes.

Millie went with the vet so that blood could be taken. My Daughter and I were in tears.  These little girls were part of our family.  We were asked to wait in the reception area for the in house results for FIV and FeLV.  It was an agonising wait. When I mention this to people they are appalled that we were asked to go back to reception in a clearly upset state.  I didn't consider it at the time, I love my furbabies and if that make me cry for them I don't care who sees it.

A short time later we were informed that the tests for FeLV & FIV were negative.  The final tests needed to be completed in an external lab.  I was told that the prognosis was not good, that it was pointless to split the kittens as the damage would already have been done. More worrying I was told I had put all my cats at risk. I was shocked by the blunt tone of the vet, she had no bedside manner at all.  I came out thinking all my cats could die.

I was told to call for the results of the lab tests on Monday.  We brought home steroid based eye drops and some painkillers.

Millie in the middle of a bath

That weekend was horrible.  At times I held the kittens close and sobbed.  I researched as much as I could about FIP and Toxoplasmosis. On the upside the painkillers really helped and Millie was back to her old self, playing, coming for cuddles and purring loudly.  There was even the hint of a little tortietude creeping back in. But in the back of my mind all I could think about was a killer disease wiping out my whole cat family.  The kittens were confined the their garden room, no longer able to play on the tree.  All we could do was administer medication and wait.