As many of you know, I have been trying to find a solution to Zoey's mysterious suffering for 2 years now. I have been through every emotion there is from anger, frustration, sorrow, guilt, ecstacy, and depression to hope and am once again in despare. Zoey is now under the care of her 5th vet and an internist is now being called in for a consultation. Zoey has been put through the ringer more times then I would like to admit and now we are back to square one again. Zoey has had her hair fall out, her skin scab over, her body covered in pustules and she's been itching her skin for 2 years. She has been on steroids, antibiotics, and homeopathic drugs by the tons. She's had a half a dozen depo shots that did nothing for her. She has had to endure metronidazole and cyclosporin by the quart and no improvement. She has lost 1/2 of her body weight and gained it back only to lose it again. Zoey has had biopsies twice and will now have to undergo 4 more biopsies again with the latest vet on Monday. We have travelled to 3 different states in an attemp to find an answer. I've been told she has a food allergy. I've been told she doesn't have food allergies but rather an environmental allergy. I've been told that she could be cured with the use of the Bicom 2000 which works on magnetic resonance. It didn't help. I've had her on grain-free/exotic meat restricted diets which did nothing other than drain my checking account.
At this point, after having to wear an e-collar for two years and pet clothing for 1 and 1/2 years we are no better off than we were 2 years ago. For anyone who has to deal with a pet with allergies.... my heart goes out to you. I know how hard it can be emotionally, financially and physically.
Monday Zoey will undergo 4 biopsies from different locations on her body. I don't think that I will allow anymore biopsies. But I never want to give up on her. After spending more than $25,000 in an attempt to give her a normal life she's worth more than the new car we just had to buy. Zoey may soon become my $50,000 cat. And we love her so much that it would still be worth it if we could just FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS & TREAT HER FOR IT.
Zoey is the most wonderful cat I have ever known. Never have I seen a cat with a stronger will to live. I adopted Zoey after she was rescued from a hoarding house in 2004. Zoey is the most gentle and loving spirit. She has never once bitten or scratched anyone who has handled her. She has on occasion growled while having medicine shoved down her throat, but that is the extent of her ability to show aggression. Everyone who has ever touched her falls in love with her. She has suffered for such a long time with grace and tolerance that I have never seen before.
And the world will be a much sadder place when she finally has to leave me in the tactile sense. But this is NOT her time and for now we keep going. Her white cell count is 49.80 where normal is 5.50 - 19.50, her mono reading is 2.80 where normal is 0.15 - 1.70, her Neu reading is 21.06 where normal would be 2.50 - 12.50, her EOS reading is 22.62 where nomal is 0.10 - 0.79 (which is really alarming), her BASO reading is 0.13 where normal is 0.00 - 0.10, her ALT is 191. where normal is 12. - 130., her PHOS is 2.6 where normal is 3.1 - 7.5. and her temp was normal at 102 degrees. All the other blood tests were within normal ranges.
We are praying that the new biopsies will save her life and point us in the right direction. We'll keep you posted as Zoey continues her fight for a normal life.