Sophie's Story
Marina, thank you so much for posting this Article. I have been living a total nightmare due to the use of Clumping Litter for the last year. My little Sophie started [having health problems] April 27/99. Her main problem was the constant vomiting that would not stop without the aid of the Vet. She would have vomited herself to death. That's how bad it was.
She then began losing weight. Had a series of tests done and nothing turned up. Vet passed it off as a Virus the first time. She did have a Temp which meant infection. The Vet administered a Penicillin Injection to get it in her system to start right away. Also sent home with her 5 Novonidazol Tablets which I was to give 1/2 tablet twice daily for 5 days. Nothing seemed to work and there was no improvement. She was impossible to pill.
So, April 30/99, 3 days later we are back. I called and Vet said there should be improvement. There wasn't. Now this time they do 1 Serum Profile and Electrolytes-SA, 1 complete Blood Count, changed the Novonidazol to Tribrissen 24% Injection because the Novonidazol didn't work which puzzled them and a Vitamin Injection to bring her appetite back.
May 1/99 to the 5th I am back with her every day for injections of the Tribrissen. Finally got the infection and Temp under control and everything seems to be going fine.
May 29/99 she relapsed. Back again for Tribrissen shot and 1 Anafen shot.
May 31st to June 4th we are back for injections again along with 1 Serum Profile and Electrolytes-SA and Sub Q Fluids. Her bloodwork was a little out of whack which the first time pointed to the Liver. When I first took her in she was 10 or 11 lbs, can't remember exactly. Now summer went fairly well but her eyes fully dilated and she had no color {IRIS} showing at all and they were all cloudy and she couldn't see at all.
I now had a blind Cat.
They told me not to worry about that because Cats adapt very well to blindness. They were still pointing to Liver Disease which will cause pressure on the Optic Nerve of the Eye to do this. They said the first time that possibly the eyes would come back but the second time there was blood in the eyes and they said they were gone and would not come back. Still using the Clumping Litter because I was not aware of the Dangers and no idea.
Feb 4, 2000 Sophie starts again. In we go and she gets her Tribrissen shot because of Ear Infection and some Surolan Solution to bring home and treat it. They also gave her more Sub-Q Fluids and now weighs in at 8.3lbs. She is looking a little rough this time but no vomiting it was mainly her scratching at her ears which I knew wasn't right. Now she starts the vomiting a few days after I started the drops for her ears and thought they were making her sick. No.......she started to relapse again and this time she is constipated. I could hear her down at the litter box in our basement having a very difficult time.
Called the Vet right away and got some Tonic Lax. Didn't work at all. Can't leave her like that so in we go again and they keep her overnight because they gave her an Enema which is very messy and my house is carpeted all the way through.
By this time I have had enough and there was no way I was cleaning up poop after all her puking sessions. Sorry for the way I am saying this but I was fed up. Brought her home the next day and had to keep an eye on her. Had to make sure she went on her own. Now Sophie shut completely down and would not eat or drink and therefore nothing in the litter box and the vomiting starts all over again. She looks like a walking skeleton now. It's a pity to see her this way and I am thinking about putting her down. It's in the back of my mind but I didn't come out and actually say it. Call the Vet and take her back in and they keep her in.
This is Feb 7th now. They set up IV Fluids and first bottle, they do 3 daily exams and treatments, I have to pay for 3 day boarding minimum regardless if she is in for only 1 or 2 days. They also do 1 Serum Profile and Electrolytes-SA and Urinalysis-dipstix+sp. gr. All this was done on Admitting Day. The following days they do Radiology{X-Ray}, Blood Chemistry and all kinds of other tests such as Feline Leukemia/immune deficiency tests, thyroid. Every test possible she had done. This time when she is sick though her calcium was way up which means the Big "C" word, yes Cancer.
In the mean time I finally get to bring her home on the 11th of Feb after being in the whole week. They really didn't want me to take her home they wanted to keep her longer but they felt maybe she would do a little better being at home. Now she is sent home with 5 Novoprednisone tablets which I was to give 1/2 tablet twice daily and Maxeran tablets twice to three times daily until new Meds. New Meds meaning they had to special order the Medication in a Transdermal Gel I put in her ear because she will not take pills. Costly but worth the money and she gets the Medication in her. Feb 15th I am back at the Vets picking up new Meds and they are a dream to give her. No problem at all. All test results came back negative to what illnesses they were looking for and even the Cancer. The one test they did with the eyes would show cancer cells. Nothing....now this is a good thing and I am really angry now........All those tests and no answers. I am flabbergasted and they are more or less lost for words and don't know what to say. In the mean time I did mention to them about putting her down if they found something very serious.
Well that was stopped and they said there is no reason to have her put down because there is nothing life threatening. Now I am really angry, not because of the Money I just spent but the reason for not having any answers. The last and only thing left for her now is either to do Exploratory Surgery to open her belly and look around or Ultra Sound. They wouldn't do the Surgery because it was too invasive for her and they would have lost her because she was far too weak. The Ultra Sound they could do and it would show if there were any tumors. I had this feeling way down deep there was nothing and I told them it's not about the money it's the result of you telling me there is nothing wrong and another $300.00 spent for no answers. I want answers............
Now the Good Stuff..........
I was sitting here at home and stewing about everything I put her through and all the tests with no answers. I turn on my computer and start searching Veterinarian Medicine and lost all track of where I was and where I had been and somehow come across your Article. I read it and I almost fell off my chair and was in total AWE..........I could not believe my eyes !!!! Sophie fit I would say 95% of the symptoms. I printed up 19 pages of the Article and took it in to my Vet. They read it and agreed and said it could very well be the problem. She is first case in their office and they have never seen it before.
Now with this recovery and the taking away of the litter I noticed on day she was showing color in her eyes. She happened to be sleeping in the chair one day and it was nice and sunny out and I noticed she was sleeping with her eyes open which is normal with her but her eyes were normal. The Vet had called me the following day to see how she was doing and I mentioned it to her and she said "NO WAY, GET OUT, bring her in I want to see her."
I proceed to gather up Sophie and take her in. She examined her but due to the stress she couldn't see it. She put drops in her eyes and by the time I got home her eyes were normal. I told the Vet good thing I didn't look at her on the way home because I would still be in the ditch. I was so shocked. I knew they were to help her irises restrict but I didn't think they would be normal again. I haven't seen them for almost a year.
She looks funny now. Now with the aid of her drops which are working for her she gets re-evaluated every week. This week when we went they were able to see the Optic Disks. Her eyes are slowly clearing up from being cloudy. They almost looked Powder Blue. Remember she was totally blind.....I get to wean her off the Medications........
The Vets now don't charge me a cent and they have done plenty for her. I guess they are feeling as guilty as I am. How could I have been so dumb and bring her back home and put her right back in that Litter. This has been a very costly lesson for me not just over the $2000.00 I have spent but almost the life of my loved little pal, Sophie. I don't know what I would have done if I would have lost her.
If you like you can use this Letter as a small thank you from Sophie and me. I can send you pictures of her if you like. If you have any questions don't hesitate to E-mail. … I will also keep you posted on her progress if you like...Marina, again, thank you so much [...]