Tigger's Case Study  

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Other Diseases/Conditions: IBD Story: Tigger is an extroverted favorite no matter where he goes or who he meets. He began with symptoms of an upper respiratory infection and was teated as such. After repeated attempts with a multitude of antibiotics (my "vet" stated he was quite certain it wasn't cancer, and that it was just one of those hard to treat and clear up infections of the respiratory tract in cats). I thought this somewhat absurd. I researched and located a veterinarian in Carson City who utilizes hyperbaric oxygen therapy to assist feline/canine patients with recovery. Once there (drove from Santa Rosa, CA.), the vet was immediately suspicious that something else was at play, as was I. He asked if he could send along cytological samples to Colo. for study, and indeed the answer came back lymphoma. He referred me to an oncologist in Sacramento who prescribed radiation, followed by chemo-therapy. Tigger handled the radiation as if nothing had happened, though his brown nose hair dropped out and grew back in white. On chemo he was fine, with little in the way of side effects until about 2/3rds way through when an infection boiled up in the area being treated. Currently, we are waiting for the delivery of Vancomycin to treat the infection as it is a staph/pseudointermedius and not responsive to most antibiotics. The chemo has had to be stopped temporarily or permanently, as Tigger needs his immune system to help fight off this infection. If you feline presents with an infection that is non-responsive to antibiotics, and your idiot of a vet announces it's just a "hard to treat infection", run (don't walk) to a better informed and educated vet!!! This guy doesn't deserve a license!!! Outcome: As I said, previously, 2/3rds way through the chemo and well on his way to a recovery ( in spite of his ignorant vet!!!), and waiting on the Vancomycin to eliminate this infection, then we'll see where we go from there. So far, this episode in our lives has taken up approximately one and a half years... - By Karen Tigger's Mom -

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