Update on Uteh

It’s been 8 days since Uteh was left at the vet clinic. I nearly cried today when I got update from the doctor about Uteh today. I want to cry is not because I’m sad, but I want to cry because I’m so happy, that Uteh will be discharged tomorrow.

Uteh has been infected with Feline Panleukopenia (FP) virus. This is highly contagious viral disease. FP virus quickly attack and kill dividing body cells. I suspected that Uteh got this at the vet clinic in Penang, when I brought him there during Merdeka holiday for neutering.

When Uteh got home after he has been neutered, he seems so active like normal. Only after 2 day, his body temperature started to rise, followed by vomiting and diarrhoea. So this is a common sympton of FP infection, where by the time visible indication can be seen (after 5 days from the day of infection), this virus has severely infected the cat already.

Like I said in the previous entry, there is no medicine for FP, and it’s up to the antibody to fight this. The treatment is just limited to supportive theraphy to help the cat gain and retain sufficient strength to combat the virus with its own immune system. Common cause of death is due to dehydration, and due to the virus attacking body cell, the cat is more susceptible to other complications and bacterial infection.

So what the vet doctor did is just to give intravenous theraphy to correct the dehydration, and also antibiotic to kill other bacteria since Uteh’s white blood cell is too low to fight other bacteria. It’s quite a shame that I didn’t manage to go and visit Uteh while he was there, to give him support and plenty of loving care so that Uteh will have a hope to hanging there and doesn’t give up. The clinic opening time is the same as my working hour.

From my reading, the cat that survives for 48 hours usually has better chances for the recovery. No wonder the doctor said that she will give me a call in 2 days time about Uteh conditions. I guess, what the doctor means is, I will give you a call in 2 days time, whether Uteh just give and….. die…. or Uteh continue to fight the virus. Thanks Allah for giving Uteh strength to fight to virus.

So on Wednesday, 12th September 2007, got first update from doctor that Uteh getting better. He’s more active now, but still having blood in feces. The doctor said maybe Uteh needs to be there for 2 more days.

So on Friday, 14th September 2007, gave the doctor another call, but it’s not a good news. The doctor said that it’s not feces coming out when Uteh having poo-poo, but the blood itself came out. I’m getting more worry. There’s no other thing that I can do except just to pray to Allah. From my reading again, cats who survived the symptom for longer than 5 days will usually has better chance of surviving. It’s been 4 days already. I really hope that Uteh have the strength to survive that one more day. The doctor said that she has already stop the intravenous theraphy, and only give antibiotic and vitamin.

Last weekend is quite a busy week for me attending my Penang friends. But I kept thinking of Uteh and really fear that something will happen to him these 2 days. So yesterday, very first thing in the morning, gave the clinic a call, and I’m glad to hear that Uteh is getting better, and is on the vitamin treatment.

So today is one of the happiest time of my life knowing that Uteh has stop the vomiting and diarrhoea and there’s no more blood in the feces, and Uteh will be discharged tomorrow. I just can’t wait for that moment.

Looking back, I don’t quite know why Uteh is susceptible to this desease. Both Uteh and Uneng has already vaccinated as soon as my friend got both of them from Perlis. But the question is, which vaccine has been given to both, of whether Uteh hasn’t reached the immunity level yet to this virus.

Alhamdulillah, my 3 other cats (Oyen, Ebot and Uneng) shows no sign of this disease. Come to think of it, all of them share the same litter box, share the same food bowh, share the same water bowl, and it seems that others are highly exposed to the virus, with Uteh vomiting all over the place before. I just hope that all 3 of them has reached the immunity.

That made me check again my cats’ medical history. As of Oyen, he has been vaccinated already.

I guess it’s time to discuss with my vet doctor about giving Oyen booster injection.

And as for Oyen, the medical history card that I got from PAWS when adopting him shows something assuring.

He has been vaccinated, and been given 2 boosters already.

As a precaution, I bought this hospital grade disinfectant and wash the litter tray with this, and mop the floor of my house with this. For one night, the whole of my house smells like hospital. I bet you know how the smell, the smell that you usually get when visiting someone in ward.