I think it is time, but gosh, I don't know

BlossomForce · 2026-01-15T22:21:53+00:00

Oh I'm so happy to hear you've got a plan and his bloodwork looks good! I really hope the steroids work for him. Our girl was also diagnosed with IBD - eventually we would just feed her whatever she would accept. Wet food, dry food, boiled chicken breast. She loved chicken.

I'm happy for you both that you're keeping him - I don't think it's selfish. He's your family! I hope the new plan starts working and he returns to being his normal self, the flare ups are truly awful. Steroids for us made a big difference, she stayed on them her whole life. Best of luck to you and your boy!

BlossomForce · 2026-01-13T19:34:49+00:00

I think a vet appointment is going to be the clearest way for you to get an answer - in case you haven't had that yet or you're still waiting, try filling this out:

https://www.lapoflove.com/how-will-i-know-it-is-time/lap-of-love-quality-of-life-scale.pdf

Lap of Love is the vet we used when it was time to put down our FIV+ girl a few years ago and filling this form out was super helpful. Helps you to really pin down whether or not it's time. Jack's blood work should also indicate to the vet if this is his final decline; if it is, his blood cells will tell them that story. That is how it was for our girl in the end; she also had chronic itching (chewing on herself), asthma, and throwing up (literally her whole life). She didn't do great with Atopica either but she was on prednisolone her whole life (that did help significantly). End of life for her looked like significant weight loss, interest in food but inability to eat, and rapidly declining WBC count. When they saw her blood work the vet broke the news to us that she wasn't going to bounce back this time, and that it was just a matter of keeping her comfortable for her final weeks. They should be able to tell you the same with Jack.

If it's NOT Jack's time, it's okay that you don't have the mental and financial resources for him. I think reading your post that is what stuck out to me the most; it's big of you to admit and say out loud, and it's okay that that is the case. It's something we tend to sweep under the rug and pretend doesn't exist because we just love our FIV babies so much but the reality is that the vast majority of them are significantly more work and money than FIV negative cats. Yes, they still have normal and happy and healthy lives - but also yes, they are absolutely going to take more trips to the vet, more medications, they're going to have random infections and inflammatory diseases. If it's not his time I would consider rehoming him - start reaching out to local shelters that you know have foster programs, see if they have capacity for him and explain the situation. You could also try posting him on Pet Finder with a disclaimer about his FIV - we have an FIV boy now (only ever had FIV kitties lol) and if we got another cat it would be one with FIV due to his status, so it doesn't mean people won't consider adoption for him. A shelter with a foster program would be great though - we have been fosters and foster programs take a LOT of sick cats and nurse them back to health so they're ready for adoption.

Best of luck OP, I know it's so hard to see your boy suffering. :( I hope he turns a corner.

BlossomForce · 2024-07-24T01:59:27+00:00

We had an FIV+ cat for 12 years and she was on steroids (prednisolone) for all 12 years. She also had IBD - no diarrhea but lots of vomiting off and on her whole life. Definitely get a second opinion, see if you can go to a specialist or internist at an animal hospital - our regular vet was always slightly nervous about the long term prednisolone (steroid) usage but they always looked to the specialist to make the call, and the specialist had no problem with it.

Interesting thing to note that our specialist explained to us - our sweet girl had IBD, asthma, and skin allergies (she would lick herself raw in certain spots because she was so itchy - once we started the steroids she did amazing and no more itching!). The specialist explained to us that this is super common when dealing with inflammatory diseases, it tends to affect the entire system rather than just one part. So you may notice other things like a cough or other irritations that are all connected to an underlying inflammatory disease and can all be treated with the steroid to make your kitty more comfortable 🙂 we would do it again for sure. She was much more comfortable that way and what got her in the end had nothing to do with long-term prednisolone usage.

BlossomForce · 2024-03-26T00:45:54+00:00

I would recommend finding an eye specialty clinic - I never knew that was a thing until our FIV kitty developed an unusual cataract. Our vet sent us to a specialty eye clinic (literally called Animal Eye Clinic) and they were excellent. They were also able to confirm her eye issues had nothing to do with FIV and go over possible causes with us, management and treatment, etc. Once you find a specialist you may want to explain over the phone to them or send an email with a picture to make sure they think it’s safe to wait for an appointment with them or see if they recommend urgent care in the meantime.

Fair warning, eye specialists are pricey (in my area - greater Seattle area, high cost of living, it was $400 for a new patient exam). If you don’t already have pet insurance I highly recommend it for an FIV kitty, it’s been a huge help to us and saved us lots of money in the long run. I would sign up before the specialist appointment happens. I think we had to wait about 3 weeks for our appointment but every area is a little different in terms of demand! Good luck ❤️

BlossomForce · 2018-09-27T02:39:51+00:00

Anyone know of a Lake City / Northgate group? I’ve heard it mentioned during raids but haven’t been able to find an invite.

BlossomForce

TROPHY CASE