Scdal
Member Since 2020
@Bandit's Mom
Bhooma, I know that none of you knew that Phoenix was a 40 lb. bobcat. I was worried about telling anyone because a lot of people in the states are against exotic ownership.
This last April, I took Phoenix for his 6 month check up. The vet was really pleased. His bloodwork was completely normal and the best he had ever had. His bun was slightly elevated so he gave Phoenix a round of antibiotics.
Between July and September, Phoenix had 3 episodes of not wanting to eat and hanging over his water bowl. The time between episodes was about 4 - 6 weeks. I would give him cerenia and start him on antibiotics. I could tempt him with raw kidney and he would eat it. By the next morning, Phoenix was fine and eating again.
This last episode started last Friday morning. Phoenix wouldn't eat at all. I could not get blood out of his ear no matter how hard I tried. I could also tell from his skin that he was severely dehydrated. He always drank a lot of water and hung over his water bowl whenever he had one of these episodes. I phoned his vet and he made an appointment for that afternoon.
His blood work showed that Phoenix was severely anemic. I believed the count was 15 when it should have been around 50. The vet suspected that Phoenix might be developing AIHA. That is auto immune hemolytic anemia. He said that the blood work showed that Phoenix's body was trying to produce more blood cells. The vet gave Phoenix a steroid and B-12 injection plus he wanted me to give him 20mg of prednisolone twice a day for a week as well as antibiotics. He wanted me to bring him back on Monday for more blood work.
Phoenix had become very weak that day and was peeing in his carrier. He never did this. The vet said it was because he was so weak. When Phoenix got home, he went and laid under the small settee. He later got up and was staggering to his pee pads to urinate. He was so weak that he laid down on the pee pads after urinating. I pulled them out from under him to keep him dry. A while later, he went back under the settee. Then Phoenix came and laid under the end table in the living room. I gave him his prednisolone and Phoenix was in really bad shape. It terrified me and I went to call an emergency vet since it was 7 a.m. I got back up to check on Phoenix and he was gone.
It is amazing to me how in the space of 2 days, Phoenix could go from eating a pound and a half of meat a day and 2 days later dying. The vet said that in the previous episodes, Phoenix's adrenaline would kick in and he would be okay.
Phoenix was my only child. He was 18 years old and the center of my universe. He is and will always be the keeper of my heart and soul.
Bhooma, I know that none of you knew that Phoenix was a 40 lb. bobcat. I was worried about telling anyone because a lot of people in the states are against exotic ownership.
This last April, I took Phoenix for his 6 month check up. The vet was really pleased. His bloodwork was completely normal and the best he had ever had. His bun was slightly elevated so he gave Phoenix a round of antibiotics.
Between July and September, Phoenix had 3 episodes of not wanting to eat and hanging over his water bowl. The time between episodes was about 4 - 6 weeks. I would give him cerenia and start him on antibiotics. I could tempt him with raw kidney and he would eat it. By the next morning, Phoenix was fine and eating again.
This last episode started last Friday morning. Phoenix wouldn't eat at all. I could not get blood out of his ear no matter how hard I tried. I could also tell from his skin that he was severely dehydrated. He always drank a lot of water and hung over his water bowl whenever he had one of these episodes. I phoned his vet and he made an appointment for that afternoon.
His blood work showed that Phoenix was severely anemic. I believed the count was 15 when it should have been around 50. The vet suspected that Phoenix might be developing AIHA. That is auto immune hemolytic anemia. He said that the blood work showed that Phoenix's body was trying to produce more blood cells. The vet gave Phoenix a steroid and B-12 injection plus he wanted me to give him 20mg of prednisolone twice a day for a week as well as antibiotics. He wanted me to bring him back on Monday for more blood work.
Phoenix had become very weak that day and was peeing in his carrier. He never did this. The vet said it was because he was so weak. When Phoenix got home, he went and laid under the small settee. He later got up and was staggering to his pee pads to urinate. He was so weak that he laid down on the pee pads after urinating. I pulled them out from under him to keep him dry. A while later, he went back under the settee. Then Phoenix came and laid under the end table in the living room. I gave him his prednisolone and Phoenix was in really bad shape. It terrified me and I went to call an emergency vet since it was 7 a.m. I got back up to check on Phoenix and he was gone.
It is amazing to me how in the space of 2 days, Phoenix could go from eating a pound and a half of meat a day and 2 days later dying. The vet said that in the previous episodes, Phoenix's adrenaline would kick in and he would be okay.
Phoenix was my only child. He was 18 years old and the center of my universe. He is and will always be the keeper of my heart and soul.
