Charliemeow said:
Thank you Kelly. I'll talk about all those options with my vet once we get darla's bloodwork back. She was thinking the kidney and heart issues may be related to a thyroid problem. Have you ever heard of stomatitis causing heart murmur? It seems plausible since any infection can travel to the heart and damage the valves. Does Yoda have any heart problems? How long has he been on the cocktail? It sucks that now I'm a member of 2 groups I never wanted to be a part of...the acro/dm and now stomatitis. I hope she's strong enough to fight through this.
Yoda does not have heart problems right now. He had an infection about a month ago, and his heart raced really really badly. When we first got him a year ago (we were fosters at that point for him), he was very malnourished due to the stomatitis and had just been diagnosed with diabetes due to the depo shots he was getting for the inflammation. He was so malnourished that he literally did not have a fat layer under his skin and the only place we could pull up enough skin to give an insulin shot was his scruff. His initial bloodwork showed kidney problems, liver problems, and anemia. With antibiotics, fluids, insulin, and lots and lots of wet food, he regained his health. His previous owners would only offer dry food to him. He initially ate 6-7 cans of Fancy feast a day - talk about eating me out of house and home!
He has been on the cocktail since early March of this year. After two weeks he got a really bad infection, and we are not sure if it was due to the change in his immune system with the meds or just a fluke. To be cautious, the clinic had us take the dose down to a half dose. We have been fine ever since. I know they had mentioned to me that some cats with existing liver or kidney problems were on half or quarter doses and were doing well. It is very common for them to get back to eating semi normally within the first 7 days.
How old is your civie? The enlarged kidneys and murmur can definitely be to an over load of bacteria from the mouth. If she is eating relatively normally still, then I would push for a strong broad spectrum antibiotic because it is likely the mouth bacteria has spread to other parts of the body. Have your vet call the Dallas Animal Dental Clinic and talk to Jim Seahorn. He worked with the late Dr. Wiggs on developing this cocktail and has treated hundreds of cats with stomatitis with a great success rate. Their phone number is (972) 385-8400. Dr. Wiggs is considered the founder of veterinary dentistry, and the clinic is definitely one to be trusted. Every time I call in, the techs who answer the phone know exactly who I am and who my cat is without having to look it up. Quite remarkable.
Stomatitis can feel like a big battle in the beginning because it can effect so many aspects of your kitty's life. Once you find the med that works, you won't believe the change though. Yoda is a completely different cat than he used to be. Quite the trouble maker now, and every bit of what a 5 year old siamese should be :lol:
Also, just want to add that Yoda has all his teeth too. We didn't want to go with a full mouth extraction because of how extreme and costly it is. Scritches to your Darla too! cat_pet_icon