Update on our 19 year old civvie Jess

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Simon & Sam

Simon & Sam

Member Since 2009
When I took Jess to the vet yesterday to have his abscess drained and cleaned, they advised that now was the time to sedate him and X-Ray. They also tested for feline leukaemia and feline AIDS. They tests for these two conditions came back negative. When they sedated Jess to X-Ray him, the found no root decay in his mouth that might be causing the infection and abscess. They also checked for tumours and once again, this found nothing. The previous swab test that had gone to the lab also came back with no conclusive results. While they had Jess under sedation, the fitted a drain so that the abscess would drain by itself. He was also given a shot of Convenia, which will last him through the next two weeks.

jess came through the sedation without problems, which was a great relief for a 19 year old cat. Our family spent all day at the vet yesterday. I was there for 13 hours! Jess' surgery was the last procedure of the day as it was a 'dirty' one.

He has been very perky today and eating well. He seems very affectionate and for the first time in a while, we feel that we are starting to see the old Jess as he was before the abscess. Where we go in two weeks time if this doesn't work I don't know. The vet said that it is 'just an abscess that is hard to get rid of' but our poor old boy has not enjoyed the last three weeks.

We are grateful for your prayers and healing vibes for a good outcome.

Thank you
 
Well, fingers crossed that it works well for him. As with any medication, it is possible for side effects to develop. Keep an eye on him, in case he develops any problems.
 
Dont think about two weeks - just enjoy now while he is feeling better. Could have cut himself a little and bacteria got in.
 
Thank you so much for the update on Jess. Hope this drain helps out and the antibiotic clears things up.

Sending more prayers and healing vines for your "elderly statesman" Jess.

Please, keep us updated on how he is doing. We'd appreciate it.
 
My rabbits get these often. Antibiotics help, or cutting them out, or both. And if it comes back i have heard of vets implanting antibiotic beads into the site to stop them coming back again after the next removal. If they do it for rabbits they probably do it for cats too. But the drain should work. Rabbit pus (ewww sorry) is thicker than cat pus so doesnt drain well.
 
Please read this about Convenia -- http://www.catinfo.org/?link=convenia -- Dr. Lisa wrote it.

Here is an excerpt:
Here is a quote from that paper: "In general, antibiotics are vastly over-used in veterinary dentistry, often to the detriment of the patient."

I share Dr. Hale's frustration but want to take it one step further as it pertains to Convenia. IF it has been determined that a patient fits into the fairly rare dental category of patients that need antibiotics, Convenia is not an appropriate first-choice antibiotic for any dental issue since its spectrum of antibacterial activity is not targeted toward the bacterial species that normally live in the oral cavity.

Antibiotics vary significantly in their ability to kill various species of bacteria so it is important to match the correct antibiotic with the target infection.

When it comes to dental care, the most important issue is to remove the bacteria by cleaning the teeth (under general anesthesia - not by using anesthesia-free services) and addressing any infected tooth, usually by removing it. The answer is not to use antibiotics in an attempt to kill the bacteria which is often unsuccessful and even if it is successful, it will only be temporary as outlined in Dr. Fraser's paper.
Click to expand...
 
We are three days on from Jess' X-Rays and surgery and he seems to be doing really well. He has his appetite back and is eating normally for the first time in a month. I occasionally give him a small slice of ham which I feed to him by hand. He almost took my fingers off today, such was his enthusiasm. He seems to be the old Jess. He meows for food and has a swipe at one of our black cats when he gets too close. He also jumped up on the kitchen worktop today to lick clean a dinner plate that my son had left there (Rather than put it straight into the dishwasher!). He is very affectionate again and does not me cleaning the drain and his face with a mild Hibiscrub solution, as I was advised to do by the vet. Sam and I both feel that we are starting to see the old Jess coming back to us.

Jess is my stepdaughter's cat. At 19 years old he is the same age as her. When the vet advised X-Rays and surgery last Thursday, she did not agree with my stepdaughter's decision to continue treatment and thought it would be kinder to Jess to let him be assisted in his crossing to the Rainbow Bridge. My stepdaughter has gone away for the weekend. She needed a break and I told her and her boyfriend to go. I said I would call her if I needed her and she is only a couple of hours drive away. I have updated her with texts and photos and she feels that Jess is really making progress. She is glad she opted to continue treatment. This evening she asked what her mum had said about Jess. In my reply I observed that her mum was never ever wrong ... Just mistaken sometimes! (But that's another story)
 
Returning appetite and some of his old behavior returning show that Jess is feeling better. That is great news! Keeping our fingers and 3 sets of paws crossed that he continues to improve and have a good appetite.
 
Thank you everyone for your good wishes for Jess. He is continuing to do really well. His appetite has fully returned. When I offer him a small slice of cooked ham I feed him by hand. Yesterday and today he nearly bit my fingers off! He now climbs up the window frames in an attempt to get outside. He does of course, have to remain in the house at the moment. He went to the vet yesterday and they were really pleased with his progress. He is going back to the vet tomorrow and it is likely that the drain will be removed.

We must now hope that the drain and Convenia will clear up the infection as we do not know where to go if it doesn't. We would appreciate prayers and healing vibes for our boy's full recovery.

Thank you
 
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