Much loved pet In need of a cure ....

Question
Hello,

I came upon your site while praying for any advice for my beloved pet cat who is very unwell  and according to the vet, not likely to recover. I, however, will not give up hope and providing my pet is not in pain, wish to try "natural" treatments, while praying for a cure...

Until about 4 weeks ago, my cat (7 year old female) was a seemingly normal, healthy, content, loving pet ... She started showing signs of soreness in the mouth and as a result, turned off her food somewhat (she has always been a great eater!!)

Naturally, I took her straight to the vet and it was decided that she have her teeth cleaned and a check-up (under anaesthesia) to determine the casue of her pain. In doing so, it was discovered that she had a large ulcer above her "big" tooth (in the top jaw) and an infection that was present in the bone ... so, the tooth was removed and she was put on a course of pain relief and anti-biotics.

A few days later, she was showing no signs of recovery.. so, it was back to the vet again. The wound was not healing, and the cavity had become very infected. She was sedated again and the wound 'cleaned' and once again, kept on oral anti-biotics and pain relief.

Once again, she showed no signs of progress and was weakening by the day .. so, it was back to the vet again .. and another procedure which involved shaving the bone (I'm not entirely sure as to whether "shaving" is the correct term!) and taking a piece of skin from the lip, as a graft ...she remained at the vet for almost a week, having pain relief and anti-biotics through injection ..

In this time her blood work showed that her white blood cells were abnormally low(we initially thought this was due to the infection, but continued to decline even after the infection was on the improve) and her red blood cells were now very low also ... All in all, it was concluded that the bone marrow was failing to produce any red blood cells and she has a non-regenerative anaemia.

The vet (who has been very helpful and kind toward her) was very surprised by these results, as was I .. and basically concluded that it was a life-limiting condition. The complicating factor is that her mouth is still not 100% healed, despite weeks of ongoing treatment.

I opted not to have a bone marrow biopsy at this stage, as she has been through so much already and it apparently would not change the long-term outcome..

Is there ANYTHING that you could suggest? I have read about everything form flax seed oil to Apple cider vinegar ... and don't know which way to turn.. I certainly don't want to compromise her care and so desperately want to find a cure .. or at least hope.

I would much appreciate any advice as she is a much loved and adored pet...

Thanking you,

Ally.

Answer
I'm sorry it took so long to get back to you.  I can imagine how distressing the situation is for you.

First, it sounds like you have a good and caring vet.  You are very fortunate.  Your cat is also very fortunate in having someone as loving as you in her life.  

What you want to do is take as much pressure as possible off her, and try to strengthen her natural resources to deal with the illness.  This means to eliminate as many toxins as you can from her environment, which can be very difficult in our modern life.  Toxins can include dust, cleaning products, some component in her kitty litter, even perfumes and cosmetics.  As much as possible, use natural cleaners - I wash my floors with plain water.  My own cat has access to the outside, so I don't use kitty litter at all - if that's not possible for you, could you use shredded newspaper in her tray?  

To strengthen her immune system, I would switch her to a meat diet, either cooked or raw.  Supplement her diet with vitamins - the easiest way to do this is with children's vitamin drops, proportionate to her weight.  If she has trouble chewing, you could grind the meat and let her lick it off your finger.

I wouldn't follow any fad therapy, and be sure to check my advice with your vet.

It sounds like there isn't much more the vet can do that requires hospitalization.  If she were my cat, I would keep her at home now and give her a lot of love.

My prayers will be with you.

Susan