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Sudden and Recent Loss of Pet due to FIP

LenoreLenore
11 years ago

I felt so comforted by some of your stories that I decided to share my own. My husband and I just had to put our baby girl Flo (10 months) to sleep on Tuesday 2/26/13.

Flo (Flosephine) Williams
April 15th 2012 ��" February 26th 2013

On Friday February 22nd my Husband Jared started noticing some severe changes in Flo’s eating habits. Since I wasn’t home that night, I didn’t start noticing until Saturday the 23rd. After we switched Flo from kitten food to adult food around 7 months of age, she slowly became more of a light eater. Even so, she was active and happy and there were no early warning signs of her illness. On that Sunday the 24th, I started getting really worried. I just knew that there was something going on, something was really off with the way my little peanut was acting. She wasn’t coming into bed, she wanted to be alone, she still wasn’t eating and she wasn’t grooming herself. I decided we needed to take her to the vet immediately. I scheduled an appointment for the next day.
When we adopted Flo in June of 2012, we knew she was the runt of her litter. She was so small and so precious, but with an attitude bigger and better than we could of expected. She loved to play, she was so social and she loved Jared and me so fiercely. I chalk this up to her knowing we had saved her from a life in a cage. She was the happiest kitty, and we felt so lucky to find another cat that was so affectionate and loving. What could be better?

When we got to the Vet’s office on Monday the 25th, we expressed our concerns with the doctor was so wonderful. I had this sick feeling in my stomach that the result wouldn’t be a positive one. This wasn’t some simple illness that could be fixed in 5-7 days. We proceeded to explain her symptoms and he gave us the run through of possibilities; could she have swallowed something foreign? Could it be worms again? Dr. Hatch decided it would be best to take her temperature, some blood samples and to run an x-ray on her belly. The first red alarm, her temperature was high. Cats generally run a normal temperature of 101 Degrees. Flo had a fever of 104.5. A few minutes later, he came back into the office with our little girl and with a small rush of relief confirmed there was nothing foreign lodged in her abdomen. This feeling only lasted a moment. He started to show us a more detailed view of her x-ray and that’s when we saw the fluid. Flo had a distended abdomen that was slowly building fluid.

I started to feel sick. I started to feel like my little world was ending. Fluid in the belly could not be good. Dr. Hatch started to discuss the possibilities, Coronavirus and FIP being one. FIP, that dreaded fatal virus that claims the lives of young kittens between 6-10 months of age. Flo was 10 months old. At that point, I couldn’t hear him anymore. Thank goodness Jared was there to collect all the fine details. FIP, what the hell is FIP? Why haven’t I ever heard of this? How could this be happening to my baby? I cried so hard in the doctor’s office because in my gut I knew this was probably the issue. Why would Dr. Hatch bring something up so adamantly if he didn’t think it was the case? We had to wait until Tuesday the 26th for the results.

Tuesday morning I went to work with knots in my stomach. I started researching Coronavirus and FIP, trying to educate myself on the possibility of this being something we had to face.

As I was reading people’s experiences with cats with FIP, I started to bawl. This was it, I knew it was it. Waiting for the blood results was torture but I knew in my gut that Dr. Hatch was right and wouldn’t scare us with an assumption as great as this for a laugh. I finally got the call and my heart sank as my biggest fear came true. Our baby girl tested positive for the Coronavirus and all her blood levels, fever and swollen belly suggested she was in the “end stages” of FIP.

I cried harder than I think I have ever really cried. We were left with no other option then to put our baby girl to sleep. I called Jared right after I spoke with the Doctor and he immediately came to my aid to pick me up from work. I couldn’t look at anyone, I couldn’t talk and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. We got home to our girl and we knew she was tired. She looked terrible and so, so sad. This was not the girl we were so lucky to come to know over the last 8 months. She came to me and nuzzled my hand, a past time that I miss so much already. We made the decision that it would be that day. Jared made the call and we waited. It was the longest two hours of my life.

Saying good bye to Flo was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. She was taken from us too soon and I will never forget her face, her coat, the sound of her mew or her purr. The way she would look at me with her little eyes or the way she would wake us up in the morning for food. We got to the vet and everyone was upset. She was loved by many there. We rocked her to sleep and we kissed her goodbye. We thanked her for the love and time she had given us and we promised to never forget her. I had to leave my baby on that table in the caring hands of the doctors and staff that I knew would be as gentle with her in death as they were in life. I will never forget those last moments when her tiny life slipped away literally before my eyes. I never thought this loss could hurt so much but I know we gave Flo the best life she could have had and that will always give me comfort.


Thanks for reading.

Comments (10)

  • Debbie Downer
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    So, so, sorry for the loss of your kitty- they are all so unique and even under the best circumstances it seems the time on earth is too short. Yes she knew she was loved and I too have had the impression cats who spent time in a shelter do understand that you chose them and that they are fortunate to find a forever home. Take care

  • cat_mom
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    sob....

    (((HUGS)))

  • Lily316
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I am so sorry for you.

  • LenoreLenore
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thank you all. Day by day it starts to get a little better.

  • christine1950
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I to am so sorry for your loss, it is never easy as we all well know, it does get better and you have such precious memories of Flo that will remain in your heart forever...

  • homebodymom
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I am so very sorry for the loss of your sweet kitty.

  • LenoreLenore
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thank you all. She was the best.

    We have a 6 year old tortie at home named Tasha that really grew to love Flo. She looks lost now, I think that's what makes this experience all the more difficult. But, we're a strong family of three and we will bounce back from this experience. I think once we have Flo's ashes home I'll really be able to start healing.

    xo
    L

  • AlySun
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Im so sorry about Flo. I lost a beautiful little boy 12 years ago to FIP. I was one of those who refuse to accept the inevitable, and I had the vet do everything, including drawing off fluid, but of course, to no avail. I probably made it worse for him, trying so hard to save him.

    He died the very day I told him he could go, that I loved him, and that he didnt need to hang on any more because I was so sad.

    It was awful, and his sister slept in his bed for weeks.

    I still miss him, and I hope someday they find a cure for this terrible disease that takes sweet little angels so early in life. My heart goes out to you.

  • LenoreLenore
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Aw, Aly I got chills. I am sorry for YOUR loss. I'm really glad I shared my experience. This has been a great little support group for me.

    I hope they find a cure one day too. It's absolutely gut wrenching to think this disease can hold so much power over me now. We would eventually like to open our home to another little one, its obviously too soon, but the fear of FIP will always linger over my head no matter how much time passes.

    Thanks for your kind words.

  • calliope
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I lost a precious young cat to it as well. In her case it was fast and deadly. She seemed the peak of health and vigor and a week later was fighting to breath. The doc pulled off the fluid around her lungs ( I had no clue it could present itself like that) and he was also amazed tht she was so healthy and robust and had never seen a cat be compromised so quickly from it. It didn't help that this cat, who had never set foot on earth, but raised totally indoors had FLV (mother was a feral born kitten), and that probably set her up with the response from the corona virus.

    He also gave me the option of steroids and bringing her back in to drain off the fluids to keep her with us as long as possible. I told him to immediately put her out of her misery. I wasn't going to put her through that. Calvinette was about six then, and had just lost her mother from cancer. Very hard to wrap your mind around with it just comes barreling at you with no warning.

    I remember the posters in the vet's office years ago when there was thought to be a vaccine effective against it, but it's not recommended anymore. FIP is not a virus induced disease in the strict sense of the word, but an immune response to a common, and often minor viral infection. I'm so sorry for your loss. Of course it hurts, a lot. Know that the short life she lived, was a wonderful one and I don't believe that those links of love are really lost through death.