Here is Dude, one of my battered but beautiful FIV+ boys, and my absolute favorite cat:
He's going to a veterinary dentist tomorrow because the depo shots are no longer working to keep his stomatitis at a reasonable level. Since no-one can touch his mouth without sedation, I chose to go straight to a specialist who can sedate, x-ray (fantastically detailed x-rays) and do any surgery needed. We are hoping that the recent increase in stomatitis is due to something being left behind when the shelter vet removed all his teeth last May - a bit of root, something like that. I'm hoping that's what it is, because it can be fixed. If there is nothing there, then his stomatitis may have reached a level where we have to move to twice a month shots just to enable him to live with the pain, and then when that stops working ...... well, take him away from the pain.
I adopted Dude because I wanted him to die in a home, in my arms, rather than someone find him dead in the morning in the shelter. I will never forget seeing him standing there, hunched and barely moving, bloody drool hanging in ropes from his mouth, his paws stained brown from the drool, and incapable of eating anything anymore. Well, a strong course of antibiotics, full mouth extraction, and monthly depo shots gave him a new life, at least for a while. In the meantime, I found myself loving him more and more every day. I can't bear the thought of not being able to help him - or I wouldn't be spending thousands of dollars that I don't have, but anything to keep him with me and his pain at bearable levels.
So, strongly positive thoughts for Dude, please. That they will find something they can fix. That his surgery goes well. And that he's able to stay with me for at least a few more years.
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