I just have to say that the extent to which you have shown such an outpouring of love and concern over Milo's health has been incredibly humbling and touching. I received numerous emails from you this weekend inquiring about his road to recovery, from his recent catastrophic health crisis, and I thought that I should post an update for you.
As you all know, he came back home after a 3 night stay with an emergency vet clinic, and we thought that he was in the clear. However, he was misdiagnosed, and treated, for pneumonia and hyperthyroidism– neither of which were illnesses for which he needed medical intervention and treatment. In fact, his "pneumonia" was asthma, and he didn't have hyperthyroidism at all. The medications that we had to administer for hyperthyroidism made him physically sick, he couldn't keep food down, and as a result he lost a full pound in less than 2 weeks. At the time that we took him to our regular vet poor Milo was looking scrawny and quite ill. Furthermore, and most shockingly, the emergency vet clinic, who performed lots of labs and tests, failed to mention that there was a sizable mass on one of Milo's lungs. Our vet ran tests, including an ultrasound, and conclusively diagnosed that the mass was a benign cyst. Milo was taken off of all of the meds prescribed by the emergency clinic, and is home recuperating.
All signs point to a full recovery, but he is being treated for asthma, and the inhaler is the bane of his existence. His energy is beginning to rebound, he is no longer reclusive and he has a healthy appetite. Therefore, we are finally optimistic about his prognosis. Thank you again for your much appreciated compassion! xo, Helen
Go go Milo!!! I have been remiss in commenting but my furry family has been keeping Milo in our thoughts nonetheless. The boy in our brother-sister duo happens to have asthma as well. He's on pills currently and begrudgingly tries to ignore that I'm 'hiding' them in his cat food. (Mostly because he knows that if he spits it out of the food I'm just going to grab him and make him take it anyways, poor boy) I have NO idea how I'd get him to take to an inhaler, as the both of them are utterly terrified of mine!
ReplyDeleteHi Rach! Thank you for your kind words, and for telling me about your little boy who also has asthma– I will talk to the vet to see whether we can switch him to pals because the trauma of the inhaler is gut-wrenching! I have never seen terror in his eyes that is caused by the inhaler– truly horrible!
DeleteI am so sorry about the misdiagnoses. That's terrible for poor Milo to have endured. So glad he is now on the mend!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Velvetwhip. It really is terrible– not to mention exceedingly expensive– and the trauma that it has caused poor Milo is truly horrifying! Thankfully he is on the mend, and has a proper diagnosis!
DeleteI hope he gets fully well soon. <3
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kindness, Iris!
DeleteI'm so glad that he is feeling better. It's so hard on us when our babies are sick.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kathy! It really is so hard on us, and them, and thankfully Milo appears to be on the mend!
DeleteI am so glad Milo got the proper diagnosis and is feeling himself again. What a relief that his cyst is benign.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind thoughts, m582– it is a relief to have the proper diagnosis, and the knowledge that his cyst is benign. Things could have been far worse than they are! xo
Delete