Moswin's Mystery Illness on Her 4th Birthday

I'm Jennifer Martinez, Moswin's mom. On Wednesday after work, Moswin, my little black kitty walked slowly down the hallway and melted to the floor - She usually races me and jumps on the counter to greet me. But instead, I scooped her up off the ground to see what was wrong. Wednesday was her 4th birthday - this is not how I would have hoped to celebrate.

 

She immediately began gasping for air. We took her to the local Vet, who agreed to meet after hours. They performed some tests and a radiograph, gave fluids and sent her home. Said some levels looked elevated, but nothing that unusual for a cat who may have some asthma spasm (I am learning it is not uncommon with cats). There has been a lot of smoke in the air from the Black fire in the Gila. It could be anything from asthma to heart failure, but the tests in conjunction with her young age, didn't show that it was leaning toward heart issues. On Thursday, I took her back because she hadn't improved. They kept her overnight, and on Friday morning, the Vet said she looked more alert and her breathing had improved, so they sent her home again.

 

She walked two steps out of her carrier at home and flopped to the ground. I was sure I was watching her die before me and hoping to at least make her comfortable as she passed. But then she drank a lot of water. And then she walked a little and flopped. After that, she slept a lot; I wiped her down and encouraged her to eat, but she only slept, and she drank.

 

 

On Saturday morning, I picked her up, and her eyes barely opened, but then she propped herself up to drink more. I don't think she wanted to die.

 

 

 

I didn't think the local vet could help, so we took her to the Animal Hospital in El Paso, and they took her in immediately. The Vets ran more tests. After X-rays, they located fluid in the lungs and later drained out 150 ml of liquid (a small cup of coffee worth). They gave her oxygen and put her in a little enclosure that allowed the oxygen to be adequate. Blood levels are abnormal, and being that this is a Memorial Holiday weekend, lab tests have not been picked up and may not until Tuesday.

 

 

She has had x-rays, oxygen, fluids, and diuretics, she will have an EKG tomorrow, and they will send out the fluid collected from her lung to get tested. But still, without the upcoming tests, they can't rule out something fungal, bacterial, heart-related. So they can't treat the unknown.

 

Moswin hasn't eaten since Wednesday. I'm most worried about that, but they Vets say she may eat if she is not panicked about breathing. She has been through so much.

 

On Wednesday, the First vet bill was $545.69 for the after-hours visit, blood tests, and fluids.

On Thursday it was $318.98 for the overnight stay and more tests.

On Saturday it was $110 for initial consultation.

A few hours later it was $1700 to get her tests, oxygen, overnight care, x-rays.

On Sunday it was $2000 for the upcoming EKG, the lung liquid removal, and more.

(Update 6/1/22) Today I had to pay an additional 1293.06
= $5967.73
(Update 6/2/22) I added another $2800 for more tests and a CT
=8767.73.

The oxygen was about $500 per night and I can assume she will be there through Thursday to await the test results.

And then if I'm lucky she will be treatable and can come home.

 

The labs for the liquid in the lungs could come back Wednesday, or Thursday and the EKG may be read by Wednesday.

It's all up in the air because of the holiday.

 

It's hard not to give her time because of the holiday.

 

All I want to do is celebrate her birthday. All she wants to do is race me down the hallway to meet me at the bathroom sink. (this sink photo was was before she got sick).