Mowgli and Maverick's Unexpected Vet Bills

We are so happy Mowgli is part of our family. He’s brought so much joy and laughter to our home in the short month he’s been with us. As you know, Mowgli and Maverick have been getting along wonderfully. They were slowly introduced to each other and after 48 hours, they were already playing, eating together, and grooming each other.

Unfortunately, Maverick became very ill one week after we introduced him to Mowgli. He began vomiting on August 17th. By August 19th, he was extremely lethargic and didn’t leave our bed the entire day, which is uncharacteristic for him. We thought he may just be tired from playing with Mowgli and trying to keep up with the energy of a kitten. On August 20th, he developed a large lesion on his nose. It was very deep and concerning. He stayed in bed the entire day for the second day in a row. I called the vet right away and they did not have availability until the following day.

I suspected Feline Calicivirus (FCV) from my own research and the timeline from when we introduced him to Mowgli. Feline Calicivirus is a highly contagious virus that causes a mild to severe respiratory infection and oral disease in cats. I reached out to Jillian of FosterBabyCats and shared Maverick’s symptoms and my opinion that it may be Calicivirus. She was very helpful and said she didn’t see any symptoms of Calicivirus with Mowgli while he was under her care.

On August 21st, I took him to the vet and asked for a PCR nasal swab to test for several upper respiratory diseases. Our vet recommended bloodwork first to see if he was metabolically healthy before performing a nasal swab. He was given an injection of Covenia, an antibiotic for skin infections in felines for the wound on his nose. The total for this visit was $368.41.

By August 23rd, Maverick was no longer eating or drinking. He developed sores in his mouth that seemed very painful. He was drooling and still very lethargic. He clearly wasn’t himself. Our vet didn’t have any appointments available that day, so I went to pick up Buprenex ($35.20) for him. It’s a medication for moderate-to-severe pain that I hoped would allow him to eat again. He still wasn’t eating much that night, but licked up gravy in wet food I gave him.

On August 24th, I took him back to the vet. They did the PCR nasal swab and prescribed him Clavamox, a broad-spectrum antibiotic, Mirtazapine, an appetite stimulant, and Cerenia, to treat nausea and vomiting. The total for this visit was $297.37.

On August 25th, my son developed a high fever, and by August 26th, we were in the emergency room. He was admitted to the hospital for four days. My husband was out of town for a work trip. It was a very stressful time for me trying to juggle caring for my son and Maverick and Mowgli. Fortunately, my mom was in town and stayed with my son in the hospital when I had to take Mowgli to the vet on August 27th for ear mites and diarrhea. Mowgli’s ears were cleaned out and he was treated with Milbemite for ear mites. He was prescribed Tresaderm for an ear infection, which unfortunately, I forgot to refrigerate as I was rushing back to the hospital. He was also prescribed Metronidazole for diarrhea. The total for this visit was $283.78.

On September 3rd, I took Mowgli back to the vet to get his ears cleaned out once again. I picked up the new Tresaderm and an additional week of the Metronidazole. The total for this visit was $99.70 (three separate invoices).

The results came back from Maverick’s nasal swab and sadly, he is positive for Calicivirus. I’m understandably upset, as he’s always been a very healthy cat. We just lost his littermate in June and she had a chronic illness, so Maverick’s diagnosis has been difficult for me. Particularly because he has atypical Calicivirus symptoms, and rare strains can be deadly. It does seem like Clavamox is helping him and he’s been feeling better.

Maverick has continued vomiting, but his nose is healing well. Mowgli will continue to be treated for ear mites, an ear infection, and diarrhea. I’m really hoping Maverick doesn’t get the ear mites. They both have a follow up appointment on September 15th, which will add to our nearly $1,100 vet bill since we adopted Mowgli one month ago.

I will do anything and everything to make sure both boys get healthy and stay healthy. I appreciate the support of Jillian from FosterBabyCats. I have great admiration for the meaningful work she does in helping these innocent, abandoned kittens. I fully trust if she saw any signs of Calicivirus in Mowgli (Loki), she would have pursued testing or treatment. While Mowgli did have an Upper Respiratory Infection right before we adopted him, Jillian treated him appropriately with Clavamox, Gentaved via nebulizer treatments, L-lysine supplements, and azithromycin. She was transparent and said that he may have Feline Herpesvirus, which is very common in shelters and multi-cat environments. We believe Maverick already had Feline Herpesvirus as a kitten, so this was not a concern to me.

I recognize that there will always be risks when rescuing an animal with limited knowledge of their health, behavior, and history. I’m devastated Maverick became sick because of Mowgli, but I still feel lucky that we were chosen to be his new family. I look forward to getting both of these boys back to 100% and giving them the happy, healthy life they deserve. I’d be beyond grateful for any small amount you may be willing to contribute toward their past and upcoming vet bills. Thank you for your support!