Today I am going to tell you some things about Harley. This is going to be a long story, so you might want to get a snack to eat while you are reading. Or else just look at the pictures. But remember, there could be a quiz later! Some of these things are a little confusing, so my Mommie helped me write it.
If you who follow me on
Twitter, you might already have heard about some of Harley's issues. Since I am a little bit worried about him, I think now might be a good time to tell you about Harley's medical odyssey.
Harley was borned at the shelter to a feral cat who was brought in to be spayed and released. The Mamacat turned out to be very pregnant, and gave birth! She was then spayed and released, while her kittens went to foster care. Harley (his name then was Neptune) was one of that litter! When he was big enough to live at the shelter and look for his new home, he got a very bad case of ringworm! He had that for many weeks, but eventually got better. Here he is snuggling at the shelter.
When Harley came to live with me, he seemed to be in good health. My Mommie took him to have a check up, and learned all about good nutrition. Harley and I eated a high-quality grain free food. If you are interested, it is called
EVO Cat and Kitten food. All seemed well for a while. Then Harley got some sores on his lip. I found this picture that shows the very first sign of Harley's problem. If you look closely, you can see the beginning of his first lip ulcer here.
Harley had to go back to the doctor's office, and he got a shot of Depo-Medrol. We both started eating from stainless steel or ceramic food dishes. No plastic bowls for us! Harley's sores went away in about 2 days and we were very happy! Then, the lesions came back again in a few weeks and Harley had to get another shot of Depo-Medrol. The sores are called "rodent ulcer" or "indolent ulcer" or
eosinophilic granuloma complex (EGC).
He also was re-tested for FIV and FeLV, just to be safe. He tested negative, and we were happy again! Harley also started taking an immune-boosting supplement because it seems his immune system is not working just right.
Harley's ulcers came back for a third time just a few weeks later! He had his third and final shot of Depo-Medrol and switched to a diet of venison in case his problem was caused by an allergy to chicken. Harley had a complete blood workup, and found to have elevated eosinophils, indicating an allergic or inflammatory reaction. He also started taking an Omega-3 Fatty Acid supplement, because some cats respond to that. Sometime in December, Harley started to get a very bad case of
feline acne. So my Mommie washes Harley's chin very carefully twice a day with Hibiclens.
Just yesterday, my Mommie saw that Harley is getting patches of hair loss now! Oh noes! Here you can see the patch of missing furs on his neck. If you look closely you can see a little bit of the acne along his jawline. Oh Harley!
The doctor took a sample of Harley's furs to culture for ringworm. My Mommie has to put
Miconazole on Harley's bald patches! Luckily, Harley's appetite is still good!
And Harley still wants to play, play, play all the time! Here he is acting silly. When Harley first got the ulcers on his mouth, he would sometimes gag and regurgitate his foods, but he has been eating much better now.
Harley, are you okay down there? I hope you get all better soon. You might be a pesky little brother, but you are MY little brother and I love you a lot.
I might have made some mistakes telling this story because I am not an expert. I just tried my best.
About Harley...
Harley was borned at the shelter to a feral cat who was brought in to be spayed and released. The Mamacat turned out to be very pregnant, and gave birth! She was then spayed and released, while her kittens went to foster care. Harley (his name then was Neptune) was one of that litter! When he was big enough to live at the shelter and look for his new home, he got a very bad case of ringworm! He had that for many weeks, but eventually got better. Here he is snuggling at the shelter.
When Harley came to live with me, he seemed to be in good health. My Mommie took him to have a check up, and learned all about good nutrition. Harley and I eated a high-quality grain free food. If you are interested, it is called EVO Cat and Kitten food. All seemed well for a while. Then Harley got some sores on his lip. I found this picture that shows the very first sign of Harley's problem. If you look closely, you can see the beginning of his first lip ulcer here.
Harley's ulcers came back for a third time just a few weeks later! He had his third and final shot of Depo-Medrol and switched to a diet of venison in case his problem was caused by an allergy to chicken. Harley had a complete blood workup, and found to have elevated eosinophils, indicating an allergic or inflammatory reaction. He also started taking an Omega-3 Fatty Acid supplement, because some cats respond to that. Sometime in December, Harley started to get a very bad case of feline acne. So my Mommie washes Harley's chin very carefully twice a day with Hibiclens.
The doctor took a sample of Harley's furs to culture for ringworm. My Mommie has to put Miconazole on Harley's bald patches! Luckily, Harley's appetite is still good!
And Harley still wants to play, play, play all the time! Here he is acting silly. When Harley first got the ulcers on his mouth, he would sometimes gag and regurgitate his foods, but he has been eating much better now.
Harley, are you okay down there? I hope you get all better soon. You might be a pesky little brother, but you are MY little brother and I love you a lot.
