Conference misery::feline_v1

    Karen, 
    
    I am sorry, but I don't know of any respiratory specialists.  I
    do know that there are only a few veterinary specialists in this
    area, and most of them are in Santa Cruz.  Two different vets that
    I go to use the same cardiologist from Santa Cruz when they have
    difficult cases.  I can check around though.  In our case, the
    specialist comes to town once a week and meets with each vet to
    review cases.  That way, we don't have to travel with the cat to
    the specialist.  This isn't the case with the opthomologist though,
    I have to take my cats to them.
    
    If your vet knows this specialist and is confident about using him,
    then I would go ahead.  I haven't had any experience with this type
    of thing.  I hope that all goes well for Sweetie.  Let us know if
    you find anything out.
    
    Jo  

    Karen:
    
    I just called my vet's office, Dr. Anderson, and they highly
    recommended Dr. Stickles.  They suggested that you call Cal-Davis
    - Small Animal Practice - to see if they could recommend anyone
    closer to you - but they felt that you might have to travel a bit
    as Stickels was #1 on their list.
    
    Please keep us posted.
    
    
    Giudi

    
    karen...
    
    sorry to hear of sweetie's problems.  it sounds like this doc is *the*
    specialist, though, so hopefully the travel will be worth it.
    
    sending good vibes to sweetie are
    
    diane, stella & stanley
    

    You know, contacting UC Davis is a good idea.  They have vet hospital
    there, and are up on all the latest techniques, have all the latest
    equipment, etc.  Several of my breeder friends have taken cats there
    for treatments, everything from pyometra to cancer, and have been
    very pleased.  I have always said that if anything serious ever
    came up, that is where I would go.
    
    Jo

    Just read this note about Sweetie.  I hope everything turns out OK. 
    Please keep up informed.
    
    When Black Thunder was having problems, I was taking her down to Tufts
    University which was 1 1/2 hours away.  It was worth it.  Of course,
    she serenaded me during the whole trip.
    
    Sandi, mom to 4 furry friends and 1 stray.
    

    I'm waiting for a call from the vet.  Hopefully today
    but perhaps Monday.  Sweetie hasn't coughed in two days, but his purr
    sounds raspy.  Meanwhile LB had a quick trip into the vet yesterday
    afternoon for FUS again.  I don't know how ET and others manage
    when multi-cats get sick.  Imagine being thankful for a day with
    no vet visits in it.....
    

    The specialist vet says that his best guess is that Sweetie might have
    reacted
    to the carboryl(sp?) in his flea powder.  He has seen this several times
    in dogs, but never before in a cat.  The flea powder is the
    "good kind" I've gotten at the vets.  I think it is called VetChem.
    I only rarely put flea powder on them (a few weeks once a week in
    the summer when its flea season here), so this must be quite a
    reaction if that's what's happened.  S goes back in for a follow up
    x-ray in six months.  If he starts having real problems with coughing
    before then, he will be reevaluated and possibly given cortisone
    for short intervals.  The sand-like litter is a real no-no
    because of its aggravating the problem.
    
    I guess it is good news that this is probably not going to get worse,
    but bad news that it has damaged his lungs permanently.
    
    I vacuumed the house very thoroughly over the weekend, thinking that
    that would help, but then he coughed the day after that for the first
    time in several days.  Does anyone who deals with asthma, etc. have any
    info about what they do to reduce irritation in their houses?  Thanks.
    

Karen,

As I am sesitive to dust mites, I can tell ya, it ain't easy.  It's a
real catch-22.  You have to keep the place really clean...I vacuum at
least 3 times a week..but you can expect some response after each
time you clean because the act of cleaning stirs up the dust (and
dust mites).  I guess you just have to work to get a happy balance.

			Good luck to both of ya

    ditto to .8 - my husband has asthma and keeping the house as dust
    free as possible really helps.
    
    
    Good luck
    
    
    Giudi

    I suggest you purchase some air cleaners.  Jack is allergic to
    cats, dust & dustmites.  We've found that the air cleaners do offer
    some relief.  We picked ours up at Sears for about $79 each on sale.
    
    Also, I would think that making sure the humidity level is high
    enough would help keep the dust down some.
      Nancy DC

    What's an air cleaner?  Something like an air conditioner?  Does
    it have to be installed in a window?
    

    An air cleaner doesn't need to be installed in a window.  It just
    plugs in, and works removing pollen, dust, some bacteria's, mold,
    etc, from the air.  
    
    As Joui has an inhalant allergy, we are planning to get her an air
    cleaner soon.  I saw a very good model on sale at Service Merchandise
    for $139.00.  This one works on a whole house, and cleans the air
    5 times a day.  It was a Bionair. 
    
    Joui and I are hoping to get it for my birthday, since Santa failed
    to deliver the goods.  :^)
    
    Jo

    Jo,

    is that one of of those negative ion-izer things?

    Deb

    I think that is what it is.  I am not too up on how it works, only
    what it claims to do.  I am hoping that it will be the answer to
    all my prayers, and maybe it can help Sweetie too. 
    
    As an added bonus, my husband has asthma, and it will probably help
    him too.  If he doesn't get it for my birthday, I just might get
    it for his!! :^)
    
    Jo

RE:  ionizers, etc.

They do work very well....but you must keep the filters VERY CLEAN or they
can make it much worse.  In a house with 4 animals and two people, I
would have to change my filter once a week....I now have a window-installed
air filter/cooler (refrigerant type, NOT water cooled) in my bedroom and
I run that every evening for at least 3 hours (with my room empty of
critters and the door closed) during the spring/summer/fall.  Almost any
book you pick up about "living with allergies", etc. says keep the air
COOL, REASONABLY DRY (but not "winter"dry like it gets during really cold
weather when we run the heater), and keep the windows closed to keep
pollen, dust, pollutants out.  I compromise by "cleaning" my sleeping
area and living in the rest of the house with the windows open and the
air unfiltered.  I have no choice - my roommate hates airconditioning.

If you get an ionizer, try to find one with a washable filter - it will
be much easier to keep it clean .... it's easy to forget to keep enough
replacement filters around.  I clean the airconditioner filter every
Saturday and Wednesday as part of my regular chores.

    If you buy an ionizer type make sure its a "two stage".  If you
    buy the type that only "ionizes" then the particles clump together
    and stick to things like walls etc.  Doesn't do alot of good.  The
    two stage types not only ionize the air etc, but then filter the
    air as well to remove the ionized particles.
      Nancy DC