Last night, the prognosis wasn’t good.

The doctor still didn’t know what was wrong, and didn’t think she’d make it through the night without a transfusion. She also didn’t know how well she’d do with one–there was a good chance that we’d either get a test in the morning that indicated something dire and untreatable, or only expensively treatable, or that wouldn’t indicate anything at all. Any of those results would be bad news. She wasn’t hopeful for a test result of something that was easily treatable.

Nonetheless, we decided to, in cryonics parlance, “transport her to the future,” in the hopes of superior medical technology on the morrow, by giving her a two-hundred dollar transfusion, but not spend the extra hundreds of dollars to move her to an emergency clinic overnight, where they might do more extensive (and expensive) tests.

Bottom line–the gamble paid off. She was more alert this morning, and her red cell count was doubled from yesterday. An hour or so later, we got lab results that indicated a blood parasite that had been munching on her platelets, easily treated with tetracycline.

Her underlying health seems to be very good for her age–the doctor says that her liver and kidney functions are those of a much younger cat, and if we can get her through this, she should have more good years left.

Hooray!

I could bring her home tonight, but I’m working long hours right now, and going to Fort Lauderdale this weekend, so we decided to keep her at the vet until Monday, where they can keep an eye on her progress and get the medicine in her.

Hopefully, I’ll have a healthy cat again next week. Thanks you again for all the good wishes–I really appreciate it.

And though I’ve never cat blogged before, I’ll post pics when I get her home, for those who are now curious.