With Your $437 Vet Bill, You Get...

...to find out. You did EVERYTHING you could to diagnose you're poor cat's allergy problem and the diagnosis remains the same: Milliary Dermatitis (rash of unknown origin).

Sure, there's more. I found out that Gracie had a sad convergence of events that basically blew out her immune system, leaving her open to a massive allergic reaction. Last November, she had a Dental Procedure, a tooth extraction, was treated for Bartonella, an ear infection, got an Upper Respiratory Infection and had to be treated for that, too. She had begun having the allergic reaction during this time. It may have started from the rugs I brought into the house a few weeks earlier or it may have had nothing to do with it. The ear infection had possibly been the harbinger of her problems to come. We'll never really know for sure.

Bottom line-Gracie is going to be put on Cyclosporin for a month. It's the same drug used to keep transplanted organs from being rejected. Why use this drug? Because it may keep Gracie from reacting to the allergens in her environment AND we will NOT BE USING ANY MORE STEROIDS. This is KEY to treating Gracie without risking the harm of steroid use. Gracie also received an injection of Convenia, a new antibiotic that lasts about a week, just one dose. My Vet hasn't used this before and has wanted a reason to try it, so he has his reason. Lastly, what I dreaded, Gracie will begin a series of Allergy "Vaccine" shots. It will take between six months and a year before we'll know if she's on the road to recovery.

I'm very glad we saw Dr. Rhodes. She really had her finger on the latest treatments and I felt, that although her diagnosis was barely different than my own Vets, it was good to have a more focused treatment option. Dr. Larry was spot on, but his approach was slightly different. Would it end with the same results? Perhaps. I think, though, that this possibility of using the Cyclosporin may be the one factor that will really help and that was Dr. Rhodes determination. That said-there are MANDATORY blood tests to be performed on Gracie in six months. Why? Because this drug may cause liver damage-moreso in dogs than cats, but this is still a new use for the drug. My heart sinks to consider that with all this effort, her treatment could do her more harm, than good.

I packed Gracie up and forked over my Am Ex, which whined when Meeehhhhagaann swiped it through the card reader. I loaded Gracie back into the car while the cold rain revived me. My tummy rumbled again, but now I was officially too broke to eat. I turned on the GPS and pressed the "HOME" button. We drove the crowded highway in relative silence, other than when Betty, my GPS's voice, interrupted with directions. Gracie was quiet, and I was simply resigned-to get us home soon and to get Gracie healthy again.