> I'll give the "good" news first.
> we are not dealing with anything contagious
> Mary Anne is probalby a thyroid cat. her kidneys checked ok.
>
> We had to say good bye to Crystal.
> she was in a lot of pain whenever the vet tried to feel her
> but as the vet and i were discussing antibiotics - not even doing
> anything - i suddenly noticed a red spot appear on Crystal's shoulder.
> I moved her fur to see what it was and I completely freaked out. The
> skin had just opened up, aobut 6" of it. The vet even looked shocked
> but she knew what it was. "Cushings" she said. it is the only thing
> that does that, she hadn't actually seen it before but had read about
> it. she pulled out one of the giant books they use and all the
> symptoms fit. treatment even in the early stage is iffy, and that
> skin wasn't going to heal wihtout getting the disease under control,
> whihc would take weeks of meds and then surgery
>
> I asked the vet to do an in-house necropsy, she found a large adrenal
> tumor (thus the cushings) and also her kidneys were cream colored
> instead of dark red. she said that all of crystal's skin was very thin.
>
> We gave Crystal some butorphanol to try and mellow her some, it made
> her more alert probalby because it numbed any pain she was in.
> they gave her a little bit of gas, then gave her the shot. She died
> very peacefully in my arms, with me kissing her head and talking to her.
>
hug your furbabies tonite.
