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[smile_n_cuddle]

Sophie doesn't seem to understand what is going on. Yesterday Petey was at the bottom of his home for several hours, and she was next to me as I held him last evening, crying. She was all "omg I'm so special and sweet and I loooove you mommy!" last night, her usual adorable self.

When I put her to bed last night, she yelled a few times. I came to check on her, and the first time I came in, instead of being asleep on her cage or on Petey's cage, she was hanging monkey-style with by one foot from the blinds, looking out to the patio, expectantly. I came back a half hour later to check on her, and she was hanging upside down, watching out the window, waiting.

Tonight I have kept her with me all night. I finally put her to bed around 10:00 pm. When I went in to check on her again at 11:00pm she was perched atop the curtain rod, sleeping... and still waiting. I woke her up again and brought her out with me.

Right now she is on my monitor, preening. Her eyes have always been so expressive. I have never seen her so sad. :( She is usually so soulfully full of life and exuberance, combined with a touch of mischief. Tonight her eyes are deep, and seem filled with confusion and sadness. She keeps running over to me, pressing her head against my cheek, her eyes half open, as if drawing comfort from me. I gave her two feedings of moist, warm food (very comforting).

 

In other news, James and I took Petey to Dr. Clubb for a necropsy. I don't think I could have been more shocked with the results. He died from a parasite he got through exposure to an oppossum! There was (is?) an oppossum who was in our patio shed, but I thought she had left. Apparently not--and Petey, while playing in the dirt, must have come across some of the parasites from the oppossum. His lungs were fully congested (from the parasites) and his spleen was 20x its normal size. :( 

It's almost impossible to diagnose this disease. It's called Sarcocystosis. And I thank God for my vet, Dr. Susan Clubb. She wrote the article on this disease, and is such an excellent researcher. Other articles stated there were no treatments for this, but she has had success. Anyway, the scary bit is that it is likely Sophie and Athie have it, too. Treatment will be 2 or 6 weeks of medicine and/or oxygen, etc. as needed. There may be a recurrence...

The hard thing is that Sarc is asymptomatic, which is why I had no idea Petey was sick until he basically had no chance. I'm quite frankly frightened to let Sophia out of my site. I love this bugaboo like my own child and if anything happens to her I am not sure what I will do...

She and Athie will be going to visit Dr. Clubb first thing tomorrow to get started on the treatment. Please, please don't let anything happen during the night.

Comments

[smldada9801.livejournal.com]

Your vet sounds wonderful.

Will be thinking of you and of Sophie and Ath in the coming weeks. Keep us posted.