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Oh how they multiply

Melonie

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Hello,

I am Melonie! I am owned by 3 sphynx cats. I live in Casper, Wyoming! Let me tell you I am so glad to find a place to talk about my kitties!

Jack-I got Jack from a breeder in Dallas. I was impatient and I picked him out from a picture. He was "cheap" as far as they go. I had him shipped into Denver and when I picked him up from the airport he was sneezing. I called the breeder and let her know and I took him to the vet. That was in October 2009. It is now May 2010 and guess what he is STILL sick. Turns out he had feline Chlamydia. He was the only cat I had at the time so I am pretty sure he came that way from the breeder since he was sneezing straight from the plane. He got really bad at one point and almost died. Jack had about a 3 month period where he was perfectly happy and healthy no sneezing or anything, and it that period is when I decided to get two more sphynx. I only found out he has Chlamydia recently after many tests. He had been showing no symptoms when I got the other two and I feel very guilty for exposing them to him, but I thought he had just had a common URI and it was gone. Sadly so far one of my others has caught it from him. He also has a very significant heart murmur. I have tried to contact the breeder about this but she no longer returns my calls or emails. Oh well. The vets here in Wyoming don't know much about heart issues and eventually I will have to take him down to Colorado and see what is up with his heart. We did a blood test on him and it shows he is not in active heart failure so that is good. Minus his sneezing he acts like a normal cat and you would never know he had a heart issue.

Juno-I got Juno from a lady in Denver. When I got her she was pretty bald but now she has hair on her face, legs, and tail. She looks like she is wearing oranges stockings. She is very funny looking. She also has feline Chlamydia. But it is easily treated with medicine that I have to give them twice per day. I can't even tell you how much I have spent in vet bills because of this though. The medicine for the two of them is 80 a month! I love them anyways.

Ben- I got Ben off of craigslist. He has been around Jack the same amount of time as Juno (they are the same age Ben and Juno) but he shows no symptoms. The vet says he must have a strong immune system. So far we are lucky. He has been vaccinated against it too, which may or may not have helped. They all 3 have been vaccinated for it.

All three kitties were already altered when I got them. They are the best cats ever! I will never go back to "furry" cats again! I am maxed out until these cats pass as I do not want any other cats getting this disease. It is expensive and horrible to watch your cat have a chronic cold. I wish I would have gotten Jack from a "reputable" breeder and waited and paid more, because I have paid so much in vet bills I could have gotten 5 cats from a reputable breeder! I learned my lesson. I wish I would have known he had the disease before I got the other two because it makes me feel guilty when they are sick.

Sorry this is long and rambling but I have been waiting ages to talk about my cats with someone who actually understands what I am going through, and how much I love these cats and will do whatever to keep them happy and healthy. My family thinks I am the "crazy cat lady" now.
 

MissMySphynxBoys

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Sphynxes are just like Lay's potatoes chips...."you can't have just one."

There are so many breeders out there nowadays that it's hard to sort through all the websites and figure out who to trust. Live and learn. Jack, Juno and Ben were lucky to be adopted by such a loving mommy.
 

Melonie

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Thanks, they are spoiled and happy. I will keep them as healthy as I can. I guess it is really uncommon in my whole state and so I have taken them to 4 different vets trying to get it sorted out. Jack is doing awesome right now, but Juno is not. :Sad: I don't know why Ben hasn't gotten anything.
 

admin

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Hi melonie and welcome to Sphynxlair! Sorry to hear of your issues with your kittys. It upsets me to hear horror stories of poor breeders! Have you had Jack scanned for HCM? If not i would talk to your vet about the disease and ask his opinion on scanning him. I hope the cards play in your favor, you seem like a real good Sphynx mommy and thats all that counts at this point. Please enjoy the site!:Laugh:
 

ilovemysphynx

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Welcome! Sorry to hear about all the problems you have had. :ThumbsDown:
Since there is a heart murmur I would talk to the vet. I would also start all 3 of them on lysine because it is a good immune boost and it sounds like they could use it.
 

susi794

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I bought my Lulu from a "REPUTABLE" breeder--from a CFA "Cattery of Excellence" no less. I also had her shipped. Lulu was also sneezing right off the plane--has infected all 7 of my other cats and I have lost 29 of the last 31 kittens that have been born since she arrived. My first two sphynx were not registered, they came from what many of you call back yard breeders--but they were both healthy as horses. I heard all this backyard breeder stuff and tried to do "the right thing" and went to "reputable breeders" to buy two breeding cats that were registered. One was fine, the other has just about cost me everything. So, it isn't from buying from a "reputable" breeder in my opinion--unless you are more specific that just using the term. What exactly is a reputable breeder, everybody?
 

Mews2much

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Welcome to sphynx lair.
Sorry about all the bad luck you had.
Chlamydia is hard to treat.
My Cleo got it from a cat show because some bad breeder showed a sick act.
I agree with the L-Lysine.
I use that with my cats.
You can file a complaint against the breeder with TICA or CFA depending on who they are registered with.
My poor Cleo has had eye problems ever since she got the Chlamydia.
I also have a cat with herpes.
Can you pm who the breeders are?
They might be who I am thinking they are.
I would get a HCM scan done when you get a chance.





 

Gadzukz

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I bought my Lulu from a "REPUTABLE" breeder--from a CFA "Cattery of Excellence" no less. I also had her shipped. Lulu was also sneezing right off the plane--has infected all 7 of my other cats and I have lost 29 of the last 31 kittens that have been born since she arrived. My first two sphynx were not registered, they came from what many of you call back yard breeders--but they were both healthy as horses. I heard all this backyard breeder stuff and tried to do "the right thing" and went to "reputable breeders" to buy two breeding cats that were registered. One was fine, the other has just about cost me everything. So, it isn't from buying from a "reputable" breeder in my opinion--unless you are more specific that just using the term. What exactly is a reputable breeder, everybody?

Susi, I feel the pain in your words.

Sometimes you can do everything "right" and it goes wrong anyway.
 

ckutkuhn7

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I bought my Lulu from a "REPUTABLE" breeder--from a CFA "Cattery of Excellence" no less. I also had her shipped. Lulu was also sneezing right off the plane--has infected all 7 of my other cats and I have lost 29 of the last 31 kittens that have been born since she arrived. My first two sphynx were not registered, they came from what many of you call back yard breeders--but they were both healthy as horses. I heard all this backyard breeder stuff and tried to do "the right thing" and went to "reputable breeders" to buy two breeding cats that were registered. One was fine, the other has just about cost me everything. So, it isn't from buying from a "reputable" breeder in my opinion--unless you are more specific that just using the term. What exactly is a reputable breeder, everybody?

You make a very good point Susi!
 

susi794

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Some cat people are so elitist it really bothers me....like that breeder who told Shannon she ought to have all the little berries put to sleep because they were going to die grizzly, gruesome deaths if she didn't---does little Gummi look like she's not fit to be alive? And please believe me that I am not trying to pick on anybody--but I have heard that backyard and/or reputable breeder stuff until it makes me want to scream. I can see not buying a kitten from a kitten mill--but unless someone can define the term reputable breeder to me....please be careful of the terms we all throw around so casually. You can get a sick cat from ANY breeder--it's what they do about it that counts. And you're not going to find that out from somebody's ad or even from talking to them on the phone.
I know of at least one person on this forum that bought their cat from Lulu's breeder and has publicly stated how wonderful she is....while I, on the other hand, am hoping that very same breeder has a room reserved in that special place in Hell I keep talking about.
 
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holly_savage

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On this note, I would love to see a poll on how many of the members on the Lair have cats / kittens that are carriers of Chlamydia or Herpes. It almost seems like everyone on here has a cat that has had one or the other...and since they are never fully cured would that not mean that just about EVERY cattery has had it?

There just seems to be such a 'taboo' on admitting that one of your cats is a carrier(potentially)...it would be interesting to have a Sphynx Lair Poll on this topic.
That way it is annonymous for those not comfortable. It might just open some eyes.

Something like this????

Have you / your cat(s) dealt with Herpes or Chlamydia?

Yes...severe case
Yes...mild case
No...never
 

susi794

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On this note, I would love to see a poll on how many of the members on the Lair have cats / kittens that are carriers of Chlamydia or Herpes. It almost seems like everyone on here has a cat that has had one or the other...and since they are never fully cured would that not mean that just about EVERY cattery has had it?

There just seems to be such a 'taboo' on admitting that one of your cats is a carrier(potentially)...it would be interesting to have a Sphynx Lair Poll on this topic.
That way it is annonymous for those not comfortable. It might just open some eyes.

Something like this????

Have you / your cat(s) dealt with Herpes or Chlamydia?

Yes...severe case
Yes...mild case
No...never

It's hard to get a definitive diagnosis--when I got the necropsy of my kitten done, it came back negative for herpes---neg. for chlamydia---neg. for any kind of virus at all--
yet some of my cats will continue to cough occasionally--my vet doesn't know definitively WHAT they had/have. I just know before Lulu came, my cats were all extremely healthy. Lulu comes off the plane sneezing and then all H*ll breaks loose. I remember Brooke saying her vet said "Show me a cat that HASN'T got or ISN'T a carrier for herpes." So, I think you're right about it opening people's eyes about how many catteries have now or have had problems with it in the past. Is chlamydia incurable? I didn't know that....I thought it was taken care of with a simple antibiotic. I knew herpes is forever, but didn't know that about chlamydia....if that's true.
So, I wouldn't know how to answer your poll question....
 

holly_savage

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Is chlamydia incurable? I didn't know that....I thought it was taken care of with a simple antibiotic. I knew herpes is forever, but didn't know that about chlamydia....if that's true.
.

You know what Susi, I don't know that Chlamydia is or isn't forever, I just assumed as most virus are not cured, but go dormant. Please someone tell me if I am right...I don't want to be giving out false info.:Sweat:
 

susi794

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Me neither! I just looked it up on google.

CHLAMYDIA
Note for Pet Owners:
NOTE Chlamydial infections can be transmitted to humans. They therefore represent a Zoonosis and precautions should be taken by people such as veterinary personnel and owners when handling infected animals
Cats : There is a high prevalence of contact with Chlamydia in cats based on serological screening (45% of farm cats, and 30% of household cats showing conjunctivitis)

Cats : Chlamydia is a common cause of conjunctivitis which often affects one eye a few days before the second one gets inflamed. Affected cats have inflammation of the conjunctiva, blepharospasm and an ocular discharge. Cats with feline immunodeficiency virus infection may develop prolonged signs. Chlamydia may be involved in genital infections of cats - but this is inconclusive.
The prognosis is good in individuals showing just conjunctivitis.
Long term problems:
Because Chlamydia are intracellular organisms complete elimination may not be possible from some individuals and they can become chronic carriers of the disease

It did say that it is susceptible to detergents and solvents containing ammonia --so they are used for prevention.
 

holly_savage

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Thanks Susi...I, like yourself, don't know for sure what my cat has. It started with the URI(sneezing, high fever, lethargy, dehydrated) along with the gunky eyes, but from some of the pictures I have seen on here of Chlamydia, Hibou's were never that bad. The doc did do a swab and it came back as not Chlamydia, but he said the tests are not 100%. He also tested her for FIP, Aids and all those other ones...poor little girl...but she pulled through very quickly, so who knows what it is right?
I figure it either Chlamydia or Herpes, the symptoms fit the best...lol
 

Gadzukz

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Some cat people are so elitist it really bothers me....

This works for dog breeders too, and I hesitate to open this can of worms, but...... Some rescue groups are just as bad.

As for the diagnosis, Holly I don't have a clue! ALL of my cats have been sick at some time or another, the treatment is the same, antibiotics and eye gel. There has been no definitive diagnosis. It seems that with cats the exact diagnosis is hard to pinpoint and then may not be accurate.

My cats were all healthy and vacc, when we moved here (3 hours away) during the move they ALL came down with sneezes and runny eyes, and had antibiotics, and thankfully cleared right up. The vet said the stress of moving caused something dormant to flare up and it happens in a large majority of cats. Could it be the shipping process has the same effect? Here's my secret, Gummi arrived with runny eyes, she is on antibiotics, and the vet isn't worried at this point. We all know the berries had the very best care and Shannon even took the rest of them back to be double checked. I'm sure Gummi will be fine, but my vet as well as Shannon's thinks shipping caused a URI to flare up.

Is any cat safe from this? Do vaccs really help?? I have no idea.
 

Melonie

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Hi melonie and welcome to Sphynxlair! Sorry to hear of your issues with your kittys. It upsets me to hear horror stories of poor breeders! Have you had Jack scanned for HCM? If not i would talk to your vet about the disease and ask his opinion on scanning him. I hope the cards play in your favor, you seem like a real good Sphynx mommy and thats all that counts at this point. Please enjoy the site!:Laugh:

I have talked to the vet about it, but sadly there is no vet in my whole state the has the echo machine. I have to go down to Colorado. It is in the works, but it is not something I can just drop everything and do right now. I do plan on it as soon as I can. It is about a 4.5-5 hour drive to the place, plus gas, hotel, ect. I can't go down an back in one day as my son is 2 and that would be a very unpleasant trip.

Welcome! Sorry to hear about all the problems you have had. :ThumbsDown:
Since there is a heart murmur I would talk to the vet. I would also start all 3 of them on lysine because it is a good immune boost and it sounds like they could use it.

I have talked to 4 different vets about his heart and they are all like well go to Colorado, nothing we can do. It is annoying. I did get to listen to it and it is very loud and noticiable. There is no way that when the breeder had him neutered that her vet didn't tell her about it. There is no way she didn't know.

They take an L-lysine paste thing every day twice per day! I also feed them Royal Canin cat food because the vet said it had L-lysine in it.

Welcome to sphynx lair.
Sorry about all the bad luck you had.
Chlamydia is hard to treat.
My Cleo got it from a cat show because some bad breeder showed a sick act.
I agree with the L-Lysine.
I use that with my cats.
You can file a complaint against the breeder with TICA or CFA depending on who they are registered with.
My poor Cleo has had eye problems ever since she got the Chlamydia.
I also have a cat with herpes.
Can you pm who the breeders are?
They might be who I am thinking they are.
I would get a HCM scan done when you get a chance.








Pm on the way.

Thank you for being all so welcoming. As far as reputable breeder

quoted from her website "Work on educating the pet buying public on how to recognize a reputable breeder and how to avoid common pitfalls in purchasing a pedigreed cat"

HA!
 

Mews2much

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I got your pm and do not know who that breeder is.
I do not trust her .
It is true you can catch it.
When Cleo had it my vet said to be very careful because I could catch it.
Remember I posted how bad Cleo got all because a idiot brought a sick cat to the show hall.



 

Melonie

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I know my vet told me to not let them sleep in my bed or let them rub on my face. It is sad that they are banned from the bedroom. They sleep on my son's bed (he doesn't sleep in it) but I still miss my butt warmers.
 
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