Tiger Day 29 - a setback

Sporotrichosis is nasty and long-winded.

Yesterday I did not get to look at Tiger's left hip and so there was no photo of that area. This morning, I saw something there and it isn't anything nice....

Tiger had accompanied me upstairs and was waiting for me outside the bathroom. The sun was coming in and it was very bright. Tiger was sitting comfortably exposing his left side and there I saw it....

Or rather, them.

Three nasty sores had sprung up from that one original sore from the left hip.

Sigh...

I quickly came down to check my photo records and the last photo of the left hip was taken on Day 27, just two days ago. There was definitely only one sore here. There had always been only one sore on the left hip all this while.

This calls for Lamisil cream again...

So, gloves on, e-collar on....

The new nasty Gang of Four on the left hip now.

The consolation is that the three new sores look dry. It's only the original one that looks inflamed, red and wet - nasty "mother" of the new sores. Hopefully, these three new ones are from the germination of old spores; they appear and will dissipate fast. I don't know when they came up as I didn't get to check on this area yesterday as I didn't want to man-handle Tiger too much. He was biting and scratching me all day too, whenever I tried to turn his body to check and take photos. I mean, yes, I understand, a cat can only take so much. Daily photo shoots of my sores??  

So, we have three new sores to contend with now. I opened my excel file of Tiger's Sporo Watch and recorded it. The last record of new sores was on on Day 11 and since then, there had been no new sores until today - Day 29.

Then, I noticed another new sore, higher up from this new gang, it's also on the left hip.



It's hard to detect the sores because of Tiger's fur and colour. But this one is definitely new. Sigh.... So now we have the left hip to watch and monitor. I hope it stops at these. No more, please!

Yes, sporotrichosis treatment is a long haul, I know. And it's also a roller-coaster ride for the patient and the caregiver.

Am thankful enough that the rest of the sores seem to be healing but there is no telling if new sores will appear again.

This is why the vet advised that Sporonox must be given for another 2 weeks post-healing to ensure the spores are hopefully all destroyed. Relapses are not uncommon at all. We just heard from Jay Wong's case that a relapse happened to her cat.

Luckily I had not reduce the dosage of the Sporonox. And Tiger is still on all his supplements. The only thing I stopped using was the Lamisil cream as I was worried about its toxicity since creams are absorbed and go directly into the bloodstream. But one also worries about the toxicity of Sporonox to the liver. Hence, the plethora of liver and immunity boosting supplement.

Left front paw - watching that stubborn ONE.

Left leg at the bend.

Left leg - no new ones, and all not inflamed too. Phew!

Right hip - another stubborn one. Hopefully no new ones sprouting from this one.

Right leg - stubbornly still there, as it was, but relatively dry.

Sorry Tiger...you need to wear the e-collar again today, just for an hour.

I applied Lamisil to the new sores on the left hip and the stubborn one of the left front paw. I've learnt not to over-do it because Tiger would just end up licking feverishly at all the sores and everything flares up. So, only where it is new and necessary.

Unhappy for one hour...sorry, ol' boy.