Soon, we will be invincible

[rolanni]

I'm really enjoying reading about y'all's superpowers. What a mighty bunch we are!

Yesterday, things more-or-less fell apart at the day-job, due to a touching belief on the part of Certain Folk that telling me to do something is the same as that thing being done. I am a Damned Good Secretary. Instantaneous? Not so much.

After work yesterday, Mozart had his 20,000 mile checkup at the vet's, including various bloodwork that they like to do on "geriatric" cats. Tests were processed on the overnight; we got a phone call this morning. It transpires that Mozart has heartworm. I'm told that this is not nearly as serious in cats as it is in dogs; that the mosquito larvae do not prosper in a feline metabolism. Be that as may be, it's still nothing to ignore, and so I have achieved yummy heartworm once-a-month treats (which actually do seem to be yummy; Mo gobbled today's right down and looked for more), to be given for one year, after which there will be a retest. In the meantime, see the Cat Mom worry.

I have once again fallen behind on email. I will answer you, every one. No, really. It will just Take Me Awhile. In the meantime, rest easy in the knowledge that I adore you all.

While I'm cataloging my sins, I have also fallen behind in recording the Saltation pre-orders. A quick eyeball estimate of the incoming orders file leads me to believe that we're closing in on 868 books place, or only 342 to go! You guys who've been living on the edge -- I really admire your steady nerves.

Steve and Rich Horn have labored mightily this day and produced a cover for Eidolon. Handsome, no?

And! There's an update in the srmpublisher LJ!

Despite rumors to the contrary, I've made some more progress on Fledgling, though a big winner in the lottery ticket department would really help me out. I hate not being able to immerse myself in the story at this point and Just Get It Done. Bitch, bitch. I've printed out the 'script as it now stands (which included the necessity of changing a print drum and two! print cartridges in the Oki) and will be reading it this weekend, after --

We go to Portland, to return an item that we bought two weeks ago, which was broken upon decanting. I know, I know: Any excuse for a ride.

Heading into the kitchen to do the dishes, then it's time for dinner and an early bedtime, I think. For some reason, I'm exhausted.

Everybody be well.

Beginning word count, Fledgling first draft:

97,483 / 100,000 (97.5%)

100,467 / 100,000 (100.5%)

Comments

[growlycub.livejournal.com]

You might find the following site of interest, if you haven't seen it yet.

http://www.heartwormsociety.org/article.asp?id=16

I was a bit surprised to read that you are supposed to give the preventative, since that is usually counter-indicated (animals are usually tested to assure they are free of heartworm before a preventative is started).

The Firemountaincat Gang sends good vibes.

[spiritdancer]

Eh, well, cats are different :-)

In dogs, we do indeed want to make sure they are heartworm negative before starting preventative - specifically that they do not have circulating microfilaria (baby heartworms, from here on out referred to as MF). Why? Because the preventative meds are very good at killing MF, and doing it quickly. For a dog with lots of MF in the bloodstream, this is a Bad Thing (essentially the dog gets a massive allergic reaction to all the dying MF). (testing for dogs is a two-step process - one test for antigen, or proteins from the adult worms, and if that is positive, then the blood is checked for MF)

Cats, OTOH, pretty much don't get MF in the bloodstream. The diagnostic testing in cats is for antibodies. And a cat that has antibodies against HW? Well, they've had exposure, and presumably will keep being exposed, so it's considered a pretty good thing to have 'em on preventative, even if testing positive. Especially as there are no treatments to kill the adult heartworms that are safe for cats.

This leaves out the whole mess of how long to have the kitties (or dogs) on HWP; I prefer to have them on preventative 12 months a year - you don't have to worry about when they've been dosed relative to when the mosquitoes are about and capable of transmitting the parasite, and you are controlling other parasites as well. If an owner chooses to skip preventative in the winter months, I will remind them that heartworm preventative is a bit of a misnomer for the oral drugs - it actually kills off any of the heartworm larvae picked up in a window of 30 to 40 days BEFORE you give the meds. It DOES NOT stick around in the system for the next 30 days :-) IOW, if you are going to skip the "winter months" please dose thru mid-December or so.

(yeah, day job and all that. Hey, Sharon, if you want and specific comments offline, just drop me a note via my LJ address)

[grassrose.livejournal.com]

"It actually kills off any of the heartworm larvae picked up in a window of 30 to 40 days BEFORE you give the meds"

Wow! I didn't know that. Thanks!

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

The diagnostic testing in cats is for antibodies. And a cat that has antibodies against HW? Well, they've had exposure, and presumably will keep being exposed, so it's considered a pretty good thing to have 'em on preventative, even if testing positive. Especially as there are no treatments to kill the adult heartworms that are safe for cats.

Actually, that one paragraph is what I needed to fill in the last gap. I adore my vet, as do the young ladies in his office. However, "The doctor isn't worried" is sufficient to bouy them. Me? I'm old and cranky and have many waiting for me on the other side of the Bridge, so I really would have liked a little more about WHY the doctor wasn't worried.

OK. Antibodies because he's been exposed; and so preventative meds. Which is different to my ear than "Mozart has heartworm." And also answers, "But he's not acting sick at all..."

Thank you!

[spiritdancer]

You're welcome :-)

I've been thru that worry - my mom's cat tested antibody positive/antigen negative, and went to see the cardiologist for an ultrasound, which was negative. The comment made was "well, he's had them and gotten rid of them, they're sitting in the lungs where we can't see them, he's been exposed and may yet get them or not. Put him on preventative, and retest him in 6 to 12 months." The cats have been on preventative since then, and have tested negative.

[gauroth.livejournal.com]

*delurks* I hope it will cheer you both up to know that I have finally wrested my Liaden books from my daughter's hands and have started to re-read the whole series. Damn, these books are good!

I will be buying extra copies to give to my daughter so that she won't be stealng my books again!

Thank you for so many hours of great reading! *lurks again

[moon-happy.livejournal.com]

Hmmmm, interesting. Dogs AND cats are tested here before being given heartworm medicine. Dead heartworms in the circulation system are deadlier than live ones (they stroke out, I think, on the dead bits that fall off the worm.) But they do have ways to treat them once infected, just not with heartworm preventive meds. Then, once cleared, they can treat them with the preventive. Is this a new protocol?

[spiritdancer]

(points to comment made above)

Cats aren't like dogs when it comes to heartworm prevention - the drugs that kill adult heartworms can't be used in cats.

[grassrose.livejournal.com]

The drugs that kill adult heartworms can't always be used on dogs, either. The treatment is, in essence, poison the worms and hope they die before the dog does. It's an arsenic compound. Then deal with all the dead worms. If the dog has already been weakened, then they can't bear the treatment.

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=610 (dogs)

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&C=&A=593&SourceID= (cats)

We use Sentinel year-round on our dogs - it ROCKS.

[spiritdancer]

I'm pretty tickled to see someone else (besides me) who points folks to Veterinary Partner :-)

[grassrose.livejournal.com]

I only found them today, when I was double-checking my "arsenic" comment, but I really like that they don't talk down to you, or engage in research-speak. I'll definitely be visiting them again.

[spiritdancer]

Free service, aimed at the general public, run by Veterinary Information Network (of which I am a member)? All good, with good info. And it's generally where I point folks for veterinary info :-)

[spiritdancer]

Re: Mozart testing positive for heartworms

How much screening was done other than the blood test? See, the thing about testing cats is that a positive test doesn't necessarily mean the cat has heartworms. It DOES mean the cat has had exposure, though - and I second the advise to get the cats on heartworm preventative wholeheartedly. (if you want further comments from a vet's viewpoint, drop me an email).

Anyway, the short version is, if Mozart seems to feel pretty good, and isn't having any problems, then give the preventative and don't worry too much.

http://www.korval.com/eidolon/

[muehe.livejournal.com]

How do you navigate to Eidolon within the Korval site?
I followed your link in your blog, so I got there. But then I started looking around the site for the link. Could not find it.
I was thinking it might not be "published" yet -- like you were just giving us a preview of the cover before the page was ready. But the PayPal link worked, so I went ahead and ordered it. Hope I didn't break anything.

Re: http://www.korval.com/eidolon/

[grassrose.livejournal.com]

NOT THE PAYPAL BUTTON!!!!

Just kidding - it's still in pre-order :o)

~ Rosanne