Okay, here's what I'm sending to the others I'm keeping updated, now that I'm done with phone calls and can take the time to write a full update:
Okay, I got some word back on Blaze, and it's actually good for once. His bloodwork came back clean for FIP, just slightly high for liver (but she said not nearly enough to indicate a *problem* with the liver), slightly low on white blood cell count, and several "ruptured red" which she said was almost definitely caused in transit from the vet's to the lab. The only bad thing on the bloodwork was elevated protein levels, and this particular vet didn't know what that meant (I'm losing confidence in this particular vet from this clinic and won't be going back to her for the future -- but I'm still confident in two others at that clinic).
So, she recommended we go to a specialist to get x-rays and ultrasound to look for other problems, but instead we're going to my parents' vet who has 40 years (or thereabouts) experience and my mom feels is very qualified. Taking Sage to the specialist was such a super-stressful experience both for me and for Sage that I don't want to put Blaze through that unless we need to. And I don't count a vet saying she's not confident she'd see a problem that was in the x-rays to be a real need to go to the specialist. If this second opinion agrees, we'll take him in ASAP. But I want a second opinion before I fork out $800-$1000 on tests that a qualified vet could do just about as well for $300.
Everything and my gut feel keeps pointing to this being because of the change in food from kitten to adult. So, we're going to try something I didn't think I'd try but is worth doing instead of force-feeding or tube-feeding, and that's the BARF diet. Going to start with a treat of liver tonight to see if Blaze will respond with interest to this, and if he does, we'll transition him to at least some BARF stuff. I'd rather feed him the BARF diet than force half a can of kitten food down him and cause behavioral problems in the future (like refusing to eat it unless we force feed for the rest of his life).
So right now I'm feeling a lot better than I was last night. Still going to be a rough road as there are still possible problems that we haven't found yet, and Blaze being that skinny period isn't good and is dangerous in and of itself, but at least we can say with at least some level of confidence that Blaze does *not* have a disease of some sort and whatever it is *is* treatable. (Now hopefully tomorrow's appointment with the second opinion vet doesn't counteract that statement)
I'd appreciate continued prayers for everyone. I believe they have made a difference.
