Ms Hanum contacted me on 17th April 2024 to ask if we know of any vet clinic that could board a sporo-cat for a short period. The cat was initially identified as male and named Putra by the vet’s staff. It was after more than a month that Putra was discovered by the vet we recommended (for sporo-cats) to be female, so she’s been renamed Putri now!
This was Ms Hanum’s email on 17th April 2024:
I found your website while looking for a vet to take care of a stray cat that I’ve rescue on Monday. Many thanks for giving me avenue to seek advice on sporo cat.
I found a badly infected cat nearby my office building where I also feed a colony of 5 cats. This cat is new to me, however I had to pull it out from the building as I’m scared he will infect other cats. The vet’s staff named him Putra.
I’ve brought him to a vet, however, I cannot board him long at this vet, I have until Sunday 21/4/24.
For time being I cannot treat him at home because I have 2 cats recovering from spaying – the risk is too much with healing wound.
I would like to ask if you could share with me any vet who has isolation ward for sporo that I can board him until 4/5/24.
Putra has good appetite, I have a very good feeling that he could recover.
We shared that sporotrichosis is 98% curable. The treatment may take time, but it is curable. However, not many vet clinics are willing to board sporo-cats because the disease is zoonotic. Howver, a few months ago, I had read an article in a reputable news channel about a vet clinic that does sporo-cat boarding in the Klang Valley and the write-up sounded very good, so I shared the details. Ms Hanum boarded Putra there and I checked in on 13th May 2024:
This was Ms Hanum’s email on 13th May 2024:
Sorry it took me a while to reply to your email. Apologies, I don’t have good update on Putra’s healing process.
I took Putra from the vet last Thursday. He didn’t look good. He has breathing difficulties which wasn’t there before I sent him to this vet. He didn’t eat well, he lost his weight from 2.1kg to 1.5kg. I had to syringe food for him. He also cannot lift his body to walk.
With that also he has 7 new boils on his upper lips, ears, and neck. The biggest wound still red and now smelly (sign of infection)
It could be the fungus extracting itself out or the medication dosage was altered/not enough during the stay.
He was prescribed Inox at both vets.
I’m taking Putra to another vet tomorrow if there’s option for him to be feeded using rice tube. Do you think at this stage feeding tube might help?
I also would like to ask if there’s any vet around Petaling Jaya who can issue me prescription to buy sporanox from pharmacy?
Thanks so much for checking on Putra.
I’m at the stage ready to support him with palliative care to cross the rainbow bridge if it is too much for him. However, I’m very much happy to help him fight the sporo.
Hope to hear from you soon.
We were naturally aghast and very concerned to hear that Putra had taken such a bad downturn. The first thing we did was to contact the vet whom we always recommend for sporo-cat treatment in the Klang Valley (but no boarding) and informed Ms Hanum that she could take Putra there for an evaluation. Hopefully Putra can still be saved. We also shared that usually, Sporanox (the original Itraconazole) yields much better results than the generic versions of the medication.
We have learnt a bitter lesson and we will not trust anything we read on news channels anymore, no matter how glorious the write-up.
We asked more and Ms Hanum explained further:
I did asked. Dr said it could be a relapse. I have him on Sporanox yesterday, recommended by the new vet I took him to.
As today, he looks much lively. He meowed when I entered his room. Doctor said just keep on feeding the RC recovery until he can eat on his own, no need rice tube.
Caring and AA’s pharmacist at Kelana Jaya asked for prescription. Lucky for Putra, the new vet helped bought the Sporanox for him yesterday.
Thanks for sharing the info on this other vet. I have made appointment on Friday.
Putra was there from 18 days – 23 April until 10 May. Yes, I have changed his medication to Sporanox now, get him fur and coat oil supplements, feed him RC recovery. On top of that he is supplemented with liver supplement and VetriDMG. I’m looking forward to see the vet you recommended as the one I brought Putra to is boutique vet, they don’t really cater for sporo.
Please don’t be sorry. I don’t think it is the bad of the vet where I boarded Putra. The first two weeks he was great (I attached the picture).
It could be the dosage. Because the first two weeks he was on medication+supplement prescribed by the first vet. And I extended the stay for 4 days due to work commitments, The boarding vet prescribed medication as per their standard treatment, not as the first vet’s prescription. And the last week he was there, he had infection in his nose and the inflammation causing him to loss his appetite. He needs more TLC which he did get since he’s a stray.
He did. He walks a bit. Although wobbly, it gives us hope! (please see the attached video). I see this as a great indicator he is fighting.
Thanks you so much for attending to all my queries.
Ms Hanum’s email on 16th May 2024:
Thank you so much for highlighting Putra’s case with the vets at the clinic you recommended. I’m very hopeful for the vet visit tomorrow. Putra is getting much better since yesterday, he pooped and peed, finished a can of RC recovery within 12 hours (but he still needs help with feeding due to the blister on his upper lip. Still walking wobbly.
I would say the deterioration started two days after Putra on medication (Inox and liver supplement) prescription by the boarding vet. At the same time he wasn’t supplemented with flu booster FluMax (which I totally understand as different vet has different protocols and procedures of treatment).
The fault is on my side too, I didn’t check with the clinic if there is any difference with the dosage they prescribed with initial dosage from the first vet.
Putra is doing better than the day I took him from the boarding vet but still far from his good condition when I took him from the first vet. I wish he can eat on his own soon. He never touched the food that I left for him in his room. It could be the inflammation in his nose causing him unable to smell the food.
I noted on Tiger case, and I hope it is the same for Putra. Putra is in his 30th day of treatment today. I rescued him on 15 April 2024.
Today is his 2nd day on Sporanox. The biggest wound looks 1/3 dried.
This picture from yesterday. I’ve started applying Lamisil on this site today. Let’s see in a week or two if it closes.
Thank you for your well wishes for Putra. May the Force is strong with him.
Thank you, I’m hoping this fever will subside soon. Also a blessing in disguise, I can work from home and feed Putra frequently.
Sure, I will keep in touch with you, Dr Chan. Your sharing is very helpful.
Ms Hanum’s email on 2nd June 2024, after two visits to the vet we recommended, and when Putra turned out to be Putri!
I’m so happy to share with you Putra’s progress.
We met with the vet you recommended twice now, Friday 17/5/2024 and last Saturday 1/6/2024. During initial visit, the vet informed us that Putra’s condition is not that severe but do need to address the infection on the biggest sporo wound. We were sent home with antiviral, antibiotic, immune supplement and a prescription to buy Sporanox.
I did mentioned to the vet that Putra needs assistance to eat. She tried offering Putra some solid food, he didn’t pick it up, so she use spoon to feed him, which he ate. So no more syringe feeding as he was able to eat solid wet food during the appointment.
On top of that, we were advised to
1. To add edible oil when feeding the Sporanox to Putra
2. Continue the VetriDMG
3. To get Putra to eat on his own
4. Stop applying the Lamisil, let Sporanox does its work systemically
5. Stop other supplement including the Yunnan Baiyao.
Putra’s progress from 17/5/2024 up until now (about 2 weeks), has greatly improved.
1. Gained weight steadily, he is now 2.6kg (his lowest weight recorded 1.5kg)
2. No more new sporo boil – 7 current boils are responsive to treatment
3. Left with only 1 open sporo wound
4. Eating on his own but need someone to company him
However, I also noticed in the past 2 weeks, Putra has his down part at least once a week where he didn’t have much appetite and had to be given smaller meals at shorter interval – I fed her every 3 hours during the day. The vet said it is normal for cats during the recovery period. There are ups and downs in their recovery progress.
He also still has the flu like situation whereby there’s a blister in his left nostril.
Here’s a funny story, last Saturday visit, we confirmed that Putra is not a boy but a girl. She was severely underweight that her butt cheeks looks like a tomcat balls sack even the two vets registered him as a male cat. As she gained her weight, I realised Putra is a girl. So, from now on she is Putri.
We were sent home with adjusted dosage of Sporanox, antibiotic and antiviral since Putri has gained weight.
I am thankful to you for sharing with me the vet’s contact. We’ve seen great improvement so far. Attached below the pictures of Putri’s progress so far.
There are a few more progress pictures of the blister wound on her nose and upper lip which I cannot attach here due to attachment limitations. I’ll share it next time.
I note here on the lessons learned from the Putri’s recovery journey
1. The antifungal must be Sporanox – expensive but effective.
1. The antifungal must be Sporanox – expensive but effective.
2. The recover is not linear, there are days the cat relapses, there are days the cat goes dull. It’s important to give extra care during the down time.
3. Spoon is a great tool to transition cat feeding from syringe to eating on their own.
Putri now can run and jump, no more wobbly walk. I’m grateful that it is very easy to feed her all the meds and supplements. She’s truly a fighter.
Again, immense thanks from Putri (formerly known as Putra) and I. We wish you a wonderful long weekend.
We asked for Ms Hanum’s consent to share Putra-Putri’s story:
No worries, I’m happy to share Putri’s story on your blog. I hope the sharing will help other pet caregivers/rescuers.
I hope you could highlight in the post, pet with sporo should be given medical attention not to be abandoned on their own. I don’t think Putri grew on the street, likely she was abandoned. She is so cooperative when taking her meds, not once she scratched me nor exhibit aggressive behaviour. She is litter trained too. It pains me to think how many days she went without food while harbouring the Sporo infection.
Kindness is infectious, may the sharing ‘infect’ others with kindness.
May the Force is always strong with you and your team at AnimalCare!
May the Force be with Putri, always.
We are so pleased that Putri is on the mend now. We applaud Ms Hanum for her tenacity and for not giving up on Putri. Kudos to Ms Hanum for all her efforts and caring.
To all caregivers of sporo-cats, please do not give up. Sporotrichosis in 98% curable; the treatment may take longer than other illnesses, but it IS curable.