Well, that all sucks, so happy he's there. And, it's great that you have done such a great job training him, so that he will be a good patient. Good patients get better nursing care than monsters who bite.

So he has FUO= fever of unknown origin, and they are looking for the cause.
You might ask, "what is your working differential diagnosis?", a way of asking,
so, what are you thinking? - if ultrasound and Xray aren't diagnostic. Have them give you their long and short list.

You could mention that Oscar has fans worldwide, watching for this outcome. It's true, look at the posts, Tenn, Va, Vermont, Minnesota,Canada-that's just on page 5.Bet Ram's watching in India.

All jokes aside, we are all thinking of you, hoping for the best.

Hope he's well soon Natalya.

Things are getting weirder and weirder. His fever just won't stay down - it goes down, then spikes again as soon as they take him off fluids, and pain meds don't seem to have any effect on it. The ultrasound showed zero problems with his abdomen, but they confirmed something that the x-rays found - he's got a mass in one of his lungs. I'm told this is not uncommon with pneumonia, but this mass doesn't look like a typical pneumonia mass - in all the doc's experience, this would have to be a very abnormal looking mass if it's related to pneumonia. Also, if he had pneumonia, his WBC count should be very high, and his isn't (in fact he's always had a naturally below average WBC count).

The other thing the x-ray found was some sort of little air pocket between his windpipe and his lung. I still don't think I understand how it works, but apparently this can be caused by numerous things, including gagging on sticks/foreign objects, throwing up, even a rough physical struggle - the latter 2 I have not observed recently, but we did play a little 'catch me if you can' with sticks in the days prior to his getting sick. Perhaps he got a little overzealous and sucked a bit of bark down?

The doc is still reluctant to flat rule out tick diseases, and there is a very small chance that the mass in his lungs is... the scary kind... but her 2 hunches are pneumonia or a foreign body in his lung that's causing infection. It's all too weird and scary - I feel like I'm on an episode of House and every time we think we've found the problem, the scenario changes...

We decided to add another antibiotic now and see if things are at all different in the morning. If it's pneumonia, perhaps it'll start to subside. If there's no change, we try to investigate the mass - bronchoscopy MIGHT get a better view, though might not - or aspiration, which carries a small risk of air escaping through the hole they poke in his lung - or MRI, which I'm pretty sure costs about as much as a small car. I'm feeling like it's a foreign body, because of the acuteness of the whole thing, and the air pocket/lung mass combo, but the vet doesn't seem to want to put her confidence in one thing over another because the whole thing just isn't a "classic" example of anything she's seen. Splendid.

I think I need to go to the gym like right now - if I don't start burning nervous energy I'm going to completely fall apart.

~Natalya

Add Washington to the list of places that are thinking positive, healing thoughts for Oscar, and of course you, Natalya!

Wow, this is so awful, I don't even know what to say....except my heart goes out to you. This is awful for you & Oscar. Try to stay strong.

At the very least, you know that he is in very capable hands & that really helps. They will figure it out & what steps should be taken to heal him.

Sending only good thoughts & prayers your way.

I'm so sorry Natalya. It's certainly not what anyone wants to hear. Please keep us updated. I'm certainly hoping for the best for you both.

Internet hugs to you and Oscar from me and my pack. Drift sends sloppy kisses

-Kel (and Toni, Caterina, Drift, Shyner, and Tyra)

A foreign body in the airway would produce really bad breath, the first symptom you noticed. It fits with the sudden onset too.
The white count might not be up if most of his WBC are in the lung trying to deal with the problem.
They found the focus of the fever, that is good. Let's hope the new antibiotics
help.
Thinking of you.

Oh Natalya, I just started reading this thread...good thoughts to you and Oscar from New Jersey.

Natalya I am really sorry to hear that things are still not quite resolved. I hope the new round of different antibiotics will help Oscar and that you will find out definitively the real source of this infection.

Just know we all are thinking of you and wishing for the best possible outcome for Oscar.
I know it is hard, but hang in there. Sending more healing wishes for Oscar!