Steatitis

On Wed, 30 Jul 2003 15:54:06 +0000, Hillary Israeli wrote:
causing a lot of necrosis of fat
throughout the body, abdomen, subcutis, etc. The result is, you get this very
distinctive gross and histologic appearance.

Thank you Hillary - this has been a very important clue. I've known that
necrosis is often associated with steatitis, and have assumed that's what I've
been seeing. I don't know the difference between necrosis and gangrene, but
assume that there is a distinction.

Anyway, a little research has turned up the fact that one of the symptoms of gas
gangrene is _acute anemia_! If Bubba developed a necrotic situation as a result
of the steatitis, in an area where there isn't much blood flow to begin with,
then it seems to me that it could easily progress to full-blown gangrene,
resulting in acute anemia, which is now the primary concern.

Without being familiar with the history of this condition, and probably having
little experience with steatitis, this vet, as good as he is, is assuming that
the gangrene is a result of the anemia rather than, quite possibly, the other
way around.

He said that a transfusion would probably get Bubba through the surgery, but it
would be pointless if Bubba isn't producing red blood cells properly due to a
serious underlying condition. I'm going to press for the surgery regardless of
the last test result. A ray of hope . . .

Steve

So many of you have replied with valuable information, advice and well wishes.
Please forgive me for not replying individually - it's been a very rough week,
but I truly appreciate that you have all taken the time.

The current update:
Bubba is having surgery tomorrow morning. We don't have all the facts yet
regarding possible cancer, etc., but realized that he certainly won't survive
the vile mess on his belly for much longer. I think the vet has been very
conservative in his assessment and recommendations, which is understandable
given that we have had no previous relationship.

While I certainly respect his instinct that an underlying condition caused the
anemia, which in turn caused the gangrene, my instinct is that the steatitis (in
combination with the naturally limited bloodflow in a large fat pad) caused the
gangrene, which in turn caused the anemia. I apologized for being pushy about
it, and his response indicated to me that he probably thought I made the right
decision.

I guess at this point I'm sort of writing a diary here, but in addition to
keeping you all updated, I'm hoping that someone will someday find Bubba's story
helpful.

Thanks all.

Steve

So many of you have replied with valuable information, advice and well wishes.
Please forgive me for not replying individually - it's been a very rough week,
but I truly appreciate that you have all taken the time.

The current update:
Bubba is having surgery tomorrow morning. We don't have all the facts yet
regarding possible cancer, etc., but realized that he certainly won't survive
the vile mess on his belly for much longer. I think the vet has been very
conservative in his assessment and recommendations, which is understandable
given that we have had no previous relationship.

While I certainly respect his instinct that an underlying condition caused the
anemia, which in turn caused the gangrene, my instinct is that the steatitis (in
combination with the naturally limited bloodflow in a large fat pad) caused the
gangrene, which in turn caused the anemia. I apologized for being pushy about
it, and his response indicated to me that he probably thought I made the right
decision.

I guess at this point I'm sort of writing a diary here, but in addition to
keeping you all updated, I'm hoping that someone will someday find Bubba's story
helpful.

Thanks all.

Steve

in article , Steve Gass at
wrote on 7/30/03 9:46 PM:

So many of you have replied with valuable information, advice and well wishes.
Please forgive me for not replying individually - it's been a very rough week,
but I truly appreciate that you have all taken the time.

The current update:
Bubba is having surgery tomorrow morning. We don't have all the facts yet
regarding possible cancer, etc., but realized that he certainly won't survive
the vile mess on his belly for much longer. I think the vet has been very
conservative in his assessment and recommendations, which is understandable
given that we have had no previous relationship.

While I certainly respect his instinct that an underlying condition caused the
anemia, which in turn caused the gangrene, my instinct is that the steatitis
(in
combination with the naturally limited bloodflow in a large fat pad) caused
the
gangrene, which in turn caused the anemia. I apologized for being pushy about
it, and his response indicated to me that he probably thought I made the right
decision.

I guess at this point I'm sort of writing a diary here, but in addition to
keeping you all updated, I'm hoping that someone will someday find Bubba's
story
helpful.

Thanks all.

Steve

Please keep us updated. I will pray that surgery goes well, but I know we
all understand how serious this is and a worry for you.

Karen

in article , Steve Gass at
wrote on 7/30/03 9:46 PM:

So many of you have replied with valuable information, advice and well wishes.
Please forgive me for not replying individually - it's been a very rough week,
but I truly appreciate that you have all taken the time.

The current update:
Bubba is having surgery tomorrow morning. We don't have all the facts yet
regarding possible cancer, etc., but realized that he certainly won't survive
the vile mess on his belly for much longer. I think the vet has been very
conservative in his assessment and recommendations, which is understandable
given that we have had no previous relationship.

While I certainly respect his instinct that an underlying condition caused the
anemia, which in turn caused the gangrene, my instinct is that the steatitis
(in
combination with the naturally limited bloodflow in a large fat pad) caused
the
gangrene, which in turn caused the anemia. I apologized for being pushy about
it, and his response indicated to me that he probably thought I made the right
decision.

I guess at this point I'm sort of writing a diary here, but in addition to
keeping you all updated, I'm hoping that someone will someday find Bubba's
story
helpful.

Thanks all.

Steve

Please keep us updated. I will pray that surgery goes well, but I know we
all understand how serious this is and a worry for you.

Karen

The high amount of polyunsaturated fats overwhelms the normal
antioxidant abilities of vit E and selenium to scavenge free radicals,
free radicals cause peroxidation of lipid membranes, leading to sort of a
cascading problem, where walls of cells are broken down, causing a lot of
necrosis of fat throughout the body, abdomen, subcutis, etc. The result
is, you get this very distinctive gross and histologic appearance. For
pathology buffs.... because you have all this necrosis, and sort of self
digestion, you get a secondary inflammatory infiltrate of neutrophils and
macrophages, and
characteristic deposition of ceroid, a type of lipofuscin, whcih is a type
of broken down membrane. The ceroid is acid fast, so you can stain for it.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids are themselves antioxidants, neutralizing
(scavenging) free radicals just as vitamin E, C, A, beta-carotene,
etc. How do they interfere with the antioxidant properties of vitamin
E?

The high amount of polyunsaturated fats overwhelms the normal
antioxidant abilities of vit E and selenium to scavenge free radicals,
free radicals cause peroxidation of lipid membranes, leading to sort of a
cascading problem, where walls of cells are broken down, causing a lot of
necrosis of fat throughout the body, abdomen, subcutis, etc. The result
is, you get this very distinctive gross and histologic appearance. For
pathology buffs.... because you have all this necrosis, and sort of self
digestion, you get a secondary inflammatory infiltrate of neutrophils and
macrophages, and
characteristic deposition of ceroid, a type of lipofuscin, whcih is a type
of broken down membrane. The ceroid is acid fast, so you can stain for it.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids are themselves antioxidants, neutralizing
(scavenging) free radicals just as vitamin E, C, A, beta-carotene,
etc. How do they interfere with the antioxidant properties of vitamin
E?

I'm so sorry. Prayers for Bubba and for your family. It's obvious he was
well loved.

Karen

"Steve Gass" wrote in message
news
I am very sorry to have to report this, but we eased Bubba's passage at
around
10:00 this morning. The vet went to give him a pill last night, and the
skin
literally tore off of his neck, a strong indicator of Cushing's disease.
The
steroids may very well have played a role, although I find it difficult to
believe that such a drastic symptom would have manifested after about 4
weeks of
minimal steroid use. I didn't ask, but will sometime.

At this point, I would also like to express my thanks to, and record my
highest
recommendations for, the doctors and staff at Smoketown Veterinary
Hospital in
Smoketown, PA. It is obvious that Bubba ended up in the most
compassionate,
gentle and competent hands he could have been in, and he knew it, too. In
stark
contrast to the other vet, he calmly laid on his back, kneading, as the
doctors
examined him. The experience has taken a bit of the edge off of my grief.

We will miss Bubba. He was a wonderful creature.

Steve

I'm so sorry. Prayers for Bubba and for your family. It's obvious he was
well loved.

Karen

"Steve Gass" wrote in message
news
I am very sorry to have to report this, but we eased Bubba's passage at
around
10:00 this morning. The vet went to give him a pill last night, and the
skin
literally tore off of his neck, a strong indicator of Cushing's disease.
The
steroids may very well have played a role, although I find it difficult to
believe that such a drastic symptom would have manifested after about 4
weeks of
minimal steroid use. I didn't ask, but will sometime.

At this point, I would also like to express my thanks to, and record my
highest
recommendations for, the doctors and staff at Smoketown Veterinary
Hospital in
Smoketown, PA. It is obvious that Bubba ended up in the most
compassionate,
gentle and competent hands he could have been in, and he knew it, too. In
stark
contrast to the other vet, he calmly laid on his back, kneading, as the
doctors
examined him. The experience has taken a bit of the edge off of my grief.

We will miss Bubba. He was a wonderful creature.

Steve

"Steve Gass" wrote in message
news
I am very sorry to have to report this, but we eased Bubba's passage at
around
10:00 this morning. The vet went to give him a pill last night, and the
skin
literally tore off of his neck, a strong indicator of Cushing's disease.

.........oh geez, I am so sorry, such a long road. My condolences to you and
your family.

You might want to visit this site, which gives me comfort still (especially
the book excerpts from (My Cat Saved My Life
http://www.mycatsavedmylife.com/Textonly.html ) for all the 4 footed
friends who have passed through my house:
http://www.griefhealing.com/Granimallovers.htm

my highest
recommendations for, the doctors and staff at Smoketown Veterinary
Hospital in
Smoketown, PA. It is obvious that Bubba ended up in the most
compassionate,
gentle and competent hands he could have been in

..........Now that you have a wonderful vet, I hope you'll have many more
kitties pass into your life.

We who choose to surround ourselves
with lives even more temporary than our own
live within a fragile circle, easily and often breached.
Unable to accept its awful gaps,
we still would live no other way.
We cherish memory as the only certain immortality,
never fully understanding the necessary plan.

-- Irving Townsend, in The Once Again Prince

buglady
take out the dog before replying