Spot's sore is a bit down now. If it's not continuing to improve or something else goes wrong we need to get him to the vet, meanwhile it is being handled as if he were scratched against the needless syringe or as if it is an inflammatory problem (something very possible with "Mr. Post-ECE-Colitis-Man" -- with careful watching, soft food, and his pred being taken back to once every day for a 1/2 tablet. I learned from one source (don't know if the individual wants to be cited so not saying names) that the reports of palate sores vary way to widely to look like given illness to that person -- more like the sores are just being noted more when they happen in relation to other things, also that most if the animals involved seriously were already compromised by other illnesses. Learned from another that serious kidney problems can cause this (no other possible symptoms of that in Spot) and that palate sores do not tend to be associated with GI tract ulcerations. Had my own personal wonders about possible allergy causes -- since I know that blisters and blood blisters can happen as part of an allergic food reaction -- at least when there's anaphalexic shock since I don't know if they can happen with milder allergic reactions. Don't know if food intolerances can cause such symptoms. Maybe I'll try a bit of this and then a bit of that on him after he's looking better to check and see if any given one type of food is implicated. Heard from one person that an un-named other said something strange about someone having created the illness and released it, so hope it was not one of those horrid rumors, but was instead a really bad joke. (The person "implicated" couldn't find his/her way around a test tube and wouldn't know the difference between a virus and a bacterium, BTW. Oh, when I was talking with out vet I also asked about 'Chopper since we have to be prepared for her next increase in Furosemide (which will be to 1.2 ml 3x per day) since she's starting to slightly blow up again before her next dosing. Because my father has some large surgery coming up in a few months I had to know. Hanan (our vet) says she could go anytime or might last maybe 3 months, unless things change a lot, since she's been worsening steadily. (The symptoms are controllable and she's happy and comfortable -- but she's needing her meds adjusted VERY often now.) Most likely she's got about 6 weeks. If she is still around when Dad needs his surgery we've made very special arrangements for her care, and the others will have a ferret-knowledgable pet sitter. Sukie [Posted in FML issue 2385]