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*This is not my cat, it's my neighbor's cat.*
But she has no computer, and no car, so I've taken her to the vet with him.
Two and a half-year-old neutered male cat. He eats kibble and some canned food daily. Not the best diet but she is on disability and can't afford top-shelf food. He is an indoor cat and has had the basic vaccinations, all about 18 months ago.
Easter weekend he stopped eating and became very lethargic. That Monday we took him to the vet. He was running a very high temp and had gone from 10 lbs to 8.5 lbs since his previous visit a year before. He is felv/fiv negative. Apart from the high temperature and weight loss, he seemed completely healthy - was grooming, hydrated, good teeth and gums, clean and clear ears and eyes, no palpable mass in the stomach, no diarrhea, no vomiting, his meowing is normal (I had thought of some sort of obstruction or polyps or something in his throat but the vet said unlikely since he didn't sound hoarse.)
So they gave him a shot of Dex and a course of antibiotics and several cans of some sort of SD prescription diet for GI upset. He perked up for a few days but then refused his kibble. I brought over some TOTW grain-free and he wouldn't touch that either. He has been eating less than a can of food per day. His stools, such as they are, have been normal and he is using his litter box.
Back to the vet last week; they did another exam and blood panel and sent it out to a lab for more comprehensive results.
Everything came back completely within normal limits except he was slightly anemic.
So he was sent home again with some high-calorie rx food and ten day's worth of appetite stimulant pills.
No difference.
Today my neighbor called very upset, he is being vocal and refusing to eat and very lethargic and today is somewhat dehydrated. I went and got him unflavored Pedialyte and she's syringing him with 3 ml every couple of hours. The poor kitty is very depressed and unhappy. I have a stethoscope and his gut is very quiet but of course he's barely been eating.
I'm taking them to the vet first thing in the morning, of course, but does anyone have any ideas on what might be going on? I don't know if this vet is missing something, or what. There are two vets at this practice and I am going to suggest that the junior vet (who has seen to this cat thus far) confer with the senior vet on this, in a nice way.
I'm thinking some sort of obstruction but were that the case I'd think there would be both diarrhea and vomiting.
Any ideas from you more experienced cat people?
I'm having a similar problem right now. A POSSIBLE, horrible, diagnosis could FIP. I'll let you 'search' it. I'm not ready to go there, again today. It's fatal.
I have encountered an increasing number of experienced, one doctor, veterinary practices, not clinics, that feel tests run by IDEXX are too broad in spectrum to be useful diagnosing cats. Many make their own slides, and run their own tests, but none of them use IDEXX.
An CBC IDEXX test, had missed Meeko's anemia (even though I was able to "diagnosed" it by observation) rare smudge/basket cells (cancer) and indications of pancreatitis, and dangerously low potassium.
As I understand it, there is no definitive test to diagnose FIP in a live cat.
Last edited by leanansidhex; 04-28-2013 at 04:07 PM..
Thanks, I hope I'm not dealing with it, and I'm pretty much a realist that can accept 'the worst' but there are [now] signs missing from a FIP diagnosis ... but then, What IS wrong? My new vet is really good at diagnosing, and he's seen a lot, but so far, he's not sure.
He diagnosed Meek correctly, ultrasound confirmed his diagnosis, with one blood test.
When we do figure it out I will post it in this thread, for sure, in case it helps your friends cat.
Would you do the same? Thank You.
Last edited by leanansidhex; 04-28-2013 at 04:31 PM..
Thanks, I'm hope I'm not dealing with it, and I'm pretty much a realist that can accept 'the worst' but there are [now] signs missing from a FIP diagnosis ... but then, What IS wrong? My new vet is really good at diagnosing, and he's seen a lot, but so far, he's not sure.
He diagnosed Meek correctly, ultrasound confirmed his diagnosis, with one blood test.
When we do figure it out I will post it in this thread, for sure, in case it helps your friends cat.
Would you do the same? Thank You.
Thank you, and yes I will definitely post updates.
My fingers crossed for your Meek, leanansidhex.
Billy Bob (my neighbor's cat) and my neighbor could also use some positive thoughts; he's a very nice tabby cat that she literally picked up off the street about two and a half years ago as a kitten and she adores him. I really want Billy Bob to be OK.
I'm thinking some sort of obstruction but were that the case I'd think there would be both diarrhea and vomiting.
Any ideas from you more experienced cat people?
I'm thinking a massive hairball or several hairballs. They wont usually show up in an x-ray.
Thank You, unfortunately Meeko had been in so much pain, the entire year and eight months, that I had him; and I suspect for Many years before that, that I had to let him go
I think a partial obstruction with a foreign object or hairball can be present without vomiting or diarrhea. A hairball or ingested fabric would show up on a barium x-ray but not necessarily a regular xray. Of course this testing is expensive and if he has swallowed a foreign object that isn't passing, that's going to be expensive as well. I hope they find something less serious! You're a good friend to this woman and her poor cat!
FIP was my first dreaded thought too, but usually there would be some fluid building up in the abdomen. And no, there is no real test on a live cat, short of opening him up and taking some tissue for biopsy.
Hairball is also a very real possibility. It will show up on an x ray as a mass. Sometimes hairballs require surgery to remove.
All paws crossed for this kitty.
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