Need Help Undiagnosed Foster

jessglanz

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Hi everyone. This is going to be a bit long, but please please hang in there. I’m pretty desperate.

I’m a foster parent, I foster kittens and cats and have seen a lot of stuff.
I walked into my vet one day and they showed me this 4 month old kitten who was left with them. I scooped him up and took him home!

I named him River and ended up bringing him back in the next day because he was feverish. We assumed it was stress because the initial blood work didn’t show anything and he was giving an antibiotic for good measure. He got better in a few days.

For some reason, I had a strange feeling and never pushed for him to be sent out for adoption (into a pet store) as soon as he was neutered etc. He ended up getting sick again.

Fast forward: I have had him in my care for almost 9 months. He has been on 4 different antibiotics. 4 fevers. Along with the fever he gets uncontrollable diarrhea. Sometimes it’s just a little too soft, and sometimes he literally cannot control it coming out. He has cried in pain while in the litter box. We did a full diarrhea panel on him, and he came back negative for everything.

He also pukes. Like last night, he was puking every hour. Then he won’t for days, weeks, months. Sometimes it’s food, sometimes it’s bile, sometimes it’s just foamy water.

I’m at such a loss. The vets are at a loss. On paper, he looks fine. The antibiotics “fix” the fever every time. The diarrhea comes and goes regardless of what his diet is.

We have tried everything. Diet change, plain diets, pumpkin, probiotics, metamucil, deworming. Those are just what I can think of off the top of my head here.

He is the most loving, goofy, cuddly boy who deserves the most amazing forever home. He turns 1 this month, but there’s no way he’s being adopted until I figure this out.

Please remember that all vet care is through a rescue, so I unfortunately do not make all of the calls.

Any thoughts are greatly appreciated. Picture attached because he’s cute.
 

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jessglanz

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I should also add:

He always has an appetite and drinks water.
 

denice

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I really have no idea, hopefully someone who also does rescue will have some ideas. I know the unexplained fevers is part of FIP but the other things don't fit. With FIP the fevers don't respond to antibiotics and they are usually accompanied with anorexia. It could still be the dry FIP, that seems to have a variety of different symptoms and it is impossible to definitively diagnose.
 

di and bob

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I have had cats that end up with frequent diarrhea and it is almost always tied to the diet. I have had several that get bloody diarrhea from too many treats! Stop the treats, stop the diarrhea and puking! you may want to experiment with different diets for longer periods of time. One diet until he flares up again. Start with bland turkey and chicken, switch to beef, and lastly fish. The problem with fish is that it is often highly allergic and is in a lot of products that claim to be something else, so check labels carefully.
Coccidia IS another diarrhea maker that is often hard to diagnose and even harder to cure. Have you tried the course of treatment for it just to see if it works?
He may be reinfecting himself from bacterias, viruses that are present in his environment. Make sure to wash all bedding, (i would lay small blankets where ever he sleeps) in bleach and hot water, clean all his surroundings with an antibacterial cleanser. If at all possible, diluted bleach.
You will be blessed for helping this sweet baby, and caring for him, it can't be easy. I'll pray for him to get better, he has been through enough. My thoughts are with you, keep us posted!
 

caro2000

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Hi everyone. This is going to be a bit long, but please please hang in there. I’m pretty desperate.

I’m a foster parent, I foster kittens and cats and have seen a lot of stuff.
I walked into my vet one day and they showed me this 4 month old kitten who was left with them. I scooped him up and took him home!

I named him River and ended up bringing him back in the next day because he was feverish. We assumed it was stress because the initial blood work didn’t show anything and he was giving an antibiotic for good measure. He got better in a few days.

For some reason, I had a strange feeling and never pushed for him to be sent out for adoption (into a pet store) as soon as he was neutered etc. He ended up getting sick again.

Fast forward: I have had him in my care for almost 9 months. He has been on 4 different antibiotics. 4 fevers. Along with the fever he gets uncontrollable diarrhea. Sometimes it’s just a little too soft, and sometimes he literally cannot control it coming out. He has cried in pain while in the litter box. We did a full diarrhea panel on him, and he came back negative for everything.

He also pukes. Like last night, he was puking every hour. Then he won’t for days, weeks, months. Sometimes it’s food, sometimes it’s bile, sometimes it’s just foamy water.

I’m at such a loss. The vets are at a loss. On paper, he looks fine. The antibiotics “fix” the fever every time. The diarrhea comes and goes regardless of what his diet is.

We have tried everything. Diet change, plain diets, pumpkin, probiotics, metamucil, deworming. Those are just what I can think of off the top of my head here.

He is the most loving, goofy, cuddly boy who deserves the most amazing forever home. He turns 1 this month, but there’s no way he’s being adopted until I figure this out.

Please remember that all vet care is through a rescue, so I unfortunately do not make all of the calls.

Any thoughts are greatly appreciated. Picture attached because he’s cute.
 

kommunity kats

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I am thinking 'Giardia' may be the culprit, even if tests for it have been negative.
Giardia is very difficult to diagnose! Symptoms can be intermitant, and
testing for it usually has to be done repeatedly before signs are discovered. . . .

Tho often no vomiting is listed with its usual symptoms, I found one site that includes vomiting:


"Symptoms of Giardia Infection: diarrhea; weight loss; vomiting; bloody stool; gas and flatulence; stools which float and are greasy; ineffective digestive processes; cramps; halitosis (bad breath); nausea; leaky gut.

"Any diarrhoea that persists beyond five days warrants examination of the stool for evidence of parasites such as Giardia."

"GIARDIA"
www.askanaturopath.com/faqs/giardia/p/442


"The giardia parasite is microscopic . . . can *not* be seen with the naked eye.

"There are a few things you should know about giardia testing.
One is that parasite testing done in-house (at your vet’s office) rather than at an independent laboratory
is not nearly as accurate. Estimates are that up to 30 percent of in-house tests return a *false* negative. . . .

"National veterinary labs [examples of 2] use standardized equipment that returns consistently reliable results, so if you’re having your pet tested for giardia, I recommend asking your vet whether he or she tests in-house or sends samples out for analysis.

"Another tricky issue with diagnosing giardia is that the parasite is *not* shed every time your pet poops. [So] there can be cyst-free stool samples from *infected* animals. If one of these samples happens to be the one collected for analysis, it won’t show any evidence of giardia, even though your pet is infected.

"I recommend an ELISA or PCR test for giardia for *any* pet with a history of GI issues.
A fecal ELISA or PCR test is preferable to a fecal flotation test because it checks for the presence of giardia antigens. A fecal float only detects giardia cysts, which may or may not be in the particular stool sample being tested. . . ."

"Be Aware: This Is One Parasite You CAN Get from Your Pet"
Giardia Infection: The Root Cause of Chronic GI Issues


"Because of the on-again, off-again nature of loose stools associated with giardia,
many pet owners assume [their pet] got into something [they] shouldn't have, or had a meal that didn't agree with [them]. . . .

"A giardia infection interferes with digestion and inhibits absorption of nutrients from the diet.
It can also damage the lining of the intestine. . . .

"I see a lot of referrals . . . for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Many of these patients have a history of being giardia-positive as puppies or kittens.

"I also see a number of pets with chronic diarrhea, malabsorption and other digestive issues
who end up being giardia-positive. . . .

"If your pet is suffering from chronic diarrhea, make sure you ask for a fecal antigen test
in addition to a regular fecal float. . . ."


"Giardia: Could Your Pet Be Harboring This Miserable Little Parasite?"
- "Dog and Cat Owner's Guide: Giardia"
Giardia | Don't Let This Parasite Ruin Your Pet's Health


I found out, when my dog (of 70 lbs) got Giardia, that there are at least 3 natural remedies for it:
Coconut oil; MSM; &, GrapeFruit Seed Extract. She would not swallow the vet's pills, so I looked online, &
I happened to have all 3 on hand, so gave her all 3 together for a week, while increasing her meals.
She put the 10 lbs she'd lost back on by the end of that week.

Cats often like Coconut oil enough to eat it plain. Some people mix it in their food,
while others just put a dollup of C.O. next to it, for them to eat when they feel the urge.
GrapeFruit Seed Extract -&- MSM are each bitter tasting,
so should be camouflaged...the extract hidden within a treat rather than a meal.
 
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kommunity kats

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This quote is from another article by Dr. Karen Becker, a proactive and integrative wellness veterinarian:

". . . At the veterinary clinic ... broad spectrum dewormers are given to infected animals at regular intervals until 16 weeks. At the end of the 16 weeks, the pets are re-checked to see if the parasites are gone.

"But here’s the issue: if the specific parasite isn’t identified, it may not be killed by a broad spectrum dewormer.
So pets wind up with several weeks of unnecessary medication that doesn’t even solve the problem.

"Many dogs I see at my Natural Pet hospital have been dewormed three or four times but are still having problems. When I check fecal samples for these pups, I often find they are Coccidia or Giardia-positive.
Broad spectrum dewormers don’t take care of these particular parasites.

Giardia, for example, causes intermittent diarrhea and chronic low-grade inflammation of the GI tract.
It is not responsive to the dewormers most vets prescribe. . . ."

"The Hidden Inflammatory Bowel Disease That Threatens Your Pet's Well-Being"
- IBD and Leaky Gut
- IBD Leads to Secondary Infections, Organ Degeneration, Nutritional Deficiencies and Even Cancer
- A Common Cause of IBD – GI Parasites
- Another Root Cause – Antibiotics and Steroids
- A Third Culprit: Food Intolerance
- Testing for IBD
- Dietary Recommendations for IBD
Inflammatory Bowel Disease May Threaten Your Pet's Well-Being
 

sadiesdad

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I thought of IBD too... My girl Sadie had been in an animal hospital for over a week, and they couldn't find what was wrong with her. Finally found a cat vet in the next town, within a week, she sent a test to a lab in California, and said this should show, she either has cancer or IBD. It turned out to be IBD, but my poor girl's age and weakened condition, she couldn't make a come back. She started out with diarrhea, and throwing up foam. She was always hungry, but couldn't keep her food down, she couldn't even drink a lot of water at once, or it would come back up.
 

Brian007

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I recommend your deworming him again with both tapeworm and roundworm medicines, as all of his symptoms point to worms. Symptoms may come and go, and be hard to diagnose. You might as well ask the rescue to give the go-ahead on double deworming again just in case they are to blame. It could, of course, be something else but I'd double deworm anyway, just to be sure.

Does he have any other 'symptoms', anything at all?

kommunity kats kommunity kats , I am the last person to normally pull someone up on their herbal medicine advice but grapefruit is a particularly contraindicated substance that I would not advise any person or animal to take. I, personally, absolutely love grapefruit juice but cannot have any as it's a lethal combination with the prescription medicine that I regularly take. And, besides its lethal interaction with other (medicinal) substances, it's also quite a common thing for toxicity and overdose. Unfortunately. Good on you for flying the herbal medicine flag, though.

I wish everyone's pets the best of health.

:grouphug:
 

Mamanyt1953

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And bear in mind that worms can hide in the intestinal folds and not be eradicated with one worming. It can take several to get all of the nasty little beggars.
 
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