- Joined
- Jul 29, 2021
- Messages
- 5
- Purraise
- 8
A bit of background - Pixie is my (I think) nearly 8 years old female cat. She was a rescue and had two homes prior to me. I say I think because I’ve never been 100% sure about her age. She has always been a fussy eater from day one, and a bit of a sicky cat. Her weight has fluctuated over the years, but nothing of concern. She was otherwise healthy until April/May this year.
She started to lose weight and wasn’t eating a lot. This isn’t unusual, but she didn’t start eating properly again. It was a gradual process her losing weight and I eventually took her to the vets early June. My vet is a very experienced vet of 40 years now. He initially suspected an overactive thyroid. Took blood tests and all came back normal except raised globulin and albumin levels. Suspected either a lymphoma or IBD and started her on 5mg of prednisolone and recommended scans. The pred kick started her appetite almost immediately and she was back to her old self. Had scans done - X-ray and ultrasound. No masses etc found, but a slightly thickened stomach lining and bowel. She was okay until around first week of July. She stopped eating again, and although she is mostly a house cat due to a leg injury, she goes into my garden and would go out to eat grass then take herself back upstairs and hide in wardrobe. Vet suggested omaprazole, but unfortunately I couldn’t get the tablets in, so we put pred up to 10mg. Vet has been suspicious of dry FIP but not all symptoms correlate and the test isn’t conclusive. She hasn’t responded to the 10mg, and this has been brought back down to 5mg along with now metronidazole. She had her bloods repeated this week and everything is now normal including her globulin and albumin.
She now weighs only 3.45, is eating very minimal, and today she has started to have problems with her back legs and balance, although she has perked up this evening and the leg issues aren’t so bad.
I honestly don’t know what to do. She is otherwise happy, her eyes are bright, her fur is healthy, her teeth are good, she’s still drinking etc but she’s lethargic and quiet. The vet has offered another scan free of charge to look at the thickened stomach lining again, but I don’t know if I want to do this if it’s not going to give me a conclusive answer as she seems frail. Vet is also hesitant to do biopsies as it’s so invasive and if it is lymphoma or IBD she is already on steroids which is usually first line of treatment.
I am desperate here. My dad died 6 years ago at my parents house when I was living there. I didn’t want to come home as it just reminded me of his death, I then got her and wanted to come home. She is my saviour and I don’t know what I will do without her. I’m not going to be cruel and keep her going for my own sake if she can’t move properly, but I think I would find this easier to process if I knew what it was. My vet is just a dumbfounded as I am and we’ve called her the ‘symptomless cat’ as apart from the not eating, there’s nothing wrong with her. Can anyone give me any ideas as to what it could be? Thank you.
She started to lose weight and wasn’t eating a lot. This isn’t unusual, but she didn’t start eating properly again. It was a gradual process her losing weight and I eventually took her to the vets early June. My vet is a very experienced vet of 40 years now. He initially suspected an overactive thyroid. Took blood tests and all came back normal except raised globulin and albumin levels. Suspected either a lymphoma or IBD and started her on 5mg of prednisolone and recommended scans. The pred kick started her appetite almost immediately and she was back to her old self. Had scans done - X-ray and ultrasound. No masses etc found, but a slightly thickened stomach lining and bowel. She was okay until around first week of July. She stopped eating again, and although she is mostly a house cat due to a leg injury, she goes into my garden and would go out to eat grass then take herself back upstairs and hide in wardrobe. Vet suggested omaprazole, but unfortunately I couldn’t get the tablets in, so we put pred up to 10mg. Vet has been suspicious of dry FIP but not all symptoms correlate and the test isn’t conclusive. She hasn’t responded to the 10mg, and this has been brought back down to 5mg along with now metronidazole. She had her bloods repeated this week and everything is now normal including her globulin and albumin.
She now weighs only 3.45, is eating very minimal, and today she has started to have problems with her back legs and balance, although she has perked up this evening and the leg issues aren’t so bad.
I honestly don’t know what to do. She is otherwise happy, her eyes are bright, her fur is healthy, her teeth are good, she’s still drinking etc but she’s lethargic and quiet. The vet has offered another scan free of charge to look at the thickened stomach lining again, but I don’t know if I want to do this if it’s not going to give me a conclusive answer as she seems frail. Vet is also hesitant to do biopsies as it’s so invasive and if it is lymphoma or IBD she is already on steroids which is usually first line of treatment.
I am desperate here. My dad died 6 years ago at my parents house when I was living there. I didn’t want to come home as it just reminded me of his death, I then got her and wanted to come home. She is my saviour and I don’t know what I will do without her. I’m not going to be cruel and keep her going for my own sake if she can’t move properly, but I think I would find this easier to process if I knew what it was. My vet is just a dumbfounded as I am and we’ve called her the ‘symptomless cat’ as apart from the not eating, there’s nothing wrong with her. Can anyone give me any ideas as to what it could be? Thank you.