Is My Cat Dying?

katlady-18

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Mar 1, 2016
Messages
131
Purraise
139
I'm so sorry about your kitty's diagnosis. I know information on the disease is readily available but here's a link anyway: FIV and FeLV FAQs

"The virus does not live long outside of a cat host, so spreading FeLV via human clothing and hands is very unlikely. Thus, if a FeLV-positive cat is housed in a separate room from a FeLV-negative cat, it is not likely that transmission will occur (although it would still be wise not to share food bowls)." There's another article that states the virus can live outside the host for a few hours so I think it would be a good idea to wash your hands and change or disinfect clothes and shoes as someone else suggested.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #22

Toadywot

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
May 9, 2017
Messages
12
Purraise
6
I'm so sorry to read this update!
Leukemia is a death sentence to a cat, it might also open the door to other diseases. Most FeLV cats develop a lymphoma in the last stage. My cat Tom developed the FIP.
One thing that can slow down the leukemia is the interferon. Talk to your vet. Be aware that it may be very expensive!
Your vet was right in telling you to separate your two cats and giving a shot to Sissy, but the test he did told you how Sissy was six-seven months ago, not how she is now. You will know in a few months, with a further test, if Sissy has got FeLV too.
The only way to keep them separated is to confine one of the two in a room with all his/her things. You also should wash your hands and change your clothes and shoes every time you deal with Rambo. The virus can stick to clothes and shoes.
For the diarrhea I had found that the thing that worked best for my cat was a probiotic for babies, half a dose each day. All other remedies, prescribed by the vet and expensive, failed.
Again, I am deeply sorry for Rambo and for you. I know what you are going through.
Hugs!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #23

Toadywot

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
May 9, 2017
Messages
12
Purraise
6
I'm a tad confused....not quite understanding what is meant by

"but the test he did told you how Sissy was six-seven months ago, not how she is now. You will know in a few months, with a further test, if Sissy has got FeLV".

What happens in the interim of a few months? And how does the test done on Sissy shows how she WAS, not as she IS? Rambo has had this leukemia and diarrhea for over a year now and they've always been together. I guess what I'm asking is what do you see happening six or seven months from now.

I need help with the diarrhea desperately. Rambo will urinate in the litter box, but will not poop in it, even though he's been litter-trained for five years now. Instead he poops wherever on the floor in the kitchen, the hallway, the living room, you name it. It smells godawful and I've stepped in it more than once.....I have wood floors with those knothole thingys and it's difficult to discern the difference between those and the poop. I've tried chicken baby food, cooked chicken and rice, etc., hoping to curb the diarrhea.....I read Metamucil might help and gave him some unflavored Benefiber, but that seemed to make it worse. He's incredibly finicky; the only thing he'll eat with any enthusiasm are these lickable treats in the bisque type....he likes the gravy/sauce in canned food and doesn't care for the solid parts. Ideas?
 

Antonio65

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Feb 27, 2017
Messages
6,053
Purraise
9,672
Location
Orbassano - Italy
I'm a tad confused....not quite understanding what is meant by

"but the test he did told you how Sissy was six-seven months ago, not how she is now. You will know in a few months, with a further test, if Sissy has got FeLV".

What happens in the interim of a few months? And how does the test done on Sissy shows how she WAS, not as she IS? Rambo has had this leukemia and diarrhea for over a year now and they've always been together. I guess what I'm asking is what do you see happening six or seven months from now.
There's a time called "window period" that is when a disease gets into a body but doesn't reveals itself yet. In most disease, like FIV and FeLV, this window period is about six months. It's the same for humans.
What does it means?
It means that if a virus enters a body today and you have a test for that virus tomorrow or the next month, you won't see any reaction in the test. The tests look for antigens that won't be visible in the blood for the whole window period.
To have a proper response from the test you should wait for the window period to elapse, that is in a six or seven months time. That's why a snap test tells you how your cat was six months ago and not if your cat has been infected last week.

To be completely sure about the outcome of a test you would need to repeat it after some months from the first, or to wait at least six months after the suspect infective contact occured.

My sweet Lola (now at the Rainbow Bridge) was FIP+, we found that out in her last year of life. FIV needs direct contact with blood or other body fluids to spread.
Lola never interacted with my other cat until she developed an oral cancer and it started bleeding and some blood drops fell into the food and water bowls and the two cats used to swap bowls during the day.
The first contact with blood and my other cat could have occured in October last year. I had my other cat tested for FIV in May this year, seven months later. I wanted to make sure we were definitely out the window period. This cat resulted negative to the test.

I need help with the diarrhea desperately. Rambo will urinate in the litter box, but will not poop in it, even though he's been litter-trained for five years now. Instead he poops wherever on the floor in the kitchen, the hallway, the living room, you name it. It smells godawful and I've stepped in it more than once.....I have wood floors with those knothole thingys and it's difficult to discern the difference between those and the poop. I've tried chicken baby food, cooked chicken and rice, etc., hoping to curb the diarrhea.....I read Metamucil might help and gave him some unflavored Benefiber, but that seemed to make it worse. He's incredibly finicky; the only thing he'll eat with any enthusiasm are these lickable treats in the bisque type....he likes the gravy/sauce in canned food and doesn't care for the solid parts. Ideas?
Diarrhea can't be predicted or managed properly by a cat. Probably it happens so suddenly that he can't reach for the tray, or he associates the tray with his diarrhea and tries to avoid it.
My cat Lola had diarrhea for 8 days in a row, with up to 5 discharges a day. No med given to me by the doctors worked, so I eventually tried with a probiotic for humans and the diarrhea stopped in a day!
Be aware that some baby foods may contain some ingredients unsuitable for cats (onions, salt, potatoes, lemon juice, etc).
Be also aware that home cooked rice can have the opposite effect on cats.
You should boil the rice, then rinse it under tap water for a long time, then boil it again and wash it again.
This way the starch in the rice will be washed away.

Be patient and try different way and different proteins. Sometimes it can also be an intolerance to some food, even if he had eaten it for his whole life.
Best of luck!
 

Sarthur2

Cat lady extraordinaire
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Messages
35,986
Purraise
17,678
Location
Sunny Florida
You are right to be concerned. It sounds like Rambo needs to see the vet for anti-diarrheal meds and antibiotics. Can you get him in?
 

foxxycat

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 31, 2014
Messages
8,089
Purraise
13,358
Location
Honeybee on my lap, music playing in background
canned pumpkin- he doesn't need more fiber=it will just leak out- need something to firm the stools= vet visit with antibiotics/wormer etc and some canned pumpkin and probiotics. just becareful of no calorie sugar hidden in human stuff-those are deadly to cats. Artificial sweeteners can be disguised.

heres a list: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-drinks/artificial-sweeteners/

Most things don't have them but it's good to read labels to make sure no garlic/onions and artificial sweeteners. I don't think potatoes are bad for cats-its in many cat foods now. It's not good if diabetic but it's way better than corn meal.

also what are you feeding for food? some cats get diarrhea from corn products. it will be listed corn meal or corn.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #27

Toadywot

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
May 9, 2017
Messages
12
Purraise
6
Rambo is doing well under the circumstances, but his behavior is undergoing some changes. Of course there's his litter habits....I just don't understand why he can pee in the litter box, but poops on the floor outside of it. He squats for both, which seems to rule out pain as the cause. I use unscented scoopable litter, usually Cat's Pride or Tidycat, which he's used for five years. I'm at a loss and it's driving me crazy; sometimes I want to pinch his head head or scream and holler. Of course I don't; I realize he's not well and likely can't help it, then I feel max guilt, but the constant merry-go-round of cleanup has become a nightmare.....he just sprays poop everywhere. Walls, floors, appliances. They have diapers for monkeys, can't someone make them for cats? I've read several articles that suggested giving him Metamucil....I had some unflavored Benefiber and gave him one dose in his food; it seemed to make matters worse, so that was it. Wasn't sure how either was supposed to help quell the diarrhea, as it's supposed to help you go and Rambo needed no help in that department!

I have started giving him unflavored Pedialyte; apparently he has one heck of a nose because he refuses to drink it. I make sure there's no water available to him (dishwater, toilet, etc.) but had to resort to diluting the Pedialyte with water. It still seems distasteful to him, but he does drink it.

As far as food, I've tried boiled chicken, chicken livers, chicken broth, chicken baby food....he turns his nose up at all of it. The only thing he eats is the gravy in canned cat food and he adores the Hartz Delectables Bisque.....I call them licky-treats and they've proven instrumental when he has medicine to take. The vet said that was okay, but to refrain from giving him anything else except dry food; currently he's eating Hill's Healthy Advantage, but after five years of receiving a can of Friskies every morning, he's having a tough time adjusting to not getting it and the way he looks at me and begs gives me another case of the guilts. I've substituted one or two cat treats, but Rambo's no dummy and his pitiful look brings on the guilts again.

Then there's his social behavior.....seems for no reason at all he will growl and hiss at me for doing nothing more than walking past him. He'll give this yowl that sounds like you've stepped on his tail, followed by a low deep growl, then a hiss. It's disconcerting to say the least, but I'm guessing a cat can have bad days too.

I do so appreciate the suggestions and advice from everyone. I've had cats my entire life and never had any one of them with a serious illness, even those I had as a child; my mother would not allow veterinary care for "a bunch of alley cats". At age nine, I nursed the cat I'd received when I was five and she was a kitten through a huge abscess that burst and sat with her through the birth of many litters, not that she needed help....she just came to me when it was time....she and I were very bonded. Another I nursed through distemper; surprisingly (now, though I took it for granted then) he survived, though I think he was left a little brain-damaged and lost the normal agility and grace cats normally have. A grown male that was the offspring of my first cat got a damaged eye; it became infected and try as I might, it did not get better. Finally the grandfatherly gentlemen who lived across the street took him to the vet, where the eye was treated, but eventually sewn shut. It hit me a few years back that my mother could have been charged with animal neglect and it did have an effect on our relationship. And she did way worse.

Sorry, I get a little off-track sometimes when I write. But that was the extent of serious illnesses I've experienced in my animal family until Rambo, so forgive me if I seem to be clueless and doing everything wrong. My heart has been broken each time I lost a pet and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to keep them healthy and happy. Rambo is family and a very unique cat....he will leap into my arms so that I will walk the floor with him, just as you would a baby, then refuses to let me put him down. He plays fetch and that tickles me. It's my opinion that cat-haters have never experienced the blessing of having a cat, the different personalities they have. More so, they've never known the love of a cat. My significant other was a lifelong cat hater and allergic when we met; I had a Maine Coon named Merlin, who was twelve....I'd had him since he was five months old. My motto is "love me, love my cat". We began sharing a home in 2006; the allergies disappeared and he fell in love with Merlin....a very laid-back, easygoing cat....and even taught him to roll over. We lost Merlin at age seventeen and I think he was as heartbroken as I was. But it's a good example of how easily cats can convert the most die-hard cat hater!!
 

catcrazycanuck

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Jul 12, 2017
Messages
26
Purraise
38
Here are the ingredients for the Healthy Advantage:
Chicken, Brown Rice, Brewers Rice, Dried Egg Product, Pea Protein Concentrate, Pork Fat, Soy Protein Isolate, Chicken Meal, Pork Protein Isolate, Cracked Pearled Barley, Soybean Oil, Lactic Acid, Oat Fiber, Oat Groats, Chicken Liver Flavor, Calcium Sulfate, L-Lysine, DL-Methionine, Vegetable & fruit blend (Green Peas, Apples, Cranberries, Carrots, Broccoli), Potassium Chloride, Flaxseed, Choline Chloride, Iodized Salt, Taurine, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Phosphoric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Natural Flavors.

I'm sorry, but those ingedients are absolutely digusting.... rice as the second and third ingredient, pork fat, soy, barley, egg "product" !!!.. OMG. The fact that vets sell this stuff is proof they know nothing about nutrition. They go to seminars and learn to "drink the cool aid". Its very hard sell by these companies to brain wash the vets. Sadly I think for some vets it's not even about the money they make selling it. They beleive it, and their clients beleive their vets. They can't possibly read the ingredient list. Proof is right there clear as day.
My suggestion... Take him off this junk immediately and put him back on his canned that he likes. Read the ingredients of what you feed and stay away from wheat, corn, rice and certainly soy. Also not good are "by products" and "meals" which are random bits of unknown body parts. Probiotics are always good. If this alone doesn't help try pumpkin. Another option is raw, although not for everyone. It typically produces small, firm, odorless stool.
I'm so sorry you're going through this. It's terrible enough dealing with his illness, never mind all this cleaning. You'll both feel better if you can get his digestion issues sorted out.
 

catcrazycanuck

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Jul 12, 2017
Messages
26
Purraise
38
I know that came on strong. I am not blaming you. I used to listen to my vet, then people who told me dry was ok if it was grain and by product free. However, when Scribbles was on his death bed with IBD I started talking to more knowledgeable people and doing a lot of research. Get him off kibble. Feed raw or at least a good quality canned. It was either try those options or put him down. He was incredibly ill. Kibble left the house forever. Raw was tough as they wouldn't eat it at first but canned helped. It worked so quickly! NO medications. I switched vets when she lectured me. Best decision ever. It opened my eyes so much so I want to help others. Getting my cat off kibble (along with supplements and homeopathic remedies) saved his life and has given me another one and a half years I would not have had otherwise.
 
Top