Ibd Or Intestinal Lymphoma

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WinniesMomma

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I have been trying (have to weigh myself and then hold her and weigh again), so not totally accurate. It seems to stay about the same. And when I brought her to the vet last week for the first shot, they confirmed she was the same weight as the last visit. I was debating on getting a baby/pet scale for more of an accurate reading.
 

daftcat75

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I weigh Krista the same way. Me first, then her plus me.

Every Monday morning, "Can I borrow you for a moment?" "Okay, one more reading." "Alright, we're done. Let's go get a treat and breakfast."

I thought about a baby scale but they're big, and I don't need that kind of stress. As long as the trend is stable or rising, I try not to mind the 0.1 or 0.2 lbs of uncertainty.
 
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WinniesMomma

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:) True, that makes sense!
 
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WinniesMomma

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Poor Winnie had stomach rumbles yesterday, with a small food/liquid vomit. (Nothing like she used to, thank goodness!) She ate a bit a few times earlier but now doesn't want her early evening meal. She did take her treat with prednisolone, at least. Hopefully after her nap she will have an appetite later.
 
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WinniesMomma

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Update on Winnie - I will be picking up her pred refill tomorrow. I spoke with another vet yesterday and she said because Winnie is stable weight-wise, but not gaining, she wants her to try a different food..a hypoallergenic food I believe she said. She also is going to give me some Cerenia to have on hand, versus the Mirtazapine for when Winnie's stomach is bothering her. (A different vet said he didn't like to give that unless the cat vomits. But if her stomach is rumbling and she is uncomfortable and hesitant to eat, I would think an anti-nausea makes sense.) Speak of the devil, and I get home and her stomach is rumbling. :( So hopefully it will pass after she rests like it normally does.
 

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I'm confused. Mirtazapine is an appetite stimulant (technically an antidepressant with an appetite stimulatant side-effect.) Why would you give it for nausea? Cerenia is good for preventing vomiting and it may have some anti-inflammatory action too. It can also cause reduced appetite in some cats. That's something to be aware of.

How is she overall now? Is she getting B-12 shots? She won't gain weight without them. Is she eating enough? Because she's got IBD, the inflammation in her gut (and the vomiting) will reduce her digestive efficiency. She will need to eat more than she would if she didn't have IBD to get the same nutrition. So stable weight is great news. Now where can more calories be added? Can she eat larger portions or is she at her limit? Can you give her an extra meal? Can you give her smaller tweener meals (snacks between meals that don't tax her as much as a full meal)?

My tiny 8 lbs fur pig was needing 8 oz a day (about 220-240 calories) to gain weight. She's been stable since her most recent dental a few weeks ago. It took her some time to get used to her new mouth but I think she should start gaining again. We're currently targeting 7 oz for now (6 meals @ 33 grams) until she can eat larger meal portions. I do sneak her the occasional tweener but I also want to get her back on a schedule. I'd like to get her back to 4 meals @ 2 oz per meal. I'd also like some of that to be homemade in case something ever happens to Rawz and she can't eat it anymore.
 
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WinniesMomma

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The vet gave me the mirtazapine for when she wasn't eating. But yeah, I saw it as her not eating due to stomach nausea, not because she needed an appetite stimulant. So that is why I am glad I ended up getting Cerenia for her instead.

She is getting the B12 shots..in fact she is due for one so I will be doing that shortly.

When I am gone for the day she gets several smaller meals by an automatic feeder. She will still act hungry, I believe due to the steroids. I get worried about giving her too much at once or too often due to her not digesting as easily, as well as the steroids having the potential to cause diabetes. She gets one in the morning, then 4 while I am gone, and then normally two more before bedtime.
 
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WinniesMomma

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Winnie got some fluids, a Cerenia injection, Famotidine injection, and Mirtazapine at her vet's today. She started cleaning in her carrier after, which I saw as her starting to feel better. She also ate food when she got home. She had some of the EN and a sample that the vet office gave of Royal Canin Venison protein. She seemed to like it, we'll see how she's doing later. The vet office said they can order more, it would take 3-4 business days but I'm wondering if I can find something similar in a PetSmart type of place. As long as she continues to eat, I'll be happy.
 
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WinniesMomma

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Looks like we might have to go to the vet again. Winnie is still not eating much, and I've given her different foods. Last night her stomach started making noises like it was before she got on her meds, which worries me.
 

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The endoscopy estimate seems high. I’ve been dealing with a similar issue, and my cat had an endoscopy with biopsies about a week ago at a VCA hospital. It was around $1700 and I live in a high cost of living area.

My cat was also put on prednisolone, but she is also taking Cerenia (anti-vomiting drug).
I think the Endoscopy quoted is extremely high. Fortunately for me, my Vet. does them in house. I don'y remember what he charged me but it was under $750 I believe.
 
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WinniesMomma

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You are lucky. I think because this was a new specialty hospital they wanted me to go to that is why. She's on steroids now so the biopsy now wouldn't be accurate.
 

daftcat75

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Looks like we might have to go to the vet again. Winnie is still not eating much, and I've given her different foods. Last night her stomach started making noises like it was before she got on her meds, which worries me.
Tiki Cat Ahi Tuna is my go to food with Krista to get her eating again. It's tuna but it's also a nutritionally balanced food. Pure Bites or Reveal both make tuna shreds in water as a supplemental food only if the Tiki Cat doesn't do it. But yes, I think another vet visit may be in order if she hasn't worked it out by now.
 
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WinniesMomma

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Thank you. Is that normally just online? I don't think I saw that brand when I stopped in PetSmart the other day. I will definitely try tuna stuff, cause she loves it. It stinks..she was doing so well on the EN, but then once she wasn't feeling well she is being very choosy with many foods. And then with her loud stomach noises starting up again, has me worried. I have an appointment for her later tosay. Depending on what they say, I'm wondering if she should be seeing a specialist.
 

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My suspicion is the pred makes bad food work out longer than it should. By bad food, I mean something she might react to otherwise. It was a lot harder to do without pred, but at least I knew when Krista was going well, it wasn’t just the pred suppressing a reaction. I honestly don’t know where you are going from here. Krista was never on the pred. I’m thinking you’ll either be asked to up the dose or to switch foods again.

Tiki Cat should be available at Petco or independents if not at Petsmart. Petsmart has the Purebites tuna in water. Though theirs is usually the variety pack which is two tuna and two salmon. And since Krista can’t do salmon, those two go into my donation pile.

Safeway may have the Reveal brand tuna in water.
 
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WinniesMomma

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Thank you! Found some Reveal for now. I will check out Petco also
 

daftcat75

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The Tiki Cat mousse toppers may also be popular with Winnie. They may not be popular with her gut and butt though if she's anything like Krista. I suspect the xanthum gum. Anything with x.g. gets her stomach churning and her litter box all messy. Mousse in, mousse out. Best to stick to the Tiki Cat grills (Hawaiian Grill, Luau Grill, etc) or the Aloha Friends (with pumpkin.) I got Krista through pancreatitis on the Ahi Tuna and the Aloha Friends Tuna with Pumpkin. Six meals a day of about half a pouch. The other half would go down the sink (better than on the carpet.) She wasn't eating leftovers back then (I didn't know the hot water thaw method to quickly reheat them.) I would go to Petco and buy a box of the Aloha Friends pouches and I'd tell the cashier, "this is about a three day supply." Every few days I was going from Pet Food Express (a local chain) or Petco to get another "three day supply." I didn't stock up because she'd change her preference the minute I did. :(

Let us know how the vet visit goes.
 
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WinniesMomma

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Thank you. The vet thinks with how she is acting that is likely lymphoma, but of course can't be sure. He gave her a shot of depo so I don't have to do the oral steroids for a week, and a shot of Cerenia. However he did say if she continues like this and I can't get her to eat, I'd have to consider what none of us want to. :( She ate some tuna and food when we got home, napped, but now she is laying on the floor in the bedroom, not really hiding but away from us. I tried to entice her with tuna but she only had a nibble. Which makes me worry that the time the vet referred to may be sooner than I thought. :/ Sigh.
 

daftcat75

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:(

:crossfingers:

I had to put my last cat down due to mouth cancer when she spent the entire weekend before her oncologist appointment under the bed. On that Monday, I knew the appointment had to be changed to that other appointment none of us want to make. I still can't really think or talk about it without tears, and that was over a dozen years ago.
 
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WinniesMomma

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Aw I am so sorry. Yeah, they take such a piece of your heart. She ended up coming out and eating some food, and then laying in her bed near us. But it wasn't very much food, and it has me worried that this is now going on 4 days like this. :/
 

daftcat75

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You might have to help her out right now. The longer she goes with disordered eating, the less likely she'll return to normal eating without some kind of intervention: appetite stimulant, enticements, hand-feeding, etc. Especially because she has Cerenia in her which is known to cause anorexia or hyporexia in many cats.
 
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