It's Not Spoon's Liver, It's Her Gallbladder! Few Quick Questions

I finally managed to save up enough to haul Spoon in for her ultrasound. The vet said that while her liver didn't look great, it was her gallbladder that was the problem. He didn't see any large masses that scream cancer, and it wasn't totally obstructed. Buuut he wanted to draw some fluid out and check it to be sure. To the tune of way more than I could afford. (I already put off my light bill to get her ultrasound done, I can't put off my water bill as well). He said that was the only for sure way to rule out cancer. But he's leaning towards an infection, I think. I was a bit panicked at the time (It cost WAY more than I planned on) so I didn't think to ask more questions. She's now on three different medications - two are mainly used for liver treatment and an antibiotic.

I know you can't go "Yup, that's exactly what's wrong with your cat" but generic ideas are helpful. He said her overall recovery is 'good' (I think that's with the cell draw, though) and her chances of responding to the medication are 'fair'. My anxiety has kicked in and gone "cancer, she's dying. Vet won't say it, but she's dying." It also feels like a money pit. $500 for an ultrasound, then they spring on me that it's another $250 for a fluid draw, which they can ONLY do during an ultrasound. I'm freaking out thinking that I should have done the fluid draw, and I've cursed her without it. I've gone a bit doomsday here! (She's been losing weight for about a year, and has had a known liver problem for three or four months. I would think cancer would have shown up by now. And she responds to meds)


I was wondering, what would cause a gallbladder infection? He didn't mention any stones. (I think there was a few small masses?) Her liver is also inflamed. I assume that's related to her gallbladder? He didn't say if that would cause her to stop eating. I'm wondering if maybe she's in pain and that's why the lack of interest in food? I also don't understand how her gallbladder could cause her liver to be infected. Any idea if that's a common thing to happen?

My mother had both cancer and her gallbladder out, so you can imagine I'm a bit stressed.

Hello!
As I understand it, the liver produces bile which is then held in the gallbladder for help with digestion. It's all interconnected, and not necessarily so common but from your description, my boy is in a somewhat similar situation.

His vet said it happens (his liver numbers were somewhat elevated three years ago but things were "normal" until he stopped eating two weeks ago) when the cats body reacts badly to, --most usually, something in a food.

I don't know if I fully understand why/how reluctance to eating is caused by this but it's a definite and typical symptom.

If you can you'll need to either finger feed your kitty, or use a needleless syringe or tongue depressors--hobby stores have similar items for constructing models, or check Walmart, Staples, beauty supply stores etc. Use these to scrape the food off on the roof of the mouth/upper teeth.
Hang in there!

Hi. Just to expound on what Furballsmom has explained about the gallbladder and the liver, here is a very informative article that will help you gain some insight to the various potential issues with the gallbladder. Loss of appetite is common when the gallbladder malfunctions or is infected/inflamed.

Not trying to scare you with this information, but more for the purpose of giving you some thoughts on what you might want to discuss further with your vet about options.

Gallbladder and Bile Duct Inflammation in Cats | petMD

Having been through gall bladder issues myself, I can tell you that the reluctance to eat is because it HURTS the tummy when you eat. In humans, the closest I can come to describing it is that it feels like either a labor pain that just sits in one spot and doesn't go away, or, if you've never had a labor pain, imagine that someone has put a tight belt around your lower rib cage, and keeps pulling it even tighter while blowing up a balloon in your tummy. The medication will reduce the inflammation, and that will alleviate the pain. As to what actually causes it, who knows?

Now, take a deep breath. There are so many treatments for cancers in cats now that your vet would have TOLD YOU if that were the case, and given you treatment options. What you do need to be aware of, since he said that the chances of a good response to medication is "fair," is that there is a chance she may need to have her gall bladder removed surgically at some point in the future, if the meds do NOT take care of the issue. And that's something you will have to budget for. Should that be the case, we can refer you to places that may be able to assist you. Just keep it in mind.

hold on to the thought that a gallbladder is easier to fix than a liver. Also a vet saying 'fair' in reference to a cat, ain't bad.

If I understood your post and I might not, you're treating the possibility of an infection first because it's likely and the least expensive and you have that much money. That makes a LOT of sense. No point in spending all your money to discover it was something you could have had treated if you hadn't just spent all your money on the next test.

Spoon is on my prayer list and there she stays until you tell me to take her off.

OH, yes...my prayer list, as well! A candle is already lit!

EveAndHerThieves said:

... he wanted to draw some fluid out and check it to be sure. ... He said that was the only for sure way to rule out cancer. But he's leaning towards an infection, I think. ...

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EveAndHerThieves said:

... I'm freaking out thinking that I should have done the fluid draw, ...

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Kflowers said:

... you're treating the possibility of an infection first because it's likely and the least expensive and you have that much money. That makes a LOT of sense. No point in spending all your money to discover it was something you could have had treated if you hadn't just spent all your money on the next test.

Click to expand...

I agree with Kflowers, I would have done the same thing (e.g. for now, skipped testing with a fluid draw and just gone to antibiotics to see what happens). My last cat had some similar issues, and her vet put her on a broad-spectrum antibiotic, cefazolin. Just keep a close eye out and I hope your cat improves very soon! Keep her eating, and let the vet know if any diarrhea or vomitting happens.

When my gall bladder was acting up (off and on for years, because it had been misdiagnosed as reflux), every gall bladder attack felt like a heart attack to me - excruciating pain in my chest. (My theory, which hasn't been checked by a doctor, is that I also had a hiatal hernia so the pressure was being distributed upward.) Whenever I had an attack I would get home (or, in one case, to my motel room), remove all clothing with a waist band in order to reduce the pressure, empty my bladder and bowels (same reason), and induce vomiting. Anything to relieve the pressure. It didn't make the pain go away, but it helped.

My final gall bladder attack lasted for two weeks, during which time I was unable to keep anything down, including water. By the time the doctor saw me I was severely jaundiced. During the (emergency) gall bladder surgery one of the stones managed to migrate into the liver and hide there, only to reappear after I was released from the hospital, by blocking one of the bile ducts at a narrow spot.

When my father had undiagnosed liver cancer which had stumped his doctor, my dad told the doctor that the symptoms he was experiencing sounded like the symptoms I'd had from gall stones, and suggested that the doctor check his gall bladder. The doctor said "How would I do that?" (!), and my father told him to try ultrasound, because that was what the doctor used to diagnose me. Because the gall bladder and liver are right next to each other, an examination of one will reveal information about the other; in my father's case it found the cancer.

It isn't always possible to extrapolate from humans to other species, but gall bladders and livers have essentially the same functions and locations in all mammals, to the best of my knowledge. My feeling is that it's unlikely Spoon has cancer, and much more likely that she has gall bladder problems. This is good news, but it's still something that needs to be dealt with. I think it's time to ask your vet about a payment plan or Care Credit.

Margret