Blockage - 3 Enemas - Still No Result

[Kitcat2017]

Does the miralax taste bitter? I stopped giving him the appetite increasing meds because I can't get him to open his mouth so he ends up tasting the bitterness and ends puking foam and crying....

His cries are breaking my heart. He seems tired but not too tired. He's playing, he ate a little more. Oh and he pooped again!!! I can't tell if that's what's causing the pain. I also can't tell if the blockage is out. He pooped twice since his last enema... is it possible to poop twice while still having a blockage?
I'm so overwhelmed... I just want him to feel better.

 

[catsknowme]

Hang in there! I would definitely ask for an ultrasound. I don't know if Banff offers them or not. When I myself had to swallow barium for a ct scan, I promptly lost it all on the floor so I am not surprised that KitKat had it happen that first time.
I wish that I had an answer for you and KitKat. He is so young to have to be dealing with all this. I hope and pray that you two have a comfortable and uneventful evening. I will try to check for updates frequently.

 

[laura mae]

Does the miralax taste bitter? I stopped giving him the appetite increasing meds because I can't get him to open his mouth so he ends up tasting the bitterness and ends puking foam and crying....

His cries are breaking my heart. He seems tired but not too tired. He's playing, he ate a little more. Oh and he pooped again!!! I can't tell if that's what's causing the pain. I also can't tell if the blockage is out. He pooped twice since his last enema... is it possible to poop twice while still having a blockage?
I'm so overwhelmed... I just want him to feel better.

I believe it is tasteless. I mix Booberry's with a bit of water and stir it until it is dissolved. It's about 1/2 teasp of water into the dosage. For him, I just mix the dissolved medicine in his wet food and he eats it all up.

You could try mixing it in some plain baby food like gerbers chicken. Most kitties love it.

When you say he is crying, how would you describe it? How is it different from his normal vocalizations? Aside from complaining when he gets the appetite medication, what are the other times he cries?

 

[Kitcat2017]

Thank you! I really appreciate all the great advice and support this community has given us.

He HATES wet food. Little troublemaker would rather starve. I have tried soaking his dry food in water and failed, I sprinkled some water on some food that got rejected as well. Is there anything I can do to make him eat wet food? Or any dry food that'd work better?

His meows are long cries sounds more like "miiiaaaa" and "maaooo". And they're lonnnng. He never does this, he's more of a "mew" kinda kid...

Is it possible to have a blockage and still poop twice? My boy is crying out of pain and I can't tell if it is his bum hurting or tummy... or something worse. He has such a baby voice it makes it much more difficult to listen to him suffer and feel helpless..
Should I take him to the vet? His vet is literally gonna put me on the street begging... but I need him to get better... I can't focus on anything. I feel like I have failed this baby..

 

[lavishsqualor]

I would definitely ask for an ultrasound.

If I were you I would definitely get him to another vet tomorrow, even if I had to spend the day doing it and driving to a larger city. And catsknowme is right on the money. He needs an ultrasound.

Something else, too. No medical professional whether they be human or animal doctor can ever guarantee a result. There are just too many variables that are outside their control. You can have the best skilled surgeon in the world but if someone's time is up, it's up.

For a physician of any kind to offer a guarantee would be completely unethical.

We're all pulling for your little guy. Keep us up to date.

 

[Kitcat2017]

Thank you.. I'm gonna get him an ultrasound tomorrow. If the "blockage" still shows is surgery the last option? Do you know how much ultrasound might cost?.. I'm trying to make sure I'm ready to pay for whatever he needs..

He's been farting a lot.. is that a bad sign? His appetite increased a bit and he's drinking a lot of water. Is it normal for 3 enemas, 2 big poops and still have a blockage?...

I understand.. no healthcare professional can ever guarantee anything... I'm just frustrated by our vet's casual attitude.. the fact that my kid got sent home without any answer or plans really bothered me..

I truly appreciate all your advice and support - y'all are keeping me sane.

 

[laura mae]

I suppose it could be possible that he still has more to go, but since he has pooped a couple of times, it would be surprising to learn he is still constipated. Take that image of the x-ray and show it to the other vet. Farting in a cat isn't normal and could be an indication of gas or now an imbalance of gut bacteria which I think can happen after enemas.

Of course it could be IBD too, I suppose. Having gas hurts and that could be the cause of his crying. What happens when you pet him on his sides? Maybe brush him? The smooth, soothing action could help work out his bubbles of gas and comfort him too.

One way that a vet might suggest you correct this is with a powder called Fortiflora or something similar. It has the kind of cultures yogurt has. Since you are dealing with potential IBD wait and see what the vet recommends because one thing I did for a cat that was gassy was give her a teasp. of yogurt every day and that cleared up the gas. but you don't want to do that to a cat that has IBD for fear of making it worse.

The Fortiflora is a powder that seems irresistible to cats. You can sprinkle it on dry food too. What's the dry food you are feeding? Maybe take some of that with you to the vet.

 

[lavishsqualor]

I just wanted to say Kitcat2017 that your cat is very, very lucky to have you. You're doing everything you can for him and there are so many cats out there that don't even get a daily meal. He truly is fortunate.

It's very easy for all of us in the ethers to be quick to say to custodians in your situation, "Do this! Do that! Take him here; take him there!" I'm one of the worst when it comes to that. But the brutal reality is that it's a financial balancing act with owners and oftentimes the needs of the many have to be weighed against the needs of the few.

It's clear how much this kitten means to you, and the lengths you've gone to for his care and the sacrifices you've made for him are honestly very admirable. All cats should be as lucky.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for him and for you.

 

[di and bob]

X-rays are MUCH cheaper than ultrasounds, try that first. It should show any blockages. You might try to wet a few treats, sprinkle on the miralax until it sticks and then let it dry. It is tasteless but he needs to drink afterwards, it wouldn't hurt to set several little cups of water around to encourage drinking. My cats love to 'find' these, they would rather drink out of cups then bowls, I think they think it's forbidden. Like drinking the nasty water in the bottom of a plant instead of the nice clean filtered water I just put down for them!

 

[Timmer]

An x-ray would show a blockage and show what kind. An experienced vet should know the difference between stool and a foreign object like sting. If the kitty had a tumor, that is a different story all together.

If your kitty is going potty he is no longer constipated. Period. I would be surprised if a vet said he was. One thing to consider though about "going poop" -- now much stool is coming out? Is it about the size of your thumbnail? One turd, or a decent amount of stool? Is it dry and hard or moist like brownie dough or cookie dough? You can pick some up with a paper towel or surgical glove and press it to feel how hard it is. I would think with all the laxative stuff you've given it they should be soft.

Your cat may be crying because it sounds like you are trying to force things into its mouth that perhaps are no longer needed. Please understand, I am no vet and it's hard to say because you are with the cat and we are here. I'm only going by what you say.
You can take the cat to the vet and the vet can usually feel hard stool in the gut just with his fingers in his pelvis. You may not need to spend money on an ultrasound at all. Again, I don't know, but i have had constipated cats and I get the situation.
One thing I have had to give my cats is latculose which is a laxative that is like a syrup. That usually works well and I'm surprised your vet never gave that to you. It's pretty standard stuff.

I had a cat that only ate dry and I switched her over. You put the wet food down and leave it. Do not cave in. Of course if you leave it down for an hour the cat won't eat it. It took her a day without eating and she finally relented and now she likes canned and I give her some dry as a snack at night. Our vet always told us the worst canned food is better than the best dry food. If your cat has constipation issues, dry food is not really the best food for it.

 

[Kitcat2017]

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for him and for you.

Your post made me tear up.. it means a lot to me that you recognize that I really am trying my best... we have only been a family for 4 months now but I love him with all my heart... He's my baby boy. Thank you for your kind words.

 

[Kitcat2017]

Update:

We took him to his vet again this morning. They did an x-ray again and gave him an anti-inflammatory shot. His x-ray showed some of the barrium still in his system from saturday in 3 small pieces. His vet was still unable to detect a blockage of any kind. Charged us another $200 and booked us an appointment for an ultrasound at the Emergency.

My boy was terrified and cried the entire way to the emergency and as soon as we walked in he got extremely scared and sad and quite and started shaking in fear... curled up against my chest and of course, I burst into tears holding him... that didn't help.

They took him in, we told the technician lead the wholeee 3 week story and they said they would give us an estimate for the ultrasound. It was $1300... that made our total so far for this week to $2800... I paid with my credit card and we were told we can pick him up 4 hours later after he wakes up. Then they took my kid away from me and sent me home... 4 terrified hours later when I didn't hear back from them I called. They said they're running late and hadn't even started! My poor kitten was still stuck in his damn crate for 4 hours! I couldn't believe it. They said his new x-ray showed the bariam had moved more down the colon and he most likely did not have a blockage but they're not certain. She suggested keeping him overnight with an IV and doing his nlood work and giving him another enema in the morning first before doing an ultrasound. I said fine. They gave me another estimate of 800 dollars... I said fine and gave them my credit card info. I just called them after another 3 hours to find out how's it going. Turns out his vet only took one shot of x-ray this morning so they have to do another x-ray so I'm paying for it twice on the same day for no reason. And they didn't send his blood work report to him from Sunday even though they were called 3 times. So they have to do blood work again as well. And the best part was my boy was STILL not hooked on IV or got out of the crate!!!! And they're telling me he didn't eat alll day or pooped or peed! Well he's been stuck in a cage for 7 hours! I'm furious!

Anyway... I just dropped two of my classes for grad school because I have crossed 4000 in the last 2 weeks... I'm speechless by the level of unprofessionalism and incompetence of his vet and the emergency. I just.. I don't even know what to say anymore. I feel like me and my kid are just a joke to these people. I'm feeling sick to my stomach. I'm supposed to pick him up at 4 pm tomorrow. Pretty sure they're gonna say something with maybe, possibly and most likely and suggest to do an ultrasound. I just feel helpless yet so numb.

 

[denice]

An xray often cannot tell if there is a foreign object. When I went through this with Patches he stayed at the vets for several days and there was a stack of xrays taken. The thing that made the vet think that it might be a foreign object is that the gas patterns didn't change. She finally went ahead and did an enema and it turned out to be constipation. He only needed one enema though. An xray can only pick up a foreign object if it is made of a material that the xray can pick up.

 

[catsknowme]

Poor guy Maybe if you create a YouCaring or a GoFundMe for him, people would be willing to chip in, even if just a little. Alternately, you could ask the vets if they will accept remote payments via credit card or paypal since some people feel safer paying the vet directly. My stomach was churning and flopping, just reading your update....in our area, prices are waayyy more reasonable and care is given right away. At those prices, the ultrasound, iv and stay should be covered! Please keep us updated - we are all praying & rooting for you!!

 

[di and bob]

My heart dropped too when I heard how much you were spending. Please consider the GoFundMe and come back here, I am sure there are many willing to give a little bit. I cried when I read in your post how scared he was. I pray he will finally recover completely and be able to enjoy life again. You have definitely went above and beyond in caring for him. Bless you!

 

[lavishsqualor]

I totally agree with di and bob and catsknowme. You should start a GoFundMe page and let people help you out. And like I've said to you before, your cat really did hit the kitty jackpot when you came into his life. Your sacrifices and perseverance on his behalf are truly admirable. He is VERY VERY fortunate to have you.

 

[catsknowme]

I know that you are very busy but I hope that we get an update soon! Hoping that you get the "all clear"

 

[lavishsqualor]

Yes! Me too!

 

[Kitcat2017]

Update:

So sorry you guys for not giving an update earlier! It's been quite a day running around work then emergency, then back to work then back to emergency. We brought him home!!! I had been trying to speak to the Emergency doctor since this morning. I cried myself to sleep at night, woke up at 4 and called the hospital to get an update on him. They were acting like I was causing then inconvenience but I didn't care. The technician told me my kid hadn't eaten all day all night. I had told them over and over he only eats dry food but they gave him wet food. Apparently they missed it. I also requested for clay litter over paper and even offered to pay for it because my boy is very very particular. They missed that as well. My poor cat didn't eat or pee or poop all day all night. I hung up and cried some more. I went to work and called the doctor 6 times. They said she was busy every time. On the 7th time I finally got through and she told me he stillll hadn't eaten or pooped! Also they still hadn't offered him dry food or clay litter. I was screaming inside. She said they sedated him, put him on IV and while he was sedated they did an enema. A good amount of stool had come out but no sign of blockage. She said "Now what brought kitty to this emergency I don't know." Which I translated to "Why did your vet not do this instead of sending him to the emergency". She said it doesn't look surgical however if he doesn't poop or his appetite doesn't increase in the next 48 hours I'm looking at another 4000 dollars.... I'm really bothered by the lack of compassion and incompetenc by both his vet and the emergency doctor... She told me to give him miralax the next 3 days, charged me another 250 dollars and that was it.

I'm too numb to be worried or mad about money at this point. I just want answers in terms of what can I do to make him feel better! I don't know what I need to do and how I should prepare financially for it... she said he could have an underlying motility issue or something with his nervous system. Either way no one can tell me why is my boy suffering and why was he made suffer... Please send positive thoughts to him. We both truly appreciate you guys sticking by our side in this horrible time...

He's cuddling with me now as I type... best feeling ever I don't know what's going going to happen tomorrow....

 

[RLG]

Sounds like good probiotics are in need. The enemas have stripped him of flora. I know s boulardii, align n some other can help repopulate him. Find a mix with s boulardii which is for diarrhea but not soley