Can't Handle Chronically Ill Cat

[Jcatbird]

You are making progress. Yay! I am hoping that this good trend means you are on the right track and things will configure to improve. It’s sounding so much better from your first post! I have a friend who has used probiotics and it did help. I have also seen hair loss through parasites and flea allergies. Just one flea bit is all it takes for a reaction. I have found a Rachel Ray dry food that has probiotics and antioxidants. Maybe that is worth trying. If things are improving as you have them though, I’d hesitate to mess with success. Looking forward to hearing of more fur growing back!

 

[Wonderfulcat]

I hope it is just a streak of bad luck and will be over soon. Poor cat and poor you. I hope you will be able to fix the bond between you after all this. i believe it is possible.

We went through something similar about 6 years ago. Our oldest cat broke two teeth, had roundworms, an eye infection, bad hip after jumping out through a window and my husband grapping her tail to save her and finally she got chin eczemia. After all that she was fine and has been healthy ever since (except recently but she is getting old...).

But the bad experience hasn't ruined our relationship.

 

[Beyond Confused]

I am going to go to a cat clinic this time.

This post is not to worry you or talk badly about an all cat clinic, but I wanted to say - Pay attention to how you feel with that vet. Sometimes an all-cat clinic isn't necessarily the best option.

Until 9/9/18, when I had to put one of my boys down, I had been taking them to an all-cat clinic. It just seemed to make sense, especially since my remaining kitty hates to leave the house. I've never seen a kitty get worked up like him, but I thought perhaps he'd be OK with this clinic.
The vet didn't have much of a bedside manner, which I didn't waste too much time worrying about because I thought that for sure, her knowledge of kitties would more than make up for it.
When she'd call me to follow-up on test results, she was always really thorough in her explanations (or so I thought).

I always felt uneasy with the vet techs because they seemed to handle the boys kind of roughly, which was completely unnecessary, and I didn't feel like the doctor really did all she could to get to the root of Admiral's issues. I thought that then, and now that I've changed vets, I especially think that now.

Skip ahead 4 months, and my remaining kitty is going through something, and honestly, some of it isn't so different from what the other one went through.
The differences in doctors has been astounding.
Due to chronic vomiting and a 6 month routine visit to get a shot of Cerenia and fluids because the vomiting wouldn't stop, the vet had me change them to a hydrolyzed protein food and she'd repeat the blood tests every 6 months, when he'd be brought in with insane vomiting. Every time, she'd say, "His numbers are elevated, buuuuttttttt it could just be because he'd sick right now." I'd also be told how difficult it is to diagnose cats, and that was about it. This was a specialized cat clinic.

Duncan started having similar issues, and the new vet is not taking a passive approach. In fact, on our first visit, she sat with me for 45 minutes and got a thorough history on Duncan AND she asked me a million questions about Admiral's condition. She wanted to know how the previous vet had come to the conclusion it was possible pancreatitis.
It's been 3 months with this new vet, and not once have I seen her put a band-aid on Duncan's issues and hope for the best.

The vet techs and nurses are better, too!

So, I say give the all-cat clinic a shot, but go with your gut on the doctor. All-cat isn't necessarily better.

Good luck to you and your sweet kitty. I know how stressful all of this is.

 

[Beyond Confused]

Hi! @Jem, thank you
For some music choices, there is classical harp music, George Handel compositions, an app called Relax My Cat, and also MusicForCats . com.
I'm hopeful that something provides some relaxation for your kitty

MusicForCats! Yes, I tried this suggestion when it was given to me. I have to say - I was skeptical that Duncan would go for it, but he absolutely did!
They have 2 different versions when you pull the channel up on your TV or computer - a video version that has scenic views with music and natural sound, and they have just a music version with still pics.

I never got to the other suggestions because this one works so well.

 

[daftcat75]

I didn't find RelaxMyCat to be all that relaxing when we had to sit through 8 ads to get to the music.

Krista loves Music For Cats. I set an alarm to start playing that on the soundbar at 9 am everyday. I often find Krista laying next to the soundbar, especially the tracks with purring. I call this her "cat rock." When we go to the vet, I play it in the car and also bring a bluetooth speaker with me to play it in the office for her. This all contributes to a continuity of familiarity. She's become a much more relaxed vet patient.

 

[Jcatbird]

Sometimes it’s just finding what works for your specific cat.