Cat Losing Weight .....

[chloechance]

If l didnt have enough on my plate it appears my 9 yr old cat now is taking me on a not so joyride.

The last 3 days he hasnt been active, hiding in closets and just more weird then his well "normal" weird. Yesterday he looked awful and l could tell he lost weight. I also noticed he was having issues walking.

Thinking maybe he got hurt from the kitten playing (aka attacking) him or maybe he had jumped off something and landed wrong.

So at the vet we go today (l swear l need to invest in pet insurance smh).
Generally he is healthy. He usually runs about 9lbs very thin build and small. He was only 7lbs!! She found a low grade heart murmur but felt it wasnt a concern. Then she felt something in his intestine. She said best place to start is a full blood count. Great news, besides slight anemia (common) everything looked good. So then what? She decided to give him pain meds in case something is plaguing him. I joked that he is a typical male. Has a stomach ache and acts like life is over lol.

However, l am not fully convinced. She said if he is not better in a few days l can bring him back to do an ultrasound. She said masses in intestines tend to be lymphoma related but my question is his white blood cell count was normal - so l guess thats not a concern bc isnt lymphoma related to low wbc? I didnt think to ask that.
I asked what would cause rapid weight loss, she said, well not eating. Told me to try every food to get him to eat! Not quite feasable. Chance loathes wet food and always was a finicky eater. My baby is very depressed.
I have my female whose dying from heart disease. And now him. I just wish l knew what was wrong and he could tell me. Looking into his eyes makes my heart break.

 

[denice]

I think an ultrasound is a good idea. It could be any number of things including IBD. IBD and small cell lymphoma are difficult to diagnose without an invasive procedure for a biopsy. Someone who is experienced with ultrasound can tell a lot from that even though it isn't 100% definitive.

 

[missmimz]

Did they run a T4 to check thyroid?

 

[verna davies]

It could be something as simple as a fur ball. When mine have them they go off their food. It's good that he is having an ultrasound . Let us know the outcome

 

[chloechance]

Did they run a T4 to check thyroid?

Yes. His thyroid is good.

 

[chloechance]

It could be something as simple as a fur ball. When mine have them they go off their food. It's good that he is having an ultrasound . Let us know the outcome

Hopefully l.can get him in tomorrow. My work schedule is so comlicated.

 

[chloechance]

I think ibd was ruled out bc l think she said most cats have some form of diarrhrea or vomiting. Lymphoma is what l fear most but bc its related to white blood cell and that came back normal....does this mean he still could have it? I wish l.asked vet that. She said she doesnt know what it is she said her first thought was thyroid but we ruled that out.

Today he has licked some gravy from the wet food, ate a few treats, and l did force feed a few bites of cat food. He loves me but he wants no parts of me...wont even look at me. Saddest eyes ever. Oddly the pain meds they put him on can cause lethargy and odd walking behavior. So l cannot tell if he is worse or its the meds.

Just wish cats could talk and help us out here.

 

[LTS3]

Was a fructosamine test done to rule out diabetes? The blood glucose test included with routine blood work isn't helpful.

 

[chloechance]

Was a fructosamine test done to rule out diabetes? The blood glucose test included with routine blood work isn't helpful.

That l do not know but to be honest l think this is beyond diabetes. He seems to walk oddly which leads me to believe something is painful for him.

 

[chloechance]

I took Chance back to the vet today. They performed an ultrasound and xray of his intestinal area. They did not see anything concerning other then he has a lot of poop build up (perhaps why he is walking weird?).
She is however concerned w. his rapid weight loss and his appearance. She reviewed his blood results again. His WBC is slightly elevated but more concerning his lymphocytes? was elevated. She said that has her a bit concerned.
She suggested we run the WBC again but this time send it out to a lab pathologist to review it. Could take 2 days to get results but hopefully give us a better understanding of what it could be.
I dont want to be negative but to me it all looks like its leaning towards cancer specifically lymphoma. I am trying to hold onto hope but it just doesnt feel right.
They gave him some sub q fluids. She did say he is bad enough she would almost consider admitting him, but she wanted to try this first bc it can be costly.
I asked her what else besides cancer and she said infection or virus. To which she said we can tteat w antibiotics. However l feel as tho a person and or cat can be put on antibiotics as a precaution. The fact she did not even suggest it has me believe she too thinks its more
With that said, my heart is bteaking. First my chloe is dying of CHF and a rare tumor and now my baby boy. I cannot help but wonder how my heart will mend. But right now l am trying to remain positive. Life will be lonely without these 2 in it.

 

[denice]

Lymphocytes are part of the immune response so this could well be IBD. You said he may be constipated. My IBD kitty is prone to constipation and he will loose weight rapidly when it has flared up. I don't have any pictures of him when he was in a flare but he looked pretty ragged. Skin and bones and the general unkempt appearance that a cat has when they are not cleaning themselves. No obvious growths showed up on the ultrasound and that is a big positive.

 

[chloechance]

Does your kitty stop eating too??

Mine wont eat, barely drink, and is completely lethatgic. God l would love it to be IBD bc at least we can treat it. She did mention pancreatitis too.

 

[denice]

He would completely quit eating.

 

[chloechance]

Problem is he isnt vomiting and she said that and diarrhea are common sign of IBD. I honestly think its cancer. He is slipping more and more. Just so frustrated right now.

 

[babiesmom5]

Yes, vomiting and diarrhea are common signs of IBD. The fact that he ISN'T is suggestive of Pancreatitis. Cats with pancreatitis do not eat(or eat very little), or drink. They are VERY lethargic, just lay out. They seek heat source as their body temperature drops. They get dehydrated, they just lay there.

Did your Vet do any blood tests for pancreatitis? There is the SNAP fPL they can do in the office but it is often unreliable unless the pancreatitis is really really bad. The more sensitive test is the SPEC fPLI which has to be sent out to Texas A& M University labs and takes a couple of days to get back. You might ask your vet about this test.

Pancreatitis usually does not exist in a vacuum...it is usually secondary to some other chronic underlying issue like diabetes, IBD, hepatic lipidosis, cholangitis, or lymphoma.

Pancreatitis can be treated, usually requires hospitalization to get it stabilized, but further diagnostics will be needed to reveal the underlying cause.

Try to remain optimistic until you know results.

 

[chloechance]

She mentioned pancreatitis and that test but is waiting for these pathology results to come back. I am trying to remain optimistic but each days passes he gets weaker, my pockets get emptier and we are no closer to an answer. Thank ypu for you kind words. I have done so much praying for a miracle its ridiculous. I was so focused on my other sick cat that l didnt ever think l would have to worry about him. I also have guilt bc in early july l got a kitten. I know its had to be a stressful adjustment, one l thought we did good with but maybe it was too much. So yes, l feel a tremendous amount of guilt.