Cat Still Sick Vets Don't Know

lesliel76

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Hi Everyone!

So I have been on this rollarcoaster with my cat being sick. Its started about a month ago now I guess. He has been back and forth to the Vet but I still have gotten no clear answers or much improvement. I am wondering if anyone has something similar this that can shed some light???

So here is the background: this is long so thank you to anyone that takes the time to read.

He is almost 6 years old and was showing signs of lethargy and being withdrawn. I have other cats and he usually the first to cause some trouble and play around and he stopped all of this. He has and still is eating drinking water, and using the litterbox fine from what I see. His appetite fluctuates daily but he always eats something.

When I orginally took him to the Veterinarian they thought it was his teeth and gave him antibiotics and took blood. The bloodwork showed low red blood cells (anima) but just on the line. I was told to schedule a teeth cleaning which they dont do at the place I took him.

So I schedule the surgery with a new vet. When I took him there the vet was not convinced about the teeth so I got another round of antibiotics. They took blood and his red blood had improved drastically from the previous visit. So I took him home and did the next round of antibiotics. He seemed to improve a little but super slow and once the antibiotic was done he got more withdraw again. He never made it back to 100 percent.

So I took him back to the vet this week after I noticed he had small shaking going on. Which could be from a fever or pain. I am leaning more towards fever bc when I bundle him up it seems to stop. They did every test they could that day in expection to an ultrasound bc there needs to be someone special there to do this. ( I am in New York and due to the coronavirus hours and Drs are not on normal schedules). They did xrays, blood work, urine test. All was good except now the red blood went down again and he had bacteria in his urine. So they concluded that it was possible 2 things a bacterial infection in his body or UTI that the first 2 antibiotics didnt help with. They could not conclusively say UTI bc his symptoms didnt line up with. So they sent this bacteria off to the lab to culture which takes about 5 days to make sure we get the right antibiotics. In the meantime they sent me home with one they said is a broad spectrum and should cover a UTI and possibly anything else but, again wont know till I get results back from the culture.

It's been 2 days since the vet and hes isnt really improving. He had the shaking again this morning. Which seemed to go away this afternoon after his pill. He is still eating and drinking but just sleeping a ton and totally not interested in playing or hanging out. I was hoping for more improvement now...he has gotten 3 pills of his new antibiotics. I spoke to the vet and they kind of said let's wait till the results come back next week.

I am not patient when I see my cat continuously being sick like this!

Has anyone dealt with something similar if so would love to hear.

MOD NOTE: For more information on this kitty's situation, see these threads: Neck Pulsing Cat
Whats wrong with cat teeth?
 
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stephanietx

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They did bloodwork. Did they test his kidneys? Were his kidney values normal?
 
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lesliel76

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They did bloodwork. Did they test his kidneys? Were his kidney values normal?
Yes they tested this. From what I understood the kidney function values was a bit low but they said they dont usually get concerned about this because it's when they are high is when they worry about kidney disease.
 

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I think at this point you probably should try to be patient and wait for the test results, although I know that it's difficult to just sit and wait :alright:. Hopefully they'll be in on Monday and you'll have some sort of answer. In the meantime, did they give you anything to give him for the low red blood cells? There are things you can do for that. If it's not too low you can do for that, but of course you should discuss with your Vet.

I'm guessing the little guy is resting so much so his body can try to heal itself. Keep us posted as you get the test results.
 
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lesliel76

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I think at this point you probably should try to be patient and wait for the test results, although I know that it's difficult to just sit and wait :alright:. Hopefully they'll be in on Monday and you'll have some sort of answer. In the meantime, did they give you anything to give him for the low red blood cells? There are things you can do for that. If it's not too low you can do for that, but of course you should discuss with your Vet.

I'm guessing the little guy is resting so much so his body can try to heal itself. Keep us posted as you get the test results.
Yes you are right! It's so hard. I am not very patient and as time goes on it's really stressing me out. I thought for sure he would be better by now.

They didnt give me anything for the red blood cells other than the antibiotic. Is there any suggestions? Hes a really picky eater I should add. Like doesnt like treats the way normal cats do.

He is resting a ton that is all he is really doing. He got up this morning and walked around a little used the litterbox but wouldnt eat his food. I gave him both wet and dry. He did eat a treat but I keep giving him treats and him not eating other stuff. I worry that isnt good for him. So I gave him only 1 in Hope's that would stimulate his appetite. Didnt work.

Hes chilling on the bed.

I hope he comes out of this it's been a real mystery.
 

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Sending all my thoughts your way! I hope you find the answers soon. Let us know!

any changes in environment? Does he seem depressed?
 
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lesliel76

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Sending all my thoughts your way! I hope you find the answers soon. Let us know!

any changes in environment? Does he seem depressed?
No changes to the environment other than I am home all the time now with the Coronavirus going on! This could be upsetting him a bit. I think him being sick is depressing him too. I will keep you updated. Today is the 4th time he will get his pill let's see if that does anything.
 

mrsgreenjeens

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infections can cause anemia, so hoping that's the issue here and no intervention other than antibiotics will be necessary. It's also possible that the antibiotic is causing his loss of appetite. Does he seem nauseated? I know for certain two of my cats could not take ClavaMOX without becoming deathly sick to their tummies, so maybe that's what's happening here :dunno:. If your Vet is open today, I would give them a call and let them know he's no longer eating, because it's critical that he eat or you could have much bigger problems. He can go up to 36 hours without eating, but after that you would need to get some food in him. You can try scrambling up an egg in butter to see if that tempts him...even add in a little cheese! (but leave out the salt please) Or give him a little tuna if you have it. I know with this darned virus and where you are located you can't just run out and buy some different cat food to try, but if your other cats eat anything stinky, try warming up a tiny bit for him and see if he'll eat it. BUT if he IS sick to his tummy he won't eat anything at all, guaranteed.

:vibes::vibes::vibes:
 
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lesliel76

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Sooo things arnt great. I thought I would see so much more improvement by now. Hes doing a ton of crouching which I hate bc I know that means hes uncomfortable.

He wouldnt eat anything yesterday other than a few licks of wet food and greenies cat treats but I dont want to give him too many I know those aren't good for him. Also not sure about those treats I read they can make the cat sick too.

He is basically just sleeping a lot. He does drink water. I have a foutain and he got up this morning and drank from. He also drank a little more from the bathroom sink faucet. I tried desperately to get some food in him but only could get him to take a few licks of wet food. I'm going to the store today to see what kind if stuff I can buy to try. I'm not going to give him his antibiotics till he eats. I'm sure there making his tummy upset bc this is a new symptom. I hope it's just the antibiotic.

I'm feeling a little helpless I have done everything I can think of for this cat
..and nothing has worked. There is just no answer and I feel horrible. I would do anything to have my sassy little guy back. Instead I have this cat who I can tell daily is not feeling well but I cant do anything. It's really stressing me out.

The next step is the ultrasound but I need to wait for the culture results before that.

Does anyone know if kidney stones would show up through the urinalysis or the Xray? Also would an intestinal block show up on an xray? I'm trying to calm myself by saying they eliminated the big things but these are 2 things I thought it could be that the antibiotic isnt helping.
 

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Hi Everyone!

So I have been on this rollarcoaster with my cat being sick. Its started about a month ago now I guess. He has been back and forth to the Vet but I still have gotten no clear answers or much improvement. I am wondering if anyone has something similar this that can shed some light???

So here is the background: this is long so thank you to anyone that takes the time to read.

He is almost 6 years old and was showing signs of lethargy and being withdrawn. I have other cats and he usually the first to cause some trouble and play around and he stopped all of this. He has and still is eating drinking water, and using the litterbox fine from what I see. His appetite fluctuates daily but he always eats something.

When I orginally took him to the Veterinarian they thought it was his teeth and gave him antibiotics and took blood. The bloodwork showed low red blood cells (anima) but just on the line. I was told to schedule a teeth cleaning which they dont do at the place I took him.

So I schedule the surgery with a new vet. When I took him there the vet was not convinced about the teeth so I got another round of antibiotics. They took blood and his red blood had improved drastically from the previous visit. So I took him home and did the next round of antibiotics. He seemed to improve a little but super slow and once the antibiotic was done he got more withdraw again. He never made it back to 100 percent.

So I took him back to the vet this week after I noticed he had small shaking going on. Which could be from a fever or pain. I am leaning more towards fever bc when I bundle him up it seems to stop. They did every test they could that day in expection to an ultrasound bc there needs to be someone special there to do this. ( I am in New York and due to the coronavirus hours and Drs are not on normal schedules). They did xrays, blood work, urine test. All was good except now the red blood went down again and he had bacteria in his urine. So they concluded that it was possible 2 things a bacterial infection in his body or UTI that the first 2 antibiotics didnt help with. They could not conclusively say UTI bc his symptoms didnt line up with. So they sent this bacteria off to the lab to culture which takes about 5 days to make sure we get the right antibiotics. In the meantime they sent me home with one they said is a broad spectrum and should cover a UTI and possibly anything else but, again wont know till I get results back from the culture.

It's been 2 days since the vet and hes isnt really improving. He had the shaking again this morning. Which seemed to go away this afternoon after his pill. He is still eating and drinking but just sleeping a ton and totally not interested in playing or hanging out. I was hoping for more improvement now...he has gotten 3 pills of his new antibiotics. I spoke to the vet and they kind of said let's wait till the results come back next week.

I am not patient when I see my cat continuously being sick like this!

Has anyone dealt with something similar if so would love to hear.

MOD NOTE: For more information on this kitty's situation, see these threads: Neck Pulsing Cat
Whats wrong with cat teeth?
Have they run the test for pancreatitis? Its separate from regular blood work. Did they give you appetite stimulants? May help to get him eating.
 
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lesliel76

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Have they run the test for pancreatitis? Its separate from regular blood work. Did they give you appetite stimulants? May help to get him eating.
I am not sure about the Pancreatitis but I will add this to my list when I speak to the vet. They are closed today. I didn't get an appetite stimulant either probably bc at the time he was eating I'm going to ask for this.

My list of questions is Pancreatitis/Kidney Stones/intestinal Block. I'm hoping these things were eliminated bybthe Xray,blood work, and urinalysis but not sure.

Going to the store in a bit to see if I can get something he will eat. I hope the pet store is open. I walked by it yesterday they have super limited hours with everything going on. It said 11 on Sunday... and 1 person in the store at a time. So there might be a line but it being Easter Sunday they could be closed. Otherwise I just have the grocery store they dont have the best selection but I'll grab some things like fancy feast, tuna, meat baby food. Let's see what I can do!

I'm going to wait to give the antibiotic till he eats. Its not like its helping that much anyways to sacrifice his appetite.
 

mrsgreenjeens

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I'm so sorry he's still not feeling better, and actually seems to be doing worse. Do you have anything you can force feed him with? Needleless syringes perhaps? Or some folks say even if you smear some wet food on the roof of their mouths they will lick it off and swallow it, but if you were to do that, only do very small bits at a time, just behind his front teeth so he doesn't aspirate it. Or if you can find some Nutracal, it's a sticky mess but you might be able to get him to lick it off his paw or something and at least it has vitamins in it. But it being Easter I think you're going to have a hard time finding that. If he's drinking, maybe he'll drink some goat's milk if you can find that at the grocery store.

As far as kidney stones, some times they will show up on an xray and sometimes they won't. Depends on the size, composition, etc. But they should show up on a urinalysis AND blood work should also indicate they are forming (per google). An intestinal blockage might show up in an xray, but again, it might not. BUT, if he is having bowel movements and not vomiting, then it doesn't sound like he has a blockage, and that shouldn't account for the RBC's going up ;and down. (again, I'm just getting this from google, not first hand experience)
 
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lesliel76

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Yeah he is doing worse by the not eating. I am super bummed out. I got a ton of different things today like tuna, likable treats, bone broth, baby food, fancy feast, fancy feast gravy packs or whatever they are...and yogurt. I haven't tried it all yet, but a no go on the first round of it, except for this refrigerated food called Fresh Pet. Its a soft morsel type food. He ate 8 of the morsels which is a pretty small amount. I can tell he wants to eat but he is probably nauseated.

I am still waiting to give his antibiotic, it feels wrong to shove that pill down his throat without him eating.

I notice that heat makes him more relaxed, he laid in the sun today, and when he did he rolled over on his belly. Something he hasn't done, he is usually in the crouch position. I am wondering if he is cold from being anemic or it helps something in his lower region feel better. I tried putting heating pad out, but he has become super suspicious of me and wont sit on it. I want to give him a bit of a break from me for now. My anxious crazy energy isn't helping him either.

I am starting to come to the realization that I might lose this cat, that its not going good, it makes me super sad, but there is not much more I can do right now.

All I can do right now is wait for this culture back. They said Monday at the earliest...Wednesday at the latest.
 
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lesliel76

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Did the vet ever mention dry FIP as a possibility?
Not that I can remember but I was googling some things tonight and I added this to my list of questions for the Vet.

FIP doesnt look good...and I pray it's not that bc there is no cure and about 95 percent die from it if diagnosed.

I did everything to make my little guy eat tonight. I caved and ended up giving him the Greenies treats....he ate about 10 of those. I also smeared some wet food on his paws. He licked it off. I did 2 sessions of this where I spent about 45 rubbing as much food as I could get on his paws as he licked off. After he drank a bunch of water. I'm guessing each time I got at least a teaspoon full in him. The 2nd time I mixed this food with bone broth thinking that would help.

I dont remember if I added this to any of my post but hes been shaking like small tremors going through his body. It reminds me of the chills like when you have a fever. These seemed to get better on the antibiotics.

I was going to skip his antibiotic tonight to see if I can get his appetite back. Zeiquin is the name of the medication. But he got these chills kind of bad later. So I realized I have some left of the very 1st antibiotic he was on....(Clindamycin). Which he seemed to improve from at some point. His red blood also getting better on this. So I thought maybe for now let's go back to this to see if his appetite comes back.

I'll see how he is tomorrow.
 

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Zenequin is a strong antibiotic. Is he pooping and peeing? Have they considered gastroenteritis? It's basically a build up of gas (air) in the intestines. Sometimes it's caused by a food change or sometimes it's caused by an infection. Usually an x-ray can detect it.
 
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lesliel76

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Zenequin is a strong antibiotic. Is he pooping and peeing? Have they considered gastroenteritis? It's basically a build up of gas (air) in the intestines. Sometimes it's caused by a food change or sometimes it's caused by an infection. Usually an x-ray can detect it.
Hi they took xrays of his whole body tummy and lungs. They said everything came back looking ok. I didn't get to see it bc with the coronavirus I had to wait the day outside while I communicated by phone with the Dr as they received results. But I will add this to my list to ask about. Could be a complication of the medication?

Hes peeing right now. He was pooping till his appetite dwindled. That stopped yesterday but doesnt suprise me he had hardly any food. Definitely peeing and from what I can tell an average amount. I don't notice extra running to and from the box.

Hes making it through the night and the shaking stopped from what I could tell. I checked on him several times throughout. Tried food with each check and he ate like 1 or 2 more morsels of that food but it either makes him nauseous to have the food by him or hes scared that means some sort of pill bc when in tried to leave it by him on the bed he left.

I hope I did the right thing by stopping that medication. If he doesn't eat by noon I am going to make a decision to bring him to the emergency hospital or not. I just kind of need to keep monitoring to decide what's the right move.

I'm going to let him sleep more... and then check with the vet later today. Unfortunately the Dr I worked with isnt back till the 17th. The other 2 Drs aren't as good, and one is kind of horrible and dismissive so they might not be super helpful. I really am hoping for those culture results to get more information but like they said could be Wednesday.

I'm also going to get my records digitally for him in case I end up in the Emergency with him and the vet is closed. I want to make it another day so I can get those results but this waiting and watching this animal not do well feels totally helpless.

I have 4 cats and have taken care of ferals... they get mystery illnesses for sure but don't think I ever had one that lasted this long or that started to spiral so down with no vet explanation. I feel for anyone who has gone down this road it is extremely stressful and your nervous about making the right calls.

Thank God don't have children I would be a mess.
 
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lesliel76

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So this is the update.

He ate this morning! Which was great but was shaking a lot after so I gave him some pain medication.

I spoke to the vet and they gave the culture results and they were unable to get bacteria to grow which means it's not a UTI.

The Dr is now leaning towards that this is Pancreatitis. We are doing the Ultrasound tomorrow to confirm. I guess I dont get results back for a day or so after but they are sending me home with new meds that should help and in the meantime I'm stopping the antibiotics and just continuing with the pain medication.

I need to research Pancreatitis I dont know much about but this seems somewhat treatable from what I can tell as they get flare ups.

Feel horrible that hes been in so much pain I've been cautious with the pain medication bc I didnt want to be sedating him or making it worse. I wish I would of used more.

Hes resting pretty comfortable right now.

I am spending so much money which is a bummer bc my pay was cut in half with the Coronavirus but I hope this is it after this test for the big Dr Bill's....and if he gets better it will all be worth it for sure. Just venting ahhhhhhhh
 

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sending me home with new meds that should help and in the meantime I'm stopping the antibiotics and just continuing with the pain medication.
I think just communicate with your vet a lot, especially before you start or stop any meds :)
 
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