cat very ill...please help

[froshaka]

Ok folks..large update (Hissy...I'll respond to your questions in a seperate post if this message doesnt cover it).

The last update I made was Friday night. Spike's behavior was the biggest sign of improvement at this point, ever since he had been on the IV he was happier. At this point he had just made it to the 24hr emergency care facility

Saturday morning at 6:30. A technician from the facility calls and says,"hey there, just wanted to let you know that everything is fine. We did find something in his stool though that we wanted to ask you about. Its kidney bean shaped and is red. Any clue as to what it might be?" Considering the doctor's theory from the night before that it was ibuprofin, I mentioned to the doctor that my ibuprofin pills are cylindrical and a maroon-ish color. He said that this probably isnt it because those pills are typically absorbed as well as the fact that most pills like that are smaller than what he was looking at. I couldnt think of anything. Then a few hours later I was talking to my girlfriend and she reminded me that last week we had a box of 'Hot Tamales' candies out in the living room. For any non-American visitors to the site Hot Tamales is a spicy cinnamon candy. Anyway, the moment she said that, I was sure that that was it. I got a list of ingredients and contacted the doctor. They told me they would look into the research. They also said that his results from his first blood toxicity screening would be in soon.

So, later in the day, my girlfriend got off of work and we went to see Spike. When we got there, he was napping. We opened the cage and I whispered his name too him. He woke up and stretched...and not just any stretch, THE BIG STRETCH where he sticks his hind legs out. He hasnt done this since before he was ill. He then walked right up to the edge of the cage, meowed, and tried to step right up onto my left shoulder(His cage was at shoulder height). Ever since he has been sick, he hasnt really been much for physical contact, hugging, holding, that sort of thing. Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say is that he seemed SO much better.

The doctor came in, and said that she had a lot of good news. His test had come back and his BUN (?) level which on Friday had topped off their measurement at (130?) was now measuring 80. In addition she said that all of his levels had improved. She said that he was still dehydrated, and was still urinating a lot but that further improvement could come over the next few days. The doctor also mentioned that there isnt any chemical in the Hot Tamale candy that would normally cause that kind of reaction. So, they still don't know what it is EXACTLY that is caused the problem. But he is getting better.

The next day (Sunday) we went back again and they had had to put that lampshade looking thing on his head because he kept going after his IV. When I talked to the doctors then they told me that he is still improving and that they had started to ween him off of his water supply. All of his numbers were coming back to normal and they were planning on fully taking him off of the IV before bedtime.

This morning I received a phone call from them saying that his numbers are "just below normal" after being off of the IV overnight and that I could come and pick him up later this morning. I responded by saying that I would probably have to wait until after work to which he said that this would be good since it would allow them time for another test to see further how good he is improving while off the IV.

So, right now, the plan is to take Spike home for a few days and see how he behaves and then bring him back for a quick round of tests in a couple days. In addition they will be taking an ultrasound to take a look at his kidneys. The only way this could still turn out to be bad is if his kidneys were permanently damaged by whatever he ate. In this case, he will probably get sick again in a few days. However,on the good side, his numbers between last night and this morning still improved and he was off the IV....So, between then and tonight when I go to pick him up, there will be another test. Hopefully these results will also be positive. SPIKE IS COMING HOME TONIGHT!!!

Anyway, thanks for everyone's fast input and support....I'll be taking pictures for my signature sooner than I thought!!!

 

[sunnicat]

I'm so glad that he has improved and is coming home! Welcome home, Spike!

 

[froshaka]

Originally Posted by hissy

My friend just answered, here is her response

http://www.cathelp-online.com/emergency/hazards.php will show common household hazards to cats, have her check it out to rule out various things the kitten could have gotten into. It's important that even though she feels no chemicals were ingested, that certain foods, human meds, essential oils, plants, especially plants, can cause symptoms such as she describes.

Also, would advise new physical exam and full-body xray to rule out potential trauma...did the kitten get caught in something, did he take a fall, did the visiting dog happen to play too rough with him (oftentimes, a puncture wound from teeth will go unnoticed), etc. Does she allow the kittens outdoors, and if so, was there anything in the yard, such as fertilizers, rodenticides, gasoline, even plants and poisonous mushrooms, herbs in a garden, etc can be deadly. Lastly, make absolutely sure she rules out if the DOG or even the kittens were recently treated with flea medications, especially over-the-counter crap.

Hopefully, if it was indeed antifreeze, with prompt agressive treatment, the kitten could make a full recovery. But, if the vet is unsure at all, she should refer the owner to a more experienced vet or emergency facility for 24 hour hospitalized care with agressive IV fluids support, and supportive treatment. Would suggest testing for immune-mediated problems if the symptoms persist or worsen within the next 12-24 hours...(can start with blood clotting test, CBC)

Well, Spike did end up having multiple x-rays. First, on Monday, when checking for obstructions in his system and to observe the barium drop. Then, he also received more on Friday when I took him in. They told me that they did check for breaks and other signs of physical (external) injury.

Both of my kitties don't go outside at all. I've opened my deck door a couple of times, and frankly, I think its a little intimidating to them. They both sat in the doorway taking guarded swats at the sunlit pavement of my deck trying to figure out what it was.

I havent done anything specific for fleas with the cats and I don't think my girl's dog has had any kind of treatment recently.

I still wonder what it was. The doctor said that it probably wasnt the Hot Tamale they found in his stool, but I scratch my head over this for the following reasons.

1) A Hot Tamale (the candy) is a full inch long and is probably 1/2 to 1/3 inch in diamater.

2) Spike started vomiting Saturday morning the 20th. Even if the Hot Tamale wasnt the cause, he must have eaten it before then. Even when he came home last Wednesday and Thursday, he wasnt moving unless it was to go to the bathroom or get water and food. He definitely wasnt exploring. So, the Hot Tamale was in his system before Saturday the 20th and he didnt pass it in his feces until Saturday the 27th. (?!?!) that seems like a heck of a long time for something to pass through a cat's digestive system.

I'm not trying to argue with my vet's determination on the subject. But it seems like an object of that size, that is spicy, that stayed in his digestive system for that long. If it was in him, making it hard for other food to pass through his digestive system, couldnt that have set something off like this?

Anyways, Hissy, all, thank you for all your efforts on this..

 

[dr. doolittle]

Lillies (any part of the plant) will cause signs of kidney failure.

 

[semiferal]

I'd suspect it was ibuprofen. IIRC, the toxicity point for ibuprofen is 50 mg per kg of body weight. So one 200 mg tablet would probably be tolerated by an adult but would be harmful to a kitten.

Hopefully it was that or something similar, since it would mean that since your kitty is recovering he will probably be just fine.

 

[hissy]

Please do not EVER attempt to give your cat ibuprofen for any reason, in any strength!there is NO dose of ibuprofen or other NSAIDs that can be tolerated by cats, they are toxic in any dose.

Only aspirin (NOT acetaminophen), in very low doses, may be judiciously prescribed by a vet for a very specific condition (i.e., heart or thromboembolism disorders), with careful veterinary supervision on an INDIVIDUAL case necessity. There are other safer analgesics most vets prescribe, under careful supervision, for pain relief or other conditions.

(thank you Traci for catching this!)

 

[semiferal]

Just a clarification - I was not saying that anyone should be giving ibuprofen to a cat! I was only saying that a dose over 50 mg per kg is likely to cause serious kidney toxicity.

For pain management, a related drug called ketoprofen (FDA approved for dogs but not cats - unfortunately a lot of feline medicine is off label use) may be prescribed by a vet. But just like ibuprofen, it is hard on the kidneys and as such, should never, ever be used for an old cat or a cat with kidney disease.

 

[froshaka]

I have an update with some bad news.

Spike was taken off of IV fluids on Sunday night (28th) and his levels even improved by Monday morning and again Monday afternoon all without IV fluids. Also, an ultrasound was performed to check for issues with his kidneys and they said that the ultrasound showed what looked like normal kidneys. They said that the purpose of the test is to show signs of congenital problems and he didnt have any with his kidneys.

Unfortunately, when we took him in on Wednesday for his check up, the doctors told me that his levels have started to rise again. When I went to pick him up, they trained me on adminsitering sub-Q fluids and my first solo experience with that will be tonight. I will return there next Tuesday (9-6) to get him looked at again.

Does anyone who regularly gives sub-Q fluids have any advice for me? Ways to keep him from being afraid of it, ways to speed up the process (I was told I can squeeze the bag a little).

The good thing in all of this is that my boy is good. He's feeling good, sleeping in normal positions, playing with toys, etc... I don't care if I have to do this sub-Q stuff every day until he's 20. Thats not a problem. I'm just wondering if I should expect his position to improve to the point where he wouldnt need them. Given his recent history I guess my overall question is...can kidneys heal?