Difficulty treating ill cat - please help

[mycatsmom]

Hello, I'm new here and I'm at the end of my rope, so I was happy to find this thread.  My cat Maggie is almost 15.  In early December she started sneezing, which developed into a full upper respiratory infection very quickly.  One morning she was fine when I left for work, and when I got home, her eyes were stuck shut.

I have tried to give her just about everything, but she is a feisty cat and since my husband passed away in October, I have no one at home to help me hold her to medicate her.  I am small and my hands are small and I simply cannot manage her.  I tried wrapping her, not wrapping her, treats, petting her to try to calm her down, and when I try to do anything for her she screams and wriggles away.  It's gotten to the point that she fears me because it seems every time I approach her it's to do something to her.

She started on an antibiotic for 5 days and ofloxacin eye drops which I got into her maybe half the time.  Then she saw a veterinary ophthalmologist who put her on famciclovir, but the tablets are the same size as 350 mg aspirin.  I got her to take them in a pill pocket for 2 days, then she got wise.  I could not pill her.  I could not crush it into her food, not even tuna.  She wouldn't eat it.  She lost a pound in a week.  I got chicken-flavored suspension from a compounding pharmacy, but ended up with chicken-scented stains on the curtains because she would jerk her head away when I tried to use the oral syringe.  He also gave me terramycin ointment but I could not get that into her eyes either; she would struggle and claw me and scream at me, then act like she hated me.  And who could blame her.  

Right now she seems to be recovering from the URI, but her eyes are horribly infected.  she will not even let me clean them.  I boil water, let it cool to room temperature, use soft cotton balls, and she screams and jerks away.  I am at the end of my rope.  She has a nasty dark scabby area on the tip of one of her ears and I have no idea where that came from.

My holistic vet had me put her on L-Lysine, and after she would not eat food with the powder and would not eat the treats, I got the Vitalys gel, which she will lick off her fur.  It is doing NOTHING to help her.

Oh, and she is also on methimazole for hyperthyroid and she has IBD and gets prednisolone every other day.

I am at the end of my rope.  I love her so much and my husband died only a few months ago and I had to make the decision to pull him off the ventilator and I am emotionally unable to make a decision about whether to give up on her.  It seems like she just has a cold and an eye infection and I cannot put her down just for that, but I cannot treat her.  She is miserable.  She is in such pain and I am miserable because I cannot help her.  It is horrible and I don't know what to do.  Please help me.

 

[stephanietx]

@MyCatsMom, I'm so sorry for the loss of your husband and the difficult decision you had to make.  It's a possibility that your cat picked up on your stress and that resulted in an URI.  I'm sure she is still picking up on your stress and the sadness you might be feeling over your recent loss.  Cats are very perceptive.  You can try the powdered Lysine.  It dissolves in food and is odorless and tasteless.  This is the kind I use:  http://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-l-lysine-powder   Give 500mg (1/4 t) twice a day in wet food.  Add a bit of water to the wet food and stir to dissolve and mix. 

Also, invest in a Feliway diffuser or Comfort Zone with Feliway diffuser.  This will help with her stress level.  Stress is probably the trigger and is exacerbating the problem.  This is what they look like: 
If you're in the US, there is a pharmacy in Houston that makes Vet Chews.  It's a flavored medicine treat for the most common medications prescribed.  Unfortunately, it's not for every medication.  There are several flavors and your vet can order "blanks" to find a flavor that your kitty will like.  http://www.bcpvetpharm.com/products_vetchews.htm

As for how to get her eye drops in her, you might want to start a separate post.  I have no ideas for that.  My husband does a great job with pilling and administering eye drops.  He sits in the chair, bribes the kitty with cheese up onto his lap, tucks them under his left arm and then drops the drops in.  Follows up with more cheese.

 

[mycatsmom]

Feliway has no effect on her.  I tried the spray when I was wrapping her and it had no effect.  I have a diffuser upstairs and she was  up there for two days and still would not  let me clean her eyes.  I think they are that painful.

She will lick the L-Lysine gel off her fur when she can see it but right now her eyes are sealed shut.  I bought capsules and emptied the powder into her food and she would not eat it.  She is very sensitive to things added to her food.  The homeopathics are easier to hide in her food because they are either tasteless, sweet, or taste like meat.

I may have my vet call in a scrip for famciclovir mini-tabs.  I have had some luck giving her the methimazole tucked into laughing cow cheese.

Part of the problem with administering meds or drops is that my hands are small and can't get a good grip on her head.  If my husband was here I could enlist his help, except that he would be saying he no longer wants to put her through this and she probably would have been gone already.

 

[cprcheetah]

Has your kitty had bloodwork and/or xrays done?  I just found out my kitty with a stubborn infection has an enlarged heart which is contributing to him not getting better from the respiratory.  He has been on Lysine 500mg twice a day for about a year now.  I know how difficult it is to medicate a cat who doesn't want to be medicated.  My cat DeeJay has chronic issues and she is impossible to medicate.  I think she has finally relented and realized I'm not trying to hurt her, she now will eat her pills in pill pockets (chicken flavored dog ones lol).  I have a cat who stresses very easily.  I use Rescue Remedy on him, I give him 3-4 drops in his mouth.  He does MUCH better once he's had that.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

MyCatsMom:  have you asked around at some local Vets offices to see if there might be a Vet Tech who would be willing to come over to your house to administer meds for you?  (for a fee)  When we went on vacation and had a cat that needed to have sub-q fluids done, we found a Vet Tech who happened to live just around the corner and she came by and did his fluids for us.  Her fee was nominal. 

That way, if someone else is doing the "dirty work", not only should your furbaby get better, but you won't be the bad guy and she won't be bad at YOU

 

[ritz]

Sorry you and your cats are going through this.

I have no personal knowledge about any of the specific issues, but do have some thoughts about medication:

If the medication can be prescribed for humans, then it can be compounded into a flavored liquid.  Most pharmacies including grocery stores can do this, although it may take a few days to get the flavor and medication.

If the medication is for vet use only, the pharmacist *may* be able to compound into a flavored liquid, depending on whether the prescribing vet agrees and the way the medication works.

Ritz can not be pilled without a LOT of effort, so I always make sure the medication can be compounded into liquids.  (Ritz would eat the pill pocket or hot dog, lick off the cream cheese and butter, and leave the pill.)

I understand that acupuncture helps cats with the grieving process (as well as other problems).  Ritz is an anxious cat, but even she calms down during the treatment.  (My friend is an acupuncturist; she rescued Ritz four years ago.)

 

[mycatsmom]

@mrsgreenjeens:  I have a tech from my vet's office who is coming over on his way home in the evening to administer the eye ointment and help me learn how to do it.  My hands are small which makes it more difficult.  I am also seeking a second opinion.  This vet wants her to get better, but wants her to get better in his way, with homeopathics.  It is not that I don't believe in homeopathy, but in her case it is a month now and they are not working.  

@Ritz:  I am already our  compounding pharmacy's best customer.  Maggie is already on transdermal gel for the methimazole and prednisolone.  I did have the famciclovir compounded into a chicken-flavored liquid (she loves chicken).  It smells like the most delicious chicken soup you ever had, but I tasted it myself and it is bitter, bitter, bitter....so it can't go in her food, and she jerks around so much that the last time I tried to give it to her with the oral syringe I ended up with chicken-scented curtains and nothing in the cat.

 

[mags]

@MyCatsMom, I am so glad that you were able to get a tech to come over to help with Maggie! My cat had something very similar to what you are describing with Maggie and I know it's very frustrating to try and treat these little guys when they are sick. My cat, Iggy, is on famciclovir (1/2 tab) and Azithromycin (1/2 pill 2x day). I also give him 500 mg of L Lysine gel daily. I chop up the famciclovir into very fine particles, add about 1-2 ml of water and then use the syringe to suck it all up. Then I go behind the cat, tilt his head back with one hand and I use the other to open his mouth and express it the corner of his mouth. Then I stroke under his neck to ensure that he swallowed it all. For the antibiotic, I use 2 spoons to crush the tab and then I use the L-lysine paste and add it to that and mix the 2 together. Then, I scoop it all up with my finger, pry open his mouth and I place it on the roof of his mouth.That way, I KNOW he's getting a full dose of the antibiotic and the supplement.This combination has worked wonders for him and I am sure it will work for Maggie too once you can get her to take the full dose. My cat is extremely anxious and it was next to impossible to give him meds. It became a nightmare chasing him around the house, trying to hold him down while desperately tried to stick meds/syringe in his mouth. It got to the point where he would hear me coming and he would take off like a maniac and hide in areas that he knew I could not reach him. Not only was I stressing him out by chasing him (which only makes the URI worse) but I really think that he stopped eating because he was afraid that I would grab him OR he was in fear that I put something in his food..which I did at times and he got wise to it! I finally decided to keep him alone in one of our spare bedrooms so that I could monitor him and make certain that he was getting the proper dose of his meds each day.  I set it all up for him with food, water, a litterbox, and a room humidifier which really helped him with the nasal congestion. Do you have an extra room that you can keep her in until she fully recovers?? Keeping my cat in his own room (my husband calls it Iggy's bachelor pad lol) has been such a tremendous help. The first week I that I had him in there was still a struggle. He was feeling lousy and he was NOT happy when I entered the room because he knew that at some point I would be giving him medication, but now that he's feeling better, he is so much more calm and relaxed about it and he is normally a very anxious little guy. I really feel your pain, I went through the exact thing with Iggy and I know how frustrating it is. Please let us know how things go with the tech. We are all pulling for you and Maggie

 

[mycatsmom]

Thanks for all the replies.  Some details:

1)  Maggie has been on methimazole for a year without a problem.  Likewise for the prednisolone.  So I don't think the sore is from the methimazole.  It has appeared since she got the URI.

2)  I had famciclovir from the emergency vet.  She would not take a pill pocket and would not eat any food that had a crushed pill in it.  I have occasionally had luck when I give her oral methimazole by wrapping it in Laughing Cow Creamy Swiss or cream cheese, but that is a small pill.  I have made an appointment with another vet who might be willing to write a scrip so I can get mini-tabs ("smaller than a tictac") from the compounding pharmacy.  She won't eat food with famciclovir in it.  It's extremely bitter - tasting, and she can tell, even in fish (and I have tried giving it to her in Tiki Cat Sardine cutlets!).

3)  Maggie had bloodwork done and all was normal, even her kidneys.  It would have been easier if she'd had kidney failure, then I could have let her go without second-guessing myself.  (I have loss-exhaustion; I lost my mother, my other cat, and my husband in the space of 10 months).

4)  @mags:  She is in the bedroom that I sleep in.  When I am home I leave a vaporizer on but I don't like to leave it plugged in when I am not home.  She likes to cuddle with me at night and it is one of the few bonding things we have left at this point.  Maggie too had stopped eating because she became suspicious of the food.  She lost a lot of weight and I decided it was more important for her to have nutrition at that point.

The biggest problem I have is that my hand simply cannot get a good grip on her jaw joint over her head.  I have small hands and they simply won't fit.  I have had better luck cleaning her eyes if I approach from the back but it is still not easy, she jerks away and protesteth mightily.

 

[feralvr]

Thanks for all the replies. 

Welcome, MyCatsMom! I am truly very sorry for the loss of your husband. I have asked a Mod to separate your posts to your own thread so as not to take away from Bluesky's thread. It gets too confusing trying to separate out assisting you and Bluesky and who is who. Hope you don't mind!! for Maggie too.

 

[mycatsmom]

@Feralvr:  LOVE the emoticons!!  It is weird, I am funnelling all my grief of the last year into my little cat.  I am trying to calm down and be philosophical about her in the hope that it will de-stress her.  I also found tonight that the same horrible rash that is on her ear has spread to her paw pads.  No wonder the poor thing doesn't want to walk.  I am also worried about the peeing; she peed on the bed once and has peed twice while getting medicated.  I need to get her feet healed; that might even be first priority so she can use the litterbox.

 

[feralvr]

@Feralvr:  LOVE the emoticons!!  It is weird, I am funnelling all my grief of the last year into my little cat.  I am trying to calm down and be philosophical about her in the hope that it will de-stress her.  I also found tonight that the same horrible rash that is on her ear has spread to her paw pads.  No wonder the poor thing doesn't want to walk.  I am also worried about the peeing; she peed on the bed once and has peed twice while getting medicated.  I need to get her feet healed; that might even be first priority so she can use the litterbox.

I am glad that you have your own thread now! This way people can help ONLY you and Maggie and there won't be any confusion.

My suggestion for trying to medicate a cat that really is difficult is to get them used to a cat bag.. It is a lifesaver, literally. Especially, if a cat needs medication to live on !!! Not saying this is the case with Maggie but when push comes to shove, this bag is really. I know it is hard to medicate cats - been there. But, it needs to be done and I think they seem to get used to it after awhile. Here is a link and picture of the cat bag. --->
The issue may be getting her into it, though. But might be worth a try. :dk: I have one, Pipsqueak, who is a holy terror for meds. I have had to learn to scruff swiftly, lift up his front legs and pill plunge with the other hand. He is also impossible for eye drops and luckily has only needed them rarely. I have used the cat bag on him. It seems to calm them, oddly, once they are inside the bag.

As for the rash now on the feet, I am thinking possible allergen, either by food or environmental. What did the vet say about the ear rash? Did he do a skin scraping of the area? I don't think it is fungal though, I think she has multiple health issues going on - the poor dear. If her feet are hurting her and painful, then that may explain her peeing on your bed, etc. She doesn't want to go into the litter as it could be causing pain to dig. :dk: What kind of litter do you use? Maybe try something really soft - like a corn based or wheat based.

My heart is going out to you today. :heart3: My goodness, too many losses in such a short span of time. I am so sorry. I still grieve my Wilbur from last July. I can only imagine what you are enduring. I totally understand your putting so much worry and concern on yourself over Maggie being so ill. I wish there was more I could say or do - but I hope that Maggie will get some relief soon with the medications and that you can get them into her. :cross: :cross:

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

How did it go with the Vet Tech and getting the meds in her last night?  Did the tech take a peak at the foot pads while he was there?  Did he have any clue as to what that might be?  Do you have an appt to get back over to the Vet with these new symptoms.

I do think Maggie is feeling the same losses you are feeling and that is very stressful for the both of you.  Hopefully with a little more time, things will start to get back to as normal as normal can be under the circumstances

 

[mycatsmom]

Update on Maggie:  We went to the new vet today.  They kept her for 1-1/2 hours and were very thorough.  They agreed with me taking Maggie off the homeopathics and also agreed that she should go back on the azithromycin and famciclovir.  I could not get the Z-mycin today because the big animal hospital didn't have the right size bottle so it will have to wait till Monday.  I do not want to order it from the drugstore because the famciclovir tablets were eight bucks apiece.  The vet will call in the scrip to the compounding pharmacy.  She said that since Maggie seems to like sweet things (the Z-mycin suspension she took for 5 days was cherry-flavored and she will lick the Vitalys off her fur), perhaps a sweet flavor like marshmallow might work better.  So she said I should talk to the pharmacist there and see if the sweet oil suspension might work or if I should go with the mini-tabs.

They are doing a complete bloodwork including checking her T-4 and glucose....some concern about diabetes given how long she's been on the prednisolone.

The skin problem (angry, raw look on one ear, black crusties on her forehead and around her eyes and ulcerations on her paws) seem to be a mystery...or perhaps not.  My sister told me that her old dog once had something called pemphigus, which is an autoimmune disease.  It was treated with prednisone, which Maggie is already on.  But since we know that Maggie has long had a pretty serious inflammatory issue (her runny eye, the IBD, benign congenital ear polyps) it would not surprise me if rather than herpes, she has an autoimmune disease.

I expected to run up high medical bills for my husband, who had cancer and then was diagnosed with a very rare congenital brain disorder.  I never expected Maggie to cost me a fortune.  But I need at least to find out what this is.  Poor thing....just like her dad, she is tired of being poked and prodded and stuck with needles.  He always used to say that.  It is very karmically weird that I am going through this with Maggie.

Also...they want me to make another appointment so they can clean up her eyes and ears.  I will ask them about a sinus flush too.  Has anyone ever had this done to a cat that had a URI?  

 

[mycatsmom]

This is no ordinary upper respiratory infection.  The hard crusty stuff on Maggie's ears and paw pads an under her eye is spreading to her other ear.  At this point I think that is the most serious problem.  If her ears are completely compromised, I can no longer medicate her for her IBD and hyper-T.  She is miserable and it is breaking my heart.  My sister pointed out that her dog once had something called pemphigus, wihch is an autoimmune skin disease and it sure sounds like that is what Maggie has.  I think what happened is that Maggie got a URI, and her immune system went into such overdrive that it started attacking her healthy tissues. 

I don't know what to do.  My instinct for her and for my own self preservation tell me that it is over and that I should just let her go.  She peed in my bed again today without provocation and I think it is because she cannot bear to walk to the litterbox.  I cannot have her peeing in the bed indefinitely.  Today I have to sit tight and wait till her bloodwork comes back tomorrow, but I am also considering putting her into hospice care through the big expensive vet hospital.  The problem is that she is already under the care of two veterinary offices, both of which would have to submit their records to the big vet hospital whether I put her in hospice or get a dermatology consult, which I think I will need to diagnose this.

I am heartbroken and bringing all the "I Could Have Done More" baggage about my husband's stroke and last days to the table so I am not thinking clearly.  I want to do what is right for her and I also need to be able to focus on things in my life like my job, without which I am in serious trouble.  So I am paralyzed with "i don't know what to do" and I don't know whether to keep taking her from one vet to another or to just let her go quietly.  But it has to be what is right for HER, not what is right for me.  And I don't want to rush her if she is not ready to go.

I'm not sure anyone can help me at this point.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

This DOES sound just like pemphigus.  The only way to diagnose it is with a skin biopsy.  Did they get one?  There are a few threads here on TCS about pemphigus, so you're not alone.  You might find THIS one helpful, since there are a couple of people who have successfully controlled it:  http://www.thecatsite.com/t/53740/pemphigus-anyone-have-experience .  It sounds to me that it's brought on by stress, as so many things are

As to her inappropriate peeing, perhaps you could try replacing all her litter with puppy pads.  Just put them right in her litter box where litter would normally go.  This way it won't hurt her feet, and the pee should soak into the puppy pads, although they will need to be changed out frequently or the pee itself could burn her feet. 

Now, I'm going to throw a couple of things out there for you.  One is Transfer Factor.  I've never used it, but some people think it's wonderful.  I DO take something that I would consider "similar" and think it's wonderful.  (I have an immune issue)  Here is a thread about it http://www.thecatsite.com/t/49143/what-is-transfer-factor

The next thing I want to discuss with you is to consider an Animal Communicator.  It may sound odd, but we have had quite a few people here who have had very sick animals (cancer, etc.) who weren't sure if there furkids wanted to continue the fight, so they actually got together with Animal Communicators to find out.  This is something you  might want to think about.  They aren't that expensive and you don't have to be there in person.  I have NO IDEA how they work, but have considered them myself with my own sick kitty.  They work via email, as odd as that sounds.  And one that I know of doesn't charge anything if you are not happy with her service! 

So if this has any appeal to you at all, let me know and I'll send provide you with a couple of links to them.

I am so sorry you are going thru this, and only hope that is a stress induced episode that will run it's course in short order. 

 

[mycatsmom]

It's funny that you mention an animal communicator.  When Maggie was sick in 2012, my sister set me up with one and she was spot on -- so I contacted her again and she will do a reading Monday evening.

I have hired a vet tech to medicate Maggie in the mornings, and the one who loves her will come in the evenings.  I liked the one for mornings; she works for a vet hospital that does have inpatients so Maggie can be hospitalized to be stabilized if necessary.  She immediately thought of pemphigus when she looked at Maggie which impressed me, since the other vet hospital had no idea what they were looking at and neither did her usual (holistic) vet.  

Maggie is so sick now, and this sclerosis from the autoimmune problem is spreading.  Her URI is getting worse too.  But this vet tech did give her a dose of famciclovir suspension and I will get antibioitics tonight.  And I am taking Maggie to see the vet she works for tomorrow for a third opinion.  

So I think now I have all the bases covered.  The communicator will let me know whether Maggie wants to go, the 3rd opinion vet will probably know what pemphigus is and they can admit her if necessary, and I have 2 vet techs coming in to medicate her.  

I still don't think she is going to live out the week, and to be honest, I am OK with that.  She has been a wonderful kitty for nearly 15 years.  She has been my heart and my soul, my little baby girl, and she was such a comfort while my husband was sick.  If it is time to send her to meet her dad at the Bridge I am OK with it.  I know he is waiting for her because I had a dream a few nights ago that I don't remember but there were kittens in it and my husband was in it...and I don't often dream about him.  So it may have been a sign that he is ready to take her and let me start fresh here.

I have been grieving for her since I first found her with her eyes stuck shut on December 16 so I will not feel any worse than I do now.  I just want to make sure I am doing what is right for HER without concern for what is right for me.  Because I had to make the decision to withdraw care for my husband (not that I had much choice, the other options were not quite as horrible as the McMath case in California and the brain-dead pregnant woman in Texas, but horrible just the same.

 

[feralvr]

I am also one who uses an animal communicator which has brought me great peace and great miracles. I am very, very sorry that Maggie is so extremely ill. I hope that your communication will help you come to a decision. You sound like a very strong woman. Sometimes, I think going through so many loses and having to forge on makes us that way. Our dreams do carry such important messages, I wholeheartedly believe that. Life can be so very difficult and brutally painful in times like these, as you are all too aware. Just know you are not alone here - we care. Good luck tomorrow. :rub:

 

[mycatwasthebest]

I am REALLY sorry to read all u have been through and trust me when I say I've walked a similar road...no matter what happens remember you and Maggie had wonderful years together and the end of any life is never easy

 

[mycatsmom]

Maggie is going to the Bridge today.  :-(



I may have mentioned that I had hired a vet tech/petsitter to come in the mornings to medicate her.  But I had noticed that not only was the antibiotic ointment not helping her eyes, but that the skin around her eyes seemed to be thickening and becoming sclerotic.  And the same thing that was on her ear was now under her eyes and starting to form around her nose.



This tech immediately thought pemphigus, which I thought was impressive because the 2nd opinion vet I took her to had no idea what the problem with her feet was.  She suggested I take Maggie to her boss, and so I did.



While in this second exam, Maggie shook off so much crusty crud from her ears, and so much more fell off while the vet was examining her, leaving raw, red skin underneath.  This vet felt that we are either dealing with a very aggressive skin cancer, like a cutaneous lymphoma, or a very aggressive autoimmune disease of unknown cause.  It could be from all the meds, putting her immune system into overdrive; it could be that she is no longer tolerating the methimazole.  It could be any number of things.  The options were biopsies and an elaborate workup to isolate the problem, with NO guarantee that it is treatable (especially given that she has been on 7.5mg prednisolone every other day), let nature take its course, or to let her go.



I needed to hear from a vet that letting her go was a sound medical decision and the right thing to do for HER, regardless of my own burnout from multiple tragedies in too short a time.



I took her home and have arranged for a house call vet to come today.  So Maggie will get to depart at home, in her little cat bed on her mom's bed.



I am distraught.  My mom, my Jenny-cat, my husband, and now my little baby-girl Maggie -- all the grief of the last year is just pouring out.  I love this cat so much; she has been my baby, the delight of my heart since January 6, 2001.  I know I will go on without her  but right now I just don't see how.



Here is my little girl at age 7.  You can really see her personality here:



[video][/video]



That personality is now gone.  She is a shell of what she was, in constant pain from the ulcerated lesions that are taking over.  My little girl deserved better than this.  She has always been a diva...a duchess...a princess.  She's always known how pretty she was.  I want her to go to where she can be pretty and healthy again -- and sit on her daddy's lap for hours like she used to.....



I miss her so much already....