Fluid In Lungs, Difficulty Breathing, High Calcium Levels

[JessRae]

Hello - I'm looking for help. My vet is stumped so I'm trying to do every thing I can to find out what is going on with my cat Zoe. Zoe is 15 1/2 years old. She's been healthy her entire life. She's strictly an indoor cat. She had been coughing quite a bit. It started a few weeks back. She's a long hair so I thought is was just a hair ball. But it got worst with nothing coming up.

So I brought her into my vet on 1/2. He noticed her breathing was odd - she was breathing in but her chest was going out. He did an X-ray which showed massive amounts of fluid in her lungs and what appeared to be a mass pressing into her lungs. He sent us to the ER where she was put on oxygen.

They looked at the x-rays and said it was likely cancer. They removed the fluid from her lungs and re-ran the X-ray and the mass disappeared. They tested the fluid and there was nothing in it that indicated any type of diagnosis. The vet said he heard a heart murmur and said it was likely heart failure. After an echo, he came back saying her heart was fine.

He then ran a blood test for anemia. Also negative. He ran a full blood panel and the only thing that came back were high levels of calcium.

Even with the fluid removed from her lungs, she was still breathing heavily. They took her out of the oxygen chamber to see how she'd react. She was breathing the same whether in it or out, so I took her home. The vet is completely stumped and said the amount of oxygen she is getting "isn't comparable with life but she's acting like a normal cat".

She's on an appetite enhancer and is eating and drinking fine right now. She has an appointment for a CT in the morning. I'm hoping that will give us some answers.

Has anyone had a similar experience? I'm praying we can get a diagnosis so that we can start treatment asap.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I am stumped, but PLEASE let me know the result of the CT!

 

[JessRae]

Thank you, Mamanyt1953! I just recorded her breathing rate when she was laying down. It was 21 breaths per minute when purring and slightly increased to 27 breaths per minute when not purring. This seems to be in the normal range from what I found online (20-30 breaths per minute). She's terrified of the doctor so I wonder how badly that impacted her when she was at the hospital.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

OH, I imagine the fear did all SORTS of things to her breathing! It certainly does mine (there was this spider...)!

 

[JessRae]

I guess I misunderstood what today's appointment was for. It was only to meet with the Internal Medicine Doctor since we were in the ER previously. I'm not happy to say the least. We now have to wait until Monday for her CT. Her cough came back yesterday and her lungs were full of fluid again so they had to drain them today. They were just drained 3 days ago so I'm very worried at how quickly the fluid is coming back. Hoping we can make it through the weekend and get some answers on Monday.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

WELL SPIT!

All I can do...a candle is lit!

 

[JessRae]

Thanks so much. She's doing great today. She's been eating well and put on .3 lbs. But now I'm trying to find some low sodium foods that she'll eat. If only she wasn't such a picker eater.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

The best you can do is the best you can do! And a wise person here once commented, "The very best cat food is the one your cat will actually eat!"

 

[JessRae]

The CT is finished. They did not see any masses but took a liver and kidney sample. There is also fluid building up in her stomach. I'm devastated that she's declining so rapidly. They are testing the samples but right now there's still no diagnosis. She'll be put on steroids today and I'm really hoping they help.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Dang. I was so hoping. But the fact that there are no masses is a tiny bit of good news. Let me know how she does on the steriods! I've got a candle lit for her!

 

[JessRae]

Thank you. Vet called back about a possible mass on her lung after they looked at the scans closer. She also cautioned against starting steroids without having a diagnosis as certain cancers respond better to non-steriod medication. I'm so lost - after all these tests, still no answers. Hoping to hear back regarding the biopsies by the end of the day.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Keeping the candle lit! I'm here.

 

[JessRae]

Thank you. Biopsies were inconclusive. I was told the next step would be surgery to remove the mass in her lung in the hopes that it helps her breathing and that they can finally diagnose her. It's scheduled for Wed but I'm so nervous that it's too soon since she may not make it through the surgery.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

No, Darlin. If you are going to remove the mass, then the sooner the better. It won't just sit there, it will grow, and the smaller it is, the better Zoe's chance. Spend this time loving her and being with her, and I'll spend it praying to any and everyone who might listen. Is this Wednesday, tomorrow, or Wednesday of next week?

 

[JessRae]

So the surgery was scheduled for today, but I chickened out and postponed it. I don't know if that was the right call. But I posted some questions on the cat cancer yahoo group and they were all thinking surgery was a bad idea since the doctors are not certain it is actually a mass or if it's just fluid. Zoe didn't do well under anesthesia for the CT so I was so scared she wouldn't make it through surgery. In the meantime, I've had to switch general practitioners because mine wasn't being helpful or responsive. I've been seeking out 2nd opinions and am so exhausted. She is scheduled for a fine needle aspiration of the potential mass on Friday. I'm really hoping that'll give us some answers so I know how to proceed. As of right now, everything is just an educated guess and it's so hard to make a decision off a guess.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Let us know what the results are. You are doing the best you can for your baby with the information available to you. That is all ANYONE can ask! We are here.

 

[JessRae]

They couldn't do the procedure. She has extensive bruising all over her belly and up and down her legs so they don't feel like there's anything else that can be done as there's a lot more wrong than just the suspected mass. I am heart broken.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

My heart is breaking with yours. We're here.

 

[JessRae]

Zoe had surgery this morning. Everyone was very concerned if she'd pull through as she had a bad reaction to the anesthesia last time, but she did! She's alive and resting overnight at the hospital. The good news is that they were able to remove the mass that they went in to get, but the bad news is that there were 2 more masses on her lung and they couldn't remove them because they were attached to her body as well. they are sending the mass they got to be tested. I was so hoping that this would have cured her, but looks like we'll finally be getting a diagnosis. Probably cancer : (

 

[di and bob]

I am praying fro you and Zoe. She came through the surgery, I pray her masses are benign. My heart goes out to you, please tell us when you know more. Love is a miraculous healer.