Has Anyone's Cat Ever Need An Esophagostomy?

[Milesdaviscat]

Hi everyone,

I'm new here but I am in need of some advice. Our cat is only 7 and is in liver failure (not sure why). We now give him 200 ccs subcutaneous lactated ringers every night and try to get him to eat as much has possible. This all started with increased vomiting and eventually decreased appetite and then anorexia. We've been told supportive care is currently the treatment but the vet today said he still isn't eating enough to sustain himself. Up to this point, we have been avoiding an ultrasound as he would require anesthesia since he is a very difficult boy, and the anesthesia could damage his liver more.

The doctor today, who was at this point a second opinion bc the first vet already gave up on Miles said he is critical and needs an ultrasound and an esophagostomy. This means he will have to have surgical incision through his neck to put a tube through to his esophagus. At this point, he has been sedated multiple times in the past week, been getting 18 gauge needles in his back daily, and now may require this feeding tube.

I'm just trying to figure out if this is doing him more harm than good. He gets so worked up that he almost becomes catatonic after a vet visit so I would hate to torture him further, especially if this ends up being a terminal diagnosis, which means we've made the last few days/weeks of his life miserable. On the other hand, if we decide enough is enough, did we give up too quickly if this was just inflammatory bowel disease? (We are already $1200 in and looking at $800 to do the ultrasound an esophagostomy tomorrow.

I'm sorry this was so long but I could use some advice for our little Miles.
-Amy

 

[weemomma]

My cat sadly passed away from liver failure before he could get the tube. I wish he had gotten it sooner. I would highly suggest going on YouTube and watching some videos on cats with the tube. It made me feel much more confident about everything. Best of wishes to you and your kitty.

 

[babiesmom5]

I presume when you say your cat is in "liver failure" you are referring to Hepatic Lipidosis.
This is indeed very serious, but the good news is that with aggressive treatment, most cats will survive this. A mainstay of treatment is high calorie intake, However, your cat is nauseous from the liver disease and will not, no matter how much you coax or try to hand feed them, get enough calories in. An esophageal feeding tube makes it much simpler to get food into them. It is just a little more time consuming on your part because you will be the one feeding them. Plus,you can also crush most of the medications and give them through the feeding tube mixed with a little water or mixed in the food however your Vet advises.

I have gone the esophageal feeding tube route now with two cats. When cats cannot eat on their own, for whatever underlying reason, feeding them via a tube is the only option that at least gives them a chance to recover.

At this point you do not know what the underlying reason your cat developed liver failure.
It indeed could be IBD, or something else, but it will take an ultrasound and possibly also an esophageal biopsy to determine this. With one cat, while under anesthesia, they did the esophageal biopsy prior to putting in the feeding tube.

Bottom line here, without a feeding tube, a cat in liver failure probably will not pull through. With a feeding tube, cat at least has a chance, but then you will need to find out what his underlying issues are. It well could be IBD. This is treatable. At 7 years old, he is still young, and in my opinion, worthy of seeing if he has something treatable.

 

[Milesdaviscat]

Thanks so much for your detailed response! We've been doing some research and agree. He is scheduled for the ultrasound and e-tube placement tomorrow. Fingers crossed that this is IBD or something treatable.

 

[babiesmom5]

I believe you have made the right decision. At least you have given him a fighting chance.
Please keep us updated. I wish you, and your cat, all the best!