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Hi all. I'm new to the board but hopeful I can get some feedback from those of you who have been through a similar experience with their cats.
I found this forum by looking at this topic:
IBD or Small Cell Lymphoma - To biopsy or not to biopsy
I have a similar experience to the one in the thread above, with some differences. My cat, Dusti, is approximately 13. She is my baby. Around seven months ago now, I had some major life-changing events. My elderly father, who lived with me and Dusti, experienced poor health, almost died, and has been in nursing care since. My job has been demanding and stressful for me, along with the stress over my father, so it was about four months ago when I noticed Dusti — who was a hefty 16 pound kitty who needed to lose weight — began losing weight, I put it down to stress and her new diet (I suspect my father fed her treats all day while I was at work).
Almost two months ago, I realized I could feel her ribs, and she began vomiting when she ate. Occasionally, she wouldn't eat at all. So I took her to the vet in mid-June and she weighed 8.6 pounds, down from 16 pounds in November. Her bloodwork showed a high white blood cell count and elevated lymphocytes and liver enzymes. Her kidneys were fine. Her vet worried she had fatty liver disease, or another liver disease, so she was put on oral nausea medicine and antibiotics. She took the nausea pill at first and began eating again without problems, but she vomited after every dose of the antibiotics so I didn't give her any more. She gained half a pound back within a week or so. She stopped taking the nausea pill (sneaky devil would spit it out) and began experiencing vomiting again. Her weight continued to fall on weekly checks. They tried to give her fluids via IV, but she fought them, and they did a subQ-IV instead with nausea medicine and an antibiotic. She did well for about a week, and then the vomiting started again. They ordered some nausea medicine for me to give by rubbing it on her ear, along with some anxiety medicine to ease her stress when I take her in for weight checks and to see the vet. It all helped, but although she was eating ferociously, she was still losing weight. They gave her more fluids and nausea medicine last week, and when I brought her home, she would no longer eat at all (before the visit, she was eating like a horse). She had some vomiting and began drinking water like a fish.
After three days of not eating on her own and vomiting up bile, I took her to the emergency vet last night. They repeated her bloodwork and did Xrays. Her liver enzymes were perfectly normal now. Her white blood cell count is slightly elevated, and her lymphocytes are still elevated. The Xrays showed no obtrusion and "a lot of gas throughout her intestines." She was given more fluids and nausea medicine along with a prescription of prednisolone. The emergency vet said I should consider a GI biopsy because her belief is that Dusti has Inflammatory Bowel Disease or GI Lymphoma. Even though they gave her nausea meds through the IV, she still vomitted this morning and wasn't eating. After one dose of the prednisolone, she has started eating and, as far as I can tell, hasn't vomited again. I consulted with Dusti's vet this afternoon. She, too, recommends a biopsy, but I've been reading about them online and am worried, especially about the cost. I'm not sure Dusti could handle the stress of a biopsy. She runs when she sees me now and is very aggressive if she thinks I'm trying to pick her up. Previously, she was always a cuddle bug and easy tempered.
I'm worried I will have to have her put to sleep because I don't want her to suffer; however, I don't want to give up on her if there's a chance she has something she can overcome. If anyone has any advice on whether or not to do the biopsy, I'd appreciate it. I've read so much online that recommends against doing it, I'm truly torn.
Thank you for your feedback.
I found this forum by looking at this topic:
IBD or Small Cell Lymphoma - To biopsy or not to biopsy
I have a similar experience to the one in the thread above, with some differences. My cat, Dusti, is approximately 13. She is my baby. Around seven months ago now, I had some major life-changing events. My elderly father, who lived with me and Dusti, experienced poor health, almost died, and has been in nursing care since. My job has been demanding and stressful for me, along with the stress over my father, so it was about four months ago when I noticed Dusti — who was a hefty 16 pound kitty who needed to lose weight — began losing weight, I put it down to stress and her new diet (I suspect my father fed her treats all day while I was at work).
Almost two months ago, I realized I could feel her ribs, and she began vomiting when she ate. Occasionally, she wouldn't eat at all. So I took her to the vet in mid-June and she weighed 8.6 pounds, down from 16 pounds in November. Her bloodwork showed a high white blood cell count and elevated lymphocytes and liver enzymes. Her kidneys were fine. Her vet worried she had fatty liver disease, or another liver disease, so she was put on oral nausea medicine and antibiotics. She took the nausea pill at first and began eating again without problems, but she vomited after every dose of the antibiotics so I didn't give her any more. She gained half a pound back within a week or so. She stopped taking the nausea pill (sneaky devil would spit it out) and began experiencing vomiting again. Her weight continued to fall on weekly checks. They tried to give her fluids via IV, but she fought them, and they did a subQ-IV instead with nausea medicine and an antibiotic. She did well for about a week, and then the vomiting started again. They ordered some nausea medicine for me to give by rubbing it on her ear, along with some anxiety medicine to ease her stress when I take her in for weight checks and to see the vet. It all helped, but although she was eating ferociously, she was still losing weight. They gave her more fluids and nausea medicine last week, and when I brought her home, she would no longer eat at all (before the visit, she was eating like a horse). She had some vomiting and began drinking water like a fish.
After three days of not eating on her own and vomiting up bile, I took her to the emergency vet last night. They repeated her bloodwork and did Xrays. Her liver enzymes were perfectly normal now. Her white blood cell count is slightly elevated, and her lymphocytes are still elevated. The Xrays showed no obtrusion and "a lot of gas throughout her intestines." She was given more fluids and nausea medicine along with a prescription of prednisolone. The emergency vet said I should consider a GI biopsy because her belief is that Dusti has Inflammatory Bowel Disease or GI Lymphoma. Even though they gave her nausea meds through the IV, she still vomitted this morning and wasn't eating. After one dose of the prednisolone, she has started eating and, as far as I can tell, hasn't vomited again. I consulted with Dusti's vet this afternoon. She, too, recommends a biopsy, but I've been reading about them online and am worried, especially about the cost. I'm not sure Dusti could handle the stress of a biopsy. She runs when she sees me now and is very aggressive if she thinks I'm trying to pick her up. Previously, she was always a cuddle bug and easy tempered.
I'm worried I will have to have her put to sleep because I don't want her to suffer; however, I don't want to give up on her if there's a chance she has something she can overcome. If anyone has any advice on whether or not to do the biopsy, I'd appreciate it. I've read so much online that recommends against doing it, I'm truly torn.
Thank you for your feedback.
