Kitten at death's door from some infection/ ongoing issues and updates

[Meowmee]

I have a few more questions.

1. I read it's recommended for cats to wait a month after their heat cycle to spay them. Due to their blood vessels becoming enlarged. But, Shanky usually starts her next cycle in less than a month. So how's that even possible? It's always hot here throughout the year, no particular breeding season afaik, so it's not applicable here, right? Should 2 weeks from end of heat cycle be safe? That itself seems to be cutting close to me.
2. What are the tests to be done before spaying? CBC and what else?

Isolation of Terry when he was sick was easy, he never even moved from his position to even pee or poop. But I've never isolated an active cat. I don't know how I'm going to do it.
When I leave them in a room at night, they scream their butts off if they need the door opened. And they always try to run through the gap whenever we open and close doors, they think it's a fun game. If we're carrying something in my hands, they get more ready. We don't have any extra rooms, so one of them would just have to stay in my room.


Oh wow, the fact they might mate in secret is definitely scary. Thank you for letting me know.


Well, I know multiple cats that have gotten surgery, owners having paid for the surgery and recovery, the cats having an incision in the right place, then the cats getting pregnant.
It's not because the spay surgery technique is an issue. It's because the doctors here are that pathetic. It must be hard for you to imagine, but this is common here.
And no, the doctors never get sued. Common people can't sue anyone here. All we can do is leave a bad review online.
That's what I meant by being anxious regarding the surgery. Not the process of spaying, but praying for no complications.

No, they weren't particularly tested. Just physically examined for external parasites. Shanky has been dewormed about a couple months ago, Terry has never been. They had mycoplasma hemofelis.

I tried pumpkin gravy for the diarrhea for 3 days. Didn't notice any changes though. I'll ask the vet specifically for any probiotics.

I'll reply to the rest a bit later.
Thank you!

I looked it up and can only find one mention of possible spayed female cats getting pregnant where it said maybe both tubes were not tied, and they did not remove the uterus. When I researched the surgery it says normally they remove ovaries, and uterus etc. But maybe some dvm don’t do that.

So first I would make sure you don't use the dvm(s)of those people who said that happened with their cats. Second, find one you are the most confident with, and ask them exactly what they do during the spay surgery, and the failure rate etc. has a cat ever gotten pregnant.

If Dvm does a spay surgery and a cat gets pregnant because a tube was not tied or whatever, it is definitely something wrong with their technique. If they were intentionally doing surgery on a cat and not doing the proper surgery then that’s a gross negligence which would have to be reported to some government agency. I would still do it even if you don’t think there is going to be a result just so there is some record of it and self record it as well.

Very few lawsuits for both animal malpractice, and malpractice in humans are successful here- the system is designed to be against patients and people who have been harmed sadly. So largely here all we can do is warn people on websites etc. here also.

As far as the swelling of the blood vessels, and the timing I don’t really know very much about that so maybe some other people can advise about that. I’ve only had my girl cats spayed before they ever went into heat.

I think you said they were both treated for mh right? So maybe try the probiotics and maybe deworm Terry- I’m not sure if it’s too early in his recuperation etc. Since they were both outdoor cats it might be a good idea to get a stool test also. If they share the same litter boxes you can just test one sample of poop for both of them. Parasites are hard to get rid of, and sometimes they need a second round of treatment. Also they don’t always show up in stool tests- it has to be at the right cycle etc. For Cinn We just wormed him because I could not get a stool sample for his dvm visit and he is an outdoor cat.

Here is a link for mh.

Mycoplasma: A Top Reason for Anemia In Cats

 

[Nilo]

Shanky's not in a low anymore. She's not as hyper as usual, but I don't feel like she's down.
The fully liquid diarrhea has become semi-solid. So, I hope it's improving.

We're keeping them separated whenever we're not around and nights. And we allow them to play and roam together rest of the time. I hope they won't silently mate in another room. I've heard it's a painful process, so can I count on that not happening secretly when we're just 20 feet away?

aww ty
That is good news… sounds like it is all progress except for the runs and Shanky feeling low. I’m not sure what could be going on with the diarrhea or her bum issues etc. I think you said they were tested for parasites right? I remember you said they had another condition related to having parvovirus I’m sorry I forgot in the name of it now and they were treated for that I think. Maybe they are having a reaction to being on the antibiotics especially Terri for so long. And they may need to take a probiotic for a while if they aren’t.

I definitely think you need to keep them separated because you don’t want to end up with her having a pregnancy etc. as far as the spay surgery I have never heard of a cat getting pregnant after they had spay surgery because they remove the uterus and ovaries for that as far as I know. It is always a scary thing but it has to be done, and I guess you have no other choice.

I love the way you named Terry, because that reminded me of how I named Wizard. He was named that because when he first came in he wasn’t neutered, and he smelled very bad…I had to spray a whole can of wizard air freshener, lol. But the name suited him very well for its typical meaning because he was a siamese like all black cat, he was definitely a Wizard, as well as my soulmate.

Fred has been inside since last June, and Cinnamon has been inside since December. So it is a long time for Fred, and although he has made some baby steps is not anywhere near to the point where he would let me touch him. And Cinn does not come out from behind the bed at all. Which is strange because when he would come to eat at the sliding door he would come right up to the screen, and sniff and play Patsys with Quinn etc., and meow at me and them. He really seemed like he wanted to come inside, and he was so lonely by himself out there. But I guess none of that is enough yet for them to overcome their fear of me, and people in general etc.

re the thread title. I don’t think you have to change it at this point anyway. I have made a new thread sometimes for issues with the same cat, and they just throw it back to the one that I started. And you are still discussing issues with his health that would not have been there except for him having parvovirus etc.

Haha, that's a very funny reason behind the name Wizard.

Oh wow, that's a really long time for Fred. Sad that they're both missing out on all the fun outside. I can't even imagine how they'd be okay just living inside a single room for months. Hope they'll both get over their fears soon. Good luck!

Ah I see, thanks for the tip on the thread title. I'm relieved.

I looked it up and can only find one mention of possible spayed female cats getting pregnant where it said maybe both tubes were not tied, and they did not remove the uterus. When I researched the surgery it says normally they remove ovaries, and uterus etc. But maybe some dvm don’t do that.

So first I would make sure you don't use the dvm(s)of those people who said that happened with their cats. Second, find one you are the most confident with, and ask them exactly what they do during the spay surgery, and the failure rate etc. has a cat ever gotten pregnant.

If Dvm does a spay surgery and a cat gets pregnant because a tube was not tied or whatever, it is definitely something wrong with their technique. If they were intentionally doing surgery on a cat and not doing the proper surgery then that’s a gross negligence which would have to be reported to some government agency. I would still do it even if you don’t think there is going to be a result just so there is some record of it and self record it as well.

Very few lawsuits for both animal malpractice, and malpractice in humans are successful here- the system is designed to be against patients and people who have been harmed sadly. So largely here all we can do is warn people on websites etc. here also.

As far as the swelling of the blood vessels, and the timing I don’t really know very much about that so maybe some other people can advise about that. I’ve only had my girl cats spayed before they ever went into heat.

I think you said they were both treated for mh right? So maybe try the probiotics and maybe deworm Terry- I’m not sure if it’s too early in his recuperation etc. Since they were both outdoor cats it might be a good idea to get a stool test also. If they share the same litter boxes you can just test one sample of poop for both of them. Parasites are hard to get rid of, and sometimes they need a second round of treatment. Also they don’t always show up in stool tests- it has to be at the right cycle etc. For Cinn We just wormed him because I could not get a stool sample for his dvm visit and he is an outdoor cat.

Here is a link for mh.

Mycoplasma: A Top Reason for Anemia In Cats

Thank you very much!
It is very possible that it is poor technique, but it is equally possible that it's deliberate negligence, sadly. Doctors here can be extremely negligent with lives, beyond words.

I will make sure to inquire about their techniques like you've said. They might very well lie, but it's definitely worth trying. And it might make them reconsider what they're doing.

Ah, the reporting... idk. I have a huge list of human doctors I've met that may need to be jailed or something. But you're right, it's a good practice to report somewhere. There needs to be some consequences. I wouldn't even know where to report anyone or if there are even any online portals for that though, I'll have to find out.
Wow, I didn't know it was that bad there too. That's pretty sad. Media made me feel like there's a lot more accountability there.

Oh, I didn't know that about parasites, I'll have to remember that. Shanky's always been an indoor cat, but they do share litter boxes.
I had asked this vet for testing their stools twice previously while they were both sick, having carried samples, but I was strongly discouraged. I feel like they find stool testing disgusting, but they won't admit it and pretend that it's not needed at all.

You have no idea how wholesome I find your messages. Thanks for being this supportive!
Have a great day!

 

[Linda45]

It's late and I don't have time to read all of the messages but I want to say to not give up on your kitty! Mine was also on death's door having all watery diarrhea all over the house up to 40 times a day for months. She had stopped eating. I spent thousands of dollars on tests, biopsies, ultrasounds, etc without answers. First, demand fluids for your cat. My vet kept telling me that her fur bounced back so she was ok when she was not. Ask to administer IV fluids at home to cut down on vet visits. Insist on vitamin B shots. Send a stool sample to Animal Biome. The report they sent back was the first one that shed any light on my cat's bowel issues despite all of the other stool tests that 2 different vet offices had run. The vet's diagnosis was irritable bowel disease without an underlying cause. The animal biome results showed that my kitten had Escherichia Shigella and high amounts of Clostridium. Reading about this was eye opening because it matched my cats symptoms and none of the vets I saw ever mentioned it - clostridium-perfringens

Also, order the kitty gut biome stool transplant pills. It sounds gross but if you do the research, it's one of the few things that are really effective in humans with sever colitis. My vet was not supportive of the pills. She wanted me to have the vet stool transplants provided by her office. I did try it twice but it was very expensive and the results were negligible. Using the animal biome pills every day is what helps long term to restore normal flora regardless of the cause of the imbalance. I'm not a salesperson or anything!

We tried everything with my kitten and what finally saved her were medicines that we had tried before but in different forms. Ultimately she was diagnosed with IBD after thinking it was lymphoma. The things that made a big difference (besides gut biome pills and diet) were budesonide, tylan powder (google it but it's an old school antibiotic/ anti inflammatory that focuses on the gut), topical mirataz, vitamin B shots, and cerenia for nausea. Chewy has the best prices on all of these items. My vet initially prescribed tylan powder (it's extremely bitter) and told me to sprinkle it in my cat's food. That's actually what started my kitten's hunger strike, so I never got to really see if it was effective since I couldn't get it in her. The trick is to buy the smallest sized gelatin capsules from amazon (I think they are size 3). Put the powdered tylan powder into the capsules. Filling 1 long side is equal to the recommended dose. Wipe down the capsule afterwards to get off any bitter powder. I then use a small amount of unsalted butter on top of the pill and a piller to put it down her throat. The budesonide (needs to be compounded) didn't work the first time. It's a steroid that does not cause the muscle atrophy that prednisolone does. My vet had prescribed it in liquid form which was hard to get into my cat. She kept spitting it out. Another compounding pharmacy made small dissolvable tablets but they didnt stop the diarrhea either. The capsules from chewy work the best. Took at few weeks. My vet initially prescribed a 4 day treatment. Ask for a long term prescription. The mirataz helps increase appetite but putting another pill or liquid down my cat's throat was upsetting to her. There is a transdermal option that you can rub on their ears. Much easier! Ask for transdermal. The cerenia reduces the nausea which can prevent eating. I cut one pill in half and put it in the short part of the gelatin capsule. Then I close the capsule with the tylan powder on the other side. That way she gets 2 medicines in 1.

As for diet, I tried them all and eventually let my vet talk me into a feeding tube which was the worst decision! My cat got an infection and the vets didn't realize it but she was going downhill fast and trying to feed her through it wasn't helping at all. I insisted they take it out. Thankfully they listened even though they advised against it. It was then they found the infection. Even without the infection, I regretted it the moment I had it done to her. I did have to resort to baby food (beachnut - make sure there is no garlic or onion in the ingredients) and no salt added canned tuna for humans. I know tuna is bad but it was the only thing I could get her to eat. I kept adding water to it to encourage her to drink. I eventually weaned her off to a Stella and Chewy's raw diet. I had to try a bunch of flavors and she preferred it dry to wet. Now she is back on a hunger strike and wanting tuna. It's a process. I spent a small portion on buying different foods. Raw diets with simple ingredients are best. My kitten survived despite the severe dehydration she was unnecessarily suffering after months of diarrhea (20-40 times a day). She now has 2 bowel movements and still won't use the litter box for them but she's gained a few pounds and is thriving kitty now. She has to take the tylan powder twice a day and budeonide once a day for the rest of her life. I would also recommend that you look into the protocol if lymphoma is suspected. The name is escaping me at the moment. I want to say it's pyrantel or something like that. it's a dog dewormer I think. It's worth a try. You can order a liquid version for goats or a powder version for dogs from Amazon if you want to try but your vet isn't on board. All Things Bunnies sells Toltrazuril 5% Suspension for Coccidiosis - 8ml if you want to try that, too.

You are a wonderful kitten mommy! You are doing an amazing job looking out for your fur baby. I know how heartbreaking it is to watch your kitten suffer. I will pray for you both. Please don't give up hope! Everyone told me to put my kitten down but I refused and now she's living a full life. God bless you.

 

[mani]

Thread heading:
Also, the thread heading doesn't match the situation anymore, what should I do?

re the thread title. I don’t think you have to change it at this point anyway. I have made a new thread sometimes for issues with the same cat, and they just throw it back to the one that I started. And you are still discussing issues with his health that would not have been there except for him having parvovirus etc.

I'm one of the 'they's who 'throws it back to the one that I started'
We do that so that all of the information is in one place.
I'll amend the title, though, to indicate it has moved onto other issues.

.

 

[Nilo]

I'm one of the 'they's who 'throws it back to the one that I started'
We do that so that all of the information is in one place.
I'll amend the title, though, to indicate it has moved onto other issues.

Thank you!
Yes, I understand, makes sense.

 

[Nilo]

It's late and I don't have time to read all of the messages but I want to say to not give up on your kitty! Mine was also on death's door having all watery diarrhea all over the house up to 40 times a day for months. She had stopped eating. I spent thousands of dollars on tests, biopsies, ultrasounds, etc without answers. First, demand fluids for your cat. My vet kept telling me that her fur bounced back so she was ok when she was not. Ask to administer IV fluids at home to cut down on vet visits. Insist on vitamin B shots. Send a stool sample to Animal Biome. The report they sent back was the first one that shed any light on my cat's bowel issues despite all of the other stool tests that 2 different vet offices had run. The vet's diagnosis was irritable bowel disease without an underlying cause. The animal biome results showed that my kitten had Escherichia Shigella and high amounts of Clostridium. Reading about this was eye opening because it matched my cats symptoms and none of the vets I saw ever mentioned it - clostridium-perfringens

Also, order the kitty gut biome stool transplant pills. It sounds gross but if you do the research, it's one of the few things that are really effective in humans with sever colitis. My vet was not supportive of the pills. She wanted me to have the vet stool transplants provided by her office. I did try it twice but it was very expensive and the results were negligible. Using the animal biome pills every day is what helps long term to restore normal flora regardless of the cause of the imbalance. I'm not a salesperson or anything!

We tried everything with my kitten and what finally saved her were medicines that we had tried before but in different forms. Ultimately she was diagnosed with IBD after thinking it was lymphoma. The things that made a big difference (besides gut biome pills and diet) were budesonide, tylan powder (google it but it's an old school antibiotic/ anti inflammatory that focuses on the gut), topical mirataz, vitamin B shots, and cerenia for nausea. Chewy has the best prices on all of these items. My vet initially prescribed tylan powder (it's extremely bitter) and told me to sprinkle it in my cat's food. That's actually what started my kitten's hunger strike, so I never got to really see if it was effective since I couldn't get it in her. The trick is to buy the smallest sized gelatin capsules from amazon (I think they are size 3). Put the powdered tylan powder into the capsules. Filling 1 long side is equal to the recommended dose. Wipe down the capsule afterwards to get off any bitter powder. I then use a small amount of unsalted butter on top of the pill and a piller to put it down her throat. The budesonide (needs to be compounded) didn't work the first time. It's a steroid that does not cause the muscle atrophy that prednisolone does. My vet had prescribed it in liquid form which was hard to get into my cat. She kept spitting it out. Another compounding pharmacy made small dissolvable tablets but they didnt stop the diarrhea either. The capsules from chewy work the best. Took at few weeks. My vet initially prescribed a 4 day treatment. Ask for a long term prescription. The mirataz helps increase appetite but putting another pill or liquid down my cat's throat was upsetting to her. There is a transdermal option that you can rub on their ears. Much easier! Ask for transdermal. The cerenia reduces the nausea which can prevent eating. I cut one pill in half and put it in the short part of the gelatin capsule. Then I close the capsule with the tylan powder on the other side. That way she gets 2 medicines in 1.

As for diet, I tried them all and eventually let my vet talk me into a feeding tube which was the worst decision! My cat got an infection and the vets didn't realize it but she was going downhill fast and trying to feed her through it wasn't helping at all. I insisted they take it out. Thankfully they listened even though they advised against it. It was then they found the infection. Even without the infection, I regretted it the moment I had it done to her. I did have to resort to baby food (beachnut - make sure there is no garlic or onion in the ingredients) and no salt added canned tuna for humans. I know tuna is bad but it was the only thing I could get her to eat. I kept adding water to it to encourage her to drink. I eventually weaned her off to a Stella and Chewy's raw diet. I had to try a bunch of flavors and she preferred it dry to wet. Now she is back on a hunger strike and wanting tuna. It's a process. I spent a small portion on buying different foods. Raw diets with simple ingredients are best. My kitten survived despite the severe dehydration she was unnecessarily suffering after months of diarrhea (20-40 times a day). She now has 2 bowel movements and still won't use the litter box for them but she's gained a few pounds and is thriving kitty now. She has to take the tylan powder twice a day and budeonide once a day for the rest of her life. I would also recommend that you look into the protocol if lymphoma is suspected. The name is escaping me at the moment. I want to say it's pyrantel or something like that. it's a dog dewormer I think. It's worth a try. You can order a liquid version for goats or a powder version for dogs from Amazon if you want to try but your vet isn't on board. All Things Bunnies sells Toltrazuril 5% Suspension for Coccidiosis - 8ml if you want to try that, too.

You are a wonderful kitten mommy! You are doing an amazing job looking out for your fur baby. I know how heartbreaking it is to watch your kitten suffer. I will pray for you both. Please don't give up hope! Everyone told me to put my kitten down but I refused and now she's living a full life. God bless you.

I'm very sorry about the confusion. I had started this thread 1.5 months ago and the kitten is safe and doing well now.

He beat parvovirus, mycoplasma hemofelis, jaundice, anemia, a skin infection - all occurring because he was immunocompromised. It's been a long journey. That's why we're still using the same thread and a similar title.

The diarrhea is only a minor issue in my kittens' case, nothing serious.

I am very sorry about you and your kitten's suffering. I know exactly how dangerous, undiagnosable and hard to treat severe forms of IBD can be, as a survivor of something extremely similar myself.
Even though it might not appear like it now, I think there's a very high chance that you won't need to give her medicine lifelong, her body will fix itself. Call it a hunch. Wish you both the best of luck!

Even though your heartfelt answer was unfortunately not applicable to my situation, I'm really glad to have met such a kind soul and listened to your experiences. Thank you!

 

[Nilo]

Trouble peeing
Last night, Terry tried to pee in the litter box 15 times (within 15 mins), but couldn't, not even a single drop.
No idea if he was in pain, as he usually doesn't express pain vocally.

I then remembered he tried once and could not pee around 24 hours before this. I had earlier thought he was just enjoying the new litter box I got them 2 days ago.

So, I immediately took him to the vet, as it was closing time, and I didn't want to wait for the next day and make him suffer. Vet checked and said the bladder was empty and prescribed an anti-anxiety med for 3 days saying his feeling of wanting to pass urine may be caused by stress.

Since then, I haven't seen him pee or try to pee. It's been 20 hours.

He was quite active yesterday and ate well.
He is also active today, but a bit lesser than yesterday, he's sleeping a lot. He's also completely refusing to eat his food, but he eagerly devours treats. I had to mix a larger quantity of treats with his food to make him eat, for every meal today.

Both cats share 2 litter boxes, so I'm having trouble keeping track of when he peed last. He went normal poo last night, but he's back to explosive diarrhea a couple times today. No idea about his urine.

I've been giving him a medical product containing probiotics, prebiotics and electrolytes every few hours today, for the diarrhea.

I don't know what's causing all this. I hope it's not another infection. He doesn't have fever or typical lethargy though.
Could it be stress like the vet says? I can't think of anything that could have possibly stressed him though, apart from the vet visit.
Could it be worms? Should I deworm him now, or is it better to wait since that could make it worse if it's not worms?
Could him hitting puberty and desiring to mate be a cause for him feeling like wanting to pee?
Could it be idiopathic gastric trouble? But it's weird both Terry and Shanky have them at the same time. Shanky doesn't have an infection though as her WBC is normal.

What do you think?

 

[Alldara]

N Nilo I've been reading, but not really known what to say for a bit.

I know in humans, for some procedures for women a doctor will give antibiotics a few days before and after surgery to prevent infection. I haven't heard of this in cats but I also don't have a female cat. I would think it's your doctor being prudent as she was so vulnerable.

For the peeing, yes especially in male cats it can be from stress. It's something called FLUTD and anxiety medication can work very well for it. If he's already on antibiotics, I don't think he'd likely need more for a URI.

 

[Nilo]

N Nilo I've been reading, but not really known what to say for a bit.

I know in humans, for some procedures for women a doctor will give antibiotics a few days before and after surgery to prevent infection. I haven't heard of this in cats but I also don't have a female cat. I would think it's your doctor being prudent as she was so vulnerable.

For the peeing, yes especially in male cats it can be from stress. It's something called FLUTD and anxiety medication can work very well for it. If he's already on antibiotics, I don't think he'd likely need more for a URI.

Hi. How are you doing?
Good to know we have you with us

Ah, I see, I didn't know that, but that makes sense.
Glad the vet's being prudent then.

Yes, thank you, I had forgotten the name lol. I read a bit about it in the waiting room, but it listed many different causes and treatments.
Now, after you directed me to it, I went back and apparently most young male cats with FLUTD have idiopathic causes, as opposed to UTI in senior cats, and obstruction in middle aged cats.
Glad that the anxiety meds will work.
Nah, Terry's not on any antibiotics now. They've been stopped.

Thanks a ton! That's a load off my mind.

Feel free to let me know if you have any thoughts on the diarrhea. He seems a bit dull now and his respiratory rate is high :/

 

[Alldara]

He might need some extra fluids as he hasn't peed in awhile and he has had diahrea. I'm not sure about it to be honest.
Is he on probiotics?

 

[Sarthur2]

I agree that he likely needs sub-q fluids, especially if he’s having diarrhea and not peeing.

 

[Meowmee]

Shanky's not in a low anymore. She's not as hyper as usual, but I don't feel like she's down.
The fully liquid diarrhea has become semi-solid. So, I hope it's improving.

We're keeping them separated whenever we're not around and nights. And we allow them to play and roam together rest of the time. I hope they won't silently mate in another room. I've heard it's a painful process, so can I count on that not happening secretly when we're just 20 feet away?


Haha, that's a very funny reason behind the name Wizard.

Oh wow, that's a really long time for Fred. Sad that they're both missing out on all the fun outside. I can't even imagine how they'd be okay just living inside a single room for months. Hope they'll both get over their fears soon. Good luck!

Ah I see, thanks for the tip on the thread title. I'm relieved.


Thank you very much!
It is very possible that it is poor technique, but it is equally possible that it's deliberate negligence, sadly. Doctors here can be extremely negligent with lives, beyond words.

I will make sure to inquire about their techniques like you've said. They might very well lie, but it's definitely worth trying. And it might make them reconsider what they're doing.

Ah, the reporting... idk. I have a huge list of human doctors I've met that may need to be jailed or something. But you're right, it's a good practice to report somewhere. There needs to be some consequences. I wouldn't even know where to report anyone or if there are even any online portals for that though, I'll have to find out.
Wow, I didn't know it was that bad there too. That's pretty sad. Media made me feel like there's a lot more accountability there.

Oh, I didn't know that about parasites, I'll have to remember that. Shanky's always been an indoor cat, but they do share litter boxes.
I had asked this vet for testing their stools twice previously while they were both sick, having carried samples, but I was strongly discouraged. I feel like they find stool testing disgusting, but they won't admit it and pretend that it's not needed at all.

You have no idea how wholesome I find your messages. Thanks for being this supportive!
Have a great day!

How are they?
Fred and cinnamon were living outside, and it was no picnic for them. It’s a hard life for cats outside. They survived for so long because I was feeding them, and I built, and bought shelters with heaters, and straw etc. for them. Two of my outdoor cats passed away, and it was very sad to watch.

They are in a very large room, a master bedroom, so they have quite a lot of room to move around… they have a window to look out, and I do open the door briefly here and there, sometimes Fred will come out to explore but cinnamon is still too scared to come out.

It’s a matter of introducing them to the other cats slowly. I don’t know if they’re ever gonna get over their fear of people but Fred has taken some baby steps, for cinnamon it’s only been about 2 to 3 months which is nothing.

When cats come in from outside, and they are scared of people they like to have places to hide, so they can feel safe, so that’s another thing also.

The DVM there really do sound pretty awful. I think it’s bad here but it’s probably worse there for a lot of issues like you said. But it’s still a situation of the wealthy, and those with influence will nearly always have a better result.

It’s hard to believe a Dvm would find stool testing disgusting, and who would intentionally botch spay surgery. There is a big difference between not doing a good job or it just went wrong, and actually intentionally messing it up.

I hope you can find a better one to do it.

I’ve injured my back last week, and I’m not able to do as much lately, and have tons of work to do lately too. So I can’t reply as much but the past two days were a bit better so hopefully I am on the mend.

I think it was amazing that even though I chose Wizard’s name for that reason it was actually the perfect name for him. I don’t think I realized that until quite a bit later either which is funny. Head butts to all

 

[Meowmee]

Trouble peeing
Last night, Terry tried to pee in the litter box 15 times (within 15 mins), but couldn't, not even a single drop.
No idea if he was in pain, as he usually doesn't express pain vocally.

I then remembered he tried once and could not pee around 24 hours before this. I had earlier thought he was just enjoying the new litter box I got them 2 days ago.

So, I immediately took him to the vet, as it was closing time, and I didn't want to wait for the next day and make him suffer. Vet checked and said the bladder was empty and prescribed an anti-anxiety med for 3 days saying his feeling of wanting to pass urine may be caused by stress.

Since then, I haven't seen him pee or try to pee. It's been 20 hours.

He was quite active yesterday and ate well.
He is also active today, but a bit lesser than yesterday, he's sleeping a lot. He's also completely refusing to eat his food, but he eagerly devours treats. I had to mix a larger quantity of treats with his food to make him eat, for every meal today.

Both cats share 2 litter boxes, so I'm having trouble keeping track of when he peed last. He went normal poo last night, but he's back to explosive diarrhea a couple times today. No idea about his urine.

I've been giving him a medical product containing probiotics, prebiotics and electrolytes every few hours today, for the diarrhea.

I don't know what's causing all this. I hope it's not another infection. He doesn't have fever or typical lethargy though.
Could it be stress like the vet says? I can't think of anything that could have possibly stressed him though, apart from the vet visit.
Could it be worms? Should I deworm him now, or is it better to wait since that could make it worse if it's not worms?
Could him hitting puberty and desiring to mate be a cause for him feeling like wanting to pee?
Could it be idiopathic gastric trouble? But it's weird both Terry and Shanky have them at the same time. Shanky doesn't have an infection though as her WBC is normal.

What do you think?

I am not sure. The explosive diarrhea and not peeing could be separate issues. If he’s using two different litter boxes it could be maybe you missed it? Or it could be like others said he’s dehydrated, and that’s why he’s not peeing. Is he drinking water? Does he eat wet food or dry food? I think you said you give him a mixture. Anyway when a male cat does not pee or really if any cat does not pee for too long it prolly does warrant a trip to Dvm I think unfortunately.

 

[Nilo]

My apologies about the delay, folks.
I didn't get the mail notifications for days, and then i wasn't feeling well.
Thank you, A Alldara , Meowmee , Sarthur2 for your responses.

No worries about the cats though, they're both doing well.
The diarrhea mostly stopped and normal peeing resumed about 3 days ago.

As embarrassing as it is to admit, I believe it was worms.
The vet told me since I gave Shanky deworming meds 2 months back, it must not be that, but I dewormed both of them anyway a few days ago and it worked great within 24 hours. Her anus changed color dramatically well. But, within the next 24 hours, it's off color and stinky again.
But the diarrhea stopped, though one of them seems to pass semiliquid stools now and then, idk who.

I'd felt they must be dehydrated too, just like you people suggested, so I had them started on ORS (oral rehydration solution) a week ago, right when I started probiotics. Didn't put them on drip fluids though.

I'll reply to you properly in a few days, Meowmee. Hope your back is better.

We've got Shanky's spay surgery today.
Fingers crossed.
Pray for Shanky's successful surgery!

 

[Nilo]

Hey everybody, hope you and your pets are all doing well.
Terry had been doing great for the past 3 months. Played and enjoyed his life, doing many things in his life for the first time.
But he's sick again.

Terry's unable to walk a couple steps without falling, at the moment.
Yep, it's very scary, would love to hear from you all.

Recounting the events of the past 6 days

His appetite had reduced these past few weeks. But, the vet said it's probably because it's really hot here in summer. Reaching 40 degrees and humidity remaining above 80%.

Day 1-2 (12-13 May)

Played well until moments before he started vomiting.
Vomited 8 times (some of these times - he vomited thrice at a time)

12 May 6 AM	Vomited a lot of grass and yellow liquid (probably bile) He always has access to grass, but didn't swallow/vomit it until now
3 PM, 8 PM, 11 PM, 12 AM, 4 AM, 5 AM, 6 AM, 7:30 AM	Tried eating twice, vomited both times within 10 mins.

There was a lot of yellow liquid (probably bile) in the vomit, since his stomach was actually empty.
He lost a lot of weight in that 1 day.
By the time we went to the vet on 13 May, his vomiting had already stopped.
After that, he ate very hungrily, gobbling up a lot for the next 2 meals on 13 May.

Vet response: Ruled it as dietary induced vomiting and gave anti-nausea meds if the vomiting persists.

Day 3 (14 May)
Got a fever. But, it went away soon.

1:30 AM	104.4
5:30 AM	101.5
8:30 AM	102.9
12:30 PM	102.2

That day, the vet did a CBC. Here's the results:

Hb	12.3
WBC	23.7	So infection confirmed
Neutrophils	20.6	Range: 2.8 - 13
MID	1.8	0.1 - 1.5
RBC	8.06
PLT	102	Range: 200 - 500 Must be at least 150

Vet response:
Relapse of mycoplasma suspected to be the cause.
(Due to decreased PLT count: went from 558 on 28 Feb, to 102 by 14 May)
Medication recommended: Same as the prior treatment that cured Terry 3 months ago
2 Antibiotics: Doxycycline, Enrofloxacin
3 Supplements: for platelet count, iron supplement, liver supplement

Days 4-5 (15-16 May)

Nothing of particular note happened.
He was walking around, exploring as usual, but was unable to play actively with the other cat.
No fever, no vomiting.

Day 6 (17 May)

Neurological symptoms

• skin ripples on the back along the spine when touched anywhere or on his own now and then (past 4 days)
• previously had hindlimb ataxia from FPV. It has suddenly become too severe to walk even a couple feet without falling (< 24 hours)
  • his back legs are not working every 1-2 seconds
    • his butt falls on the side of whichever leg fails at the moment
    • if both hind legs are not in his control, his butt falls flat, but he doesn't stop moving, he moves with his front legs dragging his butt
• feels cold in the AC (even 26-27 degrees)(past ~3 days)
  • temperature regulation issues
  • average temperature at these times - 100.8
• previously made loud sounds (like a yowl) crying warning others away when being touched at certain places
  • occurred 3 times during the fevers (the day after vomiting), then stopped
    • when Shanky put weight on him (twice)
    • when I picked him up
    • I reported it as possible stomach pain at the time, but the vet did a physical exam on his stomach and said everything looks normal and he didn't react with pain at the vet
  • that painful reaction may have been due to hyperesthesia? on touching, i initially thought it was stomach pain, but I'm not sure anymore
• twitching in sleep (lot more than normal)

Vet Response:
There are a few possibilities, he said, and that we'll try one approach at a time. And that, Terry being unable to walk was only temporary and completely curable, so not to worry. (But I'm still scared, because the first time around - when Terry recovered from parvo and still had hindlimb ataxia, the same vet first said that was just weakness from anemia (mycoplasma infection), but it never went away)
1. When enrofloxacin ends, start clindamycin from 19 May for 5 days
2. Prescribed a syrup called Nervesyz which contains - D-Panthenol, L-Lysine, Methylcobalamin, Pyridoxine Hcl. (Vit. B6), Thiamine Hcl. (Vit. B1)

 

[Linda45]

Are they sure it isn't a blockage? My cat had the same symptoms and was sent home with iv fluids and cerenia. Didn't go away. The first set of x-rays didn't show a blockage. 2 days later the x-rays showed a possible blockage. It was a piece of foam from a cat fishing pole that my cat had bitten off. Surgery and $3000 later, she's not vomiting....Keep an eye on that if things don't get better.

My cat has a similar thing with the rippling of the skin when touched and walks very slowly with her tail down (even though she's only a few years old). She has diabetic neuropathy and kidney disease. The vet thought she may have arthritis because she has trouble walking. They tried 2 different kind of injections on her (new expensive treatments-I can't remember the names of the top of my head) and both made her worse. I don't recommend them at all. She couldn't walk for days after having them.

Does your cat have a lot of fur mats? Our cat (maine coon) improved when we shaved her. I think the matted hair was painful and pulling on her skin.

Neuropathy is also the expected culprit for mine. We tried gabapentin, but it didn't help much. It's worth a try though. The thing that has made a huge difference is methylcobalamin. It's an absorbable form of vit b12. The name brand for cats is Zobaline found on Amazon. It's expensive but it's worth trying. There's a lot of success stories online. It's a different form of vit-b than the b-12 shots from the vet, which are more beneficial for stomach issues. It has made a huge difference in my cat's reaction to being touched and she's jumping on counters again. Since it's pricey, I am now experimenting with giving her half of a Jarrow's human folic acid tabs and vitacost methylcobalimin to see if it has the same effect. Be careful if you try human versions since most contain xylitol or other sweeteners that are dangerous to cats.

Have you tried dasuquin or cosequin for cats? My vet recommended them. I tried the cosequin and felt like it helped more than the gaba did. Finding the right combination for your cat is key. I pray your kitty feels better soon.

 

[Sarthur2]

Could it be calici virus? It can often cause lameness. Ask if you can try Onsior (an anti-inflammatory) and / or gabapentin.

 

[Alldara]

I'm not sure what it could be, but I'm here to listen and provide support.

 

[Meowmee]

Oh no, poor Terry I also don't know what could be causing all of this. Maybe also some residual effects from everything that happened with panleukopenia? Sending my love and hugs to you and Terry and Shanky too I hope he gets better soon and they figure out a cause or causes.

 

[Nilo]

Clarification:
Terry not being able to walk is because of hindlimb ataxia.
It must have gotten submerged within all those details above.

We're suspecting it could be a neurotoxicity reaction to enrofloxacin. We've stopped enrofloxacin 2 days back, we're hoping he'll improve within a few days.
It's not arthritis or such.

Are they sure it isn't a blockage? My cat had the same symptoms and was sent home with iv fluids and cerenia. Didn't go away. The first set of x-rays didn't show a blockage. 2 days later the x-rays showed a possible blockage. It was a piece of foam from a cat fishing pole that my cat had bitten off. Surgery and $3000 later, she's not vomiting....Keep an eye on that if things don't get better.

For the vomiting? It has stopped, I just mentioned it to cover the symptoms he has shown. Thanks for the insight though, I'll remember it for the future.
Hope your cat is doing better these days.

Thank you for all the advice and the tons of recommendations, that was very thorough L Linda45 . Terry's already on methylcobalamine, I'll have to ask the vet regarding Gabapentin.

Could it be calici virus? It can often cause lameness. Ask if you can try Onsior (an anti-inflammatory) and / or gabapentin.

I'll ask the vet regarding Gabapentin, thank you for the suggestions!

Thank you, A Alldara and Meowmee !
I was quite upset and panicking that day when Terry just couldn't walk normally, I'm feeling more hopeful now, let's keep praying.
Hope you're doing well.
How's your back, Meowmee ?