Mitzi has fatty liver, what to expect?

[Maggsy]

thanks, a tad far away and there is another animal hospital just a bit closer for emergencies if I'm desperate,
others here agree with you about the forti flora, I'm just adding a pinch to her food right now as I need to ensure it doesn't put her off, I'll be looking at better options next, S Boulardi 5bill. seems to be popular?
She's heaps brighter today, altho' ticked off with me atm as I just gave her the denamarin and she keeps leading me to her feed bowl but she has to wait an hour, all good signs and seeming more like her normal self ...
I do hope that future bloodwork shows a decrease in ALT etc, can't help worrying

(Pet Megastore have shipped product already!, can't believe it's so fast)

 

[Maggsy]

Well, so far,so good, Mitzi is eating okay, I'm feeding her small amounts of different foods (20gr/30gr) thu' the day.
2 x raw roo mince, 2 x air fried chicken breast (with probiotoc mos multivitamin paste) and 1/2 can of FF for breakfast and supper, plus 20gr of dry food to keep her happy, all comes to approx 220 cals,
( I wish she'd do another poop, but it's always been normal for her to 'go' every other day so not too concerned at this stage)

 

[stephanietx]

I'm glad she's eating! That's so important.

 

[Maggsy]

yes, I'm praying that this will be normal from on, I'll be taking her in for more bw in a couple of weeks to see if there\'s any change,
and OMG, I found a humungous poop in her tray this morning, must be at least 200gr,

 

[silent meowlook]

I can’t read the bloodwork. To crooked. Can you try getting the entire page in the picture?

 

[Maggsy]

I'll try (not good at this)
Thanks, I've been trying to compare results with others I've seen on here and I'm just making myself more paranoid, my vet didn't explain much, got tetchy when I asked questions and gave me no idea of what I should do next , after spending $1300 in 24hrs for treatment/tests...
(apart from buying very expensive RC diet food)

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi.
I am glad Mitzi is eating. Did the vet discuss the low platelet count? It could be that it was a machine error.

The elevated ALT is due to liver damage such as hepatic lipidosis, gastrointestinal diseases, muscle injury.

The elevated albumin can be from dehydration and also liver or kidney disease. That will also elevate the other proteins. Can also be from a diet too high in protein.

I noticed you are feeding some raw. I would caution against doing that. It is not a good idea to feed raw if a cat is immune compromised.

She needs to eat, but you would do better with a canned diet. Dry food isn’t good for any cat.

She really needs to see a specialist if this doesn’t resolve.

The above things mentioned regarding the bloodwork is not an all inclusive list.

 

[silent meowlook]

Liver Disease in Cats | International Cat Care

The liver is a vital organ, located in the abdomen just behind the diaphragm. The liver has a very wide-ranging role in maintaining normal health and metabolism.

icatcare.org

 

[Maggsy]

Liver Disease in Cats | International Cat Care

The liver is a vital organ, located in the abdomen just behind the diaphragm. The liver has a very wide-ranging role in maintaining normal health and metabolism.

icatcare.org

thanks, and there was I thinking that I'm doing the right thing by ensuring high protein diet after reading that cats need carnivore, low carbs etc, I reduced her dry to just 20grs of an evening,
Vet told me nothing apart from she needed low fat diet,
I'll be taking her to a new vet with copy of her bw in a couple of weeks, she seems fine right now, if a tad lethargic but is eating, drinking and since she's been having the hairball paste is pooping again,
I'll cut out the raw even tho' she seems to prefer it to anything else, I only give her 30gr twice a day to vary her intake...she also has canned FF and cooked chicken
Before I took her to vet, Mitzi wasn't eating or drinking much at all, I'm hoping there's some improvement at next vet visit, she's had 6 days on Denamarin so far
Thank you so much for your response, people on this site are amazing!

 

[FeralHearts]

Maggsy How are you all doing?

 

[Maggsy]

Maggsy How are you all doing?

really good atm Feral, thanks for asking ...
Mitzi seems okay right now, more like her old self, she's going into her little back yard area again and lolling around in the sunshine, eating 4 smaller meals p/day and using litter tray regularly
maybe the denamarin is helping, or the smaller feeds, or the change in diet,
I'm just I'm hoping this will continue.
Will get more bw done in a couple of weeks to see if denamarin has helped

 

[FeralHearts]

I'm so glad to read that. *fingers crossed and sending good vibes this continues*

One day at a time and today is a win!

 

[Maggsy]

Well, she went off her food again on Friday, wouldn't eat anything I put down so I resorted to giving her a treat which she of course devoured, I gave her a nth of a mirtazapine pill on Sat morning, I don't like to give her the full 1/4 pill as she acted ravenous and meowed for food all day when I gave her this dose after she'd seen the vet and all she does is sleep or eat ...

Anyway, I'm still feeding her 4/5 times a day, @ 30/40 cals a meal or as close as I can get to it,
she's obese and must lose weight,

Also, she fights like crazy when I try to give her the denamarin, I gave up yesterday as I don't want her to avoid me and the pill ends up like mush after a few attempts.
I guess there'll be some days when I succeed while she misses out on others, any hints of how I can possibly make this easier on us both?
I've read thru' numerous posts here and I've tried crushing the pill but she must smell it as she will not eat any food it's in,
label says not to damge pill coating so I'm confused ...
I have liquid organic milkthistle on hand, should I try this? what is normal dose for 7kg cat? should I put it in her food or just use dropper straight into her mouth?
I have the Renew Actives brand which I've read is safe for small animals,
Thanks for any advice

 

[FeralHearts]

I don't like to give her the full 1/4 pill as she acted ravenous and meowed for food all day when I gave her this dose after she'd seen the vet and all she does is sleep or eat ...

I'm so sorry she went off her food again. :-( *hugs* I know it's a frustrating battle. XO

It's a good sign if it makes them ravenous as it's working. The vocalization is actually a side effect of the Mirtazapine. Edit: In other words - normal.

she's obese and must lose weight,

That can be done but it does have to be done slowly. Obese cats (I had one) are more prone to fatty liver if they don't eat - more so then a regular size kitty.

Also, she fights like crazy when I try to give her the denamarin, I gave up yesterday as I don't want her to avoid me and the pill ends up like mush after a few attempts.

It a big pill. It's a challenge. It does get easier. I give it to charlie and it's taken some practise and he is not impressed with it - but it does get easier. I often wait until he's snoozing and do a sneak attack.

I've read thru' numerous posts here and I've tried crushing the pill but she must smell it as she will not eat any food it's in,
label says not to damge pill coating so I'm confused ...

That one you really shouldn't crush as the coating protects it from stomach acids so that they get the most benefit from it.

Also with the denamarin 1 hour before eating or two after - again this is so they don't loss the benefits.

PS - you are doing good!!!

 

[FeebysOwner]

I really don't have much to offer, but I will say this - stop worrying about her weight until you can get things back on track otherwise.

 

[FeralHearts]

How are you all hold up?

 

[Maggsy]

Well, I covered the pill with a bit of multivitamin paste and managed to jam it down her throat yesterday, (used peroxide for scratches on my arms) she's eating enough now so I guess I'll be depending on the mirtza for awhile ...
I actually took half a pill myself and no wonder she's vocal, it made me drowsy but hyper alert, at same time,
I went to bed early, 9.30, ( left her 1/2 can and 20gr dry to see her thru' the night) but didn't want to get up this am, poor Mitzi was pawing at me to get up and feed her at 7am but I felt so relaxed that I just couldn't be bothered, I got up at 8am and fed her but she only ate 1/4 of the can ...
I just gave her a mix of raw roo mince and cooked chicken breast, approx 40gr and she ate the lot ...
next pill tournament in 2 hrs ...
thanks for asking FH,
I'd be panicking if it weren't for ppl on this site who have been thru' all this

 

[FeralHearts]

Well, I covered the pill with a bit of multivitamin paste and managed to jam it down her throat yesterday, (used peroxide for scratches on my arms) she's eating enough now so I guess I'll be depending on the mirtza for awhile ...

*hugs* The mitza is available in a transdermal for the ear. (Not the denamarin sadly. I wish as that pill is so big!) A couple of things to note is that many find it not quite as effective as the pill and it has a shelf life once opened. Something you could consider on that pill though.

So sorry about your arms - I have plenty of scars from one of mine so I understand. (Though it wasn't from pills - it's brushing that sets him off.)

..I actually took half a pill myself and no wonder she's vocal, it made me drowsy but hyper alert, at same time,

I'm laughing right now as I'd been tempted to do that myself sometimes - but really - let's not do that again. Remember - our bodies are different and we metabolize things different. Meds for them could be toxic to us and vice versa.

I went to bed early, 9.30, ( left her 1/2 can and 20gr dry to see her thru' the night) but didn't want to get up this am, poor Mitzi was pawing at me to get up and feed her at 7am but I felt so relaxed that I just couldn't be bothered, I got up at 8am and fed her but she only ate 1/4 of the can ...
I just gave her a mix of raw roo mince and cooked chicken breast, approx 40gr and she ate the lot ...
next pill tournament in 2 hrs ...
thanks for asking FH,
I'd be panicking if it weren't for ppl on this site who have been thru' all this

It really is a tournament isn't it? *hugs*

Absolutely reach out to us whenever you feel panicked, overwhelmed or frankly just need to vent because it can get to be very frustrating.

You are doing better than you think.

 

[Maggsy]

Mirt

*hugs* The mitza is available in a transdermal for the ear. (Not the denamarin sadly. I wish as that pill is so big!) A couple of things to note is that many find it not quite as effective as the pill and it has a shelf life once opened. Something you could consider on that pill though.

So sorry about your arms - I have plenty of scars from one of mine so I understand. (Though it wasn't from pills - it's brushing that sets him off.)



I'm laughing right now as I'd been tempted to do that myself sometimes - but really - let's not do that again. Remember - our bodies are different and we metabolize things different. Meds for them could be toxic to us and vice versa.



It really is a tournament isn't it? *hugs*

Absolutely reach out to us whenever you feel panicked, overwhelmed or frankly just need to vent because it can get to be very frustrating.

You are doing better than you think.

Actually Mirtazapine is made for humans, it's for anxiety/ depression etc , my Dr warned me that many ppl put on weight because it causes an increase in appetite, I got the 15mg pill ( same as one from the vet) but rather than cut it into 4, I cut it even smaller as I think 1/4 is too much ... my vet only gave one pill, cut into 1/4s and wanted $50 just to write a script for online pet chemist ... when I looked, I saw that it was same ingredients as human so just got a script from my Dr, I haven't taken any meds apart from BP for years but he knows that I'm anxious and upset, ( I didn't tell him that they were for the cat)
she's doing okay so far but of course I won't know for sure until she gets more bloodwork done, I'll be taking her to a new vet soon, just giving her time to recover a bit from trauma of last visit

she's actually good at taking supplements in her food or with treats, mirtza is no problem, it's just the denamarin that's a nightmare, anyone would think that it's battery acid the way she carries on ...

 

[FeralHearts]

Actually Mirtazapine is made for humans, it's for anxiety/ depression etc , my Dr warned me that many ppl put on weight because it causes an increase in appetite, I got the 15mg pill ( same as one from the vet) but rather than cut it into 4, I cut it even smaller as I think 1/4 is too much ... my vet only gave one pill, cut into 1/4s and wanted $50 just to write a script for online pet chemist ... when I looked, I saw that it was same ingredients as human so just got a script from my Dr, I haven't taken any meds apart from BP for years but he knows that I'm anxious and upset, ( I didn't tell him that they were for the cat)

Smart thinking!

she's doing okay so far but of course I won't know for sure until she gets more bloodwork done, I'll be taking her to a new vet soon, just giving her time to recover a bit from trauma of last visit

she's actually good at taking supplements in her food or with treats, mirtza is no problem, it's just the denamarin that's a nightmare, anyone would think that it's battery acid the way she carries on ...

When does she go for her next bloodwork?

Yeah that denamarin - I was shocked at the size. All of mine took/take pills pretty well but that one I was like ... holy cow batman... that is one big monster pill.