My Little Girl Is So Poorly. :(

[thekittycatz]

Hello everyone I really need some advice or help any words of wisdom I’ve never gone through anything like this before.
I have a beautiful kitty named MIssy she’s 16 years old. Last year she started been sick about once a week off and on. I took her to the vet he suggested she may be sensitive to food so try grain free. I tried Wellness fire wet and little dry as she’s always been little fussy and it just helped keep weight on her. She is well for long time and the sickness got a lot rarer.
However December last year she was being sick everyday I took her to the vet he wasn’t sure at first and took blood samples. Her organs came back fine. We then went with a ultrasound scan. And it picked up lumps in her Intenstine. At this point she had dropped in weight a fair bit. I got quite upset because the lady who called me with results was really insensitive she just suggested putting her to sleep. I got so mad....
I had to speak to a different vet to get different advice. They said to me it could by ibs or small cell lymphoma. But without doing a biopsy they can’t be sure. Missy has never done well under anestheic so we were really aprihensive on what to do at this point.
The vet gave us some steroids and told me to prepare for the worst.
However missy being a fighter picked up. She stopped vomiting and kept food down. Within a week this changed again she had blood in her stool and vomiting more.
We went back and the vet increased the steroid dose to one and a half tablets a day.
Within 4 days missy got a really bad cold.
We went back to the vet she had antibiotics eye drops. And nasal clearing powder

As soon as this sickness passed she started eating really well again. She gained weight and I was so happy that we scheduled her checkup for 2 weeks time instead of 1. Then all of a sudden she started refusing food. Last Sunday it started. Anything I put down. Even tuna. So we got her back in and he ran some blood work. Gave her antibiotic. B12 jab and some pain relief.
Missy has had a lot of teeth out however Theres a few in her month which are sore. I believe there in the back. Again the vet agreed could be dangerous to put her under anthestic.
I’ve bought every food she’s ever loved and this morning she just refused everything. When she does eat. She pulls at her mouth and gums. So I don’t know if it’s her stomach hurting from the blockage. Or her mouth or what to do. I wanted to take her back today but it’s emergency only. I’m going to try get her in Monday. But all the vet recommend to me was more blood work...

Her bloods came back with liver and kidney function fine. But her red blood count was low and they aren’t reproductive. He gave me the number 24

Her protein was low aswell

Please help has anyone got any experience. What can I do

Is it my fault I didn’t opt for her teeth put the year before. I’m so scared.

 

[denice]

First this is not your fault, none of this is your fault. I lost a cat to IBD which had probably gone into lymphoma about a year ago. He had been diagnosed at a younger age and was well maintained for a number of years on a steroid. He then started losing weight so another ultrasound was done. One lobe of his liver looked suspicious but because of his age we chose not to investigate further, he actually never had a biopsy done. He continued to lose weight but wasn't sick, ate well and was active. He then got sick like he did with flares before he was put on a steroid. At this point he had lost a lot of weight, was 15 and I made the decision to let him go. I am not saying that is what you should do just relating my own experience.

The thing with his teeth is not your fault. Anesthesia in an elderly healthy cat is risky, it's more risky in an elderly cat with a chronic illness. You with your vet made a decision that was in the best interest of your cat.

When you say you had an ultrasound in December of last year do you mean this past December or December of 2017? If it has been more then a year I would ask for another ultrasound to see where your cat is at now.

 

[daftcat75]

The vet can insert a feeding tube into her using light sedation rather than full anesthesia. Once the tube is in her, you’ll be able to feed and administer medicine by the tube. It won’t stop her from eating by mouth either. Cat guardians mind the tube way more than the cat does. It’s affordable too. The whole procedure ran me about $200-250 (tube $35, gas $95, office visit $54)
Feeding Tubes For Cats

The rule of thumb that I have heard is that if she can put weight back on, it’s probably not lymphoma. Cancer eats calories. But lymphoma is the progression of unmanaged IBD. Steroids are only short-term relief. You’ll need to address the underlying inflammation by removing the triggers. Biggest trigger? Dry food! Cut it. Carbs too. Fruits. Vegetables. Grains. Basically things that aren’t meat or moisture.

There’s a way to heal and seal her gut with a two week meat stock or fish stock diet with bone broth. It’s halfway down this page called the Introductory Diet.
https://feline-nutrition.org/health/feline-inflammatory-bowel-disease-nature-and-treatment

 

[thekittycatz]

First this is not your fault, none of this is your fault. I lost a cat to IBD which had probably gone into lymphoma about a year ago. He had been diagnosed at a younger age and was well maintained for a number of years on a steroid. He then started losing weight so another ultrasound was done. One lobe of his liver looked suspicious but because of his age we chose not to investigate further, he actually never had a biopsy done. He continued to lose weight but wasn't sick, ate well and was active. He then got sick like he did with flares before he was put on a steroid. At this point he had lost a lot of weight, was 15 and I made the decision to let him go. I am not saying that is what you should do just relating my own experience.

The thing with his teeth is not your fault. Anesthesia in an elderly healthy cat is risky, it's more risky in an elderly cat with a chronic illness. You with your vet made a decision that was in the best interest of your cat.

When you say you had an ultrasound in December of last year do you mean this past December or December of 2017? If it has been more then a year I would ask for another ultrasound to see where your cat is at now.

Thank you for the reply. And your kind words. I’m sorry for your loss but thank you for sharing with me it helps a lot x
She had the scan December 2018.

 

[thekittycatz]

The vet can insert a feeding tube into her using light sedation rather than full anesthesia. Once the tube is in her, you’ll be able to feed and administer medicine by the tube. It won’t stop her from eating by mouth either. Cat guardians mind the tube way more than the cat does. It’s affordable too. The whole procedure ran me about $200-250 (tube $35, gas $95, office visit $54)
Feeding Tubes For Cats

The rule of thumb that I have heard is that if she can put weight back on, it’s probably not lymphoma. Cancer eats calories. But lymphoma is the progression of unmanaged IBD. Steroids are only short-term relief. You’ll need to address the underlying inflammation by removing the triggers. Biggest trigger? Dry food! Cut it. Carbs too. Fruits. Vegetables. Grains. Basically things that aren’t meat or moisture.

There’s a way to heal and seal her gut with a two week meat stock or fish stock diet with bone broth. It’s halfway down this page called the Introductory Diet.
https://feline-nutrition.org/health/feline-inflammatory-bowel-disease-nature-and-treatment

Thank you for the reply

I didn’t know that about lymphoma. She started at 3.5kg. (She’s a really small framed cat smallest I’ve ever had.)
She dropped to 3.2, 3 , 2.8, 2.4 went back to 2.6, now she’s dropped to 2.1kg
The only way she gained that tiny bit of weight was when she had little bit of wellness core dry grain free. She won’t touch that now.

I’m going to have a read about the feeding tube. I’ve not been offered this x

 

[di and bob]

I'm sorry to say that at 16 she most likely is at the end of her life, the great majority of cats die before their 17th birthday. My sweet Burt died at 16 of what was most likely lymphoma, which was never diagnosed because he was too weak for surgery. He too quit eating and it was so very painful to watch. I highly recommend a pain injection or liquid to be kept at home, to be used when the time has come and that last trip to the vet is necessary.
My only advise is to make that precious girl's last days as comfortable as possible, giving her whatever she will eat, do not worry about nutrition at a time like this. I gave my Burt bacon, Arby's roast beef, and Gerber's baby food in chicken or turkey.
Have whatever tests you and your vet deem necessary, just to know that you have tried everything possible. But please don't put her through so much as to upset her or stress her out.
You have done nothing wrong, all you have done is love her and that can never be wrong. I know how scared you are right now, and how much you want everything to be different. There is no way to prepare your heart to be broken, just love that sweet girl as much as you can right now. She is surrounded by your love, and for her, that is all she ever wanted.
I'll pray for you both, my heart goes out to you, may God have mercy and bless you both.....

 

[denice]

My cat was on a feeding tube when he had fatty liver. That was when he was first diagnosed at 7 1/2. There is a lot of controversy surrounding IBD in cats. The idea that lymphoma is the result of poorly managed IBD is one of them. The idea that a steroid is not a viable long term management tool is another one. In my cat's case, if he had lymphoma and it was caused by something it was the damage to his liver from having fatty liver.

 

[thekittycatz]

I'm sorry to say that at 16 she most likely is at the end of her life, the great majority of cats die before their 17th birthday. My sweet Burt died at 16 of what was most likely lymphoma, which was never diagnosed because he was too weak for surgery. He too quit eating and it was so very painful to watch. I highly recommend a pain injection or liquid to be kept at home, to be used when the time has come and that last trip to the vet is necessary.
My only advise is to make that precious girl's last days as comfortable as possible, giving her whatever she will eat, do not worry about nutrition at a time like this. I gave my Burt bacon, Arby's roast beef, and Gerber's baby food in chicken or turkey.
Have whatever tests you and your vet deem necessary, just to know that you have tried everything possible. But please don't put her through so much as to upset her or stress her out.
You have done nothing wrong, all you have done is love her and that can never be wrong. I know how scared you are right now, and how much you want everything to be different. There is no way to prepare your heart to be broken, just love that sweet girl as much as you can right now. She is surrounded by your love, and for her, that is all she ever wanted.
I'll pray for you both, my heart goes out to you, may God have mercy and bless you both.....

Thank you for your loving words and prayers.
I just got back from work she’s snuggled on my chair. Soon as I came in she’s purring. I forgot to mention she’s on some pain relief for her mouth. It’s a liquid I squirt into her mouth but it doesn’t seem to be helping.
I’ve tried her with everything when I got back she’s refused everything

 

[thekittycatz]

My cat was on a feeding tube when he had fatty liver. That was when he was first diagnosed at 7 1/2. There is a lot of controversy surrounding IBD in cats. The idea that lymphoma is the result of poorly managed IBD is one of them. The idea that a steroid is not a viable long term management tool is another one. In my cat's case, if he had lymphoma and it was caused by something it was the damage to his liver from having fatty liver.

I forgot to mention the vet gave her some pain relief for her gums. I have to squirt it into her mouth. It doesn’t seem to of helped. She keeps just pulling at her mouth and grinding her gums together. I’m not sure why she’s never done this before.
I’ve put done some applaws mousse food tuna. Gourmet gold. Some of her favourite kibble and a Milkys treat liquid. She’s not touching it.. Before she would try lick the pate food. Why would she be refusing like this?

 

[daftcat75]

If the pain relief is bupenorphine, that has to be squirted into the cheek, not down her throat to be effective. I just peel back a lip and aim down and back for the gums between lip and teeth. It can also be compounded into a transdermal cream which is the best stuff ever. I squirt a small amount on a finger cot and rub into Krista’s ear flap and she’s instantly more comfortable.

 

[white shadow]

.
Hi thekittycatz and welcome to the forum !

To follow up on daftcat75 's post above.....what exactly is the name of the pain relief medicine you are using? (It should be on the label or on your receipt.)

If its chemical name is buprenorphine (brand names are Vetergesic and Buprenex), it needs to be absorbed by the gums and the mouth tissue. If, on the other hand, it's swallowed, it will do nothing whatsoever for her pain.

Now, if it is buprenorphine, here's a tip for making it as effective as possible. If the entire dose is just squirted into the side pocket of the mouth, inevitably much/most will be swallowed before it can get absorbed. To counter that, I don't squeeze the whole amount at once...I'll put just a droplet or two inside the lip (in the side pocket of the mouth), wait a few moments, then repeat until the whole dose has been given. That method will ensure the best 'bang for the buck'. (I know the dose is already a tiny amount in total, but, you can practice 'droplets' using water in an empty syringe.)

I would also encourage you to learn about feeding tubes - that article is quite informative - and discuss this with the Veterinarian.

Could you describe this more detail:

"Missy has never done well under anestheic..."​

.

 

[jen]

Could you describe this more detail:
"Missy has never done well under anestheic..."

I am curious too. If her organs are checking out fine, what is the issue?

 

[thekittycatz]

She’s had a few teeth out over the years and the recovery process was slow. She struggled for a week to eat went off food and couldn’t control her bladder. I was told it was abnormal for it to go on for this long?

 

[thekittycatz]

.
Hi thekittycatz and welcome to the forum !

To follow up on daftcat75 's post above.....what exactly is the name of the pain relief medicine you are using? (It should be on the label or on your receipt.)

If its chemical name is buprenorphine (brand names are Vetergesic and Buprenex), it needs to be absorbed by the gums and the mouth tissue. If, on the other hand, it's swallowed, it will do nothing whatsoever for her pain.

Now, if it is buprenorphine, here's a tip for making it as effective as possible. If the entire dose is just squirted into the side pocket of the mouth, inevitably much/most will be swallowed before it can get absorbed. To counter that, I don't squeeze the whole amount at once...I'll put just a droplet or two inside the lip (in the side pocket of the mouth), wait a few moments, then repeat until the whole dose has been given. That method will ensure the best 'bang for the buck'. (I know the dose is already a tiny amount in total, but, you can practice 'droplets' using water in an empty syringe.)

I would also encourage you to learn about feeding tubes - that article is quite informative - and discuss this with the Veterinarian.

Could you describe this more detail:

"Missy has never done well under anestheic..."​

.

I’ve been squirting it ono her gum and a lot tried a cotton swab and rolled it across her gums. That seemed to work best. But still hasn’t encouraged her to eat.

 

[white shadow]

.
Again, I do not 'squirt'......just little droplets, with time in between for absorption. A swab itself will retain more of the drug than it will release.

Her previous recovery seems unusual....but, not life threatening.

(btw, should she have lymphoma, she might just do quite well with chemotherapy, (as many other cats do).

Given that the steroid offered her an opportunity and she took it, I'd offer her the opportunity that could be waiting after the surgery and (likely) chemo - and, I'd have a feeding tube put in to ease her recovery. If she is unable to manage that opportunity, the result will be no different from your deciding to let her go. (I'd also keep her hospitalized for 2-3 days afterwards.)

Thank you for sharing those two gorgeous pictures of her in the "Favourite Picture" thread! She reminds me very much of my own (now-angel), Stryker. She has an air of confidence and determination!
.

 

[white shadow]

.
I think I'd also be trying to get some food into her now. (without any food, cats develop a dangerous liver condition....even tiny amounts of food can stave this off)

One of the Moderators posted a how-to video earlier for someone else. Have a look at that and see if you can do the same. Note that the food is not squirted towards the back of the mouth, but instead across the front.....that's "everything" when a cat is resistant.

Here's her post: Cat Not Eating
.

 

[daftcat75]

Again, I do not 'squirt'......just little droplets, with time in between for

Since the last time Krista had dental work, it seems the FDA enacted a bunch of dumb restrictions on veterinary use of opiods. One of them is that I used to be able to get a bottle of bupe and a re-usable syringe. Now, unless I get it compounded, it seems I get these one-time use monojects that pop rather than smoothly glide. The droplet strategy wouldn't work with these. I was also only getting six doses of the buccal bupe. I got 30 doses worth of the transdermal. The transdermal was a game changer for us in so many ways.

 

[thekittycatz]

Thank you for all the replies. I’m going back to the vet today in an hour. She ate about a mouth ful yesterday and one dreamie.
I know what you mean about the swab absorbing it. I tried to drop it in yesterday night. She still backed off from her food.
She keeps running to hide under the stairs or behind the sofa. Every time I get her out now. Her behaviour has changed.
I spoke to the vet on the phone and he said about sending a blood sample to a lab. That was his suggestion. I said to him how worried I am about her eating. And also asked about chemo a few weeks ago. He said with how thin and frail she was and how sick she is it could make her worse.
He also said since she’s been on steroids chemo doesn’t work as well.


I’m going to ask about drip/ feeding tube. Anything to see what my options are.

 

[thekittycatz]

Ok so vets given me potassium as hers is low. She tried to remove some plaque from her teeth.
She’s also given her appetite situmlant.
And continuing with pain relief in gums. She was worried her stool might suggest internal bleed so she’s lowered the dosage of the steroids incase it’s that.
She then had a talk to me about. For now she doesn’t mind keep trying. While missy is how she is. But I neee to have a think of her quality of life is bad and she’s not eating I may have to put her to sleep. At this point I couldn’t hold back tears anymore.

I kept just saying to her is there anything else. She didn’t recommenced the feeding tube would be a good idea incase she has some internal bleeding and she said her stomach is bloated out. And her intenstines feel incredibly thickened.
:( I don’t know what else to do

 

[daftcat75]

I’d get a second opinion on the feeding tube. That’s probably the make or break decision with her. If you can’t get food in her, I don’t know how many options you have left.