Please Help, Cat Is Baffling Every Vet

[Unavailabill]

Have you asked your vet to call vet schools, etc for a consult? It costs your vet nothing but time, maybe an email with more details.

My vet I don’t think will benefit from that. She originally suggested me to the neurologist for brain tumors or polyps because this is beyond her skill level.

She is helping me the best she can, as did the brain surgeon, but they aren’t able to do much and everyone is way to busy to take my case that seriously.

I have to wait over a week just to talk to people. I’ve already had one place 3.5 hours away forget my appointment entirely when I showed up. I’m not getting help from the people around me or I wouldn’t be here.

I have been suggested to go see people at MSU, but I have read such bad reviews online that I am not trying to take my cat there.

 

[Burki]

I'm sorry to hear that your cat's not doing great. I'm not really sure what this could be, but based on my limited knowledge it could be feline asthma, as that's something that vets tend to overlook. A couple years ago a friend of mine went through a really tough time because she had a cat who had developed serious asthma. Cat would "ack" a lot, was constantly hunched over, became lethargic, and wouldn't eat/would throw up due to the severe heaving. It was a long while until one vet realized that it might be asthma and the cat received treatment, but if left untreated there was a high possibility of brain damage (due to limited oxygen) that could have resulted in anything from partial paralysis to something like Horner's. Asthma likely isn't the case here, but it's a possibility unless it hasn't already been ruled out.
All the luck to you and Cali!

 

[Unavailabill]

Well I have more bad news. The KMR seems to have already set her off. She gagged at it yesterday and this morning she won’t go near it. I’m going to try salmon tonight but I’m worried.

 

[Furballsmom]

Is she nauseated? Could you obtain something to calm the nausea, if she is?

 

[Unavailabill]

Is she nauseated? Could you obtain something to calm the nausea, if she is?

She was given a shot twice for it and meds, but unfortunately, the meds need to be digested and she’s not eating anyway. They didn’t really help either.

She now turns away the redi whip and won’t go anywhere near the KMT, I’m getting really worried, she’s not eating anything anymore. My girlfriend cooked some salmon and she threw that up within a minute tonight.

 

[Furballsmom]

Gracious sakes!
Geez I feel terrible for you!!
Is there anything the vet can do regarding something like a feeding tube?

Maybe there's something here;

Advice For Force Feeding Hepatic Lipidosis Kitty :(

 

[Unavailabill]

Just as an update for anyone that cares, I took her to the ophthalmologist yesterday, she said it’s definitely not glaucoma, so we took her to Blue Pearl (regretfully) and checked her into the emergency services for an internal exam.

They suggested she be hospitalized for a few days, on IV, and to have a couple ultrasounds done. They suspect pancreatitis, or possible cancer in her lymph nodes or organs.

I’m almost out of money now, this was a 4800 dollar hospital bill, and I maxed out all of my cards yesterday... between the mri and this, it’s almost 10 grand in just a month.

I’m not losing hope, and I’m not giving up, but I’m getting really scared now.

I’ll try my best to post updates.

I’m not normally a religious person, but I’m going to start praying for my cat, and I ask anyone else, please pray for her too. She needs all the help she can get now.

 

[Furballsmom]

Just as an update for anyone that cares

We care a LOT, I promise!! and I definitely am keeping both you and your furbaby in my thoughts and prayers

 

[Jem]

I will most certainly keep you and your kitty in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[weebeasties]

So sorry for everything you and your girl are going through. I feel a little silly suggesting this, but I thought it might be worth a shot. Could her nausea have anything to do with acid reflux? I know it wouldn't explain the Horner's, but maybe they are two different issues? Our Jasmine was severely ill once and one of her problems was SEVERE acid reflux. We had to syringe feed and medicate her for quite some time before she got better. The acids in her stomach were making her vomit that led to inflamed esophagus. I think we gave her otc Pepcid as well as vet perscription cerenia and something else that I can't quite remember.
Anyway, just thought I would mention the stomach acid thing in case no one has checked.
Sending good vibes your way

 

[GingerBear]

Gosh, so sorry for what you're going through! I know how terrible that anxiety is. The MRI may have ruled something like this out for your girl, but just to throw it out- I had a cat that started being unable to keep food down, and the vomiting was clearly painful for her. It also STANK- very noticeable compared to 'normal' vomit. Sadly, it turned out to be quite a large mass in her abdomen. The vet was able to palpate and feel it easily. My options were limited then and poor thing was so sick, so I did not pursue further testing. I really hope things go better for you. Keeping you all in my thoughts!!

 

[Unavailabill]

So sorry for everything you and your girl are going through. I feel a little silly suggesting this, but I thought it might be worth a shot. Could her nausea have anything to do with acid reflux? I know it wouldn't explain the Horner's, but maybe they are two different issues? Our Jasmine was severely ill once and one of her problems was SEVERE acid reflux. We had to syringe feed and medicate her for quite some time before she got better. The acids in her stomach were making her vomit that led to inflamed esophagus. I think we gave her otc Pepcid as well as vet perscription cerenia and something else that I can't quite remember.
Anyway, just thought I would mention the stomach acid thing in case no one has checked.
Sending good vibes your way

That’s not silly to suggest at all. I’m still at my wit’s end.

We took her to get and endoscope on Friday. I had no choice really. It was 2800 dollars, which is why I didn’t do it when she was in the hospital last time, but she was throwing up everything again except KMR, and I am running out of time. They did not find anything visible I guess so far except ulcers, pancreatitis, and infections in her intestines. The doctor is suspecting possibly 2 or 3 things are causing all of this to her, one of them being IBS.

I have her on prednesolone again, and some pain medication for her pancreatitis, she’s was on cerenia, and I’m supposed to use mirataz for her hunger, I’m also starting omeprozole for the acid in her stomach.

However, the doctor is not ruling out lymphoma, which she suspects, until the biopsy comes back in a few days.

Me and my girlfriend have been just basically trying to feed her every couple hours, she has been eating, but not like she should, but thankfully she has not thrown up in a couple days.

Sadly, she will eat something little, say chicken, and we got to feed her again some more chicken in an hour or so and she starts gagging at the smell of it.

She’s being triggered by some serious nausea and it’s so frustrating and I feel so bad for her. I’m not sure what to feed her to help her gain weight. I can’t get her to eat anything because of the gagging, and when she finally accepts food it’s such small amounts.

 

[FelisCatus]

That’s not silly to suggest at all. I’m still at my wit’s end.

We took her to get and endoscope on Friday. I had no choice really. It was 2800 dollars, which is why I didn’t do it when she was in the hospital last time, but she was throwing up everything again except KMR, and I am running out of time. They did not find anything visible I guess so far except ulcers, pancreatitis, and infections in her intestines. The doctor is suspecting possibly 2 or 3 things are causing all of this to her, one of them being IBS.

I have her on prednesolone again, and some pain medication for her pancreatitis, she’s was on cerenia, and I’m supposed to use mirataz for her hunger, I’m also starting omeprozole for the acid in her stomach.

However, the doctor is not ruling out lymphoma, which she suspects, until the biopsy comes back in a few days.

Me and my girlfriend have been just basically trying to feed her every couple hours, she has been eating, but not like she should, but thankfully she has not thrown up in a couple days.

Sadly, she will eat something little, say chicken, and we got to feed her again some more chicken in an hour or so and she starts gagging at the smell of it.

She’s being triggered by some serious nausea and it’s so frustrating and I feel so bad for her. I’m not sure what to feed her to help her gain weight. I can’t get her to eat anything because of the gagging, and when she finally accepts food it’s such small amounts.

Did you consult with your vets about having a feeding tube added as Furballsmom had suggested?

 

[ArchyCat]

Thank you for the update. Any thought of a feeding tube? other posters to TCS have had luck with that. Let us know about the lymphoma results. Hope tings start going better for her. And you.

 

[Unavailabill]

Did you consult with your vets about having a feeding tube added as Furballsmom had suggested?

Thank you for the update. Any thought of a feeding tube? other posters to TCS have had luck with that. Let us know about the lymphoma results. Hope tings start going better for her. And you.

The feeding tube has been discussed, two different versions. The doctor said we can try through the mouth or nose, but Cali will probably sneeze or vomit the tube back out, due to her nausea. So they suggested a surgical feeding tube, which would require more hospitalization and more money. Both are last resort options.

The hospital is hours away, and she needs to not eat 12 hours before most visits, which is working AGAINST her. I need her to try to eat, not the other way around.

I’m getting her to eat small amounts on her own, so I hope I can get her to avoid the feeding tube option, because it would mean more suffering for her and me.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! We haven't heard from you in a bit, I was wondering how things are going? What were the pain meds that seemed to help her to be able to eat solid food? Were you able to figure things out, and I was wondering if CBD oil would be of any help here?

 

[Unavailabill]

Hi! We haven't heard from you in a bit, I was wondering how things are going? What were the pain meds that seemed to help her to be able to eat solid food? Were you able to figure things out, and I was wondering if CBD oil would be of any help here?

I would like to start by thanking you again for what you’ve done to help.

Cali is doing... well, she’s... I sit here at a lack of words, I’ve thought so hard what I should say but I’m just so frustrated that’s it’s difficult to say things appropriately.

It’s not fair what she’s going through and I just don’t get it. I have read through so much these past months, and all articles I read end in “see a vet”, and I can’t count the vets I’ve brought her to. I can’t count the dollars I’ve spent. I don’t care to. It doesn’t even matter.

I just don’t understand why no one can help her. Or why no one understands. Or why no bloodwork or test help, or operations, or specialist. Why do these people even exist?

The people on this board are the ONLY REASON MY CAT IS ALIVE RIGHT NOW.

That sentence right there hurts me to write and I feel so defeated as an owner, a human, and as an adult.

Cali eats KMR sometimes on her own, sometimes I have to syring it down her mouth. We cook her over easy eggs and she eats them with Fortiflora sprinkled on it.

Her appetite is there for all food, and she wants it, but all solid food, even soft meat is throw right back up within one minute or two minutes of her eating it. No matter how small the amount (I’m talking dumb small).

She can only keep down KMR and eggs.

She can’t really meow anymore and she no longer purrs. She has barely any energy anymore and it’s so sad to see her like this but I’m trying so hard to nurse her back to some sort of health.

I feed her at midnight, then again at 2:30, then 5:30, then 8:30, then whenever we can during the evening when me and my girlfriend are around. Even if it’s just a small amount of anything. I’ve been force feeding her as of last week until we started trying Fortiflora, which helps a lot with getting her to eat.

Whenever I offer her KMR, she starts licking her mouth(nausea sign), her and gets hunched over rotisserie style, I can tell it’s not easy for her, but then after a minute or so, she will come over (I have the bowl/dish in my hand a couple inches away) and usually slowly but surely lick the food, never large amounts.

I give her prednisolone every other day (she’s been on for weeks), omeprozole, and now cerenia, because her pain meds ran out.

I’m not sure if I should be looking into some sort of pain management for her, or what I should be doing anymore.

I can’t take her to the vet anymore, it’s so much for her to ride for hours in the car and not eat for so long because of it. And the stress it causes. And all the tests take so much out of her but provide no answers.

How is Cali doing? I wish I knew.

 

[Furballsmom]

Oh my, you, your family and your cat are incredible!
Would CBD oil help in some way? It's anti inflammatory and could possibly help regarding pain.

 

[daftcat75]

I wish you would reconsider the surgical feeding tube: the esophogeal tube. They only need light anesthesia and an X-ray to confirm its placement. The whole procedure would take about 30 minutes but they would want to keep the cat long enough to do some test feedings. If you could do the procedure in the morning, you would probably be able to bring her home in the evening without an overnight. Krista had a feeding tube for a few weeks and the only times she ever minded it was when I fed her too fast or too cold. Other than that, she sat for feedings, medicine, and even the cleanings like a pro. She even ate on her own after our tube feedings. The feeding tube saved her life. I hate to see Cali denied that opportunity. Trust me. Cat guardians are more bothered by the tube than the cat is.
Feeding Tubes For Cats

 

[Unavailabill]

I wish you would reconsider the surgical feeding tube: the esophogeal tube. They only need light anesthesia and an X-ray to confirm its placement. The whole procedure would take about 30 minutes but they would want to keep the cat long enough to do some test feedings. If you could do the procedure in the morning, you would probably be able to bring her home in the evening without an overnight. Krista had a feeding tube for a few weeks and the only times she ever minded it was when I fed her too fast or too cold. Other than that, she sat for feedings, medicine, and even the cleanings like a pro. She even ate on her own after our tube feedings. The feeding tube saved her life. I hate to see Cali denied that opportunity. Trust me. Cat guardians are more bothered by the tube than the cat is.
Feeding Tubes For Cats

I believe there is something wrong with her throat and/or esophagus, as did the vets. I’m not sure that would help her.

After her endoscope, her voice slowly went away, and now she no longer purrs. She can’t swallow solid food easily, it drops right out of her mouth.

She doesn’t really need help eating anymore. She needs answers to why she has horners. Or why she sits hunched. Or why she vomits any food.