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- Jun 30, 2019
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Hello, cat loving friends
I am hoping to gain some words of advice and support during this difficult time. I love my baby and it pains me to see her ill. Thank you for reading this account of her illness and grateful for any support/advice you can offer. Pictures at the end.
Cat baby: Samba, Calico, 16.5 years old, has brightened my home since she was 6 weeks old.
My cat has shown signs of being sick for 2 weeks now.
She may have been presenting symptoms but I was too busy to notice.
About 4 weeks ago, I noticed she urinated on my bed, which she has NEVER done. I figured she might be unhappy that her litter box wasn't as clean as it's normally been or I haven't been keeping up with cleaning her water fountain.
2 weeks ago- She started vomiting and continued to vomit every 10- 20 minutes. When she started open mouth breathing after vomiting, I immediately took her to the vet. The vet diagnosed her with a UTI and send us home with antibiotics.
To sum up the last 2 weeks:
Symptoms:
- She stopped eating for 4 days with only minimal water intake. She just licked her wet food and licked her water cup.
- Noticeable fast or difficult breathing (AT TIMES but not while sleeping)
- "Looking sad" and weak, slow walking at times
- Curling up into a "sitting up" ball with the back of her hair standing (Is this a sign of pain?)
- When she started eating 4 days later, very picky eater would only eat her canned food, only when it was a freshly opened can...would not eat refrigerated food or food warmed up in the microwave.
Treatment
- Subcutaneous fluids on 3 separate occasions
- Anti-nausea meds during this time
- Appetite stimulant
- Antibiotics for UTI
Test performed & Findings: Chest X-ray, Full Blood work, Urinalysis, and Ultrasound of the abdomen.
- Diagnosis/Findings: Nodule in lungs, Heart Murmur, one Kidney significantly smaller than the other (perhaps only one kidney working), High Kidney values, and most a thickening in a section of her intestines, loss of boundaries of this intestinal track
Follow up recommendations: An echocardiogram to assess the condition of her heart. A biopsy of her intestine to see if my cat has inflammatory bowel disease, small cell lymphoma, or malignant cancer. Possible treatment: Steroids to treat inflammatory bowel disease without the biopsy. *Vet recommends an echocardiogram to assess if the heart can tolerate the steroids first.
Concerns:
Is she in pain? How can I help alleviate her pain while we wait for her cardiologist appointment?
Should I have her undergo further testing, surgical biopsies? Worried about causing her more discomfort and trauma with more vet visits.
Biopsies and echocardiogram- Very expensive and could I even afford the treatment?
Is her illness curable? How much more time would I be extending her life for?
Should I focus on palliative care?
I am hoping to gain some words of advice and support during this difficult time. I love my baby and it pains me to see her ill. Thank you for reading this account of her illness and grateful for any support/advice you can offer. Pictures at the end.
Cat baby: Samba, Calico, 16.5 years old, has brightened my home since she was 6 weeks old.
My cat has shown signs of being sick for 2 weeks now.
She may have been presenting symptoms but I was too busy to notice.
About 4 weeks ago, I noticed she urinated on my bed, which she has NEVER done. I figured she might be unhappy that her litter box wasn't as clean as it's normally been or I haven't been keeping up with cleaning her water fountain.
2 weeks ago- She started vomiting and continued to vomit every 10- 20 minutes. When she started open mouth breathing after vomiting, I immediately took her to the vet. The vet diagnosed her with a UTI and send us home with antibiotics.
To sum up the last 2 weeks:
Symptoms:
- She stopped eating for 4 days with only minimal water intake. She just licked her wet food and licked her water cup.
- Noticeable fast or difficult breathing (AT TIMES but not while sleeping)
- "Looking sad" and weak, slow walking at times
- Curling up into a "sitting up" ball with the back of her hair standing (Is this a sign of pain?)
- When she started eating 4 days later, very picky eater would only eat her canned food, only when it was a freshly opened can...would not eat refrigerated food or food warmed up in the microwave.
Treatment
- Subcutaneous fluids on 3 separate occasions
- Anti-nausea meds during this time
- Appetite stimulant
- Antibiotics for UTI
Test performed & Findings: Chest X-ray, Full Blood work, Urinalysis, and Ultrasound of the abdomen.
- Diagnosis/Findings: Nodule in lungs, Heart Murmur, one Kidney significantly smaller than the other (perhaps only one kidney working), High Kidney values, and most a thickening in a section of her intestines, loss of boundaries of this intestinal track
Follow up recommendations: An echocardiogram to assess the condition of her heart. A biopsy of her intestine to see if my cat has inflammatory bowel disease, small cell lymphoma, or malignant cancer. Possible treatment: Steroids to treat inflammatory bowel disease without the biopsy. *Vet recommends an echocardiogram to assess if the heart can tolerate the steroids first.
Concerns:
Is she in pain? How can I help alleviate her pain while we wait for her cardiologist appointment?
Should I have her undergo further testing, surgical biopsies? Worried about causing her more discomfort and trauma with more vet visits.
Biopsies and echocardiogram- Very expensive and could I even afford the treatment?
Is her illness curable? How much more time would I be extending her life for?
Should I focus on palliative care?