Seeking Advice On A Sick Cat

[Antonio65]

The cat I was talking about in this thread
I've Found A Sick Cat - What Would You Do?
has come home with me since yesterday. A person had shown interest in adopting her, but the vet stopped it, because that woman has two elderly and rather healthy cats, and we don't know anything about the cat I had found, so the choice has been not to put the other two cats at risk.

The first and strongest suspect is a tumor in her head, likely behind her left eye. Another possible suspect is a dry FIP or Toxo. For the latter the cat has been put on Clyndamicin.
She already got a shot of Convenia. The X-ray to her chest is clear, the one of her head shows something in her head, but only a CT scan or a MRI could tell is for sure what it is

So the cat is now at home with us. She's looks a bit better, her swollen eye has improved, but she keeps both her eyes slightly squinted. I have to keep her eyes clean a few times a day. Her nose is always stuck with mucus that I wipe away often.
She walks with her head tilted on the left, and sometimes she walks in counter-clockwise circles.
She eats like a wolf, and drinks huge amounts of water.
She hasn't pooped yet, but she peed a few times, two times on the floor. Her urine is just like water, same color (totally transparent), no odour at all, same density as the water.

I have informed the vet that says it's likely due to the cortisone she's taking, so I should try to stop it for a couple of days and see what happens.

The cat is very sweet and quiet, poor soul, sleeps a lot, meows faintly and sometimes no sound comes out of her mouth. She so skinny that I can see most of her bones.

I had the result of her blood test, I'm writing down only the levels out of range

Amylase 3140 [50-1300 U/l]
BUN 119 [18-41 mg/dl]
Creatinine 2 [0.7-1.8 mg/dl]
ALT 22 [23-100 U/l]
Total Proteins 10.82 [5.5-7.7 g/dl]
Albumin 2.67 [3-4.6 g/dl]
Osmotic Concentration 346 [280-310 osm/l]

RBC 6.35 [6.54-12.2 M/ul]
HGB 9.0 [9.8-16.2 g/dl]
WBC 17.26 [2.87-17.2 k/ul]
NEU 13.53 [2.30-10.29 k/ul]
MON 1.74 [0.05-0.67 k/ul]
EOS 0.06 [0.17-1.57 k/ul]

In your experience, is there something I can do or ask for, or wait for?
Any input is more than welcome!

 

[MissClouseau]

Ask the vet if it's OK to give multivitamins like GimCat 12 Multivitamins paste, or something they can recommend with taurine/omega acids. If the vet says it's OK, personally I would still give the half of the recommended dosage on the box as you say the cat is skinny besides introducing new things slowly is better usually.

I just read your original post too, why does the vet believe he has only a few weeks to live if there is no proper diagnose? FIP, especially dry FIP is difficult to diagnose as there is no 100% reliable test for diagnosing FIP, making misdiagnose pretty common. If possible show the test results and other information about the cat including his weight to 1-2 other vets.

 

[catsknowme]

Bless you for rescuing that poor girl
and thank you for taking her to the vet. Did the vet express any concerns about her kidney function? I am not good at interpreting bw results so will defer to others here.
I do know that when my creatine and BUN levels are abnormal, I get relief from kidney support. For that, I use herbs and perhaps your vet can guide you on that or have you consult a holistic vet. I primarily use marshmallow root. slippery elm bark, lemon balm and red raspberry leaf. The SE and MR provide intestinal, respiratory and kidney/bladder support. I try to use the teas at least 3 hours apart from modern meds. I typically use decoctions & teas (leaves as teas which are steeped by pouring boiling water over them and covered for 5 minutes and barks/roots simmered, covered, over very gentle heat for 10-15 min and allowed to cool still covered). Powdered herbs can be sprinkled onto wet food or boiled meats.
For clogged nasal passages, I cheat and use Homeopet Feline Nose Relief - 10 drops per pint. In extreme cases, I add Claritin or Chlortrimetron because my vet & I prefer that to Benadryl which often causes intense foaming of the mouth that terrifies and panics the patient.
Coconut oil thinly applied to her eyelids and nose might also bring relief to those sensitive tissues and help keep the gunkies from forming.
If her kidney values are off, you can add lymph support by adding massage and grooming with a plastic comb & your fingers.
My thought on the squinty eyes is that she likely has light and sound sensitivity due to her head problems. Perhaps the vet has a suggestion - would Metacam or arnica be appropriate for pain, especially since there is something going on there? Does she have a quiet, dark recovery place? I would offer her a towel-covered carrier near you or a large closed box with a portal cut out & comfy bed inside of it. No matter where you have her, she is feeling relieved & loved - which is some of the best medicine possible, along with "tincture of time".
again, Thank you so very much for helping that poor kitty. There aren't many who would do so much for a stranger, especially a cat.
Prayers and vibes that she recovers quickly

 

[Antonio65]

I just read your original post too, why does the vet believe he has only a few weeks to live if there is no proper diagnose? FIP, especially dry FIP is difficult to diagnose as there is no 100% reliable test for diagnosing FIP, making misdiagnose pretty common. If possible show the test results and other information about the cat including his weight to 1-2 other vets.

It's not the FIP that is concerning the vet and making her to think that the cat has only a few weeks to live. It's the fact that she's pretty sure the cat has a tumor behind her eye. The eye and the area around it was swollen and hard to the touch when I found her, and it doesn't seem consistent with an injury or a car accident.
The vet also found an erosion inside her mouth, and this could strengthen the theory of a tumor.
Only a CT scan or MRI could give us the certainty, but the cat isn't in the physical condition to stand a sedation.

FIP and toxo were two options for the fact she's walking in circles since Monday, and her hypothesis was that if one of these diseases was there, it was giving neurological symptoms. The vet gave me an antibiotic, Clyndamicin, that we haven't started with yet. The cat needs an antibiotic for some infections, we chose the Clyndamicin in order to kill any possible toxo if it's the case.

 

[Antonio65]

My thought on the squinty eyes is that she likely has light and sound sensitivity due to her head problems. Perhaps the vet has a suggestion - would Metacam or arnica be appropriate for pain, especially since there is something going on there? Does she have a quiet, dark recovery place? I would offer her a towel-covered carrier near you or a large closed box with a portal cut out & comfy bed inside of it.

She does have her carrier available, but chose to sleep on the sofa.
I think she's a bit deaf too, because she doesn't wake up even with the usual home noises.
And she's in a quiet environment most of the day, when we're away, and the night.

I'll ask for a pain killer, if necessary.

As for the rest, at the time we need to see if what has been prescribed is working.
Thanks!

 

[Kflowers]

Does she have a name?

You are an angel, but we knew this. I will pray for you, your wife and the cat.

 

[Antonio65]

The vet named her Ruth, but we were thinking to name her Viola (Violet in Italian) but we're still unsure.

Thanks for your kind words, we're just trying to let her live the remainder of her life as good as we can.

Anyway I'm planning on going where I found her and call at any house I can find in half a mile radius and see if anybody knows her.
My first opinion was that someone got rid of her when she got sick.
But it might also be that she got lost because she isn't feeling well, and somewhere there could be a desperate family. I try to be in their shoes, and if I lost my cat I would be dead!

 

[Kflowers]

Viola is a lovely name. Ruth is a strong one. But, yes, look, it's so easy for them to get confused after they get hit by a car. Even if she didn't actually get hit, the back- draft from a car passing close can almost knock you out. It's fierce at street level. That's why you find a lot of birds who are lying in the street. They just need to rest a bit to get over the concussion and are then okay.

 

[Antonio65]

I thinks she's gaining weight, it seems to me she's a bit plumper at her belly. Her sides were... concave, when I found her.
Her eyes seem cleaner, but her nose is constantly running and gets clogged in the left nostril. I should clean it up for her a hundred times a day.
She had an aerosol session last night and another one this morning.
She doesn't like tuna, it seems, she prefers chicken.
She drinks a lot, in 24 hours she drank 245 ml of water, that seems a lot to me.
Her breathing is a bit troubled, it could be her stuffy nose or some issue with her lungs.

She peed twice on the floor last night, and pooped too, on the same spot. So I think that the spot in my house reminds her of something. Despite I had cleaned the spot very very thoroughly, she keeps going there. I laid a puppy pad on that spot and she forgot it.
She also uses her tray, but her behavior is so strange.

Last night she also screamed, she made a series of loud meows out of the blue, I don't know if she felt lonely all of a sudden, or if she felt some sort of pain.

She's so sweet!

 

[verna davies]

You are doing a wonderful job, she is so lucky that it was you who found her. I hope you find her owner.

 

[Antonio65]

I'll try to find her owner, and hopefully they're missing her. If it were me I could be dead from the desperation, but I think that it's likely they just got rid of her...
We have a saying here:
"Thinking badly of others is wrong, but you're often right!"

 

[di and bob]

Oh Antonio, a purpose found once more to keep you going. You are an angel of mercy. You are a source of comfort to so many, and seem to be chosen frequently to administer to the sick, the unwanted!
Her liver and kidney abnormal values could very well be due to her emaciated state too. She is slightly anemic and shows a slightly elevated WBC count indication infection but is slight enough to indicate trauma, stress or inflammation too. Clear urine is a good sign, her kidneys are being well flushed. Good nutrition, lots of water and love from you may very well do wonders.At the very least it helps to make her more comfortable. She still could have very well sustained a terrible injury to her head, maybe quite a while ago, and is slowly holding her own. You can't do much about a tumor until she regains her strength enough to withstand tests. I guess just one condition at a time.
For now, I would just concentrate on getting her strength back. Loud crying out may be linked to head trauma too, as her walking in circles does too. I will definitely send healing vibes her way, and pray taht all this is an indication of something that is NOT fatal, I have seen cats come back from the brink before, they are incrdibley self healing! Bless you for taking on yet another one of God's creatures in need!

 

[Antonio65]

I think it's time for you to meet her

This is two days after I rescued her from the road, still at the vet's.

This is today, an hour ago

 

[verna davies]

She is adorable and looks so much better. You have worked wonders. I hope she continues to improve under your loving care. Thank you for sharing the photos.

 

[catsknowme]

What a cutie pie!! Those eyes, those ears, that lovely coloring She looks much improved since being at the vet. Her face certainly has plumped out and she looks alert and interested. I admire your efforts to find anyone possibly missing her - your compassion knows no bounds! Continuing to send prayers and vibes for healing

 

[di and bob]

She looks so sick, my heart goes out to her! but she is alert and I can sence a strong spirit. She is in the best possible place getting the best possible care and I know she knows it! Antonio, have you considered a Go fund Me for all you do for these cats? I know everyone on this site would try to help and would vouch for your authenticity. Even set up up somewhere for Pay Pal, or a place to send contributions. I don't know what all this would involve, I'm sure a lot a paperwork, you need help with all these expenses! If everyuone just sent a little, it would help!

 

[Antonio65]

What a cutie pie!! Those eyes, those ears, that lovely coloring

Her ears are very long! She might look like a donkey

 

[Antonio65]

She looks so sick, my heart goes out to her! but she is alert and I can sence a strong spirit. She is in the best possible place getting the best possible care and I know she knows it!

Yes, she has a sick look, she's rather weak, wobbling when she walks. Well, she rarely walks around, she'd rather stay on the sofa, in the position shown in the second photo.
When she sleeps, she sleeps like a log, nothing can wake her up, until I touch her, like she is a little deaf too.
But she is lovely, sometimes she follows me around, though she looks often confused, she suddenly stops and looks around as if she is looking for something, or as if she doesn't know where she is. She's absolutely not interested in going out in the yard.

She reminds me of Lola in her last months, when she was so slow and weak and she would just sleep...

Antonio, have you considered a Go fund Me for all you do for these cats? I know everyone on this site would try to help and would vouch for your authenticity. Even set up up somewhere for Pay Pal, or a place to send contributions. I don't know what all this would involve, I'm sure a lot a paperwork, you need help with all these expenses! If everyuone just sent a little, it would help!

You are all so kind and dear, indeed, but I think I am still in the condition to face the current expenses.
Luckily vets here aren't as expensive as in US.
But I will keep in mind your generous and heartwarming offer, thanks so much from the botton of my heart!

 

[di and bob]

She does NOT look like a donkey!!! She looks beautiful! She will fill out and fit those ears!

 

[Antonio65]

She does NOT look like a donkey!!! She looks beautiful! She will fill out and fit those ears!

Of course she's lovely, she's unique!
Lola too had large ears, I loved that feature of hers.