Vet doesn't know what's wrong..

[Anasioux]

I have an adorable medium hair cat that we rescued from a parking lot about a year ago. She is estimated around 2 years old and the only problems she's ever had were ear mites and 2 bad teeth that were extracted.

We feed our cats in their own bowls and we noticed she would only eat a few bites and not touch the rest. We were worried she was being bullied out of her food so we started feeding her in a separate room and she still wasnt eating much. We started weighing her daily and she lost .4lbs the first day, then .9 the next, and was down 2lbs when we took her to the vet.
The vet suggested FIP because she had fluid in her abdomen. When they tried to draw blood they couldn't, so they gave her fluids overnight and did a blood test the next day and said her blood looked like the ink in a highlighter. They gave her a steroid shot and an appetite stimulant and sent her home.
She didn't improve and completely stopped eating. I did some googling and found Liver Flukes, which is from lizards, and we had found a dead lizard in their water bowl about a week before this happened. We asked about getting that tested and they gave her profender and prednisolone.
Then we asked about her blood test results because they weren't telling us anything and if they were going to test the fluid in her abdomen to see if FIP was likely, and they said they've ruled out FIP because her proteins weren't elevated.
They also said that her liver looked normal but want to put her on a low protein food(did not give us any or tell us what kind so I'm having to look myself. I had just bought her kitten food because it's high in calories but she won't eat that either).
She still has not been eating so we took her again and she stayed overnight. They claim she "gobbled up" the food they gave her and was rolling around in her cage, being talkative. They gave her B-12, Dexamethasone, and Mirtazapine. Well she
STILL won't eat hardly anything for us. At most she will lick wet food.
We also tried giving her her favorite treats and it seemed like she couldnt eat them. She could barely pick them up and most of the time they fell out, and if she managed to chew one most of it fell out.
Now she is gagging at food. I syringe fed her 1oz of canned food and 1 serving of kmr and she gagged every few bites but kept it down. 10 or so minutes later she threw up a teeny bit of pinkish liquid but it was very little. Her stomach also looks really bloated. She is a bit more interactive with us but weighed only 5.6lbs today and seems very weak. She is also a little matted on her belly and generally looks unkempt.
Just now she had a teeny bit of diarrhea that sounded really gross coming out and is really smelly but was barely anything. Then she threw up a little more pink foamy liquid.
I'm at a loss, and don't know if i should take her back to this vet. They've been our vet for years but they just don't seem concerned with her and aren't communicating with us AT ALL. I feel like they're just throwing stuff at a wall and seeing what sticks instead of running tests to find out what's wrong and she keeps losing more and more weight. I'm scared every day that i get home from work that she'll have died while i was gone. I'm thinking of taking her to a feline only vet about an hour's drive away for a second opinion. Someone, somewhere has to have dealt with whatever is wrong with her but i can't find anything that fits her symptoms and I'm so worried..

Pic is from when she was still healthy!

 

[Jcatbird]

I am going back to your mention of lizard flukes! Did they even check that? They should! The liver can be affected. That can explain some of the symptoms. Parasites should be checked! Repeat, parasites! Many vets are kind of overwhelmed right now. Sometimes we just need to be very firm and clear. What is wrong with my cat, what do you suspect, what would you do if this was your cat, etc. Another opinion is always a good option. Something can be missed. A feline only vet sounds like a good idea. I would get the mouth and throat checked. Some inflammation may be present causing difficulty in eating or swallowing. Make it perfectly understood ,to any vet, that you want test results and you want any possibility checked. Get them to stop and talk to you. Explain what they see and know or don’t know. Ask about Parasites of all types ( mention lizard flukes especially if you live in the southern U.S.) Teeth, mouth, esophagus, liver, kidneys, thyroid, gallbladder, etc. and find the cause, don’t just treat the symptoms. Many vets do the job but don’t explain because many people just trust the vet to do what is needed. If a client stops them and wants better understanding or further action, the vet should listen and help you to know what is going on. If they can’t do that or won’t ,get another opinion! I would go ahead and get kitty right back in. Something is obviously keeping the kitty sick and you need to know more. The pink tinge to the foam could just be a bit of blood from a tiny blood vessel breaking during vomiting. The foam could be due to bile but neither one should still be happening without cause. Communication is key here. If you don’t get it immediately, go elsewhere. If this is not FIP then what other diagnosis do they give? Please do keep us updated. You might try the lickable foods. I hear that some kitties will take that. All meat Gerber 2nd foods is another lickable food. If the digestive tract is out of whack, maybe some probiotics could be suggested by the vet. Yogurt is used in kitten glop so maybe that is an option. If your kitty seems to be crashing a bit, a little honey or Caro syrup wiped on the gums might be a temporary help in order to contact the vet. I am so sorry that your baby is sick. I hope it all passes and you see rapid improvement.
Oh my what a beautiful kitty. She looks a lot like my boy Bonnie. My heart is right there with you!

 

[white shadow]

.
Hi Anasioux and welcome to the forum !

I agree with your thinking about bringing her to the cat-only Vet! Around here, we've seen the differences that can make. And, I agree, there no diagnostic process there, just shots in the dark.

I have only one question - what has she been leaving in the litterbox (besides that little diarrhea) ? (sometimes this exact thing happens with constipation or a blockage, when a little liquid stool manages to get around the obstruction) An x-ray would reveal the presence of built-up stool and possibly an obstruction.

Do be careful with the syringe feeding, especially if she's struggling. The gagging concerns me in that should she breathe in ('choke on) the liquid and it get into her lungs, she can easily develop aspiration pneumonia, something alone that be fatal.

Yes, take her in there.

And, keep us posted.
.

 

[LTS3]

I'm at a loss, and don't know if i should take her back to this vet. They've been our vet for years but they just don't seem concerned with her and aren't communicating with us AT ALL. I feel like they're just throwing stuff at a wall and seeing what sticks instead of running tests to find out what's wrong and she keeps losing more and more weight.

If you don't feel comfortable with the way the vet is communicating, treating the cat (or lack of), etc then do find a new vet. Ask for copies of all your cat's records so you can give it to the new vet. You do not need to explain why you are leaving for another vet.

 

[fionasmom]

All of the advice is sound, but I am really with getting the records, which are your property legally, and going elsewhere. Ask around for a cat only vet, or a vet who is highly recommended by friends or otherwise. You have tried a lot of solutions and, as you say, it is like they threw things at the wall to see what would stick.

COVID 19, despite all the tragedy and stress that has come with it, is not really an excuse for the vet to be less than conscientious. You are still paying them for the services. Both of the vets I currently see are spacing appointments and following protocol, but to be honest, I don't think that there job is any harder because of the virus.

 

[Anasioux]

I am going back to your mention of lizard flukes! Did they even check that? They should! The liver can be affected. That can explain some of the symptoms. Parasites should be checked! Repeat, parasites! Many vets are kind of overwhelmed right now. Sometimes we just need to be very firm and clear. What is wrong with my cat, what do you suspect, what would you do if this was your cat, etc. Another opinion is always a good option. Something can be missed. A feline only vet sounds like a good idea. I would get the mouth and throat checked. Some inflammation may be present causing difficulty in eating or swallowing. Make it perfectly understood ,to any vet, that you want test results and you want any possibility checked. Get them to stop and talk to you. Explain what they see and know or don’t know. Ask about Parasites of all types ( mention lizard flukes especially if you live in the southern U.S.) Teeth, mouth, esophagus, liver, kidneys, thyroid, gallbladder, etc. and find the cause, don’t just treat the symptoms. Many vets do the job but don’t explain because many people just trust the vet to do what is needed. If a client stops them and wants better understanding or further action, the vet should listen and help you to know what is going on. If they can’t do that or won’t ,get another opinion! I would go ahead and get kitty right back in. Something is obviously keeping the kitty sick and you need to know more. The pink tinge to the foam could just be a bit of blood from a tiny blood vessel breaking during vomiting. The foam could be due to bile but neither one should still be happening without cause. Communication is key here. If you don’t get it immediately, go elsewhere. If this is not FIP then what other diagnosis do they give? Please do keep us updated. You might try the lickable foods. I hear that some kitties will take that. All meat Gerber 2nd foods is another lickable food. If the digestive tract is out of whack, maybe some probiotics could be suggested by the vet. Yogurt is used in kitten glop so maybe that is an option. If your kitty seems to be crashing a bit, a little honey or Caro syrup wiped on the gums might be a temporary help in order to contact the vet. I am so sorry that your baby is sick. I hope it all passes and you see rapid improvement.
Oh my what a beautiful kitty. She looks a lot like my boy Bonnie. My heart is right there with you!

Thanks! We got her back in today and they did an ultrasound and said her organs looked bumpy and that the fluid in her abdomen looks like urine so they're sending it off to be tested. They did not test for liver flukes and I agree I want them to test for that unless they have good reason to think it isnt that. We do live in the southeastern US. But they did an ultrasound today with a specialist and said her organs look nodular where they should be smooth and there was more fluid so maybe that will rule out the parasites? We are going to pick her up now and I'm going to ask for more clarification on everything and if the test doesnt show anything I'm going to take her to the feline only place for another opinion. I did ask for copies of bloodwork and anything else they've done.

 

[Anasioux]

.
Hi Anasioux and welcome to the forum !

I agree with your thinking about bringing her to the cat-only Vet! Around here, we've seen the differences that can make. And, I agree, there no diagnostic process there, just shots in the dark.

I have only one question - what has she been leaving in the litterbox (besides that little diarrhea) ? (sometimes this exact thing happens with constipation or a blockage, when a little liquid stool manages to get around the obstruction) An x-ray would reveal the presence of built-up stool and possibly an obstruction.

Do be careful with the syringe feeding, especially if she's struggling. The gagging concerns me in that should she breathe in ('choke on) the liquid and it get into her lungs, she can easily develop aspiration pneumonia, something alone that be fatal.

Yes, take her in there.

And, keep us posted.
.

Nothing that we've seen. She is urinating normally but this is the first time we've seen her poop in a couple of days. We do have multiple cats though so she may have gone when we were in bed and didnt notice.
With the syringe feeding I've just been putting a really little bit in at a time in her cheek pouch or around her teeth, and she'll start licking it off and after a few seconds of licking she'll dry heave so I dont think she's inhaling it but I'll be extra cautious just in case!

 

[Anasioux]

All of the advice is sound, but I am really with getting the records, which are your property legally, and going elsewhere. Ask around for a cat only vet, or a vet who is highly recommended by friends or otherwise. You have tried a lot of solutions and, as you say, it is like they threw things at the wall to see what would stick.

COVID 19, despite all the tragedy and stress that has come with it, is not really an excuse for the vet to be less than conscientious. You are still paying them for the services. Both of the vets I currently see are spacing appointments and following protocol, but to be honest, I don't think that there job is any harder because of the virus.

Thanks, I have found one about an hour from us that has pretty good reviews so I'm planning to take her there. We took her into the normal vet today and they actually did an ultrasound and saw more fluid and that her organs looked bumpy so they drew some fluid and are sending it off to be tested so hopefully we get answers, but we are getting copies of everything just in case and will take her to the feline only from now on. I agree there really isnt an excuse for not testing especially when we're willing to pay for whatever she needs. I've heard it's really bad for a cat to not eat and I feel like they aren't concerned even though she's lost so much weight in such a short time.

 

[daftcat75]

When was the last time she had mouth X-rays and a dental exam?

I would strongly consider a feeding tube (an e-tube) if the new vet can't figure her out right away. This will take the pressure and stress off her, it will buy you time to run the tests (or take her around to other vets), and it will give you an active hand in helping her through this. Feeding tubes are not very expensive (maybe a $250 procedure all total including sedation and X-ray.) And they are less stressful to the cat than syringe feeding by mouth. The only time my Krista minded her feeding tube was if I fed too cold or too fast. She gave me instant feedback on both. I learned quickly and adapted. Aside from that, she easily squished down to a relaxed patient sphinx and let me feed her and give her medicine easier than she ever would for pills and syringe-feeding by mouth. The feeding tube doesn't get in the way of her eating on her own. When it's time for the tube to come out, the site will heal within the week. The neck fur will take a bit longer to grow back.

Feeding Tubes For Cats

 

[daftcat75]

Another possibility and why I recommend a dental exam under anesthesia is that the vet who removed her previous bad teeth didn't do a good job or her mouth changed since the extractions. Krista had resorptive lesions. Her body was eating her teeth basically. She had several vets doing extractions in her mouth over a couple of years. It eventually came to a head when she had one canine and just a few other mismatched teeth left. Her eating had slowed way down and her vets didn't want to pull any more teeth from her mouth. They insisted she go to a dental specialist instead. It was only the luck of a wildfire clearing the dentist's schedule that Krista was able to get both a consultation and a procedure appointment in two weeks rather than the going rate of two to six months around here for a dental specialist. The dentist showed me the X-rays and told me many mistakes were made over the various extractions. One vet even drilled out the teeth but left the roots. This was undoubtedly causing Krista pain. Another mistake made that maybe only a dentist would have been able to point out to me was that the remaining canine was entrapping the opposing lip and causing lip/gum ulceration.

I suggest the dental exam and probably a feeding tube if the dental exam turns up nothing. Then I'd call up the nearest dentist(s) and get her on the schedule even if you have to feed her by tube to get her from here to there. You can always cancel that appointment if you're able to get to the bottom of this before then. Also verify with the dentist that they'll work with her with a feeding tube. Some dentists having an independent practice prefer to work only with stable patients because the lack the support and equipment of a full-service animal hospital.

Find A Veterinary Specialist | AVDC.org

 

[Talien]

As others have said, if you don't feel this vet is doing a good job then absolutely get a second opinion. If you can get an appointment with a feline specialist, even better.

 

[Anasioux]

When was the last time she had mouth X-rays and a dental exam?

I would strongly consider a feeding tube (an e-tube) if the new vet can't figure her out right away. This will take the pressure and stress off her, it will buy you time to run the tests (or take her around to other vets), and it will give you an active hand in helping her through this. Feeding tubes are not very expensive (maybe a $250 procedure all total including sedation and X-ray.) And they are less stressful to the cat than syringe feeding by mouth. The only time my Krista minded her feeding tube was if I fed too cold or too fast. She gave me instant feedback on both. I learned quickly and adapted. Aside from that, she easily squished down to a relaxed patient sphinx and let me feed her and give her medicine easier than she ever would for pills and syringe-feeding by mouth. The feeding tube doesn't get in the way of her eating on her own. When it's time for the tube to come out, the site will heal within the week. The neck fur will take a bit longer to grow back.

Feeding Tubes For Cats

She actually had an extraction a few months ago and that was my first thought when she wouldnt eat, but they said her teeth and gums look great.
I would like to try a feeding tube so I'll suggest that to the new vet and see if they will do it, it does seem much better than syringe feeding. Most of her food ends up on the floor.

 

[Anasioux]

Another possibility and why I recommend a dental exam under anesthesia is that the vet who removed her previous bad teeth didn't do a good job or her mouth changed since the extractions. Krista had resorptive lesions. Her body was eating her teeth basically. She had several vets doing extractions in her mouth over a couple of years. It eventually came to a head when she had one canine and just a few other mismatched teeth left. Her eating had slowed way down and her vets didn't want to pull any more teeth from her mouth. They insisted she go to a dental specialist instead. It was only the luck of a wildfire clearing the dentist's schedule that Krista was able to get both a consultation and a procedure appointment in two weeks rather than the going rate of two to six months around here for a dental specialist. The dentist showed me the X-rays and told me many mistakes were made over the various extractions. One vet even drilled out the teeth but left the roots. This was undoubtedly causing Krista pain. Another mistake made that maybe only a dentist would have been able to point out to me was that the remaining canine was entrapping the opposing lip and causing lip/gum ulceration.

I suggest the dental exam and probably a feeding tube if the dental exam turns up nothing. Then I'd call up the nearest dentist(s) and get her on the schedule even if you have to feed her by tube to get her from here to there. You can always cancel that appointment if you're able to get to the bottom of this before then. Also verify with the dentist that they'll work with her with a feeding tube. Some dentists having an independent practice prefer to work only with stable patients because the lack the support and equipment of a full-service animal hospital.

Find A Veterinary Specialist | AVDC.org

Good advice, I hadnt thought of it possibly being botched. Thank you!

 

[daftcat75]

Good advice, I hadnt thought of it possibly being botched. Thank you!

I wouldn't say botched. Not intentionally anyway.

I like my primary physician. He's a good guy who knows his stuff even if his bedside manner is a little rough. But if my teeth are bothering me, I go to my dentist. My doctor probably could perform a tooth extraction. But the dentist has more education and more practice.

Same with your cat. Your vet probably had a class or two in dentistry--enough to clean teeth and do extractions. But stuff happens. Maybe the extraction was done with a problem but didn't heal right. Or maybe the missing tooth/teeth changed the shape of her mouth, her bite, and is making things uncomfortable for her (like lip entrapment.)

I wouldn't get too attached to "she just had extractions." It sounds like a dental issue the way you describe it. You can ask for buprenorphine, an opiate pain reliever used for dental issues. If she starts eating again on the bupe, then you've got a pain issue to figure out. If she doesn't, it's not quite that simple as opiates can also suppress appetite. Rather than pill and pray, I recommend getting her new mouth x-rays and another dental exam.

 

[carebearbaby1]

Yellow fluid on the abdomen is usually FIP, it can't be ruled out by blood work. I had a Himalayan who died from FIP at 11 months. He went through the whole not eating thing too. Treated him for various things for months before it turned and I had to put him down. Hope I'm worng, but that's what it sounds like.

 

[kittenmittens84]

Join FIP Warriors 2.0 on Facebook and post your cat’s diagnostics/bloodwork/info there, they have vets in the group that are really knowledgeable about FIP diagnosis and difficult cases in general. If they did bloodwork, request the results from your vet for your personal files and upload a photo.

 

[Anasioux]

Thanks for all of the advice. Unfortunately we had to PTS. I did join the FIP warriors hoping to try the treatment but Tuesday when we woke up her stomach was a lot larger than the night before and she seemed really disoriented, couldn't stand up and we started to get ready to take her to the vet and she started drooling and wouldnt hold her head up. We brought her to the vet and they looked at her and said she likely didnt have long, maybe a few hours at best. Her skin was noticeably yellow too. We havent heard back about the fluid but it likely was FIP. I wish we could have done more but it all happened so quickly.

 

[Jcatbird]

I am so very sorry!

 

[Norachan]

I'm so sorry Anasioux That's such sad news.



Whenever anyone loses a cat we lock the threads as a sign of respect, so I'll lock this one now. When you feel ready it might help to start a thread in our Crossing the Bridge forum.

We're all very sorry for your loss.