What is wrong with my kitten?

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zombiekittie

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his name is Moose. he is white and black and so fluffy.
he is a long haired male about 4 months old.
he weighs 4.6 lbs

I asked on yahoo answers but i wanted to ask here because i thought i would get better answers...??...

here are his symptoms: for about 2 weeks or less.
-distended belly (especially this week) it doesn't seem to hurt him if i press on it
-his face looks skinnier
-his poop is mushy and light brown
-he used to eat A LOT, now he eats but not as much as before
-seems to be drinking fine
-went from being overly active and hyper to laying around all day.. not lethargic but lazy and bored
-he makes whiny meows for no reason.. or maybe pain?
-sometimes his belly does this weird twitchy/spasm thing
-this one started a few days ago.. pee legs. he's started peeing himself and the fur on the inner part of his legs are all yellow
-he seems to ALWAYS have a piece of poo stuck to his bottom...
-he used to groom himself A LOT... excessively.. i cant remember the last time i saw him groom...
-he used to suck his foot until he fell asleep (so cute) but now he doesn't... sometimes i see him about to but he stops or gives up.. maybe he's too fat and cant reach? or it hurts his tummy? idk.
-we found a white rice looking hard thing attached to the fur on his bottom when we were rinsing the pee off his legs.. actually found another when i was brushing him but it might have just been poo shaped like it (ew i know)... so we were thinking tapeworm...??


I took him to a vet yesterday. she said she was concerned about FIP so we are waiting for those results. but shouldn't she have checked or at least considered other possibilities and ruled them out too while we were there?? I told her ALL those symptoms and she didn't mention anything but leukemia and FEV (i think) and then FIP. she didn't test for anything but FIP. she drained his stomach and she said that FIP has a distinct look. its usually chunky and his was not.. it wasn't cloudy either. it was a clear yellowish color.... so it doesn't seem like FIP... Shouldn't she have mentioned worms or constipation or UTI's or something? Or is it absolutely FIP? we paid like $600... we had a kitten before and we paid over $1000 in vet bills just to find out we had to put him to sleep
and it seems like we're about to be in the same situation. but i just think there are other symptoms that don't match FIP that i think she should have checked for other things. would a better vet have checked for more?


Additional Details
it was $551 and it was for: medical exam, abdominal tap, Felv/FIV/heartworm test, fluid therapy, total health profile, and fluid analysis. idk. does that sound right?
i dont want to have false hope but she examined his stomach fluid and it wasn't chunky... so shouldn't that indicate that it isn't FIP?? is it really necessary to get a test that isn't accurate anyways? there are no accurate tests for FIP as far as i understand... but the stomach fluid thing seems like it would give a better answer... and he isn't lethargic like a lot of FIP symptoms say... he purrs when i pet him and comes when there is food or if i open the door to the porch. he likes sitting on the porch.

haven't changed his diet... he eats dry food and some wet cat food 1 or 2 times a day.

help
 

def kitty

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I think you did a great thing taking the kitten to the vet, I haven't had experience with these symptoms but it looks like she did a good job, except ignoring the worm issue. Maybe she took his poop for a fecal exam before deciding to deworm him? If you found a grain of rice looking thing it is more than likely tapeworm, but I really don't know if deworming is somehow not advisable if he has FIP or it just slipped her mind. I think you should call back and ask to make sure if she heard you when you said he might have worms.
 

stephanietx

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Kitten, distended belly, mushy poop, and white rice looking thing equals worms in my book! Have a fecal done to check for intestinal parasites like roundworm and hookworm, a dewormer, and a tapeworm treatment. The white rice looking thing is the casing from a tapeworm. Also, if your vet hasn't already done this, look for a different one!
 

bastetservant

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So sorry your kitten is sick! How upsetting. I hope you get answers soon and that his problems go away.

Please don't use any over the counter wormers (or flea treatments) on your kitten. People sometimes report here that they did, and the results were tragic. Get them from the vet, if needed.

Lots of going out that Moose is well very soon!

Robin
 

just mike

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My immediate thought is worms of some kind. They didn't do a fecal on Moses? I'd double check with them on that. For what you paid a fecal should have automatically been done, at least I would think it would. If they haven't done one, have one done but don't use any over the counter worm medications. Get one from the vet if needed. FIP comes in either the wet form or the dry form. If Moses has it, sounds like he has the wet form.

I went through an FIP scare with Ramsey when I first got him. At this point I don't think he ever did have it but FIP is hard to diagnose. If the vet thinks he has it; post back here. There are a lot of discussions on the forum here that will help you and either I, or I'm sure someone, will post links to those discussions for you.

Right now my best guess is worms. Hope I'm right.
 

stephanietx

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Just so you'll know, tapeworms don't show up on a fecal test, but since you've seen the evidence (worm and casings) you know he's got them. You might also want to get him treated for fleas. As many previous folks have mentioned, DO NOT use any type of flea treatment from any store. Use only the stuff from the vet.
 
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zombiekittie

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Hi everyone, thank you so much for replying. i appreciate all the advice and kind words.

also wanted to say, we found the tapeworm looky thing the day after going to the vet so that's probably why she didn't think to do a fecal thing.. but from what I've read, I just really think she should have anyways, just from his symptoms. we get the results back today (who knows when, i didn't think to ask - I'm dumb) but they haven't called yet. we called them but a vet wasn't available. uhg.

i hope its tapeworm too... he walks around a lot.. too much i think for FIP.

another symptom to add also... i did the pulling up his skin on his shoulders thing and it didn't snap back.. kinda sunk into place. so that means he is dehydrated right? i saw him drinking a lot yesterday though.

i hate waiting. and i hate not knowing what to do for him.
 

auntie crazy

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Welcome to TCS, Zombiekittie!


I'm with everyone else: white rice-looking things, mushy stool and distended tummy = worms. I would talk to the vet very first thing tomorrow morning and if she disregards worms as a potential diagnosis, I think I might look for a second opinion from another vet.

What's the history on Moose? (Cool name, btw!) Was he adopted from a shelter/rescue? If so, he should have had at least a couple of exams for standard tests, vaccinations and de-worming. Is he indoor only? Does he possibly have fleas or has he had the potential for encountering them?

One easy way to reduce the chance of dehydration is to feed canned food only, at least three to four times a day (four is better for kittens). Canned is healthier for him, too. You can also, if you need to, mix a tablespoon of warm water into the canned; this will make it more enticing and encourage him to eat plenty as well as increase his water intake even further.

I'm pulling for you both! Hope tomorrow gets you a solid and easy-to-address diagnosis and treatment that'll get Moose on the mend quick, quick, quick!

AC
 

just mike

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Originally Posted by zombiekittie

Hi everyone, thank you so much for replying. i appreciate all the advice and kind words.

also wanted to say, we found the tapeworm looky thing the day after going to the vet so that's probably why she didn't think to do a fecal thing.. but from what I've read, I just really think she should have anyways, just from his symptoms. we get the results back today (who knows when, i didn't think to ask - I'm dumb) but they haven't called yet. we called them but a vet wasn't available. uhg.

i hope its tapeworm too... he walks around a lot.. too much i think for FIP.

another symptom to add also... i did the pulling up his skin on his shoulders thing and it didn't snap back.. kinda sunk into place. so that means he is dehydrated right? i saw him drinking a lot yesterday though.

i hate waiting. and i hate not knowing what to do for him.
Dehydration is the enemy
It does sound like Moses is drinking but as a precaution you might want to put him on a wet food only diet. At least until this is resolved. I don't remember if you said he had a fever or not. Ramsey ran a temp for a couple of months and dehydration was my main worry for him. I fed him only wet mixed with a little water during that time. He would still become dehydrated so about 2x a week he would get this water pack (I don't know what the clinical term is) injected onto his back to lower the fever and to help keep him hydrated. Now that is when they thought he may have FIP so I was extra paranoid during that entire episode. I'm still thinking/hoping it's a parasite that can be easily treated.
 
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zombiekittie

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so she finally called us last night at like 9. she said she doesn't think its FIP. and now she thinks its liver or heart disease. idk what to do. we aren't made of money. obviously its not smart to have pets if you can't afford to care for them and plan for things like this. but vet bills are ridiculous and what if we spend all sorts of money again and still don't know what the problem is?

his stomach looks very big today.
 

northernglow

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The vet drained the fluids from his stomach and the fluid has build up again?
I've been in a similar situation. The vet suggested exploratory surgery because all tests came back negative. (It was expensive though, +700$ but this is an expensive country, I'm sure it would much less where you live).

Hopefully you will get more positive diagnosis and your kitty will be fine. Maybe it's just worms. I don't have any experience with them so can't say if the fluid build up could be caused by them..
 

evakatharina

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With the evidence of the casings from a tapeworm I think you should get a 2nd vet's opinion if your current vet is unwilling to look into this.

Also, I definitely agree with the advice to put him on all wet food to lessen the likelihood of dehydration. You can also mix clear, unflavored pedialyte with his water.

Best wishes, he sounds like such a cutie pie! And what a great name!
 
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zombiekittie

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thank you everybody. I'm so overwhelmed


here is whats been going on since last post..

he hasn't pooped in at least 24 hours.. at least. i don't think he did yesterday but we have 3 cats so its really hard to determine but I'm pretty sure he didn't all last night either. and I'm really worried if its been longer than that.

I've been checking A LOT for more rice looking things, where he sleeps and on him, and I haven't found any more... maybe I was mistaken? idk.

My husband spoke to the vet again tonight and asked if it could be constipation.. she said she doesn't think so. She is convinced its FIP, liver or heart disease and wants to do ultrasounds on the abdomen and heart.

personally, i think it sounds like a possible intestinal obstruction or blockage or some kind.. maybe from a large hairball??? He used to groom himself a lot and suck on his foot a lot. could a hairball cause these symptoms?

he hasn't been eating today. but he paws at it (to save it for later). we've been trying to give him water as much as possible. and he drinks on his own sometimes. he doesn't go to the litter box. i put him in a few times. the first time he stood for a while and finally peed a tiny bit.

his tummy is SO big. he used to zip thru the kitty door to our porch (chasing our bunny, they're best friends).. now he can barely get both legs over..

we dont want money to be an issue. but we also don't want to be taken advantage of... I'm at a point where i think vets are evil and just want to induce fear to get as much as they can out of you. maybe i am wrong.

draco: we'll be calling around today

NorthernGlow: she took a sample to see if the fluid was chunky or sticky like FIP usually is. i asked if we should drain the fluid from his stomach and she said not to.

Evakatharina: thank you
he really is!


sorry for the big posts ... I appreciate all the comments and advice so much!
 

northernglow

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Originally Posted by zombiekittie

personally, i think it sounds like a possible intestinal obstruction or blockage or some kind.. maybe from a large hairball??? He used to groom himself a lot and suck on his foot a lot. could a hairball cause these symptoms?
Usually blockages make the cat very sick. Vomiting everything, not able to eat at all, very lethargic and I don't think it builds up fluid in the stomach. (And surgery is often needed to remove the blockage if it's not coming through on it's own).
The fluid in the stomach in your case is the thing I'm most worried about and it should have been drained. He must be in pain because probably the amount of fluid is getting larger.. No food can fit in and he might get weaker. The ultrasound would be good, I would ask the vet to check pancreas as well.
 
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zombiekittie

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went to the vet again today to get some antibiotics. they think its FIP again because his stomach is so big. he hasn't eaten today and last night. i can feel his spine a lot. he drinks water. don't think he's pooped yet. he's breathing fine. he's having trouble walking.. he can but it looks like a struggle, he's kind of wobbly. he vomited up this clear mucousy stuff. he seems to be getting more lethargic than just lazy....

the vet said if he didn't respond to the antibiotics in 1-2 days its most likely FIP.
 

stephanietx

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I'd be going somewhere for a second opinion. Hope your baby's feeling better soon!
 

babywukong

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Your vet can't seem to make up his/her mind. They've had a look at the fluid and don't think it is FIP. Now they say it could be FIP if your cat doesn't respond. Sounds like a whole lot of bull. I second the opinion that you need a second opinion!!
 
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zombiekittie

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yeah.. after the last visit i am angry with my vet...

so mad...

1. we went in to pick up some antibiotics and asked if i could get an appointment. they said i would have to wait till 6 or if i didn't want to wait i could do an emergency appointment for $50 more. he looked ok and we live down the street so i told them i would wait till 6. the receptionist said ok but then said she was going to take moose to have a tech make sure it was ok to wait. then 10 minutes later she said "a vet would like to speak with you". she never said anything like "she doesn't think he should wait, she would like to do an emergency checkup now." and when i went back there she didn't do anything but talk to me about what we've already talked about. so we left with the antibiotics and had to pay $80 more for something i didn't authorize in the first place. they tricked me! grrr. if they had done SOMETHING. anything. besides talk i would be fine with considering it an emergency recheck but no.. just talk about what we had JUST discussed the night before.

i told my husband and he called to ask for our money back. i know after paying $600 already, $80 seems like nothing but it is. he's going to need an ultrasound and if it is liver disease we need to buy medicine and if its not we will eventually have to put him to sleep. so we don't want to just throw money out for stupid reasons. for health reasons and necessary things, of course.. for shady vets.. no thanks.

also, my husband asked for a vet to call us when they were available so we could figure out the next step, set up an ultrasound appointment.. something. but they never called us.


Luckily we didn't expect them to (jerks!). so we called a different place and made an appointment for tomorrow. the vet we had said an abdominal ultrasound would be $580. at this other place we would need to do an initial exam $50, but the ultrasound fee is only $245 and its by a board certified tech. way cheaper plus a second opinion.

he seems more perky since yesterday. we've been feeding him meat flavor baby food with a syringe and pedialyte about every 2 hours or more. and of course the antibiotics. yesterday was the first day that he seemed VERY lethargic. or lethargic at all. but today he seems weaker (i think because of all the weight from his tummy), but not so depressed...


I'm going to ask this other vet about draining the fluid to make him comfortable. i don't understand why they wouldn't.. we asked a few times and they gave us the same answer.. something about risk of infection and about it not being very beneficial. and blah blah blah.

/end rant

sorry for the long post again.. i ramble!
I'm going to go feed my poor boy again
thanks again for all the wonderful advice and comments
 

katkisses

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FIP is *very* hard to diagnose. Almost impossible, and when a vet can't find the answers they sometimes feel like it's FIP even with no real reason. So I would not jump on the FIP badwagon yet.

If you are not satisfied with this vet go there and request a copy of all of his paperwork and find another vet. Having that paperwork is going to save you some money, they will already have his bloodwork/ect and won't have to redo it unless they have to.

From what you are describing (to me) it is at LEAST worms and maybe a heart/lung issue. How is his breathing? With that much fluid he may have a hard time breathing.

(Oops we posted at the same time)
 
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