any cat experts?

[shabbychick]

So my cat stopped eating a couple of weeks ago. She was on the third week of a new medicine (cyclosporine) to replace the steroid she'd been taking for her skin condition. I've had her to the vet twice, we've stopped all her meds, given her an appetite stimulant, and she's still not eating. She'll nibble a bit (mostly soft food rather than kibbles) but then seems to suddenly either be full or just sick of it. If she gets through a couple of tablespoons of food a day, it's a good day. She has lost a couple of pounds.

She's not vomiting at all, and she's still using her litter box. The vet can't feel any obstructions, but he says our next move will have to be something like an ultrasound. I am not sure how much money I can afford to sink into this cat. I love her, but I'm not rich, and I just took a pay cut (courtesy of the people of my state who would rather raise revenue by cutting teachers' salaries than raising taxes on junk food).

Have any of you had any experience with this? What's the likely course of this? Any ideas on how to resolve this the least expensive way (which I know is actually to put her down, but I'm loathe to do that if I can find a way to treat her condition without going to the poorhouse)? I can't find much online that is authoritative and helpful. Thanks in advance for any ideas.

[RoseMary]

I wish I had an answer for you, shabby. I know how much we love our cats around here. I had to have one of mine put down a few months ago and it still hurts but there was no other choice. She was only two, but she was going down and without a lot of tests I couldn't afford, there wasn't much they could do.

The only suggestion I have--and it would require she eat--is to give her some Brewer's Yeast. I have one cat that will eat the pills right out of my hand. The others, I have to crush the pills (or feed the powder) and mix in their food. It does seem to stimulate their appetites and also help them absorb nutrients from the food they eat.

[ChapterTwo]

Do you know for sure if your cat has been voiding, shabby?

Not that I think your kitty has this, but recently my friend's cat was diagnosed with Megacolon and it made me wonder if maybe your cat is constipated (they found that with my friend's cat through an ultrasound). The vet had to break up the feces (ouch!) so that it was clear sailing again.
Of course, now they have to hope this doesn't happen again as that cat's condition can be very serious. They are keeping him isolated for a little while so they can tell what goes in and what comes out. Anyway, there are some home remedies for constipation in cats online, but check with your vet first, of course.

I'm very sorry to hear about your pay cut, shabby, but don't think it's only in your state. Our current governor demeans teachers and their work every chance he gets (and both of my children are teachers) and thinks they are getting "rich" due to their jobs. Ha Ha!

Good luck in figuring out what's going on with kitty...

[Rory Bremner]

I don't have any advice for your cat Shabby, but I'm sorry you've had to accept a reduction in pay. You're right, there are so many other areas the Govt could be looking to raise revenue, yet they penalise the folk that work the hardest.

[mac78]

So sorry to hear your kitty is not feeling well. I don't have any experience with cats, but have been dealing with a similar situation with our dog that is 12.

Similar things, losing weight, not eating/very picky eating. We took her to the vet over a year ago, and she is now on a med called Actigall for her liver.

She went thru a few hundred dollars of vet bills over a year ago, and we just had her blood counts done again and everything came back good.

My vet did a complete blood count on her 3 weeks ago, which she said would tell us about her major organs and how they were working.....results came back good.

Based on what we have went thru with our dog Holly, I would suggest a complete blood count as that covered a lot of things with our dog.

After almost a year and a half, our dog is doing quite well for her age considering how she appeared last year.

[shabbychick]

Thanks, everyone, for your support and advice. She was still voiding as of two days ago, but since she isn't really eating now, there's not much to come out. She's still drinking water, at least. It's really frustrating when they can't tell you what's wrong. She's losing strength now and doesn't seem very comfortable. I'm going to call the vet again this morning and see if I can get something else done for her, even if it means putting her down. I do not want to see her start having seizures and suffering like the other one did. They did do blood work on her, Marie, and discovered her potassium is a little down, but the vet had me take her off that med since it might nauseate her. Her kidneys and liver seem to be okay, too. I really think there's something inside her that's making her hurt when she eats. I'll remember the Brewer's Yeast, Rosemary, if the cat survives this.

You know, Rory, it isn't even the government I blame as much as the people who vote down every single tax there is. When there is no money coming in, there's no money to go out, and someone gets the axe. Everybody seems to think the government owes them a free ride...that those roads they drive on should be fixed, disasters cleaned up after, cops and teachers paid, but somehow without them having to contribute toward that. I've got a niece who absolutely insists the local school district offer every conceivable service there is to her severely disabled son, services that ultimately cost thousands of dollars of taxpayer money even though she could afford to pay for private therapy for him. I don't have an issue with that. It's what public schools do as part of the service we offer. But it costs money. And this same niece, her husband, all her siblings, and her parents vote against every single school levy and bond issue that comes along. They're just users, and their sense of entitlement really makes me angry. Chapter Two, I'm sure your kids could tell similar stories. And I'm sure that if your kids averaged out the amount of money they take home among all the extra hours they put in and the money they spend on their classrooms, people would be surprised at how little they actually clear every month in return for the service they provide. Ugh. Irritating!

[koolmimi]

I'm so sorry to hear about your kitty. I have a friend who's cat is having the same problem. Her cat has gone from 18 pounds to 6 pounds. The vets can't find out what the problem is so far.

We have had pay cuts here too. Texas has cut the volunteer fire departments budget by 75%. We are having terrible wildfires all over the state. Unfortunately, the volunteer fire departments are fighting with out proper equipment or gear.

Claudia

[ChapterTwo]

How are your son and d-i-l doing, koolmimi, with the fear of fire near the new house they're building? I think of them and say a little prayer whenever I hear about the fires on the radio or TV...

**********

And yes, shabby, my son and daughter certainly feel the pain of the salary vs. hours expended!

Our governor refuses to impose a millionaire's tax, but has no problem hurting those who are already in need.

[koolmimi]

My son and d-i-l are doing well. They haven't been able to get back in the house. At least they have a house. So many others have lost everything.

My heart goes out to all teachers. My granddaughter wants to be a high school English teacher. I see the passion she has for teaching and literature. Now if she can make a living wage it would be perfect.

Claudia

[mac78]

I am sorry your kitty is still not feeling well. Ugg, I have had a running bill at the vet for the past year. I shutter just to think about how many $$$ I have spent. I do hope they can figure it out soon. Hugs to you and your kitty.

[ChapterTwo]

koolmimi - I'm glad the house is safe...that's wonderful news! I think somebody needs to do a giant rain dance! I wish them showers...

[shabbychick]

Well, we have an appointment for an ultrasound tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. We'll see what, if anything, they find. I keep hoping I'll come home and find she's just coughed up a big hairball and is finishing up a big bowl of food, but today I came home to the same old thing...full food bowls and no sign of anything passing through her at one end or the other. :(

[mac78]

Please let us know how it went. Praying for a easy diagnosis.

[ChapterTwo]

This is a simple thought but I guess your vet checked her teeth? It seems cats have an awfully bad time with their teeth.

Good luck tomorrow with the ultrasound. I'll be thinking of you both. Please let us know the outcome.

[shabbychick]

We are back from the vet, and the news is better than I thought it would be, though we don't really have an answer yet. They did a chest x-ray, abdominal ultrasound, and blood panel (to the tune of $855.61!) and didn't find anything wrong with espophagus, heart, lungs, or stomach. She didn't see any tumors anywhere. She did some some thickening of the lining of the bowel, which could be imflammatory bowel disease, and a bit of something fatty to do with the liver, which might be related to her having not eaten. They're waiting for the new blood panel to come back (evidently the one my vet did last week had some disruption of the cells, leading to trouble interpreting the results) and then we'll talk about next steps. In the meantime, the doctor gave me a new, more powerful appetite stimulant, an anti-nausea pill (which I could have used myself as I paid the bill), and several kinds of hypo-allergenic foods. I've forced the pills down the cat's throat (which caused much salivating and a couple of attempts to barf them back up, but I think they stayed down) and am waiting a bit for her to stop pouting before I offer her some food. There's a chance the issue with her bowels could be some kind of lymphoma, which is treated with steroids. She was on steroids for a couple of years for her skin condition, and it was when we took her off of them that the eating stopped, so there's a possibility that the steroids were masking the symptoms of the lymphoma. They would have to do a biopsy (I'm assuming that's another thousand dollars or so) to verify that. We're hoping the new pills and hypo-allergenic foods get her to turn the corner. I'm at least relieved that she doesn't have some huge, cancerous tumor blocking her digestive system. I was half-expecting to have to have her put to sleep today. I suppose that's still a possibility, but it was a relief to be able to bring her home (even if her belly is shaved and she's not speaking to me). Thank you all for your kind words and support (and practical advice)!

[Rory Bremner]

I sure hope those meds workout for your Kitty Shabby:)

[ChapterTwo]

an anti-nausea pill (which I could have used myself as I paid the bill),

It sure is good to have a sense of humor when it comes to LIFE! :D

I am right with you, shabby, in hoping that yesterday's vet adventure will help to solve the problem of kitty's not eating. I am TERRIBLE about dosing pets so I go the route of pulverizing them (with the back of a teaspoon in a cup) and "hiding" them in wet food. Works, for the most part, for the kitty I have who is taking antibiotics now (for a runny eye, which is probably from a slight upper respiratory condition that has seemed to lurk since he was a kitten, and outside).

Anyway, I'm glad yesterday is over for both of you and I hope her appetite perks up and you can woo her back to speaking with you...:o

[shabbychick]

Thanks, Chapter Two. I usually crush the pills and present them in food, too, but since she's not eating, I'm having to rely on the old "tip and drop" method. She ate about twenty kibbles last night (presented to her one by one) but hasn't touched anything since. I'll try getting another anti-nausea pill down her today, and then the vet is supposed to call me this morning. I'll ask her if I can try another appetite pill today on the off chance the cat spat out last night's pill. I'm thinking we're going to have to get her back on a steroid to increase her appetite and treat whatever is going on in her bowel.

[koolmimi]

I hope the meds help your kitty. I don't have the knack of giving meds to pets, especially cats. I usually end up with scratches and bites and the cat acts all huffy and indignant. My husband does it better, so I let him.

I've often said we should be able to take vet bills off our income tax. They are our children and we spend lots of money for their care.

Sending good thoughts your way.

Claudia

[mac78]

God Bless You Dear Friend.....We all know it takes a special person with a huge heart and tons of love to give to do what you did financially. I am hoping they figure it out from here. Hugs to you.

[RoseMary]

I hope she is better soon! Maybe the test results will all be good and the problem will solve itself. Wow, your bill was high! Like CT, I'm glad you have a sense of humor about it. Keep us informed.

[shabbychick]

We went back to the vet for blood and urine samples today. This trip cost me $328.42, but I did get a free cup of coffee. She ate a little bit yesterday and this morning, more than she has eaten in awhile, but she's back to turning up her nose at everything right now.

I'm not sure what I'll do next. I've spent far more money on her these last two months than is even safe for me to do. If these two tests don't show anything definitive, they'll want to do an endoscopy, and I just can't afford that right now. I think what I'll ask them to do is put her back on the steroids she was on when she felt better and see if that helps. If it gets her eating and stabilizes her for awhile, then maybe in a couple of months I'll have enough money to pay for a better diagnosis. I can't believe people have all this money to drop on a pet when a crisis arises, but they must have it or the charges wouldn't be so high. She has now officially cost me more money than my own trip to the emergency room when I fell in the garage and split my scalp open, and that was the most expensive not-covered-by-insurance bill I had ever had. Crazy!

[mac78]

I am so sorry they haven't figured it out. I truly don't understand why things have to be so expensive. Health care, whether for human or animal, should never have become a moneymaker the way it has evolved. I hope kitty starts feeling better soon.

[shabbychick]

I wish I could charge eight hundred dollars for giving a test. As many tests as I've given and graded over my career, I'd be a rich woman by now.

[shabbychick]

I heard back from the vet today. There's no pancreatitis, and nothing showed up in the urine test. Now they want to do an endoscopy for $1700 to check for inflammatory bowel syndrome or possibly cancer. I just don't have that kind of money, at least not right now. So I've asked them to put her back on a steroid, and the doctor agreed (reluctantly) but also wants to pair it with a chemotherapy pill. I'm hoping that'll at least improve her appetite and give her a fighting chance till I can pull the money together. If we can get her into February without too much trauma, I might be able to put whatever tax return I get toward the test. I guess I could take out a loan from my credit union, but I was just about to be out of debt to them (two months more to pay off the car). I'm sure regretting not buying pet insurance now. Fifteen hundred dollars down the drain in the last two months, and all I know if what's not wrong.

[Rory Bremner]

Gosh, that is expensive. I know when our beagle was having some issues a few years back we felt the same, the vet bills were mounting via process of elimination. In the end we were out of pocket, but none the wiser. He got better with a bit time thankfully.

[ChapterTwo]

Oh, shabby...that's just terrible. It's hard enough to spend that kind of money when you (at least) GET an answer. But you just keep forking over money with no real progress. It's times like these I wish I'd win the lottery, BIG. I'd love to help people who need the money for good reasons...:o

Is she still eating a bit, I hope? I guess you've tried all kinds of "people fish" like tuna or sardines? Sometimes the smellier stuff entices them if they haven't much of an appetite...

Hugs to you for trying so hard! :)

[koolmimi]

I'm so sorry to hear you didn't get a definitive answer as to what is wrong with your kitty. Not knowing what is wrong is so frustrating. Especially after spending all that money.

[RoseMary]

How is she doing, shabby?

[shabbychick]

I just gave her her first cancer pill and transdermal steroid dose last night and another dose of the steroid this morning. I didn't see any immediate change in appetite or activity, but it's early yet. She did eat a little better yesterday than she had been eating, but not as well as she should be. The meds were a little over a hundred dollars, but at least she only takes the chemo drug every three days. I had my neighbor help hold her while I dropped the pill down her throat. She wouldn't swallow it, so I used an eye-dropper to shoot some water down her throat and that got her to swallow the pill. If I can get my neighbor to keep helping with it, that'll make my life easier, anyway.

I hope to have some good news to share with you all in the near future! Thanks again for all your good thoughts and well wishes.

[ChapterTwo]

I've got my fingers crossed that kitty will be helped by all that you're doing for her, Shabby. You're so good with her (like another friend of mine)! I am horrible at giving pets pills or doing anything like that. My friend gives her kitties subcutaneous fluids when needed! I am a shaking wreck when trying to help pets...a vet tech I shall never be! :o

I never even asked what your kitty's name is...it will help me send positive thoughts and wishes! :) Please keep us posted.

[shabbychick]

Chapter Two, I'm not fond of giving pills to the cat, either. It's hard with only one person when the cat is not cooperating. I had quite the battle on my hands last night trying to give her her appetite stimulant. She's pretty stubborn for such a laid-back cat. Her name is Cobweb (after one of the fairies in A Midsummer Night's Dream). Thank you for the positive thoughts!