A cat forum. CatBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » CatBanter forum » Cat Newsgroups » Cat health & behaviour
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

My Siamese Has IBD (Or So Was Told)



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #11  
Old May 7th 04, 07:28 PM
KellyH
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Hi, just jumping on the "get a second opinion" bandwagon. Make sure you
take all the records from the first vet to the second one, so they can
review the series of events. You may want to try a/d cat food. I know you
can get it from the vet's, not sure if it's available at pet supply stores.

It's really hard to say if the intestinal problems and the ear issues are
related. I don't know if the thickened intestinal walls can develop
suddenly or not. It's possible (just guessing, not sure) that she could
have had the IBD, and the stress of the ear problems and boarding set it
off. If you are anywhere near Tufts University in MA, I highly reccommend
them.
--
-Kelly
kelly at farringtons dot net
Check out www.snittens.com

"Zaida" wrote in message
...
I need an opinion please ... 2nd, 3rd, it doesn't matter. My mind is open
to all possibilities and explanations.

I have a 12-year old Tonkinese whom I had boarded 2 weeks ago when my

family
and I went out of town. I left him with a reputable vet in my area on a
Friday and picked him up the next Monday.

During this time, I also left instructions to go ahead with bloodwork
because I had also wanted to go ahead with his dental cleaning at the same
time. But time was short, so the vet simply ordered labwork and a future
dental appointment was made instead. While I was gone though, the vet

left
me several messages saying she found, upon exam, a right ear infection

that
required ear flushing. I gave my consent.

I was told the flushing was done Monday morning (I picked up Ming, my
Siamese, Monday afternoon). When we got home, I took him out of the
carrier. To my shock, he was falling all over the place. He had a
staggering gait and at the very least, couldn't leap in and out of the

sofa.
No head tilt; no rocking eye movement though, but on his right eye, the
inner lid was showing half-way consistently; very glassy and drowsy
appearance. I put him on the sofa, but he was not comfortable.
Intermittently, he would let out a howl (very loud; uncharacteristic of

this
cat). Then he vomitted at one point. For the rest of the evening, he

would
try to jump out of the sofa, fall, get up and stagger, find a hiding

place,
and howl. To say the least, he would not eat. After vomitting, he slept
peacefully the rest of the night on the sofa (not his usual sleeping place
by the way).

He had a medication to be taken once a day: tresaderm, which I applied to
his right ear the following morning (Tuesday). When I placed that in his
right ear, he shook his head and then vomitted right after. I called the
vet who told me to withhold the tresaderm and she replaced it with PGN

which
I picked up from her office. I continued to monitor his appetite. No
signs, but no more vomitting episodes for the rest of the day and the cat
slept all throughout.

Come Wednesday morning, I applied the PGN. Again he vomitted. So I then
called the vet. I also told her that Ming still hasn't eaten to say the
least in that 48-hour period. She ordered him back. But during the car
ride, he started foaming at the mouth. Vet gave him fluids SQ, but was
concerned about the foaming. It did appear that some was also coming out

of
his nose and made a notation that it could be respiratory. We agreed at
that point to bring him twice a day starting Thursday for fluids SQ. A

new
antibiotic was given (again) to replace PGN ... Baytril.
Thursday morning, cat still hasn't eaten. I popped a tab of Baytril into
his mouth. 15 minutes later, he vomitted again. I called the vet again.
On the car ride, Ming was foaming in the mouth again. This time, she
hospitalized Ming. I also picked up for her at the drugstore, a couple of
prescriptions for Ming -- Carafate and Metoclopramide. She also said she
was going to give him a pre-surg medication to stop the foaming. She
ordered ultrasound and x-ray to rule out anything respiratory. Friday,
sonogram results revealed a thickened stomach; so thick that food can't

pass
through, according to the vet. Vet also mentioned ulcers. I visited Ming
(needless to say, broke my heart to see how lethargic he was). He

preferred
sleeping inside his potty box. The doctor placed an extra aluminum tray

for
him to sleep in.

Throughout the weekend, Ming was on fluids IV. Besides the 2 drugs I
mentioned, all of the previous antibiotics were stopped; but Flagyl was

used
instead. Sunday night, the vet told me that she has started Ming on
Prednisone. My kids visited Ming Saturday. He still preferred sleeping
inside the potty.

I took Ming home (5/3) Monday afternoon. His vet explained to me about

his
gait and what she reiterated would go away in time; that the sight is more
disturbing to us people than it is to Ming. I asked her what in her

opinion
did Ming really have and she said inflammatory bowel. I raised the
possibility of the ulcers found during ultrasound being due from stress
secondary to an equilibrium from the ear flushing; she believed the two

were
unrelated. She explained that ulcers don't develop overnight; they take
time. We discussed the possibility of him having eaten a plant to have
caused the ulcers. My cat is an indoor cat. He did enjoy playing with

(and
chewing on) tall long grasses that are sometimes included with the flowers

I
buy and take home. Other than that, there is no plant in this house -- I
really don't have any indoors; they're fake because I'm the type who

forgets
to water my plants :-(

$1500+ later, my cat remains unappetent, still nauseated and looking
emaciated. I also signed a release statement indicating that my cat is

not
100% better. At home, after the car ride from the vet, the first thing

Ming
did was stagger to his potty box where he promptly threw up. I called the
vet to tell her this. She upped his Prednisone to twice a day.

Everyday that I've had him back, I keep offering him food and water. The
vet also discussed with me that it's ok to give him anything he wants

(with
the exception of milk) just to get him starting to eat. He would poke his
head into his bowl, paw at his food, go through the motions of licking and
picking up, but he wouldn't bite. It's almost as if he's scared to eat!

I
told the doctor this who is now afraid that it's now psychological.

I won't hesitate to tell anyone that my husband has been flipping over

these
costs. He had just had a car accident last week Monday night as well. He
came out unscathed from the accident (a 4-car pile up), but his car has

been
totalled. I'm a wreck between the money worries and Ming. I'm at a point
where my cat is not on the threshold of death, yet does not have the will

to
eat. I have discussed all these concerns with the vet. I don't want to

be
in the position where I have to allow him to die because I can't afford

it.
I do have a $350 balance that the vet and I agreed to pay off next month.
The vet has also said in terms that if surgery was going to be needed for
Ming, she could justify euthanasia for my sake because of the surgical

cost
(of over $1K), but until then she really would hate not to try all means
possible, medication-wise.

Costs aside, I am now at a point where I'm wondering how much of Ming's
predicament is primary or secondary. By admission, Ming's vet did say

that
she seemed to have opened a "pandora's box" when she flushed his ears. I
asked if his ear drum has any tear and she said she couldn't find any,
though some dirt could've attached to tear away a "pin-dot" size during

the
flushing. Ming is still unstable when he walks and does fall when he

jumps
up and out of the bed or sofa. The vet has reiterated that Ming's gastric
problem and ear problem are unrelated.

Yesterday after Ming came out of his potty, he sat down beside me and
proceeded to clean himself (just like the good 'ol days). I was thrilled

to
see that. But as soon as he tilted his head up, he vomitted again. Can
anyone at this point tell me that his vomitting episodes are not related

to
an equilibrium problem? Sonogram, according to the vet, did show
ulcerations. And ulcerations "don't appear overnight".

All my husband knows and calls as he sees it is this: we took a healthy,
happy cat to the vet on a Friday a week-and-a-half ago. Today, my cat is

so
ill that the question of euthanasia is what we have been talking about

most
lately. I have cried and cried; and worried some more ... over

everything;
coming to a point where I'm hoping (praying to God) that my care for this
pet shouldn't be put into test over affordability of treatment costs. But
there are priorities that I cannot hugely discount. Above all, I have to
give weight to my husband's concern to maintain our lives within our

means.
We are by far, the most humane people possible, but we are also not rich
people.

I just need to know if my cat will ever eat. I've withheld Prenisone the
whole day yesterday as soon as Ming walked away from me to hide underneath
the bed after he vomitted. He seems to "want" to eat. He looks eager to
eat. But that's all he does: poke his nose into the bowl, lick, bite, but
does not take the food in to eat.

Today I have an appointment with the vet. She isn't pleased I withheld

the
prednisone, but I'm telling 'ya ... this cat's frame of mind is all I care
for at this point. He hasn't thrown up yet anyway after he last vomitted
yesterday morning. And yes, he did take a bite out of a small piece of
bacon last night; just the size of my pinky nail, but he kept it down and
hasn't vomitted since. This without prednisone.

I'm so afraid to pop a pill into his mouth and be afraid to eat anything
anymore, not after he took a bite out of the bacon. But that's it. And
that was yesterday morning. I've had him back since Monday and it's now
Thursday. This cat, being a Siamese, with his own idiosyncrasies, minus

the
prednisone for 24 hours now ... how much of his condition is truly IBD?

I apologize for being distraught ... but I thank this board though so much
in advance.

~ Zaida~




  #12  
Old May 7th 04, 08:20 PM
Zaida
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Hi there, Minerva. And my many thanks to everyone who wrote to post and e-mail me privately.

I've given Ming chicken broth, baby food, bland, boiled, anything that I know would be acceptably palatable to his appetite. And yes, I've withheld ALL medications, as a matter of fact, last Tuesday. Why? Because this cat has had too much. He hid from me after he vomitted Tuesday. I didn't want him to feel that I'm going to punish him by pushing anything down his throat. I'm afraid at this point, To boot, he's Siamese and he's extremely sensitive to all stimulus.

I will tell you though that I sent him yesterday for fluids SQ because he needs it (it's the only thing keeping him alive) ... and I've advocated forced feeding, but this vet has adamantly said NO to forced feeding because seemingly, Ming's inability/reluctance is psychogenic in nature now. In Nursing, I'd call that "ineffective coping" ... so I did what I know best. But I also got reprimanded BIG TIME for holding off his Prednisone, a steroid to suppress bowel swelling and at the same time, stimulate appetite. She said no amount of instinct will get him to eat or drink. So far, she's right on that point because this cat will NOT drink either. She said Ming will die without Prednisone.

Yes, Minerva, IBD doesn't fly with me 100% either. But I don't have any pathology report to go by. This vet relayed all sonogram "results" by phone and actually "ulcerationS" (plural form) was the term that was used to say that those were also discovered upon ultrasound. But all before that, a thickend stomach lining was the first finding that stood out. Hence, the diagnosis of "IBD". If I really wanted a full-term finding, the vet wanted me to consent to an endoscopy ... but another $1K? Yet, here I am 80% convinced that the gastric upset is triggered by nausea secondary to an equilibrium problem due to the ear flushing procedure. I mean, I can go on and on, but that is my take on the technical side. BUT there's no way for me to prove that. The vet sees this situation as entirely 2 different problems. Either that or she has to because to date, I have paid $1,250 for the gastric problems. I won't discount the fact that ulcers don't develop overnight; even the vet concedes that. Ming has been regurgitating after meals for quite sometime now; but I was never alarmed because he never did so with all foods. The vet thinks he has a GERD condition and ulcers have been developing over time, but that the ear flushing exacerbated his gastric condition and came to a full head.

I'll post an update as soon as I get a private confer with the second opinion. Thanks everyone ever so much.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------


"minerva nine" wrote in message ...
This is a classic case of "get a second opinion." If it were me (and please
note that I have been deemed nuts by many), I would withdraw all the
medications at this point, because he's taken so much stuff there's no way
to tell what is causing his symptoms. Give him a day or two's rest (with
water available, of course), then offer him some warm chicken broth and see
if he takes it. I think your vet's diagnosis of IBD is baloney, because IBD
doesn't come on suddenly and it doesn't cause the symptoms you're
describing. Plus I've never heard of a cat getting ulcers. Second opinion.
Really. Do it for Ming. -- M9

"Zaida" wrote in message
...
I need an opinion please ... 2nd, 3rd, it doesn't matter. My mind is open
to all possibilities and explanations.

I have a 12-year old Tonkinese whom I had boarded 2 weeks ago when my

family
and I went out of town. I left him with a reputable vet in my area on a
Friday and picked him up the next Monday.

During this time, I also left instructions to go ahead with bloodwork
because I had also wanted to go ahead with his dental cleaning at the same
time. But time was short, so the vet simply ordered labwork and a future
dental appointment was made instead. While I was gone though, the vet

left
me several messages saying she found, upon exam, a right ear infection

that
required ear flushing. I gave my consent.

I was told the flushing was done Monday morning (I picked up Ming, my
Siamese, Monday afternoon). When we got home, I took him out of the
carrier. To my shock, he was falling all over the place. He had a
staggering gait and at the very least, couldn't leap in and out of the

sofa.
No head tilt; no rocking eye movement though, but on his right eye, the
inner lid was showing half-way consistently; very glassy and drowsy
appearance. I put him on the sofa, but he was not comfortable.
Intermittently, he would let out a howl (very loud; uncharacteristic of

this
cat). Then he vomitted at one point. For the rest of the evening, he

would
try to jump out of the sofa, fall, get up and stagger, find a hiding

place,
and howl. To say the least, he would not eat. After vomitting, he slept
peacefully the rest of the night on the sofa (not his usual sleeping place
by the way).

He had a medication to be taken once a day: tresaderm, which I applied to
his right ear the following morning (Tuesday). When I placed that in his
right ear, he shook his head and then vomitted right after. I called the
vet who told me to withhold the tresaderm and she replaced it with PGN

which
I picked up from her office. I continued to monitor his appetite. No
signs, but no more vomitting episodes for the rest of the day and the cat
slept all throughout.

Come Wednesday morning, I applied the PGN. Again he vomitted. So I then
called the vet. I also told her that Ming still hasn't eaten to say the
least in that 48-hour period. She ordered him back. But during the car
ride, he started foaming at the mouth. Vet gave him fluids SQ, but was
concerned about the foaming. It did appear that some was also coming out

of
his nose and made a notation that it could be respiratory. We agreed at
that point to bring him twice a day starting Thursday for fluids SQ. A

new
antibiotic was given (again) to replace PGN ... Baytril.
Thursday morning, cat still hasn't eaten. I popped a tab of Baytril into
his mouth. 15 minutes later, he vomitted again. I called the vet again.
On the car ride, Ming was foaming in the mouth again. This time, she
hospitalized Ming. I also picked up for her at the drugstore, a couple of
prescriptions for Ming -- Carafate and Metoclopramide. She also said she
was going to give him a pre-surg medication to stop the foaming. She
ordered ultrasound and x-ray to rule out anything respiratory. Friday,
sonogram results revealed a thickened stomach; so thick that food can't

pass
through, according to the vet. Vet also mentioned ulcers. I visited Ming
(needless to say, broke my heart to see how lethargic he was). He

preferred
sleeping inside his potty box. The doctor placed an extra aluminum tray

for
him to sleep in.

Throughout the weekend, Ming was on fluids IV. Besides the 2 drugs I
mentioned, all of the previous antibiotics were stopped; but Flagyl was

used
instead. Sunday night, the vet told me that she has started Ming on
Prednisone. My kids visited Ming Saturday. He still preferred sleeping
inside the potty.

I took Ming home (5/3) Monday afternoon. His vet explained to me about

his
gait and what she reiterated would go away in time; that the sight is more
disturbing to us people than it is to Ming. I asked her what in her

opinion
did Ming really have and she said inflammatory bowel. I raised the
possibility of the ulcers found during ultrasound being due from stress
secondary to an equilibrium from the ear flushing; she believed the two

were
unrelated. She explained that ulcers don't develop overnight; they take
time. We discussed the possibility of him having eaten a plant to have
caused the ulcers. My cat is an indoor cat. He did enjoy playing with

(and
chewing on) tall long grasses that are sometimes included with the flowers

I
buy and take home. Other than that, there is no plant in this house -- I
really don't have any indoors; they're fake because I'm the type who

forgets
to water my plants :-(

$1500+ later, my cat remains unappetent, still nauseated and looking
emaciated. I also signed a release statement indicating that my cat is

not
100% better. At home, after the car ride from the vet, the first thing

Ming
did was stagger to his potty box where he promptly threw up. I called the
vet to tell her this. She upped his Prednisone to twice a day.

Everyday that I've had him back, I keep offering him food and water. The
vet also discussed with me that it's ok to give him anything he wants

(with
the exception of milk) just to get him starting to eat. He would poke his
head into his bowl, paw at his food, go through the motions of licking and
picking up, but he wouldn't bite. It's almost as if he's scared to eat!

I
told the doctor this who is now afraid that it's now psychological.

I won't hesitate to tell anyone that my husband has been flipping over

these
costs. He had just had a car accident last week Monday night as well. He
came out unscathed from the accident (a 4-car pile up), but his car has

been
totalled. I'm a wreck between the money worries and Ming. I'm at a point
where my cat is not on the threshold of death, yet does not have the will

to
eat. I have discussed all these concerns with the vet. I don't want to

be
in the position where I have to allow him to die because I can't afford

it.
I do have a $350 balance that the vet and I agreed to pay off next month.
The vet has also said in terms that if surgery was going to be needed for
Ming, she could justify euthanasia for my sake because of the surgical

cost
(of over $1K), but until then she really would hate not to try all means
possible, medication-wise.

Costs aside, I am now at a point where I'm wondering how much of Ming's
predicament is primary or secondary. By admission, Ming's vet did say

that
she seemed to have opened a "pandora's box" when she flushed his ears. I
asked if his ear drum has any tear and she said she couldn't find any,
though some dirt could've attached to tear away a "pin-dot" size during

the
flushing. Ming is still unstable when he walks and does fall when he

jumps
up and out of the bed or sofa. The vet has reiterated that Ming's gastric
problem and ear problem are unrelated.

Yesterday after Ming came out of his potty, he sat down beside me and
proceeded to clean himself (just like the good 'ol days). I was thrilled

to
see that. But as soon as he tilted his head up, he vomitted again. Can
anyone at this point tell me that his vomitting episodes are not related

to
an equilibrium problem? Sonogram, according to the vet, did show
ulcerations. And ulcerations "don't appear overnight".

All my husband knows and calls as he sees it is this: we took a healthy,
happy cat to the vet on a Friday a week-and-a-half ago. Today, my cat is

so
ill that the question of euthanasia is what we have been talking about

most
lately. I have cried and cried; and worried some more ... over

everything;
coming to a point where I'm hoping (praying to God) that my care for this
pet shouldn't be put into test over affordability of treatment costs. But
there are priorities that I cannot hugely discount. Above all, I have to
give weight to my husband's concern to maintain our lives within our

means.
We are by far, the most humane people possible, but we are also not rich
people.

I just need to know if my cat will ever eat. I've withheld Prenisone the
whole day yesterday as soon as Ming walked away from me to hide underneath
the bed after he vomitted. He seems to "want" to eat. He looks eager to
eat. But that's all he does: poke his nose into the bowl, lick, bite, but
does not take the food in to eat.

Today I have an appointment with the vet. She isn't pleased I withheld

the
prednisone, but I'm telling 'ya ... this cat's frame of mind is all I care
for at this point. He hasn't thrown up yet anyway after he last vomitted
yesterday morning. And yes, he did take a bite out of a small piece of
bacon last night; just the size of my pinky nail, but he kept it down and
hasn't vomitted since. This without prednisone.

I'm so afraid to pop a pill into his mouth and be afraid to eat anything
anymore, not after he took a bite out of the bacon. But that's it. And
that was yesterday morning. I've had him back since Monday and it's now
Thursday. This cat, being a Siamese, with his own idiosyncrasies, minus

the
prednisone for 24 hours now ... how much of his condition is truly IBD?

I apologize for being distraught ... but I thank this board though so much
in advance.

~ Zaida~





  #13  
Old May 7th 04, 08:20 PM
Zaida
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Hi there, Minerva. And my many thanks to everyone who wrote to post and e-mail me privately.

I've given Ming chicken broth, baby food, bland, boiled, anything that I know would be acceptably palatable to his appetite. And yes, I've withheld ALL medications, as a matter of fact, last Tuesday. Why? Because this cat has had too much. He hid from me after he vomitted Tuesday. I didn't want him to feel that I'm going to punish him by pushing anything down his throat. I'm afraid at this point, To boot, he's Siamese and he's extremely sensitive to all stimulus.

I will tell you though that I sent him yesterday for fluids SQ because he needs it (it's the only thing keeping him alive) ... and I've advocated forced feeding, but this vet has adamantly said NO to forced feeding because seemingly, Ming's inability/reluctance is psychogenic in nature now. In Nursing, I'd call that "ineffective coping" ... so I did what I know best. But I also got reprimanded BIG TIME for holding off his Prednisone, a steroid to suppress bowel swelling and at the same time, stimulate appetite. She said no amount of instinct will get him to eat or drink. So far, she's right on that point because this cat will NOT drink either. She said Ming will die without Prednisone.

Yes, Minerva, IBD doesn't fly with me 100% either. But I don't have any pathology report to go by. This vet relayed all sonogram "results" by phone and actually "ulcerationS" (plural form) was the term that was used to say that those were also discovered upon ultrasound. But all before that, a thickend stomach lining was the first finding that stood out. Hence, the diagnosis of "IBD". If I really wanted a full-term finding, the vet wanted me to consent to an endoscopy ... but another $1K? Yet, here I am 80% convinced that the gastric upset is triggered by nausea secondary to an equilibrium problem due to the ear flushing procedure. I mean, I can go on and on, but that is my take on the technical side. BUT there's no way for me to prove that. The vet sees this situation as entirely 2 different problems. Either that or she has to because to date, I have paid $1,250 for the gastric problems. I won't discount the fact that ulcers don't develop overnight; even the vet concedes that. Ming has been regurgitating after meals for quite sometime now; but I was never alarmed because he never did so with all foods. The vet thinks he has a GERD condition and ulcers have been developing over time, but that the ear flushing exacerbated his gastric condition and came to a full head.

I'll post an update as soon as I get a private confer with the second opinion. Thanks everyone ever so much.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------


"minerva nine" wrote in message ...
This is a classic case of "get a second opinion." If it were me (and please
note that I have been deemed nuts by many), I would withdraw all the
medications at this point, because he's taken so much stuff there's no way
to tell what is causing his symptoms. Give him a day or two's rest (with
water available, of course), then offer him some warm chicken broth and see
if he takes it. I think your vet's diagnosis of IBD is baloney, because IBD
doesn't come on suddenly and it doesn't cause the symptoms you're
describing. Plus I've never heard of a cat getting ulcers. Second opinion.
Really. Do it for Ming. -- M9

"Zaida" wrote in message
...
I need an opinion please ... 2nd, 3rd, it doesn't matter. My mind is open
to all possibilities and explanations.

I have a 12-year old Tonkinese whom I had boarded 2 weeks ago when my

family
and I went out of town. I left him with a reputable vet in my area on a
Friday and picked him up the next Monday.

During this time, I also left instructions to go ahead with bloodwork
because I had also wanted to go ahead with his dental cleaning at the same
time. But time was short, so the vet simply ordered labwork and a future
dental appointment was made instead. While I was gone though, the vet

left
me several messages saying she found, upon exam, a right ear infection

that
required ear flushing. I gave my consent.

I was told the flushing was done Monday morning (I picked up Ming, my
Siamese, Monday afternoon). When we got home, I took him out of the
carrier. To my shock, he was falling all over the place. He had a
staggering gait and at the very least, couldn't leap in and out of the

sofa.
No head tilt; no rocking eye movement though, but on his right eye, the
inner lid was showing half-way consistently; very glassy and drowsy
appearance. I put him on the sofa, but he was not comfortable.
Intermittently, he would let out a howl (very loud; uncharacteristic of

this
cat). Then he vomitted at one point. For the rest of the evening, he

would
try to jump out of the sofa, fall, get up and stagger, find a hiding

place,
and howl. To say the least, he would not eat. After vomitting, he slept
peacefully the rest of the night on the sofa (not his usual sleeping place
by the way).

He had a medication to be taken once a day: tresaderm, which I applied to
his right ear the following morning (Tuesday). When I placed that in his
right ear, he shook his head and then vomitted right after. I called the
vet who told me to withhold the tresaderm and she replaced it with PGN

which
I picked up from her office. I continued to monitor his appetite. No
signs, but no more vomitting episodes for the rest of the day and the cat
slept all throughout.

Come Wednesday morning, I applied the PGN. Again he vomitted. So I then
called the vet. I also told her that Ming still hasn't eaten to say the
least in that 48-hour period. She ordered him back. But during the car
ride, he started foaming at the mouth. Vet gave him fluids SQ, but was
concerned about the foaming. It did appear that some was also coming out

of
his nose and made a notation that it could be respiratory. We agreed at
that point to bring him twice a day starting Thursday for fluids SQ. A

new
antibiotic was given (again) to replace PGN ... Baytril.
Thursday morning, cat still hasn't eaten. I popped a tab of Baytril into
his mouth. 15 minutes later, he vomitted again. I called the vet again.
On the car ride, Ming was foaming in the mouth again. This time, she
hospitalized Ming. I also picked up for her at the drugstore, a couple of
prescriptions for Ming -- Carafate and Metoclopramide. She also said she
was going to give him a pre-surg medication to stop the foaming. She
ordered ultrasound and x-ray to rule out anything respiratory. Friday,
sonogram results revealed a thickened stomach; so thick that food can't

pass
through, according to the vet. Vet also mentioned ulcers. I visited Ming
(needless to say, broke my heart to see how lethargic he was). He

preferred
sleeping inside his potty box. The doctor placed an extra aluminum tray

for
him to sleep in.

Throughout the weekend, Ming was on fluids IV. Besides the 2 drugs I
mentioned, all of the previous antibiotics were stopped; but Flagyl was

used
instead. Sunday night, the vet told me that she has started Ming on
Prednisone. My kids visited Ming Saturday. He still preferred sleeping
inside the potty.

I took Ming home (5/3) Monday afternoon. His vet explained to me about

his
gait and what she reiterated would go away in time; that the sight is more
disturbing to us people than it is to Ming. I asked her what in her

opinion
did Ming really have and she said inflammatory bowel. I raised the
possibility of the ulcers found during ultrasound being due from stress
secondary to an equilibrium from the ear flushing; she believed the two

were
unrelated. She explained that ulcers don't develop overnight; they take
time. We discussed the possibility of him having eaten a plant to have
caused the ulcers. My cat is an indoor cat. He did enjoy playing with

(and
chewing on) tall long grasses that are sometimes included with the flowers

I
buy and take home. Other than that, there is no plant in this house -- I
really don't have any indoors; they're fake because I'm the type who

forgets
to water my plants :-(

$1500+ later, my cat remains unappetent, still nauseated and looking
emaciated. I also signed a release statement indicating that my cat is

not
100% better. At home, after the car ride from the vet, the first thing

Ming
did was stagger to his potty box where he promptly threw up. I called the
vet to tell her this. She upped his Prednisone to twice a day.

Everyday that I've had him back, I keep offering him food and water. The
vet also discussed with me that it's ok to give him anything he wants

(with
the exception of milk) just to get him starting to eat. He would poke his
head into his bowl, paw at his food, go through the motions of licking and
picking up, but he wouldn't bite. It's almost as if he's scared to eat!

I
told the doctor this who is now afraid that it's now psychological.

I won't hesitate to tell anyone that my husband has been flipping over

these
costs. He had just had a car accident last week Monday night as well. He
came out unscathed from the accident (a 4-car pile up), but his car has

been
totalled. I'm a wreck between the money worries and Ming. I'm at a point
where my cat is not on the threshold of death, yet does not have the will

to
eat. I have discussed all these concerns with the vet. I don't want to

be
in the position where I have to allow him to die because I can't afford

it.
I do have a $350 balance that the vet and I agreed to pay off next month.
The vet has also said in terms that if surgery was going to be needed for
Ming, she could justify euthanasia for my sake because of the surgical

cost
(of over $1K), but until then she really would hate not to try all means
possible, medication-wise.

Costs aside, I am now at a point where I'm wondering how much of Ming's
predicament is primary or secondary. By admission, Ming's vet did say

that
she seemed to have opened a "pandora's box" when she flushed his ears. I
asked if his ear drum has any tear and she said she couldn't find any,
though some dirt could've attached to tear away a "pin-dot" size during

the
flushing. Ming is still unstable when he walks and does fall when he

jumps
up and out of the bed or sofa. The vet has reiterated that Ming's gastric
problem and ear problem are unrelated.

Yesterday after Ming came out of his potty, he sat down beside me and
proceeded to clean himself (just like the good 'ol days). I was thrilled

to
see that. But as soon as he tilted his head up, he vomitted again. Can
anyone at this point tell me that his vomitting episodes are not related

to
an equilibrium problem? Sonogram, according to the vet, did show
ulcerations. And ulcerations "don't appear overnight".

All my husband knows and calls as he sees it is this: we took a healthy,
happy cat to the vet on a Friday a week-and-a-half ago. Today, my cat is

so
ill that the question of euthanasia is what we have been talking about

most
lately. I have cried and cried; and worried some more ... over

everything;
coming to a point where I'm hoping (praying to God) that my care for this
pet shouldn't be put into test over affordability of treatment costs. But
there are priorities that I cannot hugely discount. Above all, I have to
give weight to my husband's concern to maintain our lives within our

means.
We are by far, the most humane people possible, but we are also not rich
people.

I just need to know if my cat will ever eat. I've withheld Prenisone the
whole day yesterday as soon as Ming walked away from me to hide underneath
the bed after he vomitted. He seems to "want" to eat. He looks eager to
eat. But that's all he does: poke his nose into the bowl, lick, bite, but
does not take the food in to eat.

Today I have an appointment with the vet. She isn't pleased I withheld

the
prednisone, but I'm telling 'ya ... this cat's frame of mind is all I care
for at this point. He hasn't thrown up yet anyway after he last vomitted
yesterday morning. And yes, he did take a bite out of a small piece of
bacon last night; just the size of my pinky nail, but he kept it down and
hasn't vomitted since. This without prednisone.

I'm so afraid to pop a pill into his mouth and be afraid to eat anything
anymore, not after he took a bite out of the bacon. But that's it. And
that was yesterday morning. I've had him back since Monday and it's now
Thursday. This cat, being a Siamese, with his own idiosyncrasies, minus

the
prednisone for 24 hours now ... how much of his condition is truly IBD?

I apologize for being distraught ... but I thank this board though so much
in advance.

~ Zaida~





  #14  
Old May 8th 04, 05:16 PM
Zaida
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Hi Laura ... sorry for the HTML format.

Have you heard of vestibular syndrome? To me, this certainly fits it.
My lymphoma cat had a bout with it early in his illness, and although
some of the symptoms were either the result of his lymphoma or
indistinguishable from the vestibular syndrome symptoms, the
neurological effects you describe do seem to fit vestibular syndrome.


It was mentioned somewhere in this thread or maybe in the
alt.med.veterinary NG. However I look at all the possibilities, it appears
to me that with the exception of vestibular syndrome, lymphoma or IBD are
not acute illnesses. What are the symptoms of lymphoma?

Did the vet mention the possibility of cancer, specifically lymphoma?
A thickened digestive tract can be a very strong indicator of such
(along with other causes, but that's just one that jumps to mind that
I didn't see mentioned in your post).


Yes, as a matter of fact, she did. She didn't specifically say lymphoma.
She did say cancer, but if it was, she said cancer of the stomach or its
related structure. Lymphoma is an entirely different illness involving the
lymph vessels, right? Ming's vet wanted to go for endoscopy with biopsy to
rule out cancer ... that was the only reason for doing endoscopy, yes. And
as sad as I am to have to say this, I have to reiterate that it is extremely
difficult for me to weigh between my cat's life and the staggering costs.
An endoscopy would put me in another $1K is what I was told by the vet.

That sounds to me like the vet might think it's vestibular syndrome
or something similar. Are you sure she hasn't mentioned this as a
possibility?


Nope. No mention of vestibular syndrome by her.


To me, this doesn't sound like ulcers, but I'm not qualified to say
with any certainty.


I specifically asked what was found in the ultrasound exam. I
specifically asked if ulcers (ulcerations) were picked up by the test and
she answered positively.


Honestly, I think it's time for a second opinion and investigating
the possibility of lymphoma as well as IBD.


The old vet is unfortunately out of town (my dumb luck) but since time is
of the essence to maintain Ming's fluids, I have been going back to the same
vet for fluids SQ every other day. And by the way, yes, I have been
force-feeding Ming. Yesterday, I was able to make him take a jar (2-1/2
oz.) of baby food. He hates it, but his stomach hasn't acted up (no
vomitting) and he has used the potty. I'm due for his fluids today.

If this is lymphoma, it
is crucial that you get it diagnosed before the cat has been on
prednisone for any length of time, as use of prednisone can decrease
the efficacy of subsequent chemotherapy. I'm not assuming that you
would choose to go with chemo if this did turn out to be cancer, but
if it did, and if you wanted to explore that option, I'd be happy to
tell you of my experiences with chemotherapy to treat my cat who had
lymphoma. It's much less expensive than you might think, and side
effects are quite low in cats. And lymphoma is one of the most
responsive cancers to chemo.


With this vet, nothing is inexpensive. In the beginning, each office
visit had a charge. My husband was really aghast. All he wanted was a
little show of "humanity" for us; after all, he is hard-pressed for
convincing that all this medical problem with Ming was not triggered by the
vet's ear flush procedure on Ming. If this is vestibular syndrome
("syndrome" to me indicating that a group of symptoms are happening together
to form a pattern), then indeed, all these are HER fault ... at least a
negligence somewhere in the procedure.


Or it's nausea. All of those behaviors were exhibited by my lymphoma
kitty shortly before and early in his chemotherapy, and it was nausea
(not caused by the chemo). Is he making any chewing motions or
grinding or gnashing his teeth? Those are also hallmarks of nausea.


Ming IS nauseated. He would take a gulp (swallowing motion) and lick his
mouth. His chewing motions do not appear normal to me. I am treating his
ears now with Silvadene.


Unless it's vestibular syndrome caused by cancer.


Wow. I'm at a complete tizzy here now. Well, this vet did raise the
possibility of cancer. IF cancer has been developing over time, then the
ear flushing to treat his ear infection simply exacerbated what illness is
already underway. IF that's so, then this vet has been right all along ...
???


True, but CNS symptoms *can* appear overnight in a cat that has a
larger primary disease.


But Ming had no CNS symptoms before the ear flushing procedure. This was
an active Siamese that liked getting into mischief. The ONLY discernible
symptom he ever had was his regurgitating episodes of certain foods. That
behavior was consistent with him if he ate wet food. He was fine with dry
food. He was even greater with R/D.


Prednisone boosts appetite. I don't think you should be withholding
it, personally, but I do think that before continuing much longer
with prednisone, you need to definitively rule out cancer unless you
have no plans to treat cancer should it turn out to be the cause.


I don't know, Laura. I'm very saddened by all this, yet want to do what's
best for this cat. The diagnostic procedures that this vet requires equate
to a staggering amount that my husband and I can't afford. We are not lucky
in that regard. Ming is 12 years old; still young according to his vet. If
money weren't an object, I would definitely shoot for the moon, no questions
asked.


I am sorry you're going through this, but as I said, if this does
turn out to be lymphoma, please post as I can give you information
about my experiences with chemo for my cat, both from a financial
perspective and from the perspective of whether it was worthwhile to
have done it. (In my case, it most definitely was.)


Thank you very much. I will most certainly bring up the possibility of
Lymphoma to her when I see her this afternoon.

====
Zaida


  #15  
Old May 8th 04, 05:16 PM
Zaida
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Hi Laura ... sorry for the HTML format.

Have you heard of vestibular syndrome? To me, this certainly fits it.
My lymphoma cat had a bout with it early in his illness, and although
some of the symptoms were either the result of his lymphoma or
indistinguishable from the vestibular syndrome symptoms, the
neurological effects you describe do seem to fit vestibular syndrome.


It was mentioned somewhere in this thread or maybe in the
alt.med.veterinary NG. However I look at all the possibilities, it appears
to me that with the exception of vestibular syndrome, lymphoma or IBD are
not acute illnesses. What are the symptoms of lymphoma?

Did the vet mention the possibility of cancer, specifically lymphoma?
A thickened digestive tract can be a very strong indicator of such
(along with other causes, but that's just one that jumps to mind that
I didn't see mentioned in your post).


Yes, as a matter of fact, she did. She didn't specifically say lymphoma.
She did say cancer, but if it was, she said cancer of the stomach or its
related structure. Lymphoma is an entirely different illness involving the
lymph vessels, right? Ming's vet wanted to go for endoscopy with biopsy to
rule out cancer ... that was the only reason for doing endoscopy, yes. And
as sad as I am to have to say this, I have to reiterate that it is extremely
difficult for me to weigh between my cat's life and the staggering costs.
An endoscopy would put me in another $1K is what I was told by the vet.

That sounds to me like the vet might think it's vestibular syndrome
or something similar. Are you sure she hasn't mentioned this as a
possibility?


Nope. No mention of vestibular syndrome by her.


To me, this doesn't sound like ulcers, but I'm not qualified to say
with any certainty.


I specifically asked what was found in the ultrasound exam. I
specifically asked if ulcers (ulcerations) were picked up by the test and
she answered positively.


Honestly, I think it's time for a second opinion and investigating
the possibility of lymphoma as well as IBD.


The old vet is unfortunately out of town (my dumb luck) but since time is
of the essence to maintain Ming's fluids, I have been going back to the same
vet for fluids SQ every other day. And by the way, yes, I have been
force-feeding Ming. Yesterday, I was able to make him take a jar (2-1/2
oz.) of baby food. He hates it, but his stomach hasn't acted up (no
vomitting) and he has used the potty. I'm due for his fluids today.

If this is lymphoma, it
is crucial that you get it diagnosed before the cat has been on
prednisone for any length of time, as use of prednisone can decrease
the efficacy of subsequent chemotherapy. I'm not assuming that you
would choose to go with chemo if this did turn out to be cancer, but
if it did, and if you wanted to explore that option, I'd be happy to
tell you of my experiences with chemotherapy to treat my cat who had
lymphoma. It's much less expensive than you might think, and side
effects are quite low in cats. And lymphoma is one of the most
responsive cancers to chemo.


With this vet, nothing is inexpensive. In the beginning, each office
visit had a charge. My husband was really aghast. All he wanted was a
little show of "humanity" for us; after all, he is hard-pressed for
convincing that all this medical problem with Ming was not triggered by the
vet's ear flush procedure on Ming. If this is vestibular syndrome
("syndrome" to me indicating that a group of symptoms are happening together
to form a pattern), then indeed, all these are HER fault ... at least a
negligence somewhere in the procedure.


Or it's nausea. All of those behaviors were exhibited by my lymphoma
kitty shortly before and early in his chemotherapy, and it was nausea
(not caused by the chemo). Is he making any chewing motions or
grinding or gnashing his teeth? Those are also hallmarks of nausea.


Ming IS nauseated. He would take a gulp (swallowing motion) and lick his
mouth. His chewing motions do not appear normal to me. I am treating his
ears now with Silvadene.


Unless it's vestibular syndrome caused by cancer.


Wow. I'm at a complete tizzy here now. Well, this vet did raise the
possibility of cancer. IF cancer has been developing over time, then the
ear flushing to treat his ear infection simply exacerbated what illness is
already underway. IF that's so, then this vet has been right all along ...
???


True, but CNS symptoms *can* appear overnight in a cat that has a
larger primary disease.


But Ming had no CNS symptoms before the ear flushing procedure. This was
an active Siamese that liked getting into mischief. The ONLY discernible
symptom he ever had was his regurgitating episodes of certain foods. That
behavior was consistent with him if he ate wet food. He was fine with dry
food. He was even greater with R/D.


Prednisone boosts appetite. I don't think you should be withholding
it, personally, but I do think that before continuing much longer
with prednisone, you need to definitively rule out cancer unless you
have no plans to treat cancer should it turn out to be the cause.


I don't know, Laura. I'm very saddened by all this, yet want to do what's
best for this cat. The diagnostic procedures that this vet requires equate
to a staggering amount that my husband and I can't afford. We are not lucky
in that regard. Ming is 12 years old; still young according to his vet. If
money weren't an object, I would definitely shoot for the moon, no questions
asked.


I am sorry you're going through this, but as I said, if this does
turn out to be lymphoma, please post as I can give you information
about my experiences with chemo for my cat, both from a financial
perspective and from the perspective of whether it was worthwhile to
have done it. (In my case, it most definitely was.)


Thank you very much. I will most certainly bring up the possibility of
Lymphoma to her when I see her this afternoon.

====
Zaida


  #16  
Old May 8th 04, 05:17 PM
Zaida
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Hi Laura. Southern California. I think the Comcast servers are primarily
in NJ.


"Laura R." wrote in message
.. .
circa Thu, 6 May 2004 11:28:26 -0700, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav,
Zaida ) said,
I need an opinion please ... 2nd, 3rd, it doesn't matter. My mind is

open
to all possibilities and explanations.

Zaida, from analysis of your IP address, it appears that you are in
New Jersey. Are you? If so, how far away from Philly are you? How far
away from NYC? Either way, I can give you some veterinarian
recommendations if you would like them.

Laura
--
I am Dyslexia of Borg,
Your ass will be laminated.



  #17  
Old May 8th 04, 05:17 PM
Zaida
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Hi Laura. Southern California. I think the Comcast servers are primarily
in NJ.


"Laura R." wrote in message
.. .
circa Thu, 6 May 2004 11:28:26 -0700, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav,
Zaida ) said,
I need an opinion please ... 2nd, 3rd, it doesn't matter. My mind is

open
to all possibilities and explanations.

Zaida, from analysis of your IP address, it appears that you are in
New Jersey. Are you? If so, how far away from Philly are you? How far
away from NYC? Either way, I can give you some veterinarian
recommendations if you would like them.

Laura
--
I am Dyslexia of Borg,
Your ass will be laminated.



  #18  
Old May 8th 04, 05:40 PM
Zaida
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Hi again, Laura. I've done my reading on Lymphoma. Ming's is indicative of
Alimentary Lymphoma. This then explains the vet's need for endoscopy with
biopsy. The ultimate consideration on her part was my unableness to foot
the bill, Laura, if anything; not because she was unwilling to explore all
the possible causes. My husband's determination was to tie up the ear
flushing with the problems that were mediated from a negligent procedure; at
least for the sake of empathy, if not for us, then for Ming. That's all my
husband ever wanted ... *consideration* on her part. But because
consideration was seemingly lacking or half-hearted, the hindrance laid with
our having a very short pocket. :*(


  #19  
Old May 8th 04, 05:40 PM
Zaida
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Hi again, Laura. I've done my reading on Lymphoma. Ming's is indicative of
Alimentary Lymphoma. This then explains the vet's need for endoscopy with
biopsy. The ultimate consideration on her part was my unableness to foot
the bill, Laura, if anything; not because she was unwilling to explore all
the possible causes. My husband's determination was to tie up the ear
flushing with the problems that were mediated from a negligent procedure; at
least for the sake of empathy, if not for us, then for Ming. That's all my
husband ever wanted ... *consideration* on her part. But because
consideration was seemingly lacking or half-hearted, the hindrance laid with
our having a very short pocket. :*(


  #20  
Old May 8th 04, 05:54 PM
Karen Chuplis
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

in article , Laura R. at
wrote on 5/8/04 11:38 AM:

circa Sat, 8 May 2004 09:16:34 -0700, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav,
Zaida ) said,
Hi Laura ... sorry for the HTML format.

Have you heard of vestibular syndrome? To me, this certainly fits it.
My lymphoma cat had a bout with it early in his illness, and although
some of the symptoms were either the result of his lymphoma or
indistinguishable from the vestibular syndrome symptoms, the
neurological effects you describe do seem to fit vestibular syndrome.


It was mentioned somewhere in this thread or maybe in the
alt.med.veterinary NG. However I look at all the possibilities, it appears
to me that with the exception of vestibular syndrome, lymphoma or IBD are
not acute illnesses. What are the symptoms of lymphoma?


The *exact* symptoms you describe.

Did the vet mention the possibility of cancer, specifically lymphoma?
A thickened digestive tract can be a very strong indicator of such
(along with other causes, but that's just one that jumps to mind that
I didn't see mentioned in your post).


Yes, as a matter of fact, she did. She didn't specifically say lymphoma.
She did say cancer, but if it was, she said cancer of the stomach or its
related structure. Lymphoma is an entirely different illness involving the
lymph vessels, right?


No. Lymphoma is *cancer*. Lymphosarcoma, to be exact.

Ming's vet wanted to go for endoscopy with biopsy to
rule out cancer ... that was the only reason for doing endoscopy, yes. And
as sad as I am to have to say this, I have to reiterate that it is extremely
difficult for me to weigh between my cat's life and the staggering costs.
An endoscopy would put me in another $1K is what I was told by the vet.


Find a new vet. My cat's exploratory surgery and biopsy were nowhere
near that.

That sounds to me like the vet might think it's vestibular syndrome
or something similar. Are you sure she hasn't mentioned this as a
possibility?


Nope. No mention of vestibular syndrome by her.


New vet. New vet. New vet.


To me, this doesn't sound like ulcers, but I'm not qualified to say
with any certainty.


I specifically asked what was found in the ultrasound exam. I
specifically asked if ulcers (ulcerations) were picked up by the test and
she answered positively.


Ulcerations != ulcers. Ulcerations can be caused by things such as
*cancer*. The term "ulcers" usually refers to digestive tract ulcers
caused by compromise of linings and subsequent injury by acids in the
tract.


Honestly, I think it's time for a second opinion and investigating
the possibility of lymphoma as well as IBD.


The old vet is unfortunately out of town (my dumb luck) but since time is
of the essence to maintain Ming's fluids, I have been going back to the same
vet for fluids SQ every other day. And by the way, yes, I have been
force-feeding Ming. Yesterday, I was able to make him take a jar (2-1/2
oz.) of baby food. He hates it, but his stomach hasn't acted up (no
vomitting) and he has used the potty. I'm due for his fluids today.


It's good that you're force feeding and keeping him hydrated.

If this is lymphoma, it
is crucial that you get it diagnosed before the cat has been on
prednisone for any length of time, as use of prednisone can decrease
the efficacy of subsequent chemotherapy. I'm not assuming that you
would choose to go with chemo if this did turn out to be cancer, but
if it did, and if you wanted to explore that option, I'd be happy to
tell you of my experiences with chemotherapy to treat my cat who had
lymphoma. It's much less expensive than you might think, and side
effects are quite low in cats. And lymphoma is one of the most
responsive cancers to chemo.


With this vet, nothing is inexpensive. In the beginning, each office
visit had a charge. My husband was really aghast.


New vet.

All he wanted was a
little show of "humanity" for us; after all, he is hard-pressed for
convincing that all this medical problem with Ming was not triggered by the
vet's ear flush procedure on Ming. If this is vestibular syndrome
("syndrome" to me indicating that a group of symptoms are happening together
to form a pattern), then indeed, all these are HER fault ... at least a
negligence somewhere in the procedure.


Again, vestibular syndrome is generally caused by something other
than an ear flushing. Please google on the syndrome. I know it's
natural to want to blame the vet, but your cat's symptoms are
*exactly* like my cat's symptoms were, and his vestibular syndrome
was caused by his *lymphoma*.


Or it's nausea. All of those behaviors were exhibited by my lymphoma
kitty shortly before and early in his chemotherapy, and it was nausea
(not caused by the chemo). Is he making any chewing motions or
grinding or gnashing his teeth? Those are also hallmarks of nausea.


Ming IS nauseated. He would take a gulp (swallowing motion) and lick his
mouth. His chewing motions do not appear normal to me. I am treating his
ears now with Silvadene.


Please get this cat to a different vet.


Unless it's vestibular syndrome caused by cancer.


Wow. I'm at a complete tizzy here now. Well, this vet did raise the
possibility of cancer. IF cancer has been developing over time, then the
ear flushing to treat his ear infection simply exacerbated what illness is
already underway. IF that's so, then this vet has been right all along ...
???


Well, if she raised the possibility of cancer, then yes, she may have
been right all along. Vestibular syndrome is caused by compromise or
infection of a specific set of nerves- lymphoma can cause this, as
can other infections or injuries.


True, but CNS symptoms *can* appear overnight in a cat that has a
larger primary disease.


But Ming had no CNS symptoms before the ear flushing procedure. This was
an active Siamese that liked getting into mischief. The ONLY discernible
symptom he ever had was his regurgitating episodes of certain foods. That
behavior was consistent with him if he ate wet food. He was fine with dry
food. He was even greater with R/D.


Again, though, just because the symptoms appeared after the ear
flushing doesn't inherently mean that they were *caused* by it. It
may just be coincidence.


Prednisone boosts appetite. I don't think you should be withholding
it, personally, but I do think that before continuing much longer
with prednisone, you need to definitively rule out cancer unless you
have no plans to treat cancer should it turn out to be the cause.


I don't know, Laura. I'm very saddened by all this, yet want to do what's
best for this cat. The diagnostic procedures that this vet requires equate
to a staggering amount that my husband and I can't afford. We are not lucky
in that regard. Ming is 12 years old; still young according to his vet. If
money weren't an object, I would definitely shoot for the moon, no questions
asked.


I honestly think you can get a diagnostic for far less than your vet
is saying it will cost. As I recall, Alex's exploratory surgery and
biopsy was in the neighborhood of $200.


I am sorry you're going through this, but as I said, if this does
turn out to be lymphoma, please post as I can give you information
about my experiences with chemo for my cat, both from a financial
perspective and from the perspective of whether it was worthwhile to
have done it. (In my case, it most definitely was.)


Thank you very much. I will most certainly bring up the possibility of
Lymphoma to her when I see her this afternoon.


Good. Please post back; I'm very interested in this.

Laura


Can't toxoplasmosis also cause vistibular problems?

Karen

 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 11:08 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 CatBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.