Vet can't diagnose our cat.

I'm going to skip the long story and tell the symptoms, maybe someone can
help point me in a direction.

Six year old tom cat, fixed and overweight. He's been panting a bit
getting around the house lately which I chalked up to his weight (he is on
a vet prescribed diet and has been losing weight).

He became less active but he's never been very active which is why he's
fat. I began to worry he might be getting constipated from the diet food
so I started mixing his old food 50/50.

The panting got worse. He had a few turds show up outside the litterbox
but he's very furry so sometimes a small turd sticks to his fur and falls
off later. Then one night he went to the litter box and didn't go, walked
into the kitchen bawling, flopped down and peed all over himself. He
seemed to feel better after peeing so I thought he might have a blockage
and took him to the vet. He has stopped eating and drinking. The vet
tested his blood and urine and said they are both normal. She gave him an
IV since he was dehydrated and a rabies shot which he had a bad reaction
to and I had to take him back for steroids and Benadryl. She x-rayed his
chest and found fluid around his lungs. Drew off 120cc of fluid and had it
tested. She says the fluid contained only a few white blood cells and a
few macrophages.

He improved a little after having the fluid removed but some fluid remains
and I believe he is in pain. Mostly he sleeps but he's not eating or
drinking.

The vet has no diagnosis. She suggested it might be cancer, heart failure,
leukemia or an infection, but she doesn't believe it is an infection. She
has no advice except to go to another vet. I'm frustrated that he is still
in pain and we have no idea what is wrong with him.

"Mac Cool" wrote in message
...
I'm going to skip the long story and tell the symptoms, maybe someone can
help point me in a direction.

Six year old tom cat, fixed and overweight. He's been panting a bit
getting around the house lately which I chalked up to his weight (he is on
a vet prescribed diet and has been losing weight).

He became less active but he's never been very active which is why he's
fat. I began to worry he might be getting constipated from the diet food
so I started mixing his old food 50/50.

The panting got worse. He had a few turds show up outside the litterbox
but he's very furry so sometimes a small turd sticks to his fur and falls
off later. Then one night he went to the litter box and didn't go, walked
into the kitchen bawling, flopped down and peed all over himself. He
seemed to feel better after peeing so I thought he might have a blockage
and took him to the vet. He has stopped eating and drinking. The vet
tested his blood and urine and said they are both normal. She gave him an
IV since he was dehydrated and a rabies shot which he had a bad reaction
to and I had to take him back for steroids and Benadryl. She x-rayed his
chest and found fluid around his lungs. Drew off 120cc of fluid and had it
tested. She says the fluid contained only a few white blood cells and a
few macrophages.

He improved a little after having the fluid removed but some fluid remains
and I believe he is in pain. Mostly he sleeps but he's not eating or
drinking.

The vet has no diagnosis. She suggested it might be cancer, heart failure,
leukemia or an infection, but she doesn't believe it is an infection. She
has no advice except to go to another vet. I'm frustrated that he is still
in pain and we have no idea what is wrong with him.

I don't understand why she would tell you to go to another vet, do you?

cybercat:

I don't understand why she would tell you to go to another vet, do you?

After $500 in tests she didn't know much more than when we started. She
gave me the option of doing more tests but that didn't seem to be going
anywhere, we didn't seem to be narrowing it down so she recommended seeing
a specialist. I think she realized that maybe it was beyond her experience
level.

"Mac Cool" wrote in message
...
I'm going to skip the long story and tell the symptoms, maybe someone can
help point me in a direction.

Six year old tom cat, fixed and overweight. He's been panting a bit
getting around the house lately which I chalked up to his weight (he is on
a vet prescribed diet and has been losing weight).

He became less active but he's never been very active which is why he's
fat. I began to worry he might be getting constipated from the diet food
so I started mixing his old food 50/50.

The panting got worse. He had a few turds show up outside the litterbox
but he's very furry so sometimes a small turd sticks to his fur and falls
off later. Then one night he went to the litter box and didn't go, walked
into the kitchen bawling, flopped down and peed all over himself. He
seemed to feel better after peeing so I thought he might have a blockage
and took him to the vet. He has stopped eating and drinking. The vet
tested his blood and urine and said they are both normal. She gave him an
IV since he was dehydrated and a rabies shot which he had a bad reaction
to and I had to take him back for steroids and Benadryl. She x-rayed his
chest and found fluid around his lungs. Drew off 120cc of fluid and had it
tested. She says the fluid contained only a few white blood cells and a
few macrophages.

He improved a little after having the fluid removed but some fluid remains
and I believe he is in pain. Mostly he sleeps but he's not eating or
drinking.

The vet has no diagnosis. She suggested it might be cancer, heart failure,
leukemia or an infection, but she doesn't believe it is an infection. She
has no advice except to go to another vet. I'm frustrated that he is still
in pain and we have no idea what is wrong with him.

I agree that you should see another vet, preferably one that specializes in
cats (or, at least, *small* animals). Are you within driving distance of a
veterinary college? That is often a good option.

Incidentally, I am very concerned that your vet would have given a rabies
shot (or any vaccination) at a time when your cat is obviously ill.

MaryL

MaryL wrote:

" I agree that you should see another vet, preferably one that specializes
in cats (or, at least, *small* animals). Are you within driving
distance of a veterinary college? That is often a good option.

Incidentally, I am very concerned that your vet would have given a
rabies shot (or any vaccination) at a time when your cat is obviously ill.

MaryL


That was on my mind too. Why in the world would she give him a
vaccination while he is ill? I would think that would compromise his
system even more.

I would get copies of all of his records and tests and at least get a
second opinion from another vet. I think the very best thing though
would be to go to a specialist. It could be something that is easily
corrected given the proper diagnosis.

Good luck,

Rhonda

MaryL:

Are you within driving distance of a veterinary college? That is
often a good option.

Calling them today.

Incidentally, I am very concerned that your vet would have given a
rabies shot (or any vaccination) at a time when your cat is obviously
ill.

Yeah, after I read the complications that could (and did) result I pretty
much lost all confidence in that vet. The Rabies vaccine was like pouring
salt in a wound.

"Mac Cool" wrote in message
...
MaryL:

Are you within driving distance of a veterinary college? That is
often a good option.

Calling them today.

Good! Please keep us updated.
--
MaryL

Incidentally, I am very concerned that your vet would have given a
rabies shot (or any vaccination) at a time when your cat is obviously
ill.

Yeah, after I read the complications that could (and did) result I pretty
much lost all confidence in that vet. The Rabies vaccine was like pouring
salt in a wound.

MaryL:
Good! Please keep us updated.

Last night was rough, the rabies vaccine caused his face and throat to
swell making breathing even more difficult. Out of desperation we gave him
a tiny bit of Benadryl. He couldn't have got much as he spit it out but
within ten minutes he was breathing easier. This morning he was showing
symptoms of a cold, runny eyes, runny nose, and sick breath (bad). But the
good news is that by the time we left for the hospital he was showing
improvement, he was moving around a bit, his pupils started contracting
and he sat in front of his water bowl mewing but didn't drink.

The hospital staff started him on oxygen, gave him a mild sedative and
removed another 150ml of fluid from his chest in the first ten or fifteen
minutes; more than our first vet accomplished in two days. Tonight they
are running a battery of tests, will rehydrate him, try to make him eat
and told me that tomorrow they will have a treatment plan. When we left
him today he was in a 40% oxygen environment, breathing easily and stoned
out of his mind. Good for him.

"Mac Cool" wrote in message
...
MaryL:
Good! Please keep us updated.

Last night was rough, the rabies vaccine caused his face and throat to
swell making breathing even more difficult.


So, was the first vet indeed a "large animal" vet? Where are you, just
curious.

"Mac Cool" wrote in message
...
MaryL:
Good! Please keep us updated.

Last night was rough, the rabies vaccine caused his face and throat to
swell making breathing even more difficult. Out of desperation we gave him
a tiny bit of Benadryl. He couldn't have got much as he spit it out but
within ten minutes he was breathing easier. This morning he was showing
symptoms of a cold, runny eyes, runny nose, and sick breath (bad). But the
good news is that by the time we left for the hospital he was showing
improvement, he was moving around a bit, his pupils started contracting
and he sat in front of his water bowl mewing but didn't drink.

The hospital staff started him on oxygen, gave him a mild sedative and
removed another 150ml of fluid from his chest in the first ten or fifteen
minutes; more than our first vet accomplished in two days. Tonight they
are running a battery of tests, will rehydrate him, try to make him eat
and told me that tomorrow they will have a treatment plan. When we left
him today he was in a 40% oxygen environment, breathing easily and stoned
out of his mind. Good for him.

I'm glad to hear you are getting such quick ;results. Please keep us
updated and let us know the diagnosis.

MaryL