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My Siamese Has IBD (Or So Was Told)
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~ |
#2
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"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). ~ Zaida~ Zaida, This sounds terrible! I don't have any knowledge of all of this, but the one thing I would suggest is a second opinion. ASAP! I know you said this is "a reputable vet," but it is also obvious that she really doesn't know what is wrong. Is there a university veterinary school within driving distance? Is so, I would suggest that you ask for a referral there, and as soon as possible. Call and ask them for an estimate of costs -- but when I took Duffy to the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine, I was surprised to learn how low the losts were and how high the quality of care was (knowledge, facilities, *and* a caring attitude). Costs will vary, of course, depending on procedures done. Take as many records as possible with you, and ask your vet to email a detailed report to the veterinary college in advance of your visit. To me, one of the worst things about this whole episode is that Ming was sent home in this condition. How could they possibly board a cat that started out healthy, clean its ears, then send him home in this condition -- and not even *notice* the dramatic deterioration in his health??? That, alone, would cause me to consult another vet. One final suggestion of something to look for is this: check all your artificial plants (not just real ones) to see if Ming has been chewing on them. Duffy had one instance where he suddenly started vomiting -- many, many times in a single day, whereas he seldom throws up. I found that he was chewing on an a couple of artificial plants (especially an artificial palm with "grassy" foliage). The vet prescribed some medication for nausea, I got rid of the artificial plants, and Duffy was back to normal the next day. I realize that this is unlikely to be the cause of anything so severe as Ming's problems, but it could exascerbate it -- especially if he ate something that is caught in his intestines. Likewise, has he been checked for cord, string, ribbon, rubber bands, etc. he might not be able to eliminate? MaryL (take out the litter to reply) Photos of Duffy and Holly: 'o' http://tinyurl.com/8y54 (Introducing Duffy to Holly) http://tinyurl.com/8y56 (Duffy and Holly "settle in") |
#3
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"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). ~ Zaida~ Zaida, This sounds terrible! I don't have any knowledge of all of this, but the one thing I would suggest is a second opinion. ASAP! I know you said this is "a reputable vet," but it is also obvious that she really doesn't know what is wrong. Is there a university veterinary school within driving distance? Is so, I would suggest that you ask for a referral there, and as soon as possible. Call and ask them for an estimate of costs -- but when I took Duffy to the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine, I was surprised to learn how low the losts were and how high the quality of care was (knowledge, facilities, *and* a caring attitude). Costs will vary, of course, depending on procedures done. Take as many records as possible with you, and ask your vet to email a detailed report to the veterinary college in advance of your visit. To me, one of the worst things about this whole episode is that Ming was sent home in this condition. How could they possibly board a cat that started out healthy, clean its ears, then send him home in this condition -- and not even *notice* the dramatic deterioration in his health??? That, alone, would cause me to consult another vet. One final suggestion of something to look for is this: check all your artificial plants (not just real ones) to see if Ming has been chewing on them. Duffy had one instance where he suddenly started vomiting -- many, many times in a single day, whereas he seldom throws up. I found that he was chewing on an a couple of artificial plants (especially an artificial palm with "grassy" foliage). The vet prescribed some medication for nausea, I got rid of the artificial plants, and Duffy was back to normal the next day. I realize that this is unlikely to be the cause of anything so severe as Ming's problems, but it could exascerbate it -- especially if he ate something that is caught in his intestines. Likewise, has he been checked for cord, string, ribbon, rubber bands, etc. he might not be able to eliminate? MaryL (take out the litter to reply) Photos of Duffy and Holly: 'o' http://tinyurl.com/8y54 (Introducing Duffy to Holly) http://tinyurl.com/8y56 (Duffy and Holly "settle in") |
#4
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"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). Hi Zaida, Did you immediately call the vet back and tell him what was going on? If they sedated him, this sounds like it could be that he was still recovering from whatever drug they gave him, and unfortunately it sounds like something like Ketamine (I personally have the vet use Isoflurane, an inhalant gas, on my cats). However, if this wasn't caused by sedation, I wonder if the flushing got into his ear canal. Lauren ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm |
#5
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"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). Hi Zaida, Did you immediately call the vet back and tell him what was going on? If they sedated him, this sounds like it could be that he was still recovering from whatever drug they gave him, and unfortunately it sounds like something like Ketamine (I personally have the vet use Isoflurane, an inhalant gas, on my cats). However, if this wasn't caused by sedation, I wonder if the flushing got into his ear canal. Lauren ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm |
#6
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"PawsForThought" wrote in message ... "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). Hi Zaida, Did you immediately call the vet back and tell him what was going on? If they sedated him, this sounds like it could be that he was still recovering from whatever drug they gave him, and unfortunately it sounds like something like Ketamine (I personally have the vet use Isoflurane, an inhalant gas, on my cats). However, if this wasn't caused by sedation, I wonder if the flushing got into his ear canal. Lauren ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm Hi Lauren, You are actually replying to my comments, and I snipped a lot of the OP's message. Are you able to see the original message? If not, I could include it here because it provided a lot of information that I deleted (in an attempt to save space and bandwidth for other users). MaryL |
#7
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"PawsForThought" wrote in message ... "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). Hi Zaida, Did you immediately call the vet back and tell him what was going on? If they sedated him, this sounds like it could be that he was still recovering from whatever drug they gave him, and unfortunately it sounds like something like Ketamine (I personally have the vet use Isoflurane, an inhalant gas, on my cats). However, if this wasn't caused by sedation, I wonder if the flushing got into his ear canal. Lauren ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm Hi Lauren, You are actually replying to my comments, and I snipped a lot of the OP's message. Are you able to see the original message? If not, I could include it here because it provided a lot of information that I deleted (in an attempt to save space and bandwidth for other users). MaryL |
#8
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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~ |
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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~ |
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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~ |
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