What's wrong with our Mike-y Cat?

My cat has been lethargic and anorexic; he vomits about every other
day.

His feces often times (not always) smell like feces and vomit, they
have a very heavy, dull, pungent smell (this is recent) - sometimes
they are formed and sometimes they aren't. His coat seems scruffier
than usual.

He doesn't want to eat or drink much, but will do both sometimes,
especially after having a Prednisone (which was a last resport to get
him to eat and drink).

He is losing weight and has been on 5mg of Prednisone for about 2
weeks. The vet has done lab work; the lab work comes back normal and
within range execpt for the ALT (liver enzyme maybe) was very slightly
elevated, but the Dr. said that wasn't diagnostic.

Our cat Mike is a 10 year old DSH and we love him so much. He is
mostly indoor but does go outside for short outings daily. He cries
inconsolably a lot and seems to not want to jump like he used to.

He will still purr at times, he sleeps more than usual for him. We
don't know what to do and are so worried; can anybody suggest anything?
We're thinking the next steps may be an MRI or Ultrasound but they are
so expensive and we have already spent a lot of money trying to get
diagnosed and the vet (who has been a good vet) doesn't seem to be able
to figure it out yet.

We love him so much; he is our best friend - if you have any
suggestion, please post here or email us - it would be greatly
appreciated.

I would recomend you get Homeopathic Care for Cats and Dogs (link below)

http://www.amazon.com/Homeopathic-Ca...e=UTF8&s=books


I used information from the book to save my old cat from a death sentence
when three vets said she had kidney failure and should be put down. That was
six years ago and she is still doing great.

I don't know what is wrong with your friend but here are some things I
learned that may help until you get it figured out.

You must keep the cat hydrated! Try different bowls, different water, putting
cat treats in the water, chicken broth, etc. Use pedialite in a dropper if
needed. You may have to use IV fluids which sounds scary but isn't so bad
after a time or two. The more fluids in, the more toxins out.

I've used Arsicium to stop vomiting with great success but remember that
vomiting is the result of a problem and not the problem itself.

Try feeding canned fish like herring in water. (Not tuna) Boiled chicken is
good too and easy on the tummy.

Vets tend to prescribe Prednisone when all else fails. I've never seen it do
much good and it's toxic in the long run. Any holistic vets in your area??????
Best of luck.

Cats can get a liver disease from not eating -- I wonder if that's why
the liver enzyme is high.

Did they test him for diabetes? Your cat would probably be drinking a
lot if he was diabetic, though.

I think you need a second opinion very quickly. Your cat is obviously
very, very sick, and sometimes it's a mystery and finding the cause
takes a lot of work and perseverance. You need another vet to try to
think of whatever tests or angles could have been missed.

Internist vets are very good, but you would need a referral from your
regular vet to get into one. I would hurry to another regular vet at
least, a vet that is recommended by someone -- possibly by a rescue
group or someone with a lot of cat experience.

Good luck finding the cause,

Rhonda

wrote:
My cat has been lethargic and anorexic; he vomits about every other
day.

His feces often times (not always) smell like feces and vomit, they
have a very heavy, dull, pungent smell (this is recent) - sometimes
they are formed and sometimes they aren't. His coat seems scruffier
than usual.

He doesn't want to eat or drink much, but will do both sometimes,
especially after having a Prednisone (which was a last resport to get
him to eat and drink).

He is losing weight and has been on 5mg of Prednisone for about 2
weeks. The vet has done lab work; the lab work comes back normal and
within range execpt for the ALT (liver enzyme maybe) was very slightly
elevated, but the Dr. said that wasn't diagnostic.

Our cat Mike is a 10 year old DSH and we love him so much. He is
mostly indoor but does go outside for short outings daily. He cries
inconsolably a lot and seems to not want to jump like he used to.

He will still purr at times, he sleeps more than usual for him. We
don't know what to do and are so worried; can anybody suggest anything?
We're thinking the next steps may be an MRI or Ultrasound but they are
so expensive and we have already spent a lot of money trying to get
diagnosed and the vet (who has been a good vet) doesn't seem to be able
to figure it out yet.

We love him so much; he is our best friend - if you have any
suggestion, please post here or email us - it would be greatly
appreciated.

wrote:
My cat has been lethargic and anorexic; he vomits about every other
day.

i haven't read Rhonda's reply yet, she's pretty versed in this...
so without prejudice, sounds like he swallowed something he's not
supposed to

I read your whole post, yes, something is lodged in him?
somewhere B-tween his asshole and appetite

Ok lemme read Roada's post and see how I did

Rhonda wrote:
Cats can get a liver disease from not eating -- I wonder if that's why
the liver enzyme is high.

"a" liver disease? how many are there?


I felt it was something lodged in him, one he's vomiting, two.. his
poop is soft, which makes me think of white blood cells gathering
around a foreign object.. in his belly.. or in his intestine...

lethargy
fluid in the bowels
vomiting

only 10 yrs old

probably not diabetic

and well cared for.

On Thu 28 Dec 2006 02:33:28p, wrote in rec.pets.cats.health+behav
oups.com:

My cat has been lethargic and anorexic; he vomits about every
other day.

His feces often times (not always) smell like feces and vomit,
they
have a very heavy, dull, pungent smell (this is recent) -
sometimes they are formed and sometimes they aren't. His coat
seems scruffier than usual.

He doesn't want to eat or drink much, but will do both
sometimes, especially after having a Prednisone (which was a
last resport to get him to eat and drink).

He is losing weight and has been on 5mg of Prednisone for about
2
weeks. The vet has done lab work; the lab work comes back normal
and within range execpt for the ALT (liver enzyme maybe) was
very slightly elevated, but the Dr. said that wasn't diagnostic.

Our cat Mike is a 10 year old DSH and we love him so much. He
is
mostly indoor but does go outside for short outings daily. He
cries inconsolably a lot and seems to not want to jump like he
used to.

He will still purr at times, he sleeps more than usual for him.
We don't know what to do and are so worried; can anybody suggest
anything? We're thinking the next steps may be an MRI or
Ultrasound but they are so expensive and we have already spent a
lot of money trying to get diagnosed and the vet (who has been a
good vet) doesn't seem to be able to figure it out yet.

We love him so much; he is our best friend - if you have any
suggestion, please post here or email us - it would be greatly
appreciated.



I had a cat with IBD (inflammatory bowel disease), and this sounds
similar to what we experienced, especially because he responds to
steroids by eating. After what I've gone through with some vets, I
wouldn't trust something like this to a regular DVM. They are
wonderful, but they aren't always equipped for proper diagnostics.
Try to see if you can get a referral before you spend any more
money. Initial diagnostics might cost a bit, but they are
specialized to know what to look for. For IBD it would be a biopsy.
Simple procedure, but it does require anesthesia for the endoscopy.
Don't be too afraid to hear that because my cat was very very sick
and had to be put under twice during his worse periods, and did
fine. They like to check organ function before putting them under,
but since you had a CBC done, make sure you bring those records to
the specialist.

--
Cheryl

It looks like your cat is dying slowly. If at all possible I would
suggest grief counciling for you. Just try to make his last days on
earth as pleasant as possible. Does he like cat nip? What about cat
cookies? Pet him as much as possible. Does he like to be carried
around in a basket? Mine does. Does he like to be sung to? Like you
could try to make his last hours on earth as nice as possible. You
could even buy him a live white mouse or two. or a parakeet.


wrote:
My cat has been lethargic and anorexic; he vomits about every other
day.

His feces often times (not always) smell like feces and vomit, they
have a very heavy, dull, pungent smell (this is recent) - sometimes
they are formed and sometimes they aren't. His coat seems scruffier
than usual.

He doesn't want to eat or drink much, but will do both sometimes,
especially after having a Prednisone (which was a last resport to get
him to eat and drink).

He is losing weight and has been on 5mg of Prednisone for about 2
weeks. The vet has done lab work; the lab work comes back normal and
within range execpt for the ALT (liver enzyme maybe) was very slightly
elevated, but the Dr. said that wasn't diagnostic.

Our cat Mike is a 10 year old DSH and we love him so much. He is
mostly indoor but does go outside for short outings daily. He cries
inconsolably a lot and seems to not want to jump like he used to.

He will still purr at times, he sleeps more than usual for him. We
don't know what to do and are so worried; can anybody suggest anything?
We're thinking the next steps may be an MRI or Ultrasound but they are
so expensive and we have already spent a lot of money trying to get
diagnosed and the vet (who has been a good vet) doesn't seem to be able
to figure it out yet.

We love him so much; he is our best friend - if you have any
suggestion, please post here or email us - it would be greatly
appreciated.

Cheryl wrote:
I had a cat with IBD (inflammatory bowel disease)

how old was that cat Cheryl?

I am guessing the symptoms with the cat in re here just started, it
started suddenly

maybe your cats symptoms suddenly became noticeable...

I hope the cat gets the right diagnosis

On Thu 28 Dec 2006 05:39:57p, addicted wrote in
rec.pets.cats.health+behav
roups.com:

Cheryl wrote:
I had a cat with IBD (inflammatory bowel disease)

how old was that cat Cheryl?

Shadow was 9 years old when he got sick. He just stopped eating; I
had just started fostering rescue cats, so didn't notice it right
away. When I took him to the vet it was because he wasn't eating,
had lost some weight, and it turned out he had hepatic lipidosis.
This was secondary to IBD, the real cause of his anorexia. Vet
gave him a shot of B12 and a steroid shot. He ate, but it was
short-lived, and then nothing would make him eat on his own.

I am guessing the symptoms with the cat in re here just started,
it started suddenly

maybe your cats symptoms suddenly became noticeable...

I hope the cat gets the right diagnosis



--
Cheryl

addicted wrote:
Rhonda wrote:

Cats can get a liver disease from not eating -- I wonder if that's why
the liver enzyme is high.

"a" liver disease? how many are there?

I have no idea. The one I was referring to I've heard called "Fatty
Liver Disease," and I can never remember it's real name. Cheryl named it
in her post.

One other liver disease I know of is cancer...

I felt it was something lodged in him, one he's vomiting, two.. his
poop is soft, which makes me think of white blood cells gathering
around a foreign object.. in his belly.. or in his intestine...

lethargy
fluid in the bowels
vomiting

I thought about the fact he could have eaten something poison, but soft
poop would not make me think of white blood cells. There are so many
things that can cause that.

No one can diagnose over the internet, that's why I'm hoping she can
find another vet to examine her cat quickly.

only 10 yrs old

probably not diabetic

Our cat was 11 when diagnosed. 10 is not an unusual age for it.

and well cared for.

I thought our cat was too.

He was overweight though, but his signs were drinking tons of water and
soaking the litter boxes. His weight loss was quick -- 3 lbs in 3 weeks.

Hope she can find what's wrong with this guy. I hate these mysteries.

Rhonda