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Need some help and advice ... Please



 
 
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  #1  
Old February 13th 07, 04:21 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
Kat
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3
Default Need some help and advice ... Please

I'm hoping I can get some answers from some cat owners here in the group.

My son has a 4 year old cat and recently his health has been going
downhill. He takes him to the Vet almost weekly because just recently
he's stopped eating and he's been losing weight. This last time he took
him to the Vet, the Vet kept him for 5 days and feed him intravenously.
This last time (couple of weeks ago) the cat had jaundice and he still
has it. He started to get a little better after coming home from the Vet
for only a few days. Now he's back to not eating again. The cat was a
VERY sweet and loving cat, always very affectionate. When I or my
husband would go see my son, there would be the cat to greet us - he
loved everyone. Now if anyone comes to my son's house the cat doesn't
come out to greet anyone anymore. It's like as if he's hiding. I hate to
say this, but I think the cat is suffering - I can't be sure because he
can't tell us if it hurts or not! I just want to know if anyone here in
the group had/has a cat that's had/has jaundice or liver problems - and
what do you do to TRY to get him to eat? And what should he be eating?
He has been feeding him Purina cat food for liver problems - he ate it
for a little while, but now he's not eating it at all. He will take sips
of milk once in a while, but we are not sure if he should be drinking
milk with his condition. My son has tried everything, even tried feeding
him with a syringe. I also want to say, my son told me the Vet said the
next time he brings the cat in and everything is the same as it was -
meaning if he's not eating again that the best thing to do is to put him
to sleep. It is so heartbreaking - we don't know what to do. Does anyone
know if a cat in this condition is suffering or not? I don't want him to
suffer, or does my son, but we also can't bear having him put to sleep!

Thanks
Kat
  #2  
Old February 13th 07, 04:37 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
Cheryl
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Posts: 1,355
Default Need some help and advice ... Please

On Mon 12 Feb 2007 10:21:19p, Kat wrote in
rec.pets.cats.health+behav
:

snip
My son has tried everything, even tried feeding
him with a syringe. I also want to say, my son told me the Vet
said the next time he brings the cat in and everything is the
same as it was - meaning if he's not eating again that the best
thing to do is to put him to sleep. It is so heartbreaking - we
don't know what to do. Does anyone know if a cat in this
condition is suffering or not?

snip

Sorry to hear your son's cat is doing so poorly. What tests did the
vet do? Not eating enough can cause liver damage - hepatic
lipidosis, or fatty liver. I had a cat that got it and it took a
feeding tube directly into his stomach to cure it. However, HL is
sometimes a secondary problem. With my cat it was IBD, Inflammatory
bowel disease. He was about 9 years old when he got sick.

He probably is suffering. Does he act hungry then turn his nose up
at food? Liver disease often causes nausea.

Did the vet check his teeth? My opinion is when it gets serious
like this on such a young cat it's time to go to a specialist.
Regular vets can sometimes really drop the ball on diagnosis, and
it isn't their fault, they can't know everything. They can order
tests each time the cat comes in, and all the while kitty is
getting worse. A specialist, like an internist, can use their
experience with sick cats to help find the problem rather than just
treat the symptoms.


--
Cheryl

  #3  
Old February 13th 07, 04:54 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
mark
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2
Default Need some help and advice ... Please

On Feb 12, 9:21 pm, Kat wrote:
I'm hoping I can get some answers from some cat owners here in the group.

My son has a 4 year old cat and recently his health has been going
downhill. He takes him to the Vet almost weekly because just recently
he's stopped eating and he's been losing weight. This last time he took
him to the Vet, the Vet kept him for 5 days and feed him intravenously.
This last time (couple of weeks ago) the cat had jaundice and he still
has it. He started to get a little better after coming home from the Vet
for only a few days. Now he's back to not eating again. The cat was a
VERY sweet and loving cat, always very affectionate. When I or my
husband would go see my son, there would be the cat to greet us - he
loved everyone. Now if anyone comes to my son's house the cat doesn't
come out to greet anyone anymore. It's like as if he's hiding. I hate to
say this, but I think the cat is suffering - I can't be sure because he
can't tell us if it hurts or not! I just want to know if anyone here in
the group had/has a cat that's had/has jaundice or liver problems - and
what do you do to TRY to get him to eat? And what should he be eating?
He has been feeding him Purina cat food for liver problems - he ate it
for a little while, but now he's not eating it at all. He will take sips
of milk once in a while, but we are not sure if he should be drinking
milk with his condition. My son has tried everything, even tried feeding
him with a syringe. I also want to say, my son told me the Vet said the
next time he brings the cat in and everything is the same as it was -
meaning if he's not eating again that the best thing to do is to put him
to sleep. It is so heartbreaking - we don't know what to do. Does anyone
know if a cat in this condition is suffering or not? I don't want him to
suffer, or does my son, but we also can't bear having him put to sleep!

Thanks
Kat


Putting a pet to sleep can be (beyond) devastating and it can take a
very long time to emotionally adjust to the loss especially if you
live alone and your pet is your only companion. I recommend that you
immediately take your Son's cat to a vet who specializes only in cat
health care. It is important that you get a second opinon from a cat
specialist. Has an in depth physical which includes bloodwork, X-rays,
ultrasound & stool sample etc. been done yet? The root cause of the
symptoms needs to be pinpointed ASAP because the cat's health will
quickly deteriorate if it is not eating. The cat is hiding because of
it's primal instinct to protect itself from predators while it is in a
weakened & vulnerable state of ill health. Please do not delay in
taking this cat in. If you have a veterinary school in your town then
their clinic would also be an excellent place to take your Son's cat.
If money is an issue your Son may qualify for assistance.
Mark

  #4  
Old February 13th 07, 10:28 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
Phil P.
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,027
Default Need some help and advice ... Please


"Kat" wrote in message
...
I'm hoping I can get some answers from some cat owners here in the group.

My son has a 4 year old cat and recently his health has been going
downhill. He takes him to the Vet almost weekly because just recently
he's stopped eating and he's been losing weight. This last time he took
him to the Vet, the Vet kept him for 5 days and feed him intravenously.
This last time (couple of weeks ago) the cat had jaundice and he still
has it. He started to get a little better after coming home from the Vet
for only a few days. Now he's back to not eating again. The cat was a
VERY sweet and loving cat, always very affectionate. When I or my
husband would go see my son, there would be the cat to greet us - he
loved everyone. Now if anyone comes to my son's house the cat doesn't
come out to greet anyone anymore. It's like as if he's hiding. I hate to
say this, but I think the cat is suffering - I can't be sure because he
can't tell us if it hurts or not! I just want to know if anyone here in
the group had/has a cat that's had/has jaundice or liver problems - and
what do you do to TRY to get him to eat? And what should he be eating?
He has been feeding him Purina cat food for liver problems - he ate it
for a little while, but now he's not eating it at all. He will take sips
of milk once in a while, but we are not sure if he should be drinking
milk with his condition. My son has tried everything, even tried feeding
him with a syringe. I also want to say, my son told me the Vet said the
next time he brings the cat in and everything is the same as it was -
meaning if he's not eating again that the best thing to do is to put him
to sleep.


The vet is an asshole. He wants to put the cat to sleep because he's too
incompetent to figure out what's wrong too and ignorant to figure out how to
treat it. Since the cat responded to nutritional therapy, he probably needs
aggressive nutritional therapy via a feeding tube for a few weeks to a few
months. Its not as bad as it sounds- cats adapt quite well to PEG tubes.


It is so heartbreaking - we don't know what to do. Does anyone
know if a cat in this condition is suffering or not? I don't want him to
suffer, or does my son, but we also can't bear having him put to sleep!


Tell your son to take the cat to another vet ASAP- preferably an ACVIM
Diplomate in small animal internal medicine. Go here to search for a
specialist in your area. http://www.acvim.org/Specialist/Search.aspx

Don't let the vet talk your son into killing the cat before you get a second
opinion.

Keep the faith.

Phil



  #5  
Old February 13th 07, 05:45 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
bookie
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,049
Default Need some help and advice ... Please

On 13 Feb, 09:28, "Phil P." wrote:
"Kat" wrote in message

...





I'm hoping I can get some answers from some cat owners here in the group.


My son has a 4 year old cat and recently his health has been going
downhill. He takes him to the Vet almost weekly because just recently
he's stopped eating and he's been losing weight. This last time he took
him to the Vet, the Vet kept him for 5 days and feed him intravenously.
This last time (couple of weeks ago) the cat had jaundice and he still
has it. He started to get a little better after coming home from the Vet
for only a few days. Now he's back to not eating again. The cat was a
VERY sweet and loving cat, always very affectionate. When I or my
husband would go see my son, there would be the cat to greet us - he
loved everyone. Now if anyone comes to my son's house the cat doesn't
come out to greet anyone anymore. It's like as if he's hiding. I hate to
say this, but I think the cat is suffering - I can't be sure because he
can't tell us if it hurts or not! I just want to know if anyone here in
the group had/has a cat that's had/has jaundice or liver problems - and
what do you do to TRY to get him to eat? And what should he be eating?
He has been feeding him Purina cat food for liver problems - he ate it
for a little while, but now he's not eating it at all. He will take sips
of milk once in a while, but we are not sure if he should be drinking
milk with his condition. My son has tried everything, even tried feeding
him with a syringe. I also want to say, my son told me the Vet said the
next time he brings the cat in and everything is the same as it was -
meaning if he's not eating again that the best thing to do is to put him
to sleep.


The vet is an asshole. He wants to put the cat to sleep because he's too
incompetent to figure out what's wrong too and ignorant to figure out how to
treat it. Since the cat responded to nutritional therapy, he probably needs
aggressive nutritional therapy via a feeding tube for a few weeks to a few
months. Its not as bad as it sounds- cats adapt quite well to PEG tubes.

It is so heartbreaking - we don't know what to do. Does anyone

know if a cat in this condition is suffering or not? I don't want him to
suffer, or does my son, but we also can't bear having him put to sleep!


Tell your son to take the cat to another vet ASAP- preferably an ACVIM
Diplomate in small animal internal medicine. Go here to search for a
specialist in your area.http://www.acvim.org/Specialist/Search.aspx

Don't let the vet talk your son into killing the cat before you get a second
opinion.

Keep the faith.

Phil- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


i agree, always get a second opinion before makign any big decisions
like this. what was the diagnosis? is it definitely liver disease? is
there possibly a tumour or similar growth in the cats stomach or
similar. How much weight has the cat lost? is he drinking still?

i dont; get the impression that your son's vet has tried particularly
hard to sort this out and investigate it fully, you could always find
another vet to get another opinion on it, that is what I woudl do. and
yes sounds like the cat is suffering just from it's obvious change in
behaviour patterns and the fact it is shying away form people when it
was previosuly quite an extrovert

bookie

  #6  
Old February 14th 07, 02:28 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
Kat
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3
Default Need some help and advice ... Please

Thank you all for replying.

Yes, we are going to get a second opinion. I really didn't explain
everything, so here it goes.

He has had several blood tests - for a couple of weeks they were showing
kidney problems, so the Vet put him on the Purina kidney function food.
He then quit eating the food, so they decided to put him on the soft
food. He did eat that, but not for long. Just last week his blood test
came back normal! How could that be? I just don't understand because
it's VERY clear to us this animal IS sick!

I'm not quite sure how much weight he's lost, but he's lost A LOT! I
think he's only gained a pound since he's been back from the Vets, but
I'm thinking he should have gained more weight than a pound. He's also
been not drinking as much. I think it was last week my son told me that
the cat was throwing up - sorry for the description, but he said first
it was food and then it was like white foam.

I thought the *hiding* bit was an animal instinct as well. My son does
have another cat (his wife's cat) so I was thinking maybe he was hiding
from the other cat as well as from people. I just think it's odd when he
doesn't come out anymore and see me like he used to do. It's so
heartbreaking - I would come in the door and say "Where's my sassy cat?"
and he'd be right there when he'd hear my voice, but not anymore :-(

I don't recall my son telling me about any x-rays being taken, so I will
look into it. Is Jaundice something cats usually never get over? The vet
told my son sometimes they get over it and sometimes they don't. I will
say though, this is breaking my son's heart, he told me the other day
that he's never getting another pet because it's breaking his heart too
much.
  #7  
Old February 22nd 07, 03:12 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
Kat
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3
Default UPDATE : Need some help and advice ... Please

Kat wrote:
I'm hoping I can get some answers from some cat owners here in the group.

My son has a 4 year old cat and recently his health has been going
downhill. He takes him to the Vet almost weekly because just recently
he's stopped eating and he's been losing weight. This last time he took
him to the Vet, the Vet kept him for 5 days and feed him intravenously.
This last time (couple of weeks ago) the cat had jaundice and he still
has it. He started to get a little better after coming home from the Vet
for only a few days. Now he's back to not eating again. The cat was a
VERY sweet and loving cat, always very affectionate. When I or my
husband would go see my son, there would be the cat to greet us - he
loved everyone. Now if anyone comes to my son's house the cat doesn't
come out to greet anyone anymore. It's like as if he's hiding. I hate to
say this, but I think the cat is suffering - I can't be sure because he
can't tell us if it hurts or not! I just want to know if anyone here in
the group had/has a cat that's had/has jaundice or liver problems - and
what do you do to TRY to get him to eat? And what should he be eating?
He has been feeding him Purina cat food for liver problems - he ate it
for a little while, but now he's not eating it at all. He will take sips
of milk once in a while, but we are not sure if he should be drinking
milk with his condition. My son has tried everything, even tried feeding
him with a syringe. I also want to say, my son told me the Vet said the
next time he brings the cat in and everything is the same as it was -
meaning if he's not eating again that the best thing to do is to put him
to sleep. It is so heartbreaking - we don't know what to do. Does anyone
know if a cat in this condition is suffering or not? I don't want him to
suffer, or does my son, but we also can't bear having him put to sleep!

Thanks
Kat


I'm thankful my son stuck it out and decided not to have his cat put to
sleep! Actually, his cat is doing much better after about a month of him
going downhill. He nursed him back to health. I think he has pulled out
of it, slowly but surely! I really and truly thought the fur ball wasn't
going to make it.

The vet wanted to put him to sleep, but my son said "No". He had to feed
him with a syringe, but it was well worth it! Now the fur ball is
sitting in the window looking out every day, like he used to do. He's
also not hiding under the chair like he was this past month.

Thanks for listening
Kat
 




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