I Am Devastated- Update pg. 2

[chickenX]

it is always terribly sad when we have to see our dear companions suffer.
please take care of yourself and hang in there.
*sending good healing energies your way*
- chickenX

 

[SallyF]

I have my fingers crossed for your Cookie; hopefully she has a treatable pancreatitis. Congrats for being a good kitty owner and getting her to the vet promptly. Best wishes

 

[patandchickens]

I am so sorry. But hopefully it is something treatable, there are a variety of treatable things it could be. How is she doing now? Fingers crossed and thinking all good thoughts for you both,

Pat

 

[Mak]

Thank you all. She is at my vet's now, and I feel better about it. Not that I don't trust the emergency vet's, but sometimes, I think the big, modern practices rely on the tests and such maybe a bit too much. Not that there isn't a place for that, but I know my vet, and I know she cares about her patients because she knows them and us. And if the tests and ultrasound are necessary, she will not hesitate to recommend them. But if she thinks we can do something without all that, she will.

First, she was a bit suspicious of some of the test results. Just seemed odd to her that one value was up, where another that should have been tied to it was not. And that the bilirubin was so high with no sign of jaundice- and there is none at all. She also said that whatever else may or may not be going on, one thing at a time, and right now, that one thing is to get her eating. She said she would eat if she was there, one way or another. So Cookie is staying there for a couple days. Dr. said they'd try a "smorgasbord of things" and if she didn't eat something, she'd "be talking to Dr. G!" LOL I told Cookie she'd been warned! She did find an irritated spot in the back of her throat. Said it didn't look bad and there was no swelling or anything like that, but if it were something and is healing now, that could be part of the problem.

One a good note, there is a web cam in the room she was in. Usually, it points out the window to the yard where the chicken coop is, but when Cookie took up residence there, we turned it into the room. Hubby, bless his techie heart, also set it up to capture still pictures on a regular basis, and it keeps several hours worth. We looked thru the ones that were there this AM, and there was a period early this AM when she stayed at the food/water dishes for over 2 minutes. Not clear enough to tell whether she was eating, drinking or both, but at least she was doing something! I don't think she would have kept her nose in the dishes for that long if she weren't, so that's also hopeful.

I guess we'll see over the next few days, and once she's eating again,we'll begin to deal with anything else that may be going on.

Quote:
Thank you, I will look into that. My daughter, who is a vet nurse in IL, said there was something they have used with cats with liver issues that supports liver function. Wonder if it's the same thing? I will ask her.

For now, at least, I am more hopeful.

 

[NellaBean]

I worked at a shelter for a long time.....drooling cats were checked for ulcers in their mouth/throat. The ulcers made them avoid eating OR drinking and also made them drool. Ulcers are a symptom of calicivirus, an upper respiratory infection common in shelters.

Unfortunately, a cat with calici that stops eating can move into hepatic lipidosis due to the lack of nutrients/food. It's a vicious cycle.....hepatic lipidosis causes them to basically feel horrible, which makes them NOT want to eat, which only makes it worse. You have to break the cycle, even by forcefeeding if necessary. Or a feeding tube (vet should do).

I think Denosyl SD4 are magic little pills. Love those things.

Glad to hear you have your own vet on the case and that you are more hopeful. Hang in there.