update on jaundice kitty

livedeeply

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Dec 4, 2006
Messages
60
Purraise
0
I came home today thrilled because I'd picked up some kitty caviar. None of our petstores have it. But it turns out it's used for making asian soup stocks, so I found some at an Asian market for $1!

Then I was feeding her... and noticed that she's losing hair around her mouth. Oh no! I swear, I'm ready to cry. Will it never end? They shaved her neck to give her a shot, or something, the day we were at the e-vet, so I hadn't noticed that the bald spot was growing. I just kept thinking she looked pretty ratty from the mess of dribbles that always end up matted in her fur. (I clean her sometimes, but the very next time I feed her, it's back again.)

So that might be what caused it... bacteria in the food in her fur... or it might be a symptom of whatever is causing her nausea and fatty liver.

I was planning to shave her even before this happened, because I figure it would be less stressful than baths. Now I think I'll give her a trim, so the vet can see where the stubble ends.

It doesn't look infected or red, it's just skin color. I was thumbing aside some hair to get a better look at the bald spot, and to my horror, two clumps of fur came out under my thumb at the movement! Looks like they're still attached to some dead skin. OMG, poor kitty!

Has anyone experienced this? Is it just from the syringe feeding, hopefully?

Kitty looked at the fish flake-sprinkled food I put down for her and actually gagged, even though she seemed okay with the bit I finger fed her. I'll keep trying.

We're still working out our budget -- just got paid -- but as soon as we figure out how much we can spend, and how soon we can get an appt, we will take her to the vet ASAP. Hopefully this weekend. In the meantime... any thoughts, suggestions?

Thanks again...
 

cloud_shade

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 19, 2004
Messages
2,807
Purraise
17
Location
Oregon
The hair loss could be from stress--I would expect that her situation is rather stressful. While I would mention it to the vet, I wouldn't worry too much about it right now. The gagging sounds like a sign of nausea--you may want to ask the vet about anti-nausea medications like Reglan. Did she like the Kitty Cavier plain? Have you tried plain boiled chicken?
 

laurie314

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Nov 5, 2006
Messages
327
Purraise
1
Location
In Ohio, with a houseful of Kitties
I AM HOPING FOR THE BEST! Is she eating at all on her own yet?
I miss my Kitty Girl so much . I am just devastated. Please let me know about her progress..I think about her each day and pray for her full recovery
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #4

livedeeply

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Dec 4, 2006
Messages
60
Purraise
0
Thank you for the prayers! I'm sure it's helping... I didn't think she'd last this long.

Awful news. The paycheck we were waiting for hasn't covered all our bills, so the vet's out of the question for the next two weeks, again. sigh. Just gotta keep feeding her and hoping for the best.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5

livedeeply

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Dec 4, 2006
Messages
60
Purraise
0
Oh, there is some good news, though. I figured out that she's losing more hair on one side than the other... the side I've been feeding her on. (She's still not eating anything on her own.) There's also fur loss on the insides of her thighs. Thankfully, I recognize this as an allergic reaction. And she has a known allergy to plastic. Which is what the syringe is. Thank God! It's just the plastic, not something worse.
 

mnjulz

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 5, 2004
Messages
298
Purraise
10
Location
Minnesota
Maybe someone here can help

The links below are to Foundations that lend
financial help for animal care to those in need.


http://www.sonic.net/~pals/ - Pets Are Loving Support.


http://www.help-a-pet.org/ - A Non Profit Organization Helping with the financial medical costs of pets.


http://www.pbrc.net/home.html - Pit Bull Rescue Central - may help with medical costs for Pit Bulls.

http://www.westiemed.com/ - Websites in need of medical attention is our Mission. WestieMed, Inc., is an all-volunteer, IRS-recognized non-profit corporation created to distribute financial aid to injured or ill rescue Westies.

http://www.labmed.org/ - May help with labrador medical financial costs.

http://www.labsr4u.com/ - This organization is dedicated to providing financial aid to rescued and privately owned labs in need of a helping hand.

http://www.corgiaid.org/ - CorgiAid is a nonprofit organization founded to provide financial assistance to corgis and corgi mixes. We help out those who rescue dogs from shelters or other non-permanent homes, then foster them until a new home is found. Medical and other expenses for these dogs can become high; CorgiAid gathers donations from those who want to help, and, within our funding guidelines, and gets funds to those rescuers who apply for help.

http://www.doberman911.org/ - Help for Dobermans.

http://www.gsd-rescue.org/ - Help for German Sheperds

http://www.fveap.org/sys-tmpl/door/ - The Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance Program is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides financial assistance to cat and kitten guardians who are unable to afford veterinary services to save their companions when life-threatening illness or injury strikes.

http://www.ashleyfund.org/ - They help dogs in North Carolina.

http://www.nysave.org/index_2.html - New York Only

http://www.petdiabetes.com/ or http://www.petdiabetes.net/ - For Diabetic Pets Only.

http://www.IMOM.org - This site will help with Financial Assistance of Medical Costs for fur babies. You will have to fill out a form to find out if you qualify.


http://www.uan.org/lifeline/index.html: United Animal Nations. Established the LifeLine fund in 1997 to aid companion animals in times of life threatening emergencies when their caregivers, with low or no incomes, are unable to afford the entire cost of treatment.

http://www.pawssf.org/ - May help with financial support if you qualify


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 

momto3cats

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Aug 1, 2006
Messages
1,143
Purraise
131
Location
TX
Originally Posted by livedeeply

Oh, there is some good news, though. I figured out that she's losing more hair on one side than the other... the side I've been feeding her on. (She's still not eating anything on her own.) There's also fur loss on the insides of her thighs. Thankfully, I recognize this as an allergic reaction. And she has a known allergy to plastic. Which is what the syringe is. Thank God! It's just the plastic, not something worse.
I'm glad it isn't anything more serious. Poor kitty, the last thing she needs is an allergic reaction to make her feel worse. Would it be at all possible to use something else to feed her - a glass medicine dropper, or a wooden popsicle stick to scoop food into her mouth?

Good luck with getting her healthy. I am praying for you and your cat.
 

mzjazz2u

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 6, 2003
Messages
10,133
Purraise
4
Location
The Beehave State!
The hair loss can be from the plastic allergy, stress or from lack of nutrition because she has been sick. Or a combination of all three! Jake did the same thing. He eventually lost almost all his fur. The backs of his legs, his belly and chest was bare and he lost all his undercoat. In fact it would come out in large tufts (on belly, legs and chest) with very little effort. It's growing back now but it's taking a long time. Faster now that I started feeding him Innova Evo along with his regular food.
 

carolpetunia

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 25, 2005
Messages
9,669
Purraise
17
Location
Plano, Texas
Oh, I'm so sorry for your poor little one! She'll be in my thoughts every night.

And listen... why don't you just go over to your vet's office, tell them how this darling kitty is suffering, and ask them if they can go ahead and treat her now and let you pay it off over a few months? Some vets even have arrangements with financing companies -- the rates are always absurd, but it's worth it to get the help you need right now.

It can't hurt to try!
 

mzjazz2u

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 6, 2003
Messages
10,133
Purraise
4
Location
The Beehave State!
Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

Oh, I'm so sorry for your poor little one! She'll be in my thoughts every night.

And listen... why don't you just go over to your vet's office, tell them how this darling kitty is suffering, and ask them if they can go ahead and treat her now and let you pay it off over a few months? Some vets even have arrangements with financing companies -- the rates are always absurd, but it's worth it to get the help you need right now.

It can't hurt to try!
If I remember right, she already tried. Poor girl. I had the same problem when Jake was sick. Luckily, I got a bonus about that time and was able to get him treated.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #11

livedeeply

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Dec 4, 2006
Messages
60
Purraise
0
Hello again! Sorry for the long delay. Our internet has been down. I'm only now getting to read the site again.

Kitty is still here! And in fact, she seems to be doing a little better. I've caught her licking at her food a few times, even though she doesn't seem to be ingesting anything to speak of yet. It's far more than she was doing before!

Her corner eyelids are a bit outwards, though.

I hope, I hope, I hope...

Yes, tried the vet thing, and hope to apply for the charities, if the net will just stay online.

Hopefully the net will stay up so I can post more updates, too. Thanks, everyone.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #13

livedeeply

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Dec 4, 2006
Messages
60
Purraise
0
Kitty seems to be doing better! She's tried to get out of my arms during feeding twice now, instead of just lying there pitifully. Today I scrounged up enough money to buy her some Royal Canin dry food, at the request of my husband, and she licked at it like she was interested! This seemed amazing, since I had JUST syringe fed her.

I've been looking, and the only financial help I might qualify for is IMOM, and it's up to husband if he wants to release all his financial info to them. I'm waiting on him.

The smell in the bathroom is godawful. Anyone know how I can get rid of it? It's wet food, sunk into the carpet/cloth where kitty has vomited. I can wipe up the flat surfaces and get a bit off the top of the fibers, but I don't know about serious deep cleaners that would be safe for the kitty. (She's not exactly smelling like a rose after all these feedings, either. I wipe her off, but she complains, and it's never thorough enough....) I've got the ceiling vent and an air purifier going in there constantly, but it's not getting it all. Our towels I'm wrapping her up in, too, yeeech... I have to put them through the washer three times before all the bits of meat appear to be gone. Help?

Oh, and kitty's extra eyelids seem to be retracting back to normal. Is that awesome or what?

I'm so relieved.

How much do you think she should be eating before I let her out?

Also... I've been trying to come up with ways to entertain her. She basically sits in one spot all day. It's rather sad. She'll watch me wave around her toys, but she hasn't been going after them, herself. It's better than she was doing, though... at one point she didn't seem interested at all. I was wondering if I ought to give her some fish to watch. A big jar of them, you know, some 10-for-$1 guppies, with a hole in the top large enough for air but not big enough for a paw to get through. Good idea? Waste of money?

I'm getting a bonus this week and I am SO relieved... we'll be out of debt, enough to start living paycheck to paycheck again, at least, without risk of losing our house and all. I am SO appreciative of all the sweet support and prayers I've gotten here. It must have helped! Thank you!
 

mzjazz2u

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 6, 2003
Messages
10,133
Purraise
4
Location
The Beehave State!
I'm glad to hear your kitty is doing better. As for the dry food... try putting just a small amount in a bowl with some warm water. That was the first thing Jake ate. I don't remember why you had the kitty restricted to one room but I would think she could join the household. And for the fish... I had a small 5 gal tank with a couple of fish in it and my cats loved it. But then again.... my guys love watching the CNN news ticker.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #15

livedeeply

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Dec 4, 2006
Messages
60
Purraise
0
Ok, thanks.

I put her in the bathroom (we have two) because it's the only place in the house without any inaccessable hiding spots. I know I'd never find her when it came time to feed her. She hides, when she's sick. The other day, I couldn't find her in the bathroom, even, and discovered that she'd managed to get the sink cabinet open and was hiding behind the extra toilet paper rolls, etc. Heh!
 

mzjazz2u

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 6, 2003
Messages
10,133
Purraise
4
Location
The Beehave State!
Originally Posted by livedeeply

Ok, thanks.

I put her in the bathroom (we have two) because it's the only place in the house without any inaccessable hiding spots. I know I'd never find her when it came time to feed her. She hides, when she's sick. The other day, I couldn't find her in the bathroom, even, and discovered that she'd managed to get the sink cabinet open and was hiding behind the extra toilet paper rolls, etc. Heh!
Ahhh that makes sense. Cats can hide in places you have no clue about. It's hard to tell how long you should keep her in the bathroom. That's something you're going to have to figure out and be comfortable with. She should probably be active and eating the amount of food your vet recommeded. Or whatever the food container states. Maybe you can feed her, let her come out for a short time and then put her back in the bathroom. YOu could gradually let her out for longer periods. Whatever you are comfortable with. I feel like I'm not being very helpful on that subject so maybe someone else here will be able to help more!
 
Top