new here - cat w/jaundice

i'm connie, my 1st post. on tuesday i took my 10 year old boy mouse to my vet after i noticed that he'd hardly eaten anything the last 2 days. when we found him he weighed 9 oz and i raised him with a bttle. he's had yearly check-ups and never been sick. when the vet weighed him on tuesday he'd lost 3 pounds since last year. he'd weighed almost 15 pounds, nowdown to 11. he was jaundiced around his ears. he doesn't have fever and seems alert but doesn't keep any food down when they try and syringe-feed him. they did a complete bloodpanel and his billieruben? count is up. i'm picking him up late this morning and taking him to a specialty hospital in murietta. he's going to have an ultrasound on tuesday. i read up on the causes of jaundice and there ae a lot of them. has anybody here had anything similar happen. i'm worried sick

Right now the most crucial thing it get food in him and help him keep it down. Ask your vet (call an ER one if you have to) about anti-nausea and vomiting medications, like Reglan. Also try feeding smaller amounts more frequently. I would strongly recomment joining the assist-feeding group. They have tons of experience and lots of information in their files that can help you. But the most important think is that he must get food in him to digest right now.

What blood tests did they do? Was a it a full senior panel that included T4?

The feline assist feeding group is here: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/F...sisted-Feeding

This site is great, but sometimes specialty groups can be very valuable. I wish you the best--my kitty Willow isn't eating either. My vet gave me some Science Diet a/d and some Rebound so that the stuff I'm giving her is high in calories. It is not easy, and it took a few days to find the right position to feed her in (the one that keeps her comfortable and allows me to get food in from the sides of her mouth without her head being tipped back), and I often end up wearing some of the food (wear old clothes!) but I know it's helping keep her alive and strong while we figure out what's making her ill.

well, mouse was in a hospital in murietta this week-end and they put in a feeding tube. i have to feed him hills diet every 6 hrs and he's on 4 meds. got an appointment with the vet next monday and we'll go from there. they did ultrasound and xrays and found nothing. but we still don't know why hestopped eating

The tube will help you get food into the cat more easily, and hopefully whatever liver damage was done will be reversible--food will help your cat become healthy again.

Originally Posted by goonie

well, mouse was in a hospital in murietta this week-end and they put in a feeding tube. i have to feed him hills diet every 6 hrs and he's on 4 meds. got an appointment with the vet next monday and we'll go from there. they did ultrasound and xrays and found nothing. but we still don't know why hestopped eating

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Cats will stop eating for just about any reason. Mostly it relates back to stress. What meds are he on? My cat, Jake has the same problem. This is the 2nd flare up this year and the vet can never figure out exactly what's going on. Except that he does have a known autoimmune problem and maybe it flares with stress. I've been syringe feeding him again this time for about a month or more. The last two days he's been more interested in eating himself but we'll see.

Have you switched foods recently? Cat's can get irritable bowel especially when their food is changed and that will make them stop eating just because their bowel is all inflammed.

When they don't eat they are susceptible to feline hepatic lipidosis, or liver disease, thus the jaundice. Did the vet check his mouth for abscessed teeth or infected gums?

It does sound like fatty liver disease. Best treatment seems to be supportive care and food, food, food. Seems to be a lot of this lately, or maybe just pet ownes searching about it and finding forums. Quite a few cases on another forum I frequent lately. Syringe feedings or tube are imperative if that's what it is and you can't get the cat to eat. Good luck. That's a horrifying thing to go through. I hope your kitty is okay.

Originally Posted by mzjazz2u

Have you switched foods recently? Cat's can get irritable bowel especially when their food is changed and that will make them stop eating just because their bowel is all inflammed.

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Just this past weekend I brought home a new bag of the same food (Nutro)my cat had been eating. He threw up several hours after the first feeding and had diarrhea the next morning. He refused to eat that food from that point forward even though he was letting me know he was hungry. Fortunately he absolutely LOVES chicken baby food and I was able to tide him over until the pet store opened again and I could find a replacement. I still have no idea what was the cause but have an email out to the company to ask if there had been any changes.

I know how worried I was, Connie, over just this episode so I'm sure you're just beside yourself. I hope your kitty is on the mend soon.

Originally Posted by Pippen

Just this past weekend I brought home a new bag of the same food (Nutro)my cat had been eating. He threw up several hours after the first feeding and had diarrhea the next morning. He refused to eat that food from that point forward even though he was letting me know he was hungry. Fortunately he absolutely LOVES chicken baby food and I was able to tide him over until the pet store opened again and I could find a replacement. I still have no idea what was the cause but have an email out to the company to ask if there had been any changes.

I know how worried I was, Connie, over just this episode so I'm sure you're just beside yourself. I hope your kitty is on the mend soon.

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Always check the ingrediants when picking up a bag ... I have found nearly every brand changing them without telling us ...

To the OP is the blood work back ?? Livers are not something to mess with in a cat

Originally Posted by sharky

Always check the ingrediants when picking up a bag ... I have found nearly every brand changing them

without telling us ...

To the OP is the blood work back ?? Livers are not something to mess with in a cat

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Thanks, I'll keep careful watch from this point onward and save the bag for comparisons (which I didn't do this time after pouring it into the tub). Sigh...my guy has always been very sensitive to changes in foods and when I found this one I thought the search was done.

I'll be watching for an update--hope he's improving.

he seems a little better and started eating small amounts of wet & dry food on his own. the meds he's on are cyproheptadine, clavamox, baytril & denosyl. he goes in for a re-check on monday