Fluid in Lungs - Please help Delilah!

zeta

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Nov 1, 2007
Messages
20
Purraise
0
Hi,
My cat has been feeling down lately, and hasn't been eating much. This started when I went to Mexico and had some people taking care of her for me. Unfortunately they only told me she was "sad", not that she ate hardly anything for 10 days!!! When I got home I started feeding her wet food to get her to gain weight again, I thought maybe it was just stress. She still hasn't been eating much. Today I took her to the vet. The vet found fluid in her lungs and one of her kidneys was slightly inflamed (probably because she hasn't drank much water lately). She does not have a fever right now (but it's possible she did earlier). The vet wasn't sure what it was - said it could be FIV, feline leukemia, FIP, desert fever and lymphoma. He recommended I get a second opinion, which I did. The second vet was very pessimistic and basically said whatever it is, it is serious and I should think about putting her down. She is my only buddy and I love her so much, I don't want to even contemplate putting her down if it may be something that can be treated or cured. Does anyone know - could she have just pneumonia, brought on by the stress? Or some other condition? I was reading about hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and it seemed to fit a lot of the symptoms too. Thanks for your help.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #2

zeta

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Nov 1, 2007
Messages
20
Purraise
0
I should have also mentioned...Delilah is 3 years old. She has gone from 11 lbs. to 6.7!!! She is very skinny right now. Also, she did have all her shots (including feline leukemia) in July 2006. She is an indoor kitty, but I do take her outside on a leash quite a bit.
 

white cat lover

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Nov 17, 2005
Messages
22,206
Purraise
35
My first suggestion is the find a vet who does tests, not just reccomends euthanizing!

Test for FIV, FeLV, and FIP if there is a test(I believe there is).
Run a complete blood panel.

I honestly wonder if there is an infection going on & would start antibiotics. If she is dehydrated, start Sub-Q fluids. The fluids needs to be drained from her lungs as well.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #4

zeta

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Nov 1, 2007
Messages
20
Purraise
0
Thanks so much for the quick reply. They did a blood panel today, so I will know the results in two days. The were going to try to take the fluid from her lungs, but she was moving too much for them to do it. They didn't want to sedate her in the condition that she's in.
 

white cat lover

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Nov 17, 2005
Messages
22,206
Purraise
35
I understand not sedating her, I wouldn't either. Is she eating anything?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #6

zeta

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Nov 1, 2007
Messages
20
Purraise
0
She's eating small amounts of wet food, we've been adding tuna juice to entice her. She's eating less than she has been for the last couple of days. (before she was eating one small Fancy Feast can in a day). I brought home a syringe today and am thinking of force feeding her some.
 

white cat lover

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Nov 17, 2005
Messages
22,206
Purraise
35
I have no experience with force feeding, but I wouldn't do it unless she is refusing to eat at all.


What have you tried for foods? Meow Mix cups/pouches are very stinky/fishy. You can try KFC chicken meat(kits go nuts for it!). Or you can try plain baby meat. I'm not sure of the specifics on that, but it has to be nothing but the meat.

Do you know how to check for dehydration?
 

hissy

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Feb 19, 2001
Messages
34,872
Purraise
76
I would ask the vet if she has feline hepatic lipidosis. She has all the symptoms from what you described. Even eating just a little bit of food doesn't stop this dreaded disease from happening. The cat needs to eat normal meals in order to stay healthy. Get a third opinion- find a feline specialist to look at your cat.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #9

zeta

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Nov 1, 2007
Messages
20
Purraise
0
The vet gave her some a/d wet food, and she's been eating some fancy feast wet food too, when I hand feed her. She won't touch dry food anymore. I'm not too sure how to check for dehydration - is it just by seeing if her skin "sticks" to her body? Thanks so much for the help!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #10

zeta

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Nov 1, 2007
Messages
20
Purraise
0
Originally Posted by hissy

I would ask the vet if she has feline hepatic lipidosis. She has all the symptoms from what you described. Even eating just a little bit of food doesn't stop this dreaded disease from happening. The cat needs to eat normal meals in order to stay healthy. Get a third opinion- find a feline specialist to look at your cat.
Thanks for the reply. I hadn't heard of feline hepatic lipidosis before - I just looked it up, though, and it doesn't seem to account for the fluid in the lungs? She also has never been overweight.
 

white cat lover

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Nov 17, 2005
Messages
22,206
Purraise
35
hissy's right. I don't know why that never occured to me before!
Fatty Liver Disease could also be occuring in addition to whatever is causing the fluid buildup on her lungs.

You might also consider chest x-rays to look at her heart lungs and maybe other internal organs.
 

cloud_shade

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 19, 2004
Messages
2,807
Purraise
17
Location
Oregon
When the blood tests come back, you may want to consider an ultrasound. It can be used to look at the heart and other organs, and it may be helpful in pinpointing what is going on. In the meantime, getting food into her is the most important thing you can do.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #13

zeta

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Nov 1, 2007
Messages
20
Purraise
0
Thanks. Blood results have come back. She is negative for everything, although she does have elevated protein levels. The vet thinks it might be valley fever. Does anyone have any experience with this one? The vet doesn't think it's cardiomyopathy because of the blood panel results (not sure why). Thoughts? Thanks for all your help.
 

cloud_shade

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 19, 2004
Messages
2,807
Purraise
17
Location
Oregon
Were you able to get a copy of the results?

Valley fever is apparently not common in cats, particularly where the lungs are involved:
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/valley_fever.html

My biggest fear for you is that the kitty may have FIP. Elevated protein, particularly high globulin and low albumin, is often seen in kitties with FIP, particularly if the ratio of albumin to globulin is 0.4 or less. I lost Willow to FIP in September. In her case, she had lesions on her liver. Different parts of the body can be affected, and fluid may or may not be present at first (depending on if it is wet or dry FIP). If you can afford it, an ultrasound can help visualize whether there are lesions present or whether there is another cause. I really hope that something else is going on with her, as FIP is nearly always fatal. Willow's first symptoms were inappetance and a general feeling of unwellness--when I first brought her to the vet, the vet said she looked fine, but I could tell something was "off"--and she survived about two months after that first visit.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #15

zeta

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Nov 1, 2007
Messages
20
Purraise
0
Sorry to hear about Willow. As you can see from the blood results posted below, the ratio is 0.27, so I am very afraid for FIP. Also, a new cat was introduced to the household 6 months ago. It sounds like she could be a carrier for the coronavirus, from what I've been reading. Delilah (the sick cat) was vaccinated in July 2006 - do they normally vaccinate against FIP with the regular 5 way vaccines? Thanks for your help.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #16

zeta

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Nov 1, 2007
Messages
20
Purraise
0
Test Requested\tResults\tReference Range\tUnits
SUPERCHEM
AST (SGOT)\t31\t\t10-100\tIU/L
ALT (SGPT)\t5 (LOW)\t\t10-100\tIU/L
\tResults have been rechecked and verified.

Total Bilirubin\t0.1\t\t0.1-0.4\tmg/dL
Alkaline Phosphatase\t10\t\t6-102\tIU/L
GGT\t8\t\t1-10\tIU/L
Total Protein\t7.8\t\t5.2-8.8\tg/dL
Albumin\t1.7 (LOW)\t\t2.5-3.9\tg/dL
Globulin\t6.1 (HIGH)\t\t2.3-5.3\tg/dL
A/G Ratio\t0.3 (LOW)\t\t0.35-1.5\t
Cholesterol\t94\t\t75-220\tmg/dL
BUN\t20\t\t14-36\tmg/dL
Creatinine\t1.7\t\t0.6-2.4\tmg/dL
BUN/Creatinine Ratio\t12\t\t4-33\t
Phosphorus\t8.1\t\t2.4-8.2\tmg/dL
Calcium\t9.1\t\t8.2-10.8\tmg/dL
Glucose\t138\t\t64-170\tmg/dL
Amylase\t837\t\t100-1200\tIU/L
Lipase\t121\t\t0-205\tIU/L
Sodium\t161 (HIGH)\t\t145-158\tmEq/L
\tResults have been rechecked and verified.

Potassium\t5.7 (HIGH)\t\t3.4-5.6\tmEq/L
Na/K Ratio\t28 (LOW)\t\t32-41\t
Chloride\t125\t\t104-128\tmEq/L
CPK\t261\t\t56-529\tIU/L
Triglyceride\t69\t\t25-160\tmg/dL
Magnesium\t1.9\t\t1.5-2.5\tmEq/L.
COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT
WBC\t28.1 (HIGH)\t\t3.5-16.0\t103/L
RBC\t5.6 (LOW)\t\t5.92-9.93\t106/L
HGB\t8.3 (LOW)\t\t9.3-15.9\tg/dL
HCT\t31\t\t29-48\t%
MCV\t55\t\t37-61\tfL
MCH\t15.0\t\t11-21\tpg
MCHC\t27 (LOW)\t\t30-38\t%
Comment\t\t\t\t
\tRBC MORPHOLOGY NORMAL

Differential\tAbsolute\t%\t\t\t
Neutrophils\t22761 (HIGH)\t81\t\t2500-8500\t/L
Lymphocytes\t3934\t14\t\t1200-8000\t/L
Monocytes\t562\t2\t\t0-600\t/L
Eosinophils\t843\t3\t\t0-1000\t/L
Basophils\t0\t0\t\t0-150\t/L
Platelet Estimate\tAdequate\t\t\t
Platelet Count\t374\t\t200-500\t103/L
\t\t\t\t
\tBlood smear reviewed by technologist.

T4
T4\t0.59 (LOW)\t\t0.8-4.0\tg/dL
FELV (ELISA)
FeLV (ELISA)\tNegative\t\t\tANTIGEN
FIV (ELISA)
FIV (ELISA)\tNegative\t\t\tELISA
\t
\t- - - - - - - FIV Interpretive Comment - - - - - - - -
\t
\t Positive result indicates that antibody to Feline Immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is present. In kittens under 6 months old this may be due to vaccination, passively acquired maternal antibodies, or infection with FIV: retesting is recommended after 6 months of age. Positive ELISA screening tests in cats over 6 months old may be due to infection with or vaccination for FIV. In non-vaccinated cats, a western blot test is required to confirm infection.
\t
\t Negative result may indicate: 1) no FIV infection, or 2) FIV infection but inadequate time for seroconversion. Cats with potential exposure that test negative should be retested at least 3 to 4 months later. Kittens tested prior to 6 months old should be retested after 6 months whether their first test was positive or negative.
\t
\t Equivocal result indicates a weak reaction ( greater than the negative control, but less than the positive cutoff recommended by the manufacturer). If the cat is not vaccinated FIV Western blot analysis is recommended.
\t
\t- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
\t

FELINE CORONAVIRUS (IFA)
FCV IFA at 1:400\tPositive\t\t<1:400\tANTIBODY
FCV IFA at 1:1600\tNegative\t\tNegative\tANTIBODY
\t
\tA positive FCV titer indicates exposure to a coronavirus. It does not differentiate between FIP, feline enteric coronavirus exposure, or vaccination. Diagnosis of FIP should be based on history, physical examination, and other laboratory findings, including electrophoresis on effusions. FIP PCR testing on effusions, and/or FIP 7b ELISA testing on serum may be helpful in confirming FIP infection.
\t

TOXOPLASMOSIS (IGG, IGM) FELINE
Toxoplasmosis, IgG\tNegative\t\t\t
Toxoplasmosis, IgM\tNegative\t\t\t
\t********************************************************************
\t TOXOPLASMOSIS INTERPRETATION
\t
\tIgM negative, IgG negative
\t
\tNo serologic evidence of exposure to Toxoplasma gondii. However, some
\tacutely infected cats are clinically ill prior to seroconversion. If
\tclinical signs of toxoplasmosis are present, institute treatment and
\trepeat serologic testing in 21 days to look for rising titers.
\t
\tIgM >/=1:64, IgG negative or IgG >/=1:64
\t
\tResults consistent with recent exposure or active Toxoplasma gondii
\tinfection. If clinical signs of Toxoplasmosis are present, institute
\ttreatment and repeat serologic testing in 21 days to look for rising
\ttiters.
\t
\tIgM >1:256, IgG negative or IgG >/=1:64
\t
\tResults consistent with active Toxoplasma gondii infection. No
\tserologic test documents clinical toxoplasmosis, but IgM titers
\t>1:256 have almost exclusively been detected in clinically ill cats.
\t
\tIgM negative, IgG >/=1:64
\t
\tResults consistent with chronic Toxoplasmosis. However, IgM titers
\tdecrease rapidly in some infected cats. If clinical signs of
\tToxoplasmosis are present, institute treatment and repeat serologic
\ttesting in 21 days to look for rising titers.
 

cloud_shade

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 19, 2004
Messages
2,807
Purraise
17
Location
Oregon
The FIP vaccine typically isn't considered very useful, so it's not commonly used. Corona virus is very common, and they can harbor it for years without ever showing symptoms. I have no idea when or how Willow became infected--I adopted her when she was about a year old from a shelter. She's lived with four cats since then, so she could have had it from the beginning or been infected anywhere along the way. Most cats with corona virus never develop FIP. Historically most cats who did develop it were either kittens or seniors, so many vets aren't used to seeing FIP in adult cats and may not recognize the symptoms right away. My vets were shocked when they tentatively diagnosed Willow. Even the lab commented on how unusual it would be for an 8 year old cat to have FIP. My vets referred me to a specialist, but he wasn't really much help. Willow was given prednisolone to help ease her discomfort. While we were still trying to confirm her diagnosis, I had a feeding tube inserted to allow her to get enough food. Every test we did was consistent with FIP so we treated her as though she had it, but it is impossible to diagnosis FIP for certain without an organ biopsy, usually done after the cat has passed on. We sent samples to Auburn University to confirm the diagnosis, which came back positive.

Anyway, to answer your question, it is very unlikely that she was vaccinated against FIP. The vaccine has about a 50% success rate and is not commonly used.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #18

zeta

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Nov 1, 2007
Messages
20
Purraise
0
Will let you know on Monday what the results are for the Valley Fever test (even though to me, it seems like a long shot). We are thinking of trying to drain the lung fluid again - even if it means using a sedative, which the vet has warned will be dangerous in her condition. She's eating tidbits here and there, the Meow Mix pouch suggestion has worked pretty well. Will also probably start syringe feeding her soon, she's just not eating enough and only 6 pounds!
 

cloud_shade

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 19, 2004
Messages
2,807
Purraise
17
Location
Oregon
I would definitely try the syringe feeding, as we all need food to keep us going. It makes sense to try whatever options you have available. FIP is a diagnosis of exclusion, and there are so many things that mimic it that it is worthwhile to try whatever treatments you have available.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #20

zeta

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Nov 1, 2007
Messages
20
Purraise
0
Yes, we have been syringe feeding her all weekend! Can you believe we had trouble getting a syringe from the pharmacy because they were worried my father in law was doing drugs??? Craziness. Anyways...Now my biggest worry is feeding her too much...how much should a grown cat be syringe fed in a day? I have a slurry of wet food and water. She is probably about 6 lbs. or so now. Don't want to overdo it.
Thanks!
 
Top