Totally confused about the death of my kitten. Thoughts? Long.

kady05

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On the 26th, I had to put my baby Logan to sleep. He had just turned 7 months old
, and was a gorgeous Ragdoll.

This all happened SO suddenly, it's really shocking. On Christmas night around 10pm, he was perfectly fine when my boyfriend put him in 'his' room for the night (I kept him in a spare bathroom so he could have free access to food since he was always tiny, red flag #1 maybe?). At 8am on the 26th, I went to get him, and he was just laying in his bed, didn't want to move.
So I figured he got into something on Christmas, and maybe ate something he shouldn't have, and just didn't feel good. I left him alone for a bit, ate breakfast, and when I came back upstairs, he had thrown up. He also had diarrhea, and was so lethargic. I picked him up, and he just cried out, like he was in pain, so then I called the vet. That was around 10am. Got him to the vet by 10:15, and they did a CBC, fecal, and abdominal xrays. Chest sounded clear, but he did have a fever, I believe it was 103.2.

So we got the xrays back, and they look normal other than a slightly enlarged liver. Got the CBC back. He was anemic, dehydrated, and his white blood cell count was so low that the vet questioned the accuracy of his machine. He had 20% of what he should've had. He also had some other counts (that had to do with the liver) that were off. He also had some blood in his stool. There was also a bacterial overgrowth in his intestines.
The vet gave him some fluids, and 2 shots to help with the vomiting, and to calm his intestines. Told me to come back if he hadn't improved, but that he probably just ate something, or just had a bad stomach ache (obviously the vet didn't phrase it this way, I'm just trying to remember everything). Sent me home with 3 different meds.

So I left the vet around 1. Checked on him every 15min. after I got home, because I knew something wasn't right. He wouldn't even get out of his carrier, just was laying flat out. By 3, he still hadn't moved. I picked him up to try to see if he'd walk, and he wouldn't even try to stand. So I took him back to the vet. In the 5min. it took me to get him there, he had lost his reflex to blink when you put something toward his eye, and stopped breathing on his own. They intubated him, and gave him drugs to try to stimulate his breathing, but none helped. They also told me later that his veins were 'going crazy', like they were all wiggly or something.
They took chest xrays, because he sounded crackly, and when I saw them, my heart just dropped (I have been shadowing there, so I kind of know what a good/bad chest xray looks like). Everything was fluid filled. My vet told me that the results from the machine he did the CBC on had been coming out accurate all day, so he was fairly certain that Logan's results were correct. Meaning, he had absolutely nothing to fight with.
So I made the hardest decision I think I've had to make and I put him down. It was AWFUL. That's the only way I can describe it. That whole night I questioned if I did that right thing, if I should've fought for him.

Around 6:30, the vet called and said that he had started the necropsy. He said everything was 'bad'. I think almost all of his organs were enlarged. And he has growths all throughout his chest cavity. He said this was bound to happen, it was just a matter of time. So now I do feel like I did the right thing, not that it makes it any easier.
He sent away 10 specimens to try to figure out what happened. I can tell he's somewhat baffled that he really never showed any symptoms of something to this degree.

But now that I look back, Logan never thrived like our other boy, Ozzy (who is one month older) is. He was about 5 1/2lbs. when he died, whereas Ozzy is 8 or 9lbs. He had been to the vet once for a URI, and most recently was there when he had some kind of allergic reaction to our Christmas stuff (runny eyes, red, itchy ears). In his last week or so here, I did notice that I was constantly telling Ozzy to leave him alone, because he didn't want to play as much. He had also become obsessed with licking the bricks on our fireplace, and the ceramic pots we have plants in (not sure if that has anything to do with this).

I am just in shock that this happened. I want to know what caused this. I'm praying that the test results tell us something. I was reading up on FIP, and he did have a lot of symptoms of it.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what this may have been? I know it's a long shot, but it's killing me to sit here and just wait for results.

Here's some pictures of my baby.. god I miss him

(the last 2 are of Logan and one of my other cats, Sneak)

http://inlinethumb57.webshots.com/36...425x425Q85.jpg
http://inlinethumb14.webshots.com/37...425x425Q85.jpg
http://inlinethumb04.webshots.com/34...425x425Q85.jpg
 

taterbug

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Oh Kady, I'm so sorry this happened.
I have no suggestions, but I can certainly feel your pain and frustration. that you get the answers you seek.
 

toomany

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I would just keep in contact with the vet to see what he finds out.

I don't think anyone on this forum has the knowledge to tell you what they think it was....even if they had a similar incident....you need to find out from a professional.....vet....keep bugging him for an answer....after all...I am sure your vet bill was horrible with all they did for you kitty.
 

kluchetta

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I'm really sorry. FIP is the first thing that comes to my mind, but I'm kind of oversensitized to it. The good news is that in most cases the other cats in the household won't develop it. Again, I'm so sorry, it happened to me too.
 

glitch

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Im guessing here, so dont quote me, but with the way the fluid filled in his lungs that fast I would have to say the wet form of FIP took your baby too!
At least, thats what the symptoms tell me... Im no vet though! I lost one with the wet form of FIP last month... He had it in his stomach though, not his lungs!

Im so sorry about your baby!! Please keep us posted!
 

iluvdevons

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I'm sorry to say it but the anemia, extremely low WBC and organ damage sounds like FIP. I attached an interesting website on FIP. My one thought is that if FIP is confirmed, you may want to carefully bleach all objects that Ozzy comes into contact with, as the virus can remain transmissible for awhile. I am so so sorry for your loss.

http://www.dr-addie.com/WhatIsFIP.htm.
 

misskiwi67

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It sounds like FIP to me too, but you won't know until the histopathology comes back. Its a VERY difficult disease to diagnose, and is something you could not have prevented or cured.

Rest easy knowing you did everything you could for your baby. I'm so sorry for your loss.
 

sandtigress

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I just want to say I'm sorry for your loss - I remember the first time you posted about that adorable little boy!
I know he was precious just by looking at his pictures.
 

marysmith

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I'm so sorry for your sudden loss of Logan. Just know that you did the right thing by getting Logan to the vet ASAP
 

raggiekitty

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I'm so sorry for the loss of your precious baby! I wish there was more I could say or do to help you....
 

hissy

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Kady,

Ragdolls are susceptible to FIP (sorry to say) as well as HCM and thromboembolism. The growths could be clots that broke away and settled on the organs and tissues and lining of the system. Did the breeder (if that is where you got him) sell him with a health guarantee? Not that it would help, but if she did, I would contact her and talk to her about the cost of his care.

I am sorry you lost him, he looks absolutely gorgeous.
 

glitch

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Im so Sorry as I said once already, but I wanted to let you know how GORGEOUS they are!! They're both absolutely beautiful!! Just looking at them makes me want a ragdoll!
 

EnzoLeya

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Oh my goodness
that is just awful! I don't know much about it, but I'm guessing the posts about FIP are probably right. You're poor baby! to you!
 
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kady05

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Originally Posted by toomany

I would just keep in contact with the vet to see what he finds out.

I don't think anyone on this forum has the knowledge to tell you what they think it was....even if they had a similar incident....you need to find out from a professional.....vet....keep bugging him for an answer....after all...I am sure your vet bill was horrible with all they did for you kitty.
Yes, we are keeping in contact with the vet. This is our vet of 15yrs., so we have a great relationship with them. They were all shocked when this happened. The $$ doesn't really matter, but, the vet did refund everything for the meds. they gave us, which was very nice.

Originally Posted by kluchetta

I'm really sorry. FIP is the first thing that comes to my mind, but I'm kind of oversensitized to it. The good news is that in most cases the other cats in the household won't develop it. Again, I'm so sorry, it happened to me too.
We do have 3 other cats (one is another Ragdoll from the same breeder). So I'm completely paranoid this was something transferable to them. That's why I want to know what happened, so I can figure out if I need to do anything in regards to the other 3.

Originally Posted by Iluvdevons

I'm sorry to say it but the anemia, extremely low WBC and organ damage sounds like FIP. I attached an interesting website on FIP. My one thought is that if FIP is confirmed, you may want to carefully bleach all objects that Ozzy comes into contact with, as the virus can remain transmissible for awhile. I am so so sorry for your loss.

http://www.dr-addie.com/WhatIsFIP.htm.
Thank you for that link, I'll read it when I get home from work.
As I said, we have 3 others, so anything that can be contagious is NOT going to be cool


Originally Posted by hissy

Kady,

Ragdolls are susceptible to FIP (sorry to say) as well as HCM and thromboembolism. The growths could be clots that broke away and settled on the organs and tissues and lining of the system. Did the breeder (if that is where you got him) sell him with a health guarantee? Not that it would help, but if she did, I would contact her and talk to her about the cost of his care.

I am sorry you lost him, he looks absolutely gorgeous.
Oh wow, I did not know that. Yes, he was sold with a health guarantee, and we have been in contact with the breeder. She's obviously very upset as well, and has offered me another kitten once we figure out what really happened to Logan. She's been great through all of this.

Thanks everyone for your kind thoughts. It's been pretty depressing around here the past few days. The other cats help of course, but it's not the same as having little Logan around
. I will keep everyone posted as soon as I hear something.
 
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kady05

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Well, I got the report from the vet yesterday. Even with knowing quite a bit about animals, this thing looks like complete jibberish to me! I wish I had a tape recorder when I talked with my vet, because he was saying so much, so fast, that I can't even remember half of what he said. Basically, it looks like he had a massive infection that for some reason his body couldn't fight off. Pathologist said he thinks he had some sort of immune complex that caused his immune system to be weak.

I'll post some of the findings on the report, maybe some of you can figure it out a bit. This is going to be long, btw..

Liver: The liver parenchyma shows congested blood vessels. The majority of portal tracts show infiltration of many well differentiated plasma cells with fewer lymphocytes, neutrophilis and rare macrophages. Bile statis and mild hepatocellular vacuolation are also evident. Mild bile duct hyperplasia is also seen.

Spleen: The splenic parenchyma shows congested blood vessels. Some plasma cels, neutrophilis and histiocytic macrophages are also evident. Several bacteria are seen in the lumina of some blood vessels.

Small Intestine: The intestinal muscosa shows congested blood vessels and infiltration of plasma cells and lymphocytes with scattered neutrophilis in the lamina propria. Several bacteria are seen in the intestinal lumen. The submucosa shows a Peyers patch and infiltration of plasma cells with scattered neutrophilis.

Mesenteric lymph node: The lymph node parenchyma shows infiltration of numerous well differentiated plasma cells with fewer histiocytes. Several neutrophilis, congested blood vessels, hemorrhage and necrotic cellular debris are also seen. A few areas with mild fibrosis are also evident. Bacteria associated with neutrophilis, necrotic celluar debris and hemorrhage are also seen in some blood vessels.

Kidney: The renal cortex and medulla show congested blood vessels. Numerous bacteria are seen in the lumina of the capillaries of the glomeruli. Some neutrophilis are seen associated with the bacteria.

Lung: The lung parenchyma shows marked vascular congestion and atelectasis. Edema and acute hemorrhage are also seen. Mild hypertrophy and hyperplasia of Type II pneumocytes is also evident. Scattered neutrophilis, lymphocytes and occasional plasma cels are also seen in alveolar spaces. Hypertrophy of mesothelial cells is seen on the pleura.

Heart: The myocardium shows multifocal congested blood vessels.
Thymus and lymph nodes: The thymic parenchyma shows congested blood vessels. The lymph nodes show infiltration of plasma cells and histicytes in the medullary and subcortical sinuses.

Small Intestine and Lymph node from ileo-cecocolic junction: Several sections of the intestine from the ileo-cecocolic junction are examined. The muscosa shows moderate autolysis and infiltration of some lymphocytes and plasma cells. The lymph node parenchyma shows moderate autolysis and infiltration of histiocytes and plasma cells.

Microscopic findings:
Liver: Cholangiohepatitis
Spleen: Splenitis with intravascular bacteria
Small Intestine: Subacute enteritis
Mesenteric Lymph Node: Lymphadenitis with vasculitis and intralesional bacteria
Kidney: Septic glomerulitis with intralesional bacteria
Lung: Interstitial pnemonia with atelectasis
Thymus: Vascular congestion
Lymph Nodes from Thymic Region: Plasmacytosis
Heart: Vascular congestion
Trachea and Esophagus: Non-significant lesions

Comments: The most significant changes are seen in the mesenteric lymph node, kidney and spleen. There is evidence of a bacterial infection with bacteremia-septicemia.

I asked about FIP, and my vet said that the testing for it is typically pretty inconclusive, and that Logan didn't have one key symptom for the wet form (and I totally forget which symptom, sorry
).
 

epona

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I am no expert by any means - but the vasculitis and congested blood vessels does point towards a huge infection, the congestion and damage to the blood vessels is caused by your poor baby's immune system reacting to something major and desperately trying to fight it. The damage to the other organs is caused by restricted blood flow due to the blood vessels being damaged and congested.

The causes of vasculitis are often unclear, but it is thought that usually it is due to the immune system going into overdrive and damaging the body's own tissues as well as the infection - so it would seem to indicate that infection is the most likely cause - as to what caused the infection, if the vet couldn't determine it then it's impossible to guess at it.

Please be reassured though that you did all you could for Logan, he was extremely sick, and there wasn't anything more you could have done for him. I know that isn't much consolation when you're grieving, but I hope that in time you will be able to recover from this tragedy.

I am sorry for your loss
 

rang_27

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Originally Posted by kady05

Pathologist said he thinks he had some sort of immune complex that caused his immune system to be weak.
Had he been tested for FIV or Feline Lukemia? My first thought was FIP, but then something about the anemia & quick progression sounded like an immune system problem. Have you ever gotten a kitten from that breeder before? I know nothing about breeding, but I would be concerned that this breeder had a bad line. I know that good breeders try to stay on top of this stuff, but I would still be worried.
 

epona

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Originally Posted by Rang_27

Had he been tested for FIV or Feline Lukemia? My first thought was FIP, but then something about the anemia & quick progression sounded like an immune system problem. Have you ever gotten a kitten from that breeder before? I know nothing about breeding, but I would be concerned that this breeder had a bad line. I know that good breeders try to stay on top of this stuff, but I would still be worried.
I'd say it's very unlikely to be genetic, those results indicate infection as a cause of immune system failure rather than a genetic condition. The anaemia is most likely due to the vasculitis resulting in reduced numbers of blood cells being delivered to the tissues, and the immune system attacking the blood vessels and blood cells, triggered by fighting an infection. It can happen to previously healthy patients as the result of massive infection. However, that doesn't mean the kitten didn't pick up the infection from the breeder's - but it also could have been something he picked up since - unfortunately it's really impossible to know.
 

rang_27

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Originally Posted by Epona

I'd say it's very unlikely to be genetic, those results indicate infection as a cause of immune system failure rather than a genetic condition. The anaemia is most likely due to the vasculitis resulting in reduced numbers of blood cells being delivered to the tissues, and the immune system attacking the blood vessels and blood cells, triggered by fighting an infection. It can happen to previously healthy patients as the result of massive infection. However, that doesn't mean the kitten didn't pick up the infection from the breeder's - but it also could have been something he picked up since - unfortunately it's really impossible to know.
OK, thanks for the clarification. As I said I know nothing about breeding. I've only had barn cats & shelter cats. I find it helpful to know all of this information because we never know when our kitty might get sick.
 
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