very sick cat

my cat just turned 1 year old and he loves to go outside. He used to pass most of his days outside hunting, and usually didn't come back until dawn the next morning. But when the cold weather arrived (and snow) he was very mad to find out there wasn't much to hunt in the freezing cold. In the first month, we noticed that he was sleeping more and seemed to be more calm, so we thought he was going through somekind of depression.. But as the weeks passed, he didn't get better and he started losing alot of weight and wasn't eating anymore. so a couple of days ago, we brought him to the vet and the vet told us there was something wrong with his liver since he had jaundice and he had a fever. The vet said she would keep him for 24 hours to test him for feline leukemia and put him on serum. She finally called us the morning after to tell us that the tests were negative and the next couple of days would decide if he's going to make it or not.

So its been 2 days since then and my cat hasn't ate anything yet (but he drinks water from time to time) and he's sleeping alot and there's not much fat remaining... We don't want him to see him suffer so we have to take a decision tomorow if we want to put him to sleep.

any advice would be appreciated.
thanks.

Why do you have to make a decision tomorrow? What did the vet say and what do they recommend?

Let me share a story with you. A coworker has an 11 year old cat that all of a sudden stopped eating. Tests after tests proved nothing, but still she would not eat. About a week later, my friend decided to put her kitty down, and went to the vet to say her good-byes. Just as she was about to leave, a doctor walked in and said, "you know, she did eat a little this morning." My friend was shocked! No one had told her this at the vet's office and she was seconds away from saying goodbye forever to her kitty. She took her kitty home and she's eating fine and everything's normal.

So don't give up just yet!

we brought the cat Thursday and he came back home Friday and the vet told us to call her with news tomorow (Monday) and we would discuss our options.

and right now the only options I can think of are :

i) hope that our cat will start to eat again and won't suffer and die at home

ii) put him to sleep sometimes this week so he won't suffer.

it's been more than a week he hasn't been eating and he's sick and I'm afraid he's suffering.

It def. sounds like you have a cat with hepatic lipidosis. THe only symptoms are not eating and jaundice. THe liver can't metabolize his own fat and it makes him nausious so he won't eat and so continues a nasty cycle.

I went through this recently as did several other members. All our cats pulled through.

Your cat needs to eat. Your vet needs to teach you to force feed him, or insert a tube in his nose or esophagus to feed him.

Talk to your vet ASAP about this possibility or your cat could very well die, the only cure is food.........I'm really suprised your vet didn't think of this.

Also, often they don't know what causes the cat to go off of food, so don't worry about that, worry about getting food in him. But he's feeling sick (esp. if he's jaundice) and he won't eat on his own...........

PM me if you have questions

I am pretty sure hepatic lipidosis typically only happens if the cat is obese in the first place, they go through a period of anorexia/fasting and during this time, fat is broken down and moved to the liver. The liver is SUPPOSED to export the fat back out in a different form but it builds up so fast that it can't keep up. And the fat builds up in the liver, thats why its called Fatty Liver Disease.

Anyways, unless the cat was obese, it isn't hepatic lipidosis.

the vet mentioned something about a liver disease but she didn't precise because she said the tests are never right. I'll ask her tomorow.

the cat wasn't obese.. he did love to eat a lot but we would always control the portions. The blood tests revealed a high amount of protein in his blood.. maybe that could mean something?

I hope he will be ok.

Originally Posted by Jen

I am pretty sure hepatic lipidosis typically only happens if the cat is obese in the first place, they go through a period of anorexia/fasting and during this time, fat is broken down and moved to the liver. The liver is SUPPOSED to export the fat back out in a different form but it builds up so fast that it can't keep up. And the fat builds up in the liver, thats why its called Fatty Liver Disease.

Anyways, unless the cat was obese, it isn't hepatic lipidosis.

Click to expand...

Absolutely not. My cat was nowhere near obese and we fought lipidosis for 2 months.

Any cat can get it. Any age, weight or sex.

Originally Posted by pattay_

the vet mentioned something about a liver disease but she didn't precise because she said the tests are never right. I'll ask her tomorow.

Click to expand...

I would say the jaundice speaks for itself. Jaundice means that there is a liver issue.

And please, your cat doesn't have to be overweight to get HL. My cat was in perfect condition when she got it, nowhere close to overweight....it is MORE likely in overweight cats but that doesn't mean anything.

Good luck and keep us posted......I have resources if it turns out to by HL.

he just ate 3 "pounce" treat and he ate some last night too.. it's the only thing that seems to be working.. but he won't eat more than that.. we also give him some canned salmon but he only licks it.

Getting him to eat anything is excellent.......but he's going to need more then just a couple treats unfortuately to re-kick start his liver. Talk to your vet, but as I said, if they do determine he is a HL candidate, there are lots of options for treatment, and I'll check back tomorrow and send you some websites etc.

okay thanks for your help and support. i'll keep you posted.

I hope things are better! I had a cat that had hemobartinello (sp?), which is a blood disease that causes jaundice and weight loss in my cat. Have they checked for that? It seems to me your cat needs to be at the vet being force fed?? I sure do hope he gets better!!!

Sending you good that your kitty gets better and eats!

Originally Posted by Jen

I am pretty sure hepatic lipidosis typically only happens if the cat is obese in the first place, they go through a period of anorexia/fasting and during this time, fat is broken down and moved to the liver. The liver is SUPPOSED to export the fat back out in a different form but it builds up so fast that it can't keep up. And the fat builds up in the liver, thats why its called Fatty Liver Disease.

Anyways, unless the cat was obese, it isn't hepatic lipidosis.

Click to expand...

I also disagree. Our dear Simba was not in the least obese and he died from HL because I was too ignorant at the time to recognize the symptoms and by the time I did notice it was too late even though we tried to force feed.

If I had known them what I have learned since here at TCS, we would still have our Simba. Please talk to your vet about force-feeding to get your kitty well again.

Some folks try Baby Food (no garlic or onions). Sit and feed it from your fingers if that's the only way kitty will eat it. Whatever it takes to get some food into him.

Sending healing vibes for your poor kitty

Actually, going off food for a length of time can result in HL regardless of the cat's weight. It's common enough. Feed him whatever interests him. Try some gerber's chicken baby food (for humans). It shouldn't have garlic or onion in it. Most cats like it.

When cats reach the anorexic stage, even if they are hungry and show interest in the food, they can't eat it. So dabs on your finger, food mixed with water in a syringe and small squirts in his cheek will get him going.

Force feeding can be hard because you don't want him to aspirate the food.

hi people!

My cat seems to be a tiny bit more alert today... He still sleeps a lot but I was able to feed him a bit of "gravy" from some Whiskas moist mini bags. He doesn't eat the pieces of meat but it's a start. The baby food is a good idea, I'm going to go get some right away... What would I wouldn't do for this cat? Yes that includes risking my life on a very stormy night with 1 foot of snow in the roads to go get him some Gerber!

Did you talk to the vet?? Did they say it might be HL, and is the cat still jaundice? If yes to either of the latter two questions you still need to be getting A LOT more food into him then a couple licks of gravy.....although any sign of improvment is good.

Also, with the baby food what I found worked with cello, he showed no interest even in licking it off of my finger until I got him to eat it on his own. To do this I sat with him until he started grooming himself then smeared some on his paw to get him to groom it off, then just kept doing that until he had eaten 2 + tbsp of his own paw.

If your cat isn't jaundice then this MAY be enough food for him, but if his liver is failing you need to get a lot more in, it's the only cure.

Keep us updated and good luck, if you haven't spoken to your vet please do, you obviously love your baby a lot.