Bear is at the vet. He's very sick, liver looks horrible.

Just got home, I am very upset.

Bear has been barfing 2x a day for 3-4 days, it was just liquid. He barfed up food once. Figured it was hariballs and have been giving him Hairball goo every day. He barfed up a massive hairball (6-8 inches) last night, so I figured that was the end of that. I have never seen a hairball so long, ever.



I was about to feed the kitties, walked past Bear and petted him... noticed his skin was yellow and paniked. I busted into tears, I know what a yellow cat means. Went straight to the vet, his liver levels are waaaay off. Vet says it's very possible that he has pancratitis.

He said it is not Heptic Lipidosis (sp?) Bear was diagnosed with Cholangiohepatitis, I still need to read up on it. Not sure why he has it, vet said it could be anything. Possibly a bacterial infection in the GI tract caused it, dont know though. He kept saying the "he's a very sick kitty." I asked what are his chances of recovery and he said he did not know, he could recover relativly fast or go downhill. I aksed if it's contagious, he said he doesn't know-since we don't know was caused this.

He set Bear up with a Lactated Ringer IV, gave him a predinsone pill, another pill (I belive it was aniobiotics), and injected something into the port of the IV (forgot to ask, it was clear yellow). He fed him some food with a syringe, 2 huge syringes full and said he would feed him more later. We did blood panels, they don't look good. I have a copy of one, forgot to ask for a copy of the other. Did xray, he has food in him so he hasn't been off of his food (I know this, he just stopped eating this morning) and there is nothing wrong with the xray, liver is not enlarged.

I can't think straight, I just don't want my baby to die. He's only 3yrs.

I had to leave him there, vet said IF Bear shows improvment (stops barfing and shows intrest in food) he will send him home for me to syringe feed him. God, please let him improve!!!!!!!!! I love my baby, this is not fair.



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On a semi-related side note, Thursday has a exrta horrible day for me & my mom. I did not post about it because I can't stand thinking about what happened, much less talk about it. My mom found a stray friday (important to remember Bear was already barfing) that was very sick, and dying. Took the fellow to the vet, he had FIP. This cat was yellow and his abdomin was full of fluid, the fluid was thick and orange/yellow. Classic wet fip. He was so weak and skinny he could barely stand up, we had to pts..................... my mom could not watch, I stayed because I didn't want him to die alone, I know the vet & vet tech would be there but still. That was the hardest thing I have ever had to do, I have never had to do that before. It kills me just thinking about it, I've been going crazy worrying that my precious kitties are going to get it. I know it's rare, but the chance it still there.

NONE OF MY CATS WERE EXPOSED TO HIM, but even though I disinfected everything, changed clothes, ect I worry that they may have been exposed somehow. I have been making myself sick thinking that my cats are going to get FIP.

This was the exact same vet, and I reminded him about it. He said due to Bears age, and since he was vomiting BEFORE we got the cat with FIP he would be very suprised if it was FIP, highly unlikely. He said the possibility is there, but he does not think it's FIP. He is going to test him for it though. I keep reading that the test is unreliable, but my vet was implying that it IS reliable. I don't know.........

I've been though so much since thursday, this is just too much. May that little stray RIP with no more pain. I feel incredibly guilty that we couldn't help him, I know there was nothing to do for him, but I feel so helpless.

And now my baby boy Bear is fighting for his life, please say a prayer for him.

I want more than anything, just to hold him again.

I am so sorry for everything you have to go through and I am sending mega vibes for Bear to recover

Originally Posted by mews2much

I hope he will be ok.
I know how much you love in him.
Just to let you know I was told my Yoshi had the dry FIP but it was not proven.
I have his mom and she never got it nor did any of my other cats I had at the time.
Sorry about the kitten.
Remember there is no proof a cat has FIP unless a necropsy is done.

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FIP is a very odd virus, I've read a lot about it the last 2 days but everything contradicts each other. Supposidly, when a cat has FIP with clinical signs they are not likely to be contagous.

The vet said he is going to "test for FIP." I am like you Jacky, everything I read says there is no test. I asked if the test was for Corona Virus, he said "No, it's for FIP." Don't know what to think about that, at least I relaize that the test isn't accurate. As long as my boy has a chance, I will do everything I possibly can for him. He is priceless to me, I told the vet "do whatever you have to do, just try to save him." The vet said "Oh yeah, we are not giving up on him, he may be just fine.

The vet did mention that he needs a liver biopsy, but didn't say when he was doing it.

He said he would be very suprised if it's FIP. I just looked up Cholangiohepatitis, and it says "prognosis is generally fair." I am hanging onto hope. According to what I have read, if he recovers he will most likely need meds for life and may flare up. He is absolutly worth it.

Originally Posted by ut0pia

I am so sorry for everything you have to go through and I am sending mega vibes for Bear to recover

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Thank you so much, poor fellow is in a cold metal cage right now.







Here are links, I've never heard of this before:
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body...hepatitis.html

http://www.gcvs.com/page4/page94/page113/page113.html







I just scanned his bloodwork , here it is:


The first column of numbers are Bears, the 2nd column is the "normal range."

for good news soon.

Just remembered:

He has lost 1lb. That's not terrible, but since he was 'perfect weight' before he looks a little skinny now. He normally weighs 8.5lbs, he is 7.5lbs today.

Temp was ok: 102.5

Sending vibes for Bear and those who love him.

Thanks everyone, it means a lot to me.


This is how yellow he is:
http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...99&postcount=5

Oh my goodness!
I don't have any advice, but sending lots and lots of healing for Bear and a big for you.

Thanks everyone.

Originally Posted by mews2much

That is terrible Amelia.
I hope something will help him.
Sorry but that test is a waste of money.
Here is a link.
http://www.manhattancats.com/Articles/fip_testing.html

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In conclusion, the only way to definitively diagnose FIP is by biopsy, or by detection of coronavirus in cells from body cavity fluid of affected cats. There is no simple blood test that can make the diagnosis, and I shudder to think of how many cats have been euthanized unnecessarily due to a mistaken belief amongst many veterinarians that a positive antibody test is diagnostic for FIP.

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I wonder if the liver biopsy could help rule out FIP? I will ask him that when he calls tonight. This is overwhelming.

Yes, he's getting Lactated Ringers solution with something he added to the fluids. If you mean fluid in his chest/stomach, no. The xray looked great, the liver is not swollen or anything and you can see the food in his intestines, so Bear had been eating until this morning. The vet said "well he's been eating good the last 2-3 days, I can see the food."

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Vet just called, the meds Bear is taking are: Pred, Metronidazole, Amoxicillon, and Famotidine. He fed bear more food with a syringe-Bear ate it up. He has not vomited anymore. Other than that, he said Bear is the same.

I feel a little better, at least he isn't getting noticably worse....

Ok Coco has been on all those meds before.
I was talking about fluid that some fip cats get.
The fluids should help him.
I do not like using pred that much.
It cause Coco to have bladder problems but it does work.
The Famotidine should help with the throwing up.
I have some in my fridge.
My cats always foam when I use it.

Is he doing the liver biopsy for the liver disease or FIP?

I just nursed my cat back after being diagnosed with Cholangiohepatitis. He started throwing up on December 29th and then the hospitalization and emergency vet visits started. It took about 2 and a half months but he is doing much better. He had the exact same symptoms as your kitty had. His ALT values were skyrocket. Same with his bilirubin (which made him severely jaundice). I was so scared that I was going to lose him. During his illness he had so many huge haiballs. One day he had (no word of a lie - I measured it) 18" worth of hairballs through out the day. Thankfully a wonderful lady I know on another cat forum helped me nurse him back to health. She is such a knowledgeable lady when it comes to feline health and nutrition. I would have lost it if she was not there during this majorily stressful time in our lives.

One thing I would recommend for you to get right now is an ultrasound. This will give you more of a definate answer as to what is going on with your kitty. Also, request a PLI/TLI test be done. Pancreatitis is actually very hard to diagnose but with the PLI/TLI test and ultrasound you will have a better chance at knowing if he does have pancreatitis. I feel I waited too long and Bishop could have been on the road to recovery much sooner. Xrays can not make a proper diagnosis. The xrays they took of Bishop did not show inflammation of the liver. The xray actually looked pretty good. But the ultrasound confirmed that Bishop had severe inflammation of his liver, gall bladder, bile ducts, stomach and intestine. It also helped to rule out Pancreatitis. Bishop also was diagnosed at the same time with IBD. The vet at first was treating Bishop for an infection so put him on antibiotics. It was not helping his illness at all. When the ultrasound confirmed he had severe inflammation we immediatley put him on Dexamethasone (steroid) and this helped the inflammation immediately. Right now it sounds like your vet is doing a wide spectrum treatment - both steroids and antibiotics. The ultrasound would confirm which one to actually treat with as well.

Since this is a liver problem you want to start supplementing the liver ASAP. I would ask the vet to put him on Denosyl or Denmarin, Ursodial (this will help the jaundice), Milk thistle (very good for the liver) about 100mg a day. You can buy at drugstore. Hepar Comp by HEEL is also great for the liver. You can buy this at a helath food store or on www.iherb.com

When you get your kitty home I would recommend feeding him many small meals throughout the day. This worked very well for my kitty. For a while I had to force feed my cat. I liked to use a tongue sppressor and put the food on his tongue. It was tiring but worth it in the end. I gave him cypro (an appetite stimulant) for like 2-3 days before he started to eat on his own again. I gave him Reglan to help him from throwing up (he was doing quite a bit of that for a while) and to help to push the hairballs out the other end. And gave him Sucralfate to help coat his esophogus from all of the throwing up. He also became anemic so the sucralfate was also used just incase there was bleeding that was causing the anemia.

I also consulted with a holistic/homeopathic vet. She has been so wonderful. And has helped with Bishop's recovery since I lost a lot of confidence in conventional medicing. We have been using homeopathic remedies to help his liver as well. She helped me get Bishop off of the steroids (the conventional vet just wanted me to increase the steroid dose but she didn't think it was a good idea). She was right - he has been doing great since we took him off 3/7/10 was his last dose.

How is your kitty doing now?

Sending good vibes to you and your kitty

Originally Posted by mews2much

Ok Coco has been on all those meds before.
I was talking about fluid that some fip cats get.
The fluids should help him.
I do not like using pred that much.
It cause Coco to have bladder problems but it does work.
The Famotidine should help with the throwing up.
I have some in my fridge.
My cats always foam when I use it.

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No fluid in his abdomen so far, the vet is keeping an eye on it though.
He does ok on Pred, he was on it when he blocked and had p/u surgery.

The vet explained what the meds were for. Pred is for inflammation (liver, pancreus, ect), Amox & Metronidazole for a possible GI tract bacterial infection (could have caused all of this), and the Famotidine (Pepcid) is for nausea. Bear is a good boy, he is no problem at the vet. No prob getting meds in him either. He is not sure what is causing it yet, he seems to think GI infection- that is what he mentions the most.

Thanks so much!

Originally Posted by Denali

Is he doing the liver biopsy for the liver disease or FIP?

I just nursed my cat back after being diagnosed with Cholangiohepatitis. He started throwing up on December 29th and then the hospitalization and emergency vet visits started. It took about 2 and a half months but he is doing much better. He had the exact same symptoms as your kitty had. His ALT values were skyrocket. Same with his bilirubin (which made him severely jaundice). I was so scared that I was going to lose him. During his illness he had so many huge haiballs. One day he had (no word of a lie - I measured it) 18" worth of hairballs through out the day. Thankfully a wonderful lady I know on another cat forum helped me nurse him back to health. She is such a knowledgeable lady when it comes to feline health and nutrition. I would have lost it if she was not there during this majorily stressful time in our lives.

One thing I would recommend for you to get right now is an ultrasound. This will give you more of a definate answer as to what is going on with your kitty. Also, request a PLI/TLI test be done. Pancreatitis is actually very hard to diagnose but with the PLI/TLI test and ultrasound you will have a better chance at knowing if he does have pancreatitis. I feel I waited too long and Bishop could have been on the road to recovery much sooner. Xrays can not make a proper diagnosis. The xrays they took of Bishop did not show inflammation of the liver. The xray actually looked pretty good. But the ultrasound confirmed that Bishop had severe inflammation of his liver, gall bladder, bile ducts, stomach and intestine. It also helped to rule out Pancreatitis. Bishop also was diagnosed at the same time with IBD. The vet at first was treating Bishop for an infection so put him on antibiotics. It was not helping his illness at all. When the ultrasound confirmed he had severe inflammation we immediatley put him on Dexamethasone (steroid) and this helped the inflammation immediately. Right now it sounds like your vet is doing a wide spectrum treatment - both steroids and antibiotics. The ultrasound would confirm which one to actually treat with as well.

Since this is a liver problem you want to start supplementing the liver ASAP. I would ask the vet to put him on Denosyl or Denmarin, Ursodial (this will help the jaundice), Milk thistle (very good for the liver) about 100mg a day. You can buy at drugstore. Hepar Comp by HEEL is also great for the liver. You can buy this at a helath food store or on www.iherb.com

When you get your kitty home I would recommend feeding him many small meals throughout the day. This worked very well for my kitty. For a while I had to force feed my cat. I liked to use a tongue sppressor and put the food on his tongue. It was tiring but worth it in the end. I gave him cypro (an appetite stimulant) for like 2-3 days before he started to eat on his own again. I gave him Reglan to help him from throwing up (he was doing quite a bit of that for a while) and to help to push the hairballs out the other end. And gave him Sucralfate to help coat his esophogus from all of the throwing up. He also became anemic so the sucralfate was also used just incase there was bleeding that was causing the anemia.

I also consulted with a holistic/homeopathic vet. She has been so wonderful. And has helped with Bishop's recovery since I lost a lot of confidence in conventional medicing. We have been using homeopathic remedies to help his liver as well. She helped me get Bishop off of the steroids (the conventional vet just wanted me to increase the steroid dose but she didn't think it was a good idea). She was right - he has been doing great since we took him off 3/7/10 was his last dose.

How is your kitty doing now?

Sending good vibes to you and your kitty

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He only mentioned liver biopsy once, and it was for the liver disease. I asked if he will have to cut open Bear for the biopsy, he said he had to. If he does open him up for biopsy, he could see everything... would there still be a need for a ultrasound? If he did a biopsy, I would ask him to test it for FIP. He hasn't mentioned a biopsy again, I will ask when he calls in the morning. I bet that he will do it Monday though. I have a list of questions ready for him, lol.

That is very strange that your cat had huge hairballs too. Bear's hair is VERY short, and has never ever had hairballs before. He doesn't shed much at all, but he was shedding today at the vet. The hairball he barffed up last night was crazy long, it was about finger wide and just lonnng. It may have been 9+ inches. I actually tore it apart to see if it was his and not my longhaireds hairball. That was the only time hair was in his vomit. He barfed up undigested food once too, the rest of it was liquid (cat food colored).

I will ask about an ultrasound. I've been researching about Cholangiohepatitis, and some sites mention those same meds, I will ask the vet about those in the morning. He is taking Pepcid it is similar to Reglan. I will be buying a baby scale, to make sure he isn't loosing weight if I get to bring him home.

Along with the jaundice, Bear smelled funny. I asked the vet and he said it was the liver issues. I am seriously doubting (and hoping) that it isn't FIP, Bear was throwing up before we found the stray with FIP...

Thanks so much Denali, your post means a lot to me. I feel better knowing that you and your cat got through it. If he makes it, it will be a long journey, you know that. He is a very tough boy like your Bishop!

Very strange that Vet says he has to open kitty up to do liver biopsy. When my cat Taco had this years ago (including pancreatitis), they did a liver biopsy on him using only a large needle, guided by ultrasound though I suppose doing it this way, there is always a risk that they won't take a sample from the right spot on the liver. However, I would ask Vet about doing this as it would seem to me to be less invasive and risky than putting cat in this condition under a general. How well do you know and trust your Vet? Is this a large clinic or hospital you go to? I think if it was me and it was possible, I'd be wishing my cat was transferred over to the care of an internal medicine Vet, or one with significant surgical experience....not just your average everyday Vet.

Have they at least started off by doing an ultrasound of kitty's abdomen? This can show a lot with respect to pancreas, gallbladder, liver, kidneys, etc. I'd be asking about this.

As for the very long furball............I guess it's possible that this was sitting inside him, or in his digestive tract for sometime.......perhaps impairing his ability to digest food properly, causing weight loss and issues with the gallbladder/liver. (Look up "Triad" in cats, aka "feline triaditis" - a syndrome involving bowel gallbladder, liver and pancreas). Here's a link on it: http://www.harpsie.com/pancreatitis....line_triaditis

Fingers crossed for him - I have had a cat with cholangiohepatitis, she had had raised liver enzymes for 10 months prior to that though, but unfortunately refused to be medicated - she was about 15 though. I do know of cats that have successfully been treated though, hopefully Bear will be one of those

He only mentioned liver biopsy once, and it was for the liver disease. I asked if he will have to cut open Bear for the biopsy, he said he had to. If he does open him up for biopsy, he could see everything... would there still be a need for a ultrasound? If he did a biopsy, I would ask him to test it for FIP. He hasn't mentioned a biopsy again, I will ask when he calls in the morning. I bet that he will do it Monday though. I have a list of questions ready for him, lol.

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It surprises me that your vet would not want to have an ultrasound and PLI/TLI test done first before a a biopsy. A biopsy is much more invasive then an ultrasound. I would do the biopsy as a last last resort. You will most likely treat it the same way as you are going to treat it now. If your vet refers you to get an ultrasound try and make sure it is a specialist and not just someone that does it for extra income. And like the other poster said try and find a local internist look over your cat as well. I had a conventional vet, an holistic internist and a homeopathic vet all on board with Bishop's recovery.

He does ok on Pred, he was on it when he blocked and had p/u surgery.

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Are you using Prednisolone or prednisone? Prednisolone is preferred over prednisone for felines. See:
http://www.vetcontact.com/dermatolog...?a=640&t=&f=18. Some vets do not know this, but it can make a real difference. Before prednisone can have its chemical effect, it needs to be converted to prednisolone in the liver. A cat's liver doesn't necessarily perform this conversion very well, so
giving prednisolone is often more effective.

The vet explained what the meds were for. Pred is for inflammation (liver, pancreus, ect), Amox & Metronidazole for a possible GI tract bacterial infection

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Like I said in my other post - your vet is treating him for both inflammation and an infection. When most likely your cat has one or the other. I would definately want to find out what it is right away because steroids (pred) are not great for our cats to be on often. Like one of the other posters said it can cause damage to our kitties. And if your cat does not need it then get him off of it.

He is not sure what is causing it yet, he seems to think GI infection- that is what he mentions the most.

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An ultrasound will help confirm this.

That is very strange that your cat had huge hairballs too.

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After the ultrasound was taken and they saw so much inflammation we figured this is why he was throwing up such huge hairballs. He could not digest them properly with so much inflammation. So instead of going on through to his backside they were coming up the front. Once he was put on DEX and Reglan the hairball thing subsided a bit.

I will ask about an ultrasound. I've been researching about Cholangiohepatitis, and some sites mention those same meds, I will ask the vet about those in the morning.

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If he does not get you on the Denosyl/denmarin and Ursodial I would take your cat to another vet. These are standard practice for the liver. You can also buy the Ursodial over the counter at a pharmacy (cheaper).

Along with the jaundice

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,

The Ursodial will help this immensly.

I am seriously doubting (and hoping) that it isn't FIP, Bear was throwing up before we found the stray with FIP...

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I am not familar with FIP and do not know the symptoms. But everything you have said to me sounds exactly what was happening to my cat. And my cat did not have FIP.

Thanks so much Denali, your post means a lot to me. I feel better knowing that you and your cat got through it.

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Your welcome But I can't stress enough - get an ultrasound

If he makes it, it will be a long journey, you know that.

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It is a very good sign that he wants to eat. I am very optimistic about this. But I would get him on the Denosyl/Denmarin, Ursodial and Milk Thistle ASAP....I can't stress to you this enough These are supplements that are good for the liver. The liver needs them to repair itself.....

The poor baby The good thing is he's holding his own and hasn't been sick again, so lots of mega healthy that this continues