I have put some of my new cats history on here previously, but will recap here (rather long, so bear with me).
I adopted him from a rescue in July, he was fine initially although a bit of a scavenger. I went away early August (he had been with me 3 weeks then), and just before I came back he started with diarrhea - I had already had a vet app booked for the day after I came back as I suspected hyper-t. Vet didn't really seem that concerned about his bowels. Bloods were pretty normal except anaemia, and his urine sample (which I had got as his wee smelled like he was unneutered, even though he feels like he is) showed blood and protein, so the anaemia was attributed to that. He went for a bladder scan as the vet suspected something suspicious. They scanned his bladder and his kidneys (although they aren't that experience in kidneys, so admitted they wouldnt necessarily see anything unless it was obvious). Bladder was fine, but kidneys are on the large end of the scale. Decided to do a repeat urine test in 2 weeks. He had still got diarrhea and had been sick the night before, but no one seemed to take too much notice of that. He was on Cystaid by this point as he was weeing on things daily (yet still using the litter tray)
I was still suspecting hyper-t, as he will eat all his food, walk round to see what the other cats have left, and sometimes then go into the neighbours house and eat their cats food, so when I dropped his second urine sample off, I asked about a FreeT4 test - the vet said his levels weren't high enough (26, top end of the scale is 55) to warrant doing one of those and wanted to wait for the urine sample to see where to go next. That sample showed no blood but slight white cells, vet was unconcerned and said to give him another 2 weeksm although I had told him I was more bothered by his bowels than his bladder, he is only weeing on things about once a week now, and it is more fabric related, he is happy to use a tray, and if there is an empty one around, he can't resist!!
He went back this week, I was concerned as I could feel something behind his ribs, and didn't know if it was his kidneys or a lump. He has also visibly lost weight, his back end is incredibly thin, although since worming him, his fur has improved. The scales however said he has gone from 4.02 to 4.06 in 2 weeks - I think he has put weight on in one place and lost in another so it has balanced out. He checked his heart rate and he still isn't suspicious of hyper-t, but when he felt his abdomen, he can feel inflammation near where the small part of the bowel meets somewhere - not sure whether it is IBD or cancer, but he is verging towards IBD due to how it feels. He doesn't think there is any point scanning him as it wont show anymore than he can feel (he isn't very experienced in scanning), and that the only way to tell whcih one it is is through a biopsy, but as the treatment is the same, he thinks we would only benefit from an acadamia point of view - I disagree, as while the treatment is the same, the prognosis isn't, and I want to know from that point of view. He has given him a 2 week steroid jab to see, as he said if it was cancer, it wouldnt respond for as long as if it were IBD - I pointed out that Molly has been on steroids since Feb for Intestinal Lymphoma, so that doesn't sound right. He obviously couldn't have his booster last night, so he is going back in 3 weeks unless things get worse. He did say if it were IBD, he might only need them every couple of months. One thing that really bothered me was that he never mentioned diet, and I thought that was a big part in controlling IBS? To make things even better, because of the steroid jab, I had a hyperactive, starving cat last night!!
I have a second opinion tomorrow, but any thoughts would be welcome
I adopted him from a rescue in July, he was fine initially although a bit of a scavenger. I went away early August (he had been with me 3 weeks then), and just before I came back he started with diarrhea - I had already had a vet app booked for the day after I came back as I suspected hyper-t. Vet didn't really seem that concerned about his bowels. Bloods were pretty normal except anaemia, and his urine sample (which I had got as his wee smelled like he was unneutered, even though he feels like he is) showed blood and protein, so the anaemia was attributed to that. He went for a bladder scan as the vet suspected something suspicious. They scanned his bladder and his kidneys (although they aren't that experience in kidneys, so admitted they wouldnt necessarily see anything unless it was obvious). Bladder was fine, but kidneys are on the large end of the scale. Decided to do a repeat urine test in 2 weeks. He had still got diarrhea and had been sick the night before, but no one seemed to take too much notice of that. He was on Cystaid by this point as he was weeing on things daily (yet still using the litter tray)
I was still suspecting hyper-t, as he will eat all his food, walk round to see what the other cats have left, and sometimes then go into the neighbours house and eat their cats food, so when I dropped his second urine sample off, I asked about a FreeT4 test - the vet said his levels weren't high enough (26, top end of the scale is 55) to warrant doing one of those and wanted to wait for the urine sample to see where to go next. That sample showed no blood but slight white cells, vet was unconcerned and said to give him another 2 weeksm although I had told him I was more bothered by his bowels than his bladder, he is only weeing on things about once a week now, and it is more fabric related, he is happy to use a tray, and if there is an empty one around, he can't resist!!
He went back this week, I was concerned as I could feel something behind his ribs, and didn't know if it was his kidneys or a lump. He has also visibly lost weight, his back end is incredibly thin, although since worming him, his fur has improved. The scales however said he has gone from 4.02 to 4.06 in 2 weeks - I think he has put weight on in one place and lost in another so it has balanced out. He checked his heart rate and he still isn't suspicious of hyper-t, but when he felt his abdomen, he can feel inflammation near where the small part of the bowel meets somewhere - not sure whether it is IBD or cancer, but he is verging towards IBD due to how it feels. He doesn't think there is any point scanning him as it wont show anymore than he can feel (he isn't very experienced in scanning), and that the only way to tell whcih one it is is through a biopsy, but as the treatment is the same, he thinks we would only benefit from an acadamia point of view - I disagree, as while the treatment is the same, the prognosis isn't, and I want to know from that point of view. He has given him a 2 week steroid jab to see, as he said if it was cancer, it wouldnt respond for as long as if it were IBD - I pointed out that Molly has been on steroids since Feb for Intestinal Lymphoma, so that doesn't sound right. He obviously couldn't have his booster last night, so he is going back in 3 weeks unless things get worse. He did say if it were IBD, he might only need them every couple of months. One thing that really bothered me was that he never mentioned diet, and I thought that was a big part in controlling IBS? To make things even better, because of the steroid jab, I had a hyperactive, starving cat last night!!
I have a second opinion tomorrow, but any thoughts would be welcome
