You're not going to believe this... Lazlo's anemic

Well thankfully with Spook it was just a (very large!) hairball. (Never thought I'd find myself smiling about that LOL).

The vet never called back about the blood, so I called earlier today. They had enough at the lab, so they're running the B12 and iron levels. Not sure when we'll have everything back. She just said she'd call as the information came in - and if anything is out of whack, she'll call right away (which she did), otherwise, she'll call once it's all back (which might be the case now). So just waiting.

At least Lazlo's appetite continues to be good.

Waiting with you, LDG! Hopefully tomorrow (er... today, actually), you'll get some good news.

AC

Well, Lazlo goes back to the vet Wednesday. I don't know what's up with the vet (summer with twin sons? LOL), but I didn't hear back from her, so just went ahead and scheduled a follow-up visit. Thankfully I'm already up on the anemia thing (depo shots technically last two weeks). However, I did miss her call Saturday where she left a most apologetic message - they didn't have enough blood to run the iron and B12 tests.

I'm worried that he's lost weight. He's been feeling so boney to me (despite two vet assurances he's a "perfect" weight). But I'm pretty sure he's lost some weight. He still looks better than he did, and he's acting the same... comes when I call for dinner, and hops up into the upper cabinet where he eats - and wants his brushes - but I have been having to encourage him to eat by fiddling with his food again. And his paw pads still look very pale to me...

We were back at the vet for the follow-up today.

Good and bad news.

Good news:

1) his hematocrit did improve, to 24% from 21%.
2) All of his organs and other tests had normal numbers.
3) His white blood cells were back to normal this time.

Bad news:

1) He lost 1.5 pounds in the past 2 1/2 weeks. He weighs 10 pounds now. He's "perfect" at about 12, but not fat at 14, so he DOES look like skin and bones, it wasn't my imagination. (And the vet agreed - his gums and paw pads look REALLY white. She never would have guessed his hematocrit improved. So that wasn't my imagination either).

2) Even though his hematocrit improved, his RBC dropped to 3.92 from 4.14.

3) His protein count is high, so we can't rule out cancer.

4) His plateletes are low, so no surgery (no bone marrow aspirate) / no anesthesia for a dental to correct his gingivitis or his teeth.

He received fluids again, another shot of convenia, another shot of depo (since he did seem to respond to it!), and a shot of B12 because of the "thrombocytopenia" (low plateletes).

We're treating him as if it's hemolytic anemia (basically like Tuxie, even though the underlying blood work problems are different). We're back again in 2 weeks for another depo shot.

In the meantime, we left today armed with a bunch of Chinese herbal remedies I'm to give him. Three are for his blood, one is for his tummy. (He has been dry heaving. He was vomiting before, but that's probably because he had a problem with hairballs, so the food was stuck in his tummy. Now, with no hairballs, he's "just" dry heaving. ).

We see how he responds to this course of treatment - give it one month - and decide what to do from there.

Oh - and I'm to start giving him iron supplements. I have trouble getting liquids in him, so rather than give him Petinic, I'm getting a human iron supplement and giving him 1/4 pill every three days.

My finger is going to be seriously chomped on - the other pills I have to give him are so large I have to cut them in half, and two of them I have to give 2x a day. The other one is smaller, and it's just once every three days (like the iron).

Oh Laurie
I hope all new meds do the trick - you've had great results with the chinese herbs and I pray that they will do their magic again. Tons of for Lazlo.
Also, I have recently had great success with pill pockets - any way you can give that a shots for a couple of meds at least to give your fingers a break?

LOL, I've tried. Lazlo doesn't like them - even with no pill in them.

Originally Posted by LDG

LOL, I've tried. Lazlo doesn't like them - even with no pill in them.

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Crazy Lazlo
I'm given Hobbes (and Calvin, too, without pills) the salmon one and I am just praying that he continues to like the taste. These kitties are just so unpredictable.
Sending your fingers some along with those for Lazlo

A big hug for you Laurie, I know you are worried about him. We had great success pilling with butter coated tablets for our kitties who do not like pill pockets and can't be fooled into taking meds with any food. Is he very difficult to pill? It sounds like he is...

What did she say about his belly etc when she palpated it?

I am sending my love and healing thoughts your way

Sweetie it is so darn hard when our babies are sick. I am really thinking that the meds he received today plus the added Chinese herbs will help him tremendously . I am concerned to hear about the dry heaves too. The poor little guy. You sure are going the mile for his care. He could not have better medical intervention than you are giving. I have to use a pill plunger for Pipsqueak, but even that is difficult. If I have to use my finger, I put on one of those heavy duty latex cleaning gloves, the thick ones. It does help protect your finger. Sending you mega loving vibes your way and do pray for Lazlo to feel better in the next day or so and start putting that weight back on. You are a great, loving meowmy to him and all your kitties

Lazlo won't touch his food if there's anything but food in it. But he's not difficult to pill at all, he just naturally bites down - it's not so much that he's fighting it. Flowerbelle is the wiggler/thrasher. It doesn't help she's so small LOL. The big ones are easy.

It's weird with Chum - I initially tried to pill him, because I usually don't have trouble with any of them. But even compared to Flowerbelle, the inside of his mouth seems so SMALL. Very strange for such a big-headed cat! But his mouth just doesn't open very wide, and getting my finger over the hump of his tongue was really difficult. That's why I even bothered trying the pill pockes on Chumley. Thankfully, he's just not fussy.

But someone also suggested a type of finger protector, and I remembered we've got those "finger" toothbrushes (Spooky prefers an actual toothbrush LOL), so that works great. Already got today's dose down.

He didn't complain at all about being palpated - no pain - and she really dug in there (and he's so skinny now anyway). She couldn't feel any masses - and he was x-rayed in January, and nothing showed up then. That's another big reason she wants to pursue this first - because really, the next step would be the bone marrow aspirate.

We're all hoping that it's some genetic thing because of Tuxie... and that Lazlo continues to respond well to the depo as Tuxie has. Tuxie needed it less and less often - and is down to only needing a little "booster" about once a year now.

Hi Laurie,
I am so sorry hun
Have you ever tried pilling with Whisker Lickin's? I pill Gracies 2x a day with it, every single day - never, ever failed. I also pilled Hope and Lucky - never a problem. They do not like Pill pockets, or get tired very easily.
Buy the Whisker Lickin's SOFT, in Salmon and Chicken. The cheese do not work well.... Get the round or the heart shaped ones and flaten one on the palm of your hand. Put the pill inside and mold the treat back covering the pill. Serve a pure treat immediately after - I just put it one the floor, so he eats the one with the treat fast and eats the other one right after it.
I have been doing this with Gracie 2x a day since Nov. 1st - not once she rejected. I try varying the flavors so she doesn't get tired.
Good luck hun

I see, Laz is a clencher Our RB Heidi Ann was like that...I am hoping the herbs will help

How is he doing today?

Oh, I forgot to add that Heidi had a tiny mouth too on top of being a clencher. It was very difficult to pill her, so I know what you mean about Chumley. He has a big head and big cheeks, but a tiny mouth One of those idiosyncrasies that you love about him

Thank you for all your vibes - they're working! He seems much perkier, and he's eating the scheduled wet meals pretty well... but he's asking for kibble nibbles! (We keep a mix of c/d dry, origen, before grain chicken, and instinct chicken kibble handy for Tuxie, because he just refuses to eat much wet food). Lazlo isn't eating a lot - but nibbling FREQUENLTY.

I haven't been having trouble getting the pills in him (so far).

As long as he's eating that's great!

YAY, I am relieved to hear that Lazlo is feeling a bit better !! I am glad the finger protector is working for the pills. I have always used a thick heavy kitchen glove, but the rubber dental finger brush is also a brilliant idea! . More and for Lazlo that he continues to eat well and feel good

He's eating like a champ, and hasn't been throwing up AT ALL and NO dry heaves at all since the vet visit! (One of his chinese herbs is "Happy Tummy" LOL. I'm going to have to say - it's either a very strange coincidence, or it's helping!).

Originally Posted by LDG

He's eating like a champ, and hasn't been throwing up AT ALL and NO dry heaves at all since the vet visit!

(One of his chinese herbs is "Happy Tummy" LOL. I'm going to have to say - it's either a very strange coincidence, or it's helping!).

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for a Happy Tummy!!!! I will go with "it is helping" . Keep feeling better and better, darling Lazlo . And good job to you, Laurie, for the impeccable care of ALL of your kitties. They are very lucky to have found you

I am SO HAPPY for you, such excellent news Kisses to your beautiful Lazlo

Lazlo's appetite is still good!

I took a picture today that I think shows just how skinny he is. And this, taken today, is after almost a week of eating a lot. Can you see how his skin is hanging off his bones?



This is from March 2010:



This is from this July 14, 2011: