Question ~ Hoping Someone Can Help

Hello Everyone!! First off I want to tell you what a great forum you have. I am hoping that someone can help me out here. My 4 year old spayed female cat has been sick lately. I was wondering if anyone here has had any similar problems or might know what is going on. Here is what has been happening:

Saturday August 23rd: She was sleeping on the couch and all of a sudden jolted up, jumped off the couch and ran to the middle of the room and started yowling (like when cats are in heat). She yowled for about 15 seconds. Afterwards she was a little scared and jumpy. She seemed pretty fine the rest of the day just a little tired. That night she was sleeping on the bed with us and woke up at 3am and yowled once and I comforted her and she fell back to sleep.

Sunday August 24th: She was sleeping in the corner of the dining room and all of a sudden I heard her yowling and went in to see what was wrong. She was laying on her stomach and looked like she was in pain, drooling a little and then continued to have a bowel movement (somewhat hard and dark in color) in the corner and then would not move. This all lasted about 1 minute. I finally scooted her away and cleaned up and then I comforted her and she went back to sleep. She again seemed fine the rest of the day just tired and really jumpy when awake.

I called the vet and the soonest appointment was September 11th so I took it. He told me to keep an eye on her and call him if anything else happens.

Monday August 25th & Tuesday August 26th she did not have any episodes, but did sleep alot and was very jumpy.

Wednesday August 27th: She was sleeping on the computer room floor and got jolted out of her sleep once again and started running across the room and slammed into our bookcase and then layed down and started yowling for about 30 seconds. She got a little bit of a bloody nose and then her nose ran clear. She slept most of the rest of the day and was jumpy.

Thursday August 28th: I woke up in the morning and she seemed like her normal self. She was following me around and meowing and rubbing against my legs. I came into the computer room to check my e-mail and she followed me and sat next to my chair and was meowing for some treats (this is our normal morning routine) . I tapped the computer desk for her to jump up and she did and I layed her treats on the desk. She proceeded to eat them and as soon as she sniffed the treat she jumped straight into the air about 3 feet and came down and landed on my keyboard. She then jumped straight up in the air again and did a flip and when she came down she ran into the corner of the computer desk and yowled. She also sprayed a little urine when she ran to the corner of the computer desk. This all happened in about a minute.

I called the vet and he told me to bring her in first thing Friday morning. I took her in and he kept her most of the day checking her and taking blood tests. He said that her heart, lungs, eyes, skin look excellent, but some kind of liver count is at 240 which the normal range is between 80-130. I am not absolutely sure what he said because when he called I was at the grocery store with no pen or paper. When I went to pick her up with all my questions he was already gone. They sent some blood away to get tested, but because of the holiday weekend they won't know any results until Tuesday or Wednesday of this week. They sent home Phenobarbitol to give her twice a day until next week so she isn't so jumpy. I got her to take it Friday night and Saturday, but Sunday she would not take it and she hasn't taken it since.

They had to sedate her at the vet to do all the tests so I couldn't feed her the night before or Friday morning which she was hungry. When I got her home from the vet she ate about a half of a bowl of food. Since then she isn't eating and she drinks very little. She sniffs her food once and then just turns away. It is almost like she can't smell it or something. She urinates about once a day, but still no bowel movement.

I am sorry this is so long, but I wanted you to know everything in case someone might know what is going on.

Thanks for any help!! Katie (Me) & Mandy

I would take her to another vet for another opinion. Poor baby, something must be wrong!! For the not eating, you could try to give her some of the liquid from a can of cat food tuna, it smells really strong and sometimes when mine are sick I give them that. Nine Lives Flaked is the kind they like. I would definitly get her some help though, something isnt right.

I think the phenobarbitol is an anti seizure med. . .maybe the vet thinks her "episodes" may be seizure related. It does sound seizure or intestinal (maybe something intestinal that has gotten twisted or blocked and occasionally causes severe pain).

Her appetite might have changed because of the phenobarbitol (and there might also be some additional side effects as well) or may be related to the root problem. But the fact that she basically hasn't eaten well for two days and is drinking very little would worry me. I think you should probably tell the vet her change of appetite and lack of bowel movements. I don't know what the connection with the liver panel being elevated though.

I hope she feels better real soon.

Originally posted by Maui
I think the phenobarbitol is an anti seizure med

Click to expand...

You are correct.

I was wondering about epilepsy while reading your post (and the phenobearbitol makes me think your vet might suspect it.) We had a Boxer who had epilepsy and occasionally (roughly once a week) had mild seizures. However, I have no idea what that could have to do with the liver levels. I'm crossing my fingers that there is nothing seriously wrong with your cat. Please keep us posted on further findings.

The Dr called today and said her Viral Panel looks good and shows no signs of infection or disease. They did a toxicology test which also came back negative. I explained to him that she hasn't eaten since Friday and he said that he is not concerned and that she could still be coming out of sedation and feeling groggy. He said the liver levels were only mildly elevated so overall she is healthy.

Today before the Dr called she went under the table in the living room and was dry heaving and threw up a clear/yellowish foamy liquid. It had no smell when I cleaned it up. I told him about it and he really didn't have much to say. She is also breathing really hard when she is awake and seems to tire easily when she walks around. Where ever she stops is where she lays back down. I took a little tiny spoon with some food on it and tried to feed her. I wiped some by her mouth for her to lick and she did, but then she cried a couple of times and started dry heaving again, but nothing came up this time. She still has not had a bowel movement and has not urinated since Sunday. When you pick her up she meows a little like she is in pain and when she lays down she takes it really slow. I feel so helpless and don't know what to do.

The Dr called today and said her Viral Panel looks good and shows no signs of infection or disease. They did a toxicology test which also came back negative. I explained to him that she hasn't eaten since Friday and he said that he is not concerned and that she could still be coming out of sedation and feeling groggy. He said the liver levels were only mildly elevated so overall she is healthy.

Today before the Dr called she went under the table in the living room and was dry heaving and threw up a clear/yellowish foamy liquid. It had no smell when I cleaned it up. I told him about it and he really didn't have much to say. She is also breathing really hard when she is awake and seems to tire easily when she walks around. Where ever she stops is where she lays back down. I took a little tiny spoon with some food on it and tried to feed her. I wiped some by her mouth for her to lick and she did, but then she cried a couple of times and started dry heaving again, but nothing came up this time. She still has not had a bowel movement and has not urinated since Sunday. When you pick her up she meows a little like she is in pain and when she lays down she takes it really slow. I feel so helpless and don't know what to do.

When was she spayed? Mine was spayed on Friday and she is doing really well, she used the litter box as soon as she got home and layed around and didnt eat too much the first day. Everyday I notice that she is feeling better and doing really well. I sure hope your kitty gets better, I would look for another vet to take her to if she doesnt improve.

if this cat hasnt had a bowl movement or peed for a few days it needs to go to the hospital, this could be very dangerous. a kitty just cant go that long, is she still the same??

I was thinking the same thing as Dougbug. I have had this kitty in my thoughts all day. Sounds like the vet would be a bit more concerned to me, I would be looking for another vet to see what they say. You think maybe somethings wrong from her spay and she is jumpy because it hurts in there or too painful to go to the litterbox? Maybe she has an intestinal blockage or something. Hope she will be ok. She is in my thoughts. Let us know how she is doing.

Please, please. PLEASE take your baby to another vet first thing in the morning if not right now to an emergency vet. I know you've spent a lot of money but with the symptoms your describing, mainly not going to the bathroom) she has a HUGE problem. Have you even had an x ray taken? That could definetly show a problem in the bowels. I'm worried about your baby. Let us know how she's doing. Is hses dehydrated? Pull her scruff up on the back of her neck and if it stays up at ALL, she need fluids bad. Check and let us know.

Could she have swallowed a foreign object, like dental floss? That definitely doesn't sound good, and I would take her to an emergency hospital. Not eliminating any wastes for so long indicates a serious problem.

Hello Everyone. Thanks for all the suggestions, thoughts and prayers. My little girl passed away last night.

The vet still does not know what caused this, but I did alot of looking on the internet about her symptoms. They all seem to point in the direction of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy ~ an abnormal thickening of the heart wall.

She was the best cat ever and it was so hard to see her suffering these past couple of days. My husband and I were with her and both holding her when she passed away. I had a gut feeling that she wasn't going to make it yesterday.

She will be missed by all of us!! It is going to be so different around here without her.

I am so sorry of your loss , my heart is going out to you

Im so sorry you lost your kitty How awful! I wish you had some answers, its all so strange! Im sorry shes gone

I am so sorry your girl is gone. My heart breaks for you. Have comfort in knowing that she will always be in your heart.