My cat's doctors are stumped.

Hello.  I am new to this whole posting and asking questions online, so forgive me if am doing this wrong or not putting this in the correct area.  However, I am desperate to help my 18 yr old cat, Buttions.  She has been having medical problems that the doctors at her clinic can't really seem to find an answer to.  About a month ago, I noticed a considerable amount of drooling on one side of her mouth and tearing coming from the eye on the same side.  Although she was eating like a pig, I took her to the vet thinking she might be having dental issues.  The doctor looked in her mouth and decided that she had a dental infection.  Given her age, the doctor did not want to do surgery so she sent us home with a 5 day supply of clindamycin antibiotics.  I did the five day treatment, but two days after the antibiotic ended I came home from work to find the same side of her face swollen like a chipmunk.  I took her back to the doctor the next day.  This time the doctor decided the risks of not doing the surgery were greater than the risks of not doing it.  They removed the upper three molars on that side of her mouth and sent her home with pain killers and another round of clindamycin.  Four days later, I was back at the office this time because she had not had a bowl movement in almost six days and I was getting worried.  They did some x rays and determined that she wasn't constipated, but they decided to give her an enema anyway to get things moving.  This confused me only because based on the amount of food she had been eating, it didn't seem natural to not 'go' for six days.

Anyway, about a week and a half after the dental surgery, all her symptoms returned along with other symptoms.  The swelling was back, the drooling became even more excessive, her eye is constantly tearing and now has an iron color to it, she started having sneezing fits.  She has also started drinking and urinating excessively.  Her back legs also started getting weak and sometimes make her lose balance.  She has also started having 'jerking' type movements when she sleeps... they look almost like hiccups.  So, I took her back to the vet three days ago.  A different doctor looked over her this time and did a full exam.  When she examined the side of the face with the swelling, she noticed the eye seemed to protrude a little and was very red under the lid.  She suggested that this was not a dental issue after all, and instead maybe a tumor that was behind the eye and in the upper jaw.  She also thought, Buttions may have either kidney, diabetes, or thyroid issues given the excessive drinking/ urinating and lose of muscle mass in her hind legs.  So, we decided to do a full blood work, x-ray, and urinalysis to get to the bottom of everything.

The next morning, the doctor called me with the results.  Almost all the test came back normal.  No kidney problems, thyroid problems, or diabetes.  The only thing the test showed is that her urine is very dilute- which indicates she is drinking lots of water.  Also, the x-ray came back non-conclusive in that they can't see anything on it, but the doctor said that doesn't mean the tumor isn't there.  The doctor had no answers for the drinking/ urinating.  As bad as it sounds, I was devastated.  At least if something came back abnormal I would know what was wrong and what to do.  The doctor gave me more antibiotics, steroids, and an antihistamine but then said she can't guarantee they will work, but that I can give it a try.  The doctor then suggested euthanasia.

I am at a complete loss as far as what to do.  I don't feel right euthanizing my cat without a diagnosis, but at the same time I've already spent almost $2,000.00 in three weeks which was all my savings and now I can't afford to take her anywhere else for a different opinion.  She still eats lots of food, uses the litter correctly, and still likes to be cuddled with.  She doesn't seem like she is in pain, but I just can't be sure.  Has anyone experienced this before?  Does anyone else have suggesting on her symptoms or what I can do for her?  I hate seeing her this way.  Sorry for the long post, but I would greatly appreciate any advice.

I got her for my 8th birthday when she was only 6 weeks old.  So, I've had her for almost my entire life and her entire life.  She is the only family I have left and is my whole world.... I just can't bear to put her down.

Thank you

Hi, sorry you and your baby are going through this
Two things come to mind..... Have you checked her potassium levels? And has a teeth x-ray been done? Periodontal disease can affect The kidneys, and some of the symptoms you listed might indicate kidney problems.... Her age is a factor, of course. Lack of potassium would explain her being weak on her back legs, the jerking movements, etc. Lack of potassium can occur for different reasons, but one is kidney disease.
I would definitely have a tooth xray. Sometimes the infection is so deep internally, it can only be seen that way. I know you got an xray of her head, but I would ask for one of the teeth she was having trouble with. If she is still running an infection, the vet might want to get a sample to run a culture so a different antibiotic can be prescribed, as this one is obviously not working.
The constipation is normal due to the pain medication, assuming you got her on Buprenex. It is classic for constipation side effects.
:vibes

Look into Care Credit. Your vet has to be  a member, but you can get approval the same day as your appointment.  It has enabled me to help my kitties when I have been maxed out financially.

Google it and I hope you can use it.

God Bless.

Thanks for your fast reply.  

@ carolina.  Her potassium levels and kidneys were both checked three days ago.  Both results turned out to be normal.  This is the main reason her doctors are confused... because her symptoms don't add up with what they were expecting to see.  They actually didn't do the dental x-ray until they had already done the oral surgery to remove her teeth.  The x-ray she had three days ago was to look at that area of her mouth to check for tumors and abscesses.  They couldn't find either... but they also said that tumors don't always show up on x-rays.  I don't believe a culture was done.

@farleyv. I did look into care credit for a different reason awhile ago.  I was trying to stay away from it because of the extremely high interest rate, but it looks like I may have to go ahead and see if I can open one.

Thanks again.

So I know it's been several months since the last post, but I wanted to give an update.  After several more vet visits, a specialist, and $4,000 more dollars, it turns out that all of Buttions' problems were being caused by a tumor located behind her eye.  Apparently, the tumor was hard to see on initial x-rays because of it's location.  It was not until it became much larger that it was apparent there was a tumor.  Unfortunately, the tumor was in a location that could not be operated on.  Nor was she a candidate for radiation or chemotherapy because of her weakened immune system and body due to age and skin cancer.  The best we were able to do was give her steroids, antibiotics, and pain medication.  All worked for a few months until she developed a nasty infection in her jaw and cheek that would not respond to any antibiotics.  She eventually went blind in both eyes.  A week after the blindness developed, her mouth became so sensitive that it would bleed anytime she bumped into something or would try to eat.  I ended up having to put her down in January because her quality of life had deteriorated so bad that I could not leave her alone for fear that she would hurt herself.  It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do.  It has now been several months and I still can not get over losing her.  A huge part of me feels so guilty for putting her down, but I also know that she was in a lot of pain so it would have been cruel to not do so.  She was my everything and my only family... now life just feels so empty without her.

Today would have been her 19th birthday.  She lived to 18.5 years.

I am so sorry to hear this! You did everything right so do not feel guilty. You have her an amazing 18 years and also ended her suffering when she needed too. I have lost 2 pets this year from old age and have a 16 year old dog who I am spending tons of money on in preventative care. It sucks that they can not live very long! For me getting a new kitten has really helped with the pain, it has also really helped my other cat because he missed his BFF who died in November so much.

About a month ago, I lost my boy, Chance, to a tumor in the jaw.  Reading your post, they were very similar situations.  His eye eventually disappeared as the tumor grew.  When I knew he was in discomfort, he also went home to the Bridge.

I am so sorry to read your update.  You certainly did all that could be done.  Please take comfort in that.

God bless Buttions and you .

Buttons, I am so sorry to read your update about your cat. You certainly did all you could do. Please go to our Crossing the Bridge Forum and post a tribute there to you cat. When you do that, it will give our members opportunity to express sympathy and support to you. I am no going to lock this thread. Please know we are all sorry for your loss.