First Toby, then Lulu, now William- vomiting and not eating or drinking

We have an appointment tomorrow at the same place where Toby and Lulu had surgery. We are going to see an internist @11AM. I am hoping they can do an ultrasound the same day. I almost just left a message for the surgeon because I am very worried about time. But they said they might even be able to do surgery the same day depending on the ultrasound. I just don't want anything to happen to William in between now and then. At least he is eating a little bit. I don't want to push food into him in case it might exacerbate his problem. I will give him fluids today, hopefully that will be ok. And when I give him food, I am watering it down a lot so it will pass more easily. He does still have stools. 

I have never heard of anything like this. I understand your hesitation to put him back outside. I would want him in eyesight. When Muffin was diagnosed with the thyroid issue, it was at the same time his tumor was found. The vet waited until all that was healed and Muffin was semi back to normal anyway.

Hi Laurie, I wondered too, if his problem was congenital. I looked at another site, this is what came up when I searched "bunched up intestines"  in google http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/23308.htm . Needless to say when I read that, I started feeling pretty panicky. It helped me to realize how something inside the intestines like a stocking etc. could bunch up the intestines, not that William eats stockings but you know what I mean.

Until recently he was eating both his food and Ace's. But his weight is 16.9 lbs and when I last had him at the vet a few years ago it was 19.2 lbs. So he has lost some weight, maybe eating a little bit less each time until nothing at all.

This is why I am worried, that he must feel pretty rotten not to eat anything. I almost want to bring him in as an emergency but he is still walking around and wants his rubbings, also I have not seen him vomit recently, and he is still peeing and I think also pooping. And he still is interested in food, in small quantities. I have to check on his poos, I switched him to a larger litter box due to his still being in the guest room.

It will be a hard night tonight just waiting until I can get up and take him to the vet tomorrow. Taking him via emergency today would lessen my worry but I don't think it will make a huge difference in his health, at least I hope not. We are in for so much money with all our cats, the ER would be an extravagance unless he actually starts to ball up or something. And we have to weigh the likelihood of surgery on top of everything so far. I feel like the weight of the world is on us right now augh. It makes me sick to my stomach to think about it. 

Yes it is very hard not to let him outside. He cannot have the run of the house either. He cries extremely loudly in his room when I am not in there. He cries when I am in there too, just because it is not his normal place. I give him rubbings and talk to him and I am spending the nite in there. Right now I have his window open so he can talk to Ace- and there are 7 inches of snow on the ground outside so it is cold in there. he is used to it, but not me LOL.

This morning I got up and went to my own room with my husband and Toby and the other kitties, I wanted to spend a little time there and talk to John before he left for work, as we had not yet discussed what our plan would be for William and I wanted to keep the ball rolling. Anyhow  William started meowing loudly and that got the 3 foster FIV+ kitties going. You would not believe how loud and constant they all were, crying to each other. And John was trying to get some sleep before going into work. I felt like I was in some special kind of hell, unable to manage to all these kitty demands. I have a new respect for moms, that's for sure. Right now I am in the office with the door closed playing the soft music I got for when I transport Toby to his rescue chemo, lol. I need it for myself, giving myself a time out and feeling a little guilty. But I won't be able to do this otherwise. This is the one thing that is very hard for me, dealing with kitty sicknesses like this, multiple especially. I have a hard time finding the time for all of it and I like everything to be sorted out. I am good at dealing with the unexpected in business, very effective in office ER. But real life health issues totally stress me out augh. 

Tomorrow night we are driving to south bend to pick up my niece and bring her to our house to spend the night. I won't know until tomorrow whether William will be in "her" room or not. If so, John and I are giving her our room and we will each spend the night with cats in one of the other rooms or both with William. AUGH. 

Be sure to put the window down Barb wherever you spend the night.:lol3:

Sounds like tomorrow night will be quite the adventure with kitty's all around in bedrooms!! Barb, I know you are dealing with so much right now and with William joining the sickie club, it is just overwhelming. I think you are incredibly strong and I can tell in your posts. It is something to be admired and I tell ya, I think most of us with multiple pets have been in those shoes a time or two. No easy feat, not at all. Will be keeping you and all of your furbabies close tonight and tomorrow. What ever happens or however this turns out, we are here for you, hun.

Wow!  So much going on...and you really don't seem to be panicking, Barb.  You seem pretty calm to me , which is a good thing.

Let's hope they can do the Untrasound, and if surgery is necessary, get it down tomorrow as well.  for William, his buddy Ace, YOU, John, all your furkids, all the fosters, and for your niece, who's coming into who knows what! 

Well, since the x-ray didn't reveal a blockage, and he's still eating small amounts, and it's still passing, at this point I'm guessing it's not a blockage - and since there's nothing on the other side, it's probably going to turn out to be a congenital problem. Of course, no point in guessing. I'm glad you're getting the ultrasound done. :heart2:

Barb - hang in there! You sure do have your hands full. But you're getting just HEAPS of calming vibes from us here at TCS! I know it feels like you're going through hell.... but you WILL come out the other side! :heart2:

And, of course, many vibes for William, the babies, and Toby. :heart2:

Well, since the x-ray didn't reveal a blockage, and he's still eating small amounts, and it's still passing, at this point I'm guessing it's not a blockage - and since there's nothing on the other side, it's probably going to turn out to be a congenital problem. Of course, no point in guessing. I'm glad you're getting the ultrasound done. :heart2:

Barb - hang in there! You sure do have your hands full. But you're getting just HEAPS of calming vibes from us here at TCS! I know it feels like you're going through hell.... but you WILL come out the other side! :heart2:

And, of course, many vibes for William, the babies, and Toby. :heart2:

Well William is back from the specialty center and it is good news! They said the ultrasound showed no bunching of his intestines and that it was just the shots from the x-ray where somehow they bunched up! 

They did his blood test again plus a special test for his liver biliary value, and everything is normal except he still is positive for hyperthyroid. His liver values are back to normal!

They sent us home with a very small dose of thyroid pills to give him every day as a starter. They said elevated thyroid can sometimes have the opposite effect in a cat and even attack the liver.

I think he ate something that really hit his liver hard somehow.

I let him back outside. It is 40+ degrees right now and the next several days are expected to be warm like this.

I still have to give him a pill and look at where they shaved his stomach but I am going to do that later tonight after he is back in his William world and feeling more comfortable. It was a very traumatic several days for him. I am surprised he even has a voice, he cried so hard to the vet and back, plus he was panting the whole way there and back.

On his stomach, I told the vet to just shave the minimum since he is outdoors, and I can't even see it or feel it from looking at him in a sitting position. I will only pick him up/bring him in much later. I do really want to look at it but it is not the highest priority and the snow is so deep, I know he will not travel far for now. I do really want to see it but we just got home and my husband will be here in 1/2 hour to drive us to Indiana to get my niece, and I wanted William to be emotionally ok again. 

As for food, he started eating more altho it is still not as much as usual. He hadn't eaten since 11pm the nite before, so 16 hours. I thought he was hungry in the middle of the night and early morning because he started crying around 3-5AM and didn't really stop. Yes I was there with him, augh.  Right before I had to fast him, he had started to lap at wet food mixed with water. He ate his first crunchies when I let him back outside just now, and he had some natural balance turkey and chicken wet food. 

I still want to think about what could have made him so sick unless it is the thyroid. He laps up water where the ice melts on his plastic solar pool cover. I put a water bowl there but he ignored it. I can't fix his entire outside world but my husband is already thinking of how to give them more attractive alternatives so they are not lapping water everywhere. 

Ace came out and they reintroduced themselves to each other again. That was a big concern, since there was the third cat around and I didn't want them to be confused at night when they are both a little more alert for predators. She poked her head out from under the gazebo cover and did a few little tiny mews and then they touched noses and went in together. Whew!

I told my husband and he is totally relieved, altho both of us are still wondering what could have made him that sick, as we saw him refusing all food and water, plus vomiting for several days and being lethargic. I really hope we do not see a repeat of that. 

I am very relieved it is not more complicated at least not for now, anyhow, and we will see how it goes. And on the good side we have that thyroid diagnosis, maybe this will help get his weight more under control.

What wonderful, wonderful news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh SUCH a relief!!!!

The water thing.... We have various water dishes out in the summer, and a heated dish in the winter. They all use the heated water dish, but in the summer, it's anything goes. Even now, winter, Smokey prefers the water that collects on top of the storage boxes we have on the deck. It's the funniest thing when it's frozen - he sits there hitting it with his paw, wondering where his water is. :lol3: He can SEE it - but can't drink it! I always pour water and call him to the sound... and he'll come. So maybe a fountain? :dk:

That is the same with William, Laurie! We use a heated bird bath for their water in wintertime. The raccoons drink from it too, so it is always dirty ugh. But William prefers the melted ice off the gazebo plastic. Tomorrow we are going to have a good look at what the heck they are drinking nearby especially William. 

Yeah, the raccoons always make a mess. :wife: I have to clean the water dishes every morning. And with the heated one, it'd be lovely for a few days if it weren't for them.

WONDERFUL NEWS !!!!!!!! YAY for William and momma! You must be so relieved because I know I am!!!! Now to just get the thyroid under control but I guess that is pretty simple compared to what might have been, right???!!! OH and THOSE dirty rotten scoundrels, raccoons. I think they appreciate all of the water we supply THEM - they are so tidy, soaking their food and cleaning their paws in our cats outdoor water bowls. :lol3: