Belly fluid

Honey has had this belly fluid I've read about for years...
My feral, rescued (@ 1 yr ?), MHD reverse Torbie girl is probrably 7 or 8 now, and besides the seemingly typical tortishell type traits, like being destructive & non affectionate, she is very active, curious, ravenous, poops solid, and is fine in every other way but these...
1. Can not purr at all. Ever.
2. A little? Fat between 13.8 - 14.6 lbs over a 2 month span. On diet 3 years now.
3. Wheezy in winter, if no humidifier is run. Fine all summer.
4. Soggy hanging lower belly fluid that doesn't seem to bother her.
5. A lump on left side mid neck (little bigger than a pea) that isn't on her right side.

Since rescuing treating & fixing her, the recession has hit & I haven't been able to afford her last 4 yearly checkups.

  Should I be worried as long as she seems as 'normal' as a Torbie can be?
          THANKS       -Jerry

 

Honey is very pretty! Is she an indoor only kitty now? Thank you for rescuing her all those years back. I am sure she is a very happy cat. She sounds pretty healthy overall acting normal, eats well, normal poops, and active. Has she had the swollen, hanging belly for years? When was the last time she was de-wormed? I really do think that a vet visit would be a good choice at this time. Maybe you could find a vet who would allow you to make a few payments for whatever care Honey needs. Mostly, I would want the belly looked at and I would bring in a stool sample. If she is indoor only, then you don't have to get vaccinations and can decline them if the vet suggests. Basically, you just want her checked out and make sure she does not have any parasites. That could also cause a distended belly. I would think if it were the "wet" form of FIP then Honey would not be doing so well for many years with that big belly. As for the little lump on the left side of the neck that could be anything from a little benign nodule to something more serious. Again, having a vet peek at the little lump might give you some reassurance as to what to expect. for Honey.

She is an indoor, and only child, that has had this belly since shortly after fixing her. Friends have said that it is common & from being fixed. Had tape worm between checkups 2 & 3, used OTC & was clear by next yearly.
Her last vet never mentioned the belly, though she was at least 5 pounds smaller at her last visit.
She is anti-loving & never let me touch her belly till last couple years, so now I notice its sloshy.

She was always gaining weight till I tapered & measured her servings to a 50cc ice tea scoop, 3 times daily, that's about 1/2 cup total to keep her within a pound of 13.5, any more and she goes to 15. Weekdays I mix 40% regular with 60% indoor low fat, premium grain free, protein focused kibbles, so she can have that much, as she gains on the same amount of straight regular Core alone. 

  Guess it's time to find a vet in my new area & max out the credit card.  THANKS


 

I am glad you are taking her to a vet. Belly fluid is not normal, and lumps are always worrisome.

Tape worms will not show up on a fecal. But, you would see the dried worm segments in the cats bedding which look like yellow colored rice. IF your kitty has had this sloshy belly for her whole life then it is not FIP as she would have passed by now without having it drained. I am still thinking she needs to be de-wormed, properly. Was she ever de-wormed after you took her in 7 - 8 years ago? That is the first thing I would do at this point. A stool check would not cost that much either. Getting a cat spayed does not bring on a large belly so that would not have been the cause. You won't have to max out your credit card to take her to the vet to be checked out and have her checked for worms. It may help you get some answers and they might not be as bad as you are thinking. :cross:

She was de-wormed at home with OTC 3 months before her last yearly checkup. A week later the rice on bedding dissapeared. That was before her 3rd yearly, about 5 yrs ago & she had the belly then, though she was not so overweight then. I got in touch with a new vet and was assured it would not be more than a couple hundred dollars for all checks w/o vaccines as she does not go out, or have any friends.

"Getting a cat spayed does not bring on a large belly so that would not have been the cause."

I'll have to tell my friend that, he says all his 5 feral rescued girls have gotten that hanging lower belly after getting spayed, although they were all much older when taken in than my Hon E. Bunny was at around 1 year, and I don't know if they have the fluid as well. 

New vet next week is all 5 star reviewed.

I'm sure she must be OK cause shes so active & ravenous but we'll see.  THANKS. Will post results....

For me, I would never use the OTC dewormers and I don't think they really work well. Get something from the vet. It is much safer and really not that much more expensive then OTC. Take in a stool sample with you to the new vet. Good luck and please do report back.

Honey is fine. Vet says it's not fluid in her belly, by using ultrasound. She's just overweight.

The lump on her neck is confirmed as cystic after using microscope to view it's contents.

The next day they confirmed the stool sample came back clean, no parasites!

Awesome news & it only cost $ 80 for full checkup in Jersey.

     Thank you everyone for your concern! Honey loves you all.  -Jerry
 

Hi, and thanks for sharing Honey's story. I now know what to expect for tape worm infection. Yellow rice shaped (pugh-stuff)

So happy to know she is going to be ok

Found out more later,  I case anyone finds it useful, on her second checkup another Dr. in my vets I saw

said that that was her bladder (down by her legs) not her belly!

I think my calling it a "belly" made people think it was higher up - where a cats real belly really is.

I didn't want my idiocy (Fluid in Belly) to confuse anyone, its actual urine - normal.

But since I had new profile pics of my rare Reverse (Red) Torbie MH to update - I thought I'd clarify.  -Jerry