What Could be Wrong With my Meezer? :(

amythyst

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Hi guys, just when I get my new kitten settled in and doing well... my older cat starts having issues.  I'm really worried about him... he started acting "different" a few days ago.... like I can't explain it but when you know you're cat you know they are "off".  Then, this morning I saw he had really nasty diarreah.  Subsequently, after he went to the bathroom he vomitted.  It wasn't even food or bile... it looks like saliva.  Then later in the day, he had diarreah again and after he came out of the box he did the same thing with the crazy liquid saliva stuff.  Not to mention, he was walking around with strings of saliva hanging out of his mouth.  He has not eaten or drank anything since yesterday.

I called the vet and got him in this afternoon.  They didn't find anything in his poo but he has a temparature of 104 and I guess they thought he might be at risk of getting dehydrated so they gave him under the skin fluids.  She said the saliva is because he is nauscous and has an upset tummy.  So, they gave him an injection of anti nausea medicine.  They took some blood work and said we shouldn't do anything until we get that back tomorrow.

But I'm still really worried about him... he just went pee and as soon as he got out of the box he had all this liquid saliva coming out of his mouth.  He was totally fine when I brought him home at 3:30 and was sleeping with me in front of the fire and had no sign of the crazy drool.  It seems like it keeps happening when he goes to the bathroom???  What on earth could cause this to happen?  I know personally if I have cramps and have a hard time poo'ing that it can make me sick to my stomach but this was just him peeing and I don't think he's having a hard time doing that.

He is 10 years old and has never had any health problems.  The only thing he's ever had was dental issues and he used to vomit for  years and years.  Docs always said he was totally fine and was just a "barfer".  Which I accepted... but after he got his teeth cleaned last year and had some rotten ones removed, he actually stopped vomitting.

He is very lethargic and I can just tell he feels like crap.  What should I do for him?  How long can he go without eating or drinking (and since they gave him all the fluids today).  Does anybody know what this could be?  His diarreah is very mucousy and very thin and not a lot comes out of him at a time.  I thought I saw some red/pinkish looking stuff (which I mentioned to the vet but didn't say anything to me) in it as well.

Has anyone ever had this happen to their cat?  The wierd liquid coming out of his mouth is freaking me out.  And its kinda thick and will hang off his canines like a big dog if it had drool hanging.

Any insight is appreciated. :(
 

penelopess

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I'm afraid I don't have mush suggestions but I do hope your cat get better soon as my cat is also experiencing diarrhea and we can't figure out what's wrong with him, so understand how much worried you might be.

Since your vet gave him subcutaneous fluids he should be fine for a day or two mean while the vet will check the results of the other tests.  My vet also gave some Metronidazole for my cat which should help. 

Let us know how it goes and best wishes.
 

vball91

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He could have caught something from the kitten. How long has the kitten been there and what kind of environment did he come from? 104 means he does have a fever and may have an infection of some kind. I wonder if there are any more rotting teeth causing problems? Also, is it possible he's actually constipated and diarrhea leaking around impacted fecese? The vomiting after pooping can be a sign of straining.

On another note, even though he had fluids recently, he needs to start eating soon to stave off fatty liver disease. If he is not eating by tomorrow, I would look into syringe feeding him.
 

stephanietx

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The stress of the new kitten could've brought on something and like vball said, he could've picked something up from the kitten.  Most likely it's a combination of the stress and the new kitten.  If he doesn't start eating soon, you'll need to syringe feed him and/or call the vet for an appetite stimulant.
 
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amythyst

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Thanks for the support guys... while it could be anything, I don't think it is the stress of the kitten.  We have had the kitten for awhile now and they actually both love each other a lot.  He licks him and lays with him and even defends him against my other 8 year old female cat that doesn't like the kitten much.  She is doing fine and nothing is wrong with her.  The kitten came from a shelter but we've had him for over a month and he was checked out and had all his shots and 2 dewormings.  He appears to be fine and didn't come with any issues (that I know of).

It could be a possibility of another rotten tooth... his mouth actually smells funny.  Not like nasty smelling but I dunno just wierd... oddly enough the smell reminds me of reeses peanut butter cups.  The saliva that is drooling out of his mouth has the same strange smell.

I loath the thought of having to force feed him... I hope it doesn't come to that.  Maybe he just needs an antibiotic or something.  All he wants to do is lay with me or near me... he starts to purr when I rub him his favorite way. :)

We have had the window open the last week in our computer room cause its really hot in here (outside temp has been 30's and 40's) and the window cat seat is right by the window.  Could he have caught a bad cold or something from laying in front of the open window??
 
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dan32

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I've had a series of chronic vomiters and only one incidence of perfectly clear vomit that I can remember.  It turned out Kyle had eaten a ribbon which showed up a few days later out the other end.

Maybe if a blockage of any kind is suspected, then a liquidized food (like baby food) would allow for a gentler digestion that could pass around the blockage.  I agree, syringe feeding is no picnic - I have found if they are at all cooperative they will eat off your extended finger - or wipe it on their paw and see if they will lick it off on their own.
 
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amythyst

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She felt his stomach quite a bit when I took him today... would she have felt if he had a blockage?

Fievel is a VERY picky siamese and its hard enough to find normal cat food that he will eat his whole life. :)  He hates people food, will not eat a raw food diet, baby food or anything like that.  He won't even eat the same flavor of food twice in a row.  Not sure how he got so picky cause I always tried to feed him a variety of food since he was a kitten.

I tried to give him some warmed up food this evening but he barely sniffed it.  Usually if I really really want him to eat something I will put it on my finger and then open his mouth and put it on his tongue.  But this only works so much before he gets aggrevated and is like dude stop putting food on my tongue. :)

He is no stranger to hunger strikes though... his bestest friend for 10 years died last year and he was incredibly depressed for a few months.  He refused to eat for weeks and lost a couple pounds in the process.  I was having to do the food on tongue thing for a while ... but eventually he came around and started eating again and gained his weight back.

Ugh I hope its just a cat flu or something. :(
 

dan32

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Let us know how his bloodwork comes out tomorrow.  I think if he has gingivitis, he will have bad breath.
 
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amythyst

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Vet called me this morning.  He has pancreatitis.  Now I don't know what to do.  She said he should be hospitalized but I cannot afford that.... she said just 1 day would be 800 dollars.  She said I could do outpatient care for him... but she is worried because of his age that home care wouldn't be enough.

How did he get this?  Is it normal for this to just happen overnight?  Has anyone gone through this with their kitty?  Will he be ok if I do home care for him?  She gave me an appointment today to take him back for more fluids, anti nausea medicine and some pain medication.  But she said this just needs to ridden out like the flu?  Since the vet is closed on Sunday, I would have to take him to the emergency place on Sunday to get his daily fluids.  She also told me he has low calcium and that can impact his heart beating.... how do you get a cat's calcium up???

Ugh. :(  Need some good advice here?  Should I go into debt I can't afford to get him better or risk taking care of him at home?
 

denice

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I don't think you have a definitive pancreatitis diagnoses.  The blood test for that is done at Texas A&M.  Initial care is the same for all these digestive type issues the difference would be in long term diet.  I would ask about starting him on a steroid.  I know a lot of people don't like using them on their pets but an anti-inflammatory would help.  Your doctor may not have prednisolone, there is a shortage of it.  If he doesn't have the prednisolone then I would ask about dexamethasone that is what my vet has substituted.  A lot of vets use prednisone as a substitute but it is harder on the liver which a cat with digestive problems doesn't need.

He does need to eat to avoid fatty liver disease.  I would ask about a prescription food called Hill's A/D, if he carries Royal Canin their equivalent is called Recovery.  The easiest way to feed would be with a feeding tube but I understand money being a concern.  You can syringe feed him.  Your vet can show you how to do it and there are videos on youtube and one here.  Basically you go slow and use the side of his mouth.  The A/D is both nutrient and calorie dense.
 

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If he needs fluid therapy this is fairy easy to do at home. The vet can show you how. Basically it's a bag of lactated Ringer's solution which the vet will provide. They'll also sell you some small needles that you attach  a small diameter tube on the bag. Needles can only be used a couple of times before they become a little dull. Sharp is good because it is less painful for the cat. They should show you how, and tell you how much fluid to give, and how often.

Clip the bag to something higher than your lap. I used a bookshelf near the chair I'd sit in with the cat in my lap. Sit your cat on your lap. Gently pinch up some skin over the shoulder and insert the needle. There's a little nob on the tube up by the bag that you turn until liquid drips, drop by drop, into the tube. The dose of liquid will make a squashy lump under the skin and then be absorbed by the body.

I would just sit my cat in my lap and pet her while she received the fluids. She would lay there and purr.

You can do this. It's simple and easy.

Good luck to both you and your fur baby.
 
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amythyst

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Well she said making him right now would probably result in him just vomitting it up.  Can a cat have regular prednisone like a person would get?  I actually have a ton of it from my husband's recent surgery.  I can ask her about that too when I go today.

I will ask them about letting me do the fluids at home.  I was actually thinking that it should be something I can do.  If I can manage giving IV antibiotics to my husband at home through a PIC line, I should be able to give fluids to my cat! :)

Is there anything else that can be done for pancreatitis?
 

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If you don't have a definitive diagnosis as Denice mentioned, then I'll be darned if I would pay $800/day to them to treat him. I don't have $800/day anyway. I would get a real diagnosis and then home care. Fluids especially are easy to administer at home. Grey :rbheart: actually enjoyed them since I warmed them up before giving them.
 

denice

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The liver actually converts prednisone into prednisolone that is why prednisolone is the better choice.  You can ask about using the prednisone that you have.  The normal dosage of prednisolone while he is sick is 10 mg a day split into two doses.  I don't know if it would be the same with prednisone.  When Patches was very sick and couldn't keep anything down he had a feeding tube put in and it took almost a week to get him to the point where he could keep down a normal amount of food.  You could also ask about an antibiotic called metro.  Metro is short for it I'm not going to try to spell the full name, the brand name for it is Flagyl.  It also has an anti-inflammatory effect in the digestive system.  It is also very bitter.  My vet would cut up the pills and put them in gel caps so he wouldn't taste it.
 
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amythyst

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Ok thank you, these are all great things for me to ask when I go in a little while. :)

What about his low calcium?  Are there any vitamin supplements for cats?
 

dan32

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There are several threads on here lately about cats with pancreatitis, although I wonder if some vets just assign that dx when they don't know what else.  In any event, you might gain some knowledge from these active threads:

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/264363/sebastian-is-back-at-the-vet-suspected-pancreatitis-again

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/266475/help-beloved-cat-just-diagnosed-with-pancreatitis-kidney-failure

You can also use the search bar up on top of this page and enter "pancreatitis" and I am sure you will come up with more matches.
 
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amythyst

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They let me do the at home IV fluids, so that was nice.  They said he doesn't  have a fever anymore so I'm happy about that too.  They gave me some oral vitamin and mineral stuff to put on his tongue so at least he gets some nutirition.  They also gave us some pain medication and gave him another injection of anti nausea medicine.  If I actually wanted to do the Texas A&M test it would cost me 150 dollars.  So, I'm waiting on that.

Thank you for the links... and you're right about the search I'm sure I can find some stuff, I just hadn't thought to stop and do that yet. :)

He seems to be a little bit more alert today and able to walk around... aside from the fever being gone as well, not much change.  I hope he'll be better by Monday... if he's not...they say I need to take him to the ER. :(
 

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Hi. I'm so sorry to hear Meezer is not feeling well.

How did the vet come to a pancreatitis diagnosis? The snap fPL is an in-house pancreatitis test that gives immediate results. However, it's not entirely accurate, and a more accurate diagnosis (as @Denice mentioned) can be determined by sending the blood sample to TAMU for the spec fPL.

My Sebastian had a really bad flare of pancreatitis in July of this year, and then again in September (@Dan32 provided the link to his thread above). The first flare in July was determined using the snap fPL. The number was off the charts and he all the classic signs, so even though he only had the snap fPL done, we had no doubt that it was pancreatitis. He had the whole gamut - xrays, ultrasound, more blood work. After several recurring flares, we decided to send a blood sample off to TAMU in October. It came back that Sebastian has pancreatitis, although it was mild at the time the blood was drawn. Our conclusion is that Sebastian has chronic pancreatitis that varies in severity from time to time which may be related to possible inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and/or intestinal lymphoma. Since I declined a biopsy, we're treating for IBD. I'm really summarizing here.

My vet followed the Idexx protocol to a T and Sebastian was hospitalized for three days on an IV. Here's document that may help you understand how this is treated: http://www.idexx.com/pubwebresource...pec-fpl-treatment-for-feline-pancreatitis.pdf
 

denice

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Just out of curiosity is your cat a Siamese?  I had one of the vets when I was vet hopping to find something for Patches diagnose him as having pancreatitis.  She didn't run blood work but one of the reasons she used was his oriental type build.  She said that Siamese seem to be more prone to pancreatitis.  When I read up on it I did find out that that was true.
 
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amythyst

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Yes, a meezer is a pet name for Siamese cats. :). He is a blue point. I just feel so helpless in that all I can do is give him fluids and wait and see if he gets better. I did end up force feeding him 5 cc's of science diet a/d. He appeared to keep it down but the crazy drool started again like he is feeling nauseous. I don't see how he can be so nauseous with the anti nausea medicine they have been giving him. He is walking around a bit better but still just wants to bury his head in my arm and sit in my lap.

I will give him some more of the liquid pain medicine when it gets closer to bedtime. Then more fluids tomorrow. Sigh. This is so hard.
 
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