v v sick cat - deperate - please help

My beloved cat is fading fast. He has gone from lovely healthy rotund cat with great appetite to fragile bag of bones within a month or so. Now so weak can hardly stand. The vet is completely at a loss.

The vet has tested for toxopalsmosis / FIV / FIP leukemia all negative. all blood work has come back normal [liver blood sugar kidneys etc] He isnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t diabetic. She has x rayed and scanned and he has no tumours or blockages.

The only thing she has found is a “ever so slightly†enlarged heart and she has prescribed him Fortekor. However this seems to have made him worse and even more listless. I suspect that she feels she must come up with some kind of answer as this has already cost me £500 [not that it matters if we can find whats wrong with him] and I think she just feels she needs to tell me something. I donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t feel this is the problem and may just be a side effect of whatetever his root problem is. She has also put him on an antibiotic. Hes been hospitalised on drips for a couple of days but is now home.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what might be wrong with him. I feel like we are running out of time and im so desperate;-( now hes developed a v bad sneeze too [ I think picked up from staying at the vets]

He has always been very healthy other than having a tapeworm as a kitten. Always had v v healthy appetite. He is a 3 year old Russian blue.

Please please help. Any ideas very greatfully received.

Thank you

MMagenta

Could he have heartworm? I don't know if the UK has the problem with heartworm that we do here in the states.

Are his gums or the inside of his ears yellow? Is there a feline specialist in your area that could give you a second opinion or a small animal vet college near you?

Thanks for your reply ;-) Its only 7 am here and im up deperately searching the web for answers whilst poorlyboy snoozes on sofa.

No apparently we dont have heartworm in the uk thankfully [just checked a few sites]. His gums and ears arent yellow. He actually looks fine [nice coat bright eyes] but is just SO thin and weak. The vets started to refer to him as mystery cat ;-(

Its so perplexing ;-(

MMagenta

take him to another vet and get another opinion.

You mentioned eveything except for thyrod problems - has he been tested for a hyer thyroid - I know he is young - but one never knows.

Originally Posted by touro1979

take him to another vet and get another opinion.

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I'd suggest that, too. Was his thyroid checked out? Listlessness isn't a symptom of hyperthyroidism, but rapid weight loss is.

Originally Posted by jcat

I'd suggest that, too. Was his thyroid checked out? Listlessness isn't a symptom of hyperthyroidism, but rapid weight loss is.

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With the enlarged heart... I know one of my friend's cats had cardiomyopathy...he had an englarged heart with very thick walls and small chambers. He had the weight loss and listlessness, but he also had blood clots that caused sudden lameness, so I don't know. Could that be a possibility?

I'm no specialist whatsoever but I wanted to extend my prayers to your kitty. I hope you are able to find a vet that can determine the cause and give him treatment.

What other symptoms is he having other than losing weight? Is he vommiting, diareha? Any weird behavior should be noted and it might be enough for someone here to say, "oh yea my cat did that too". Hope things get better!

Rapid weight loss does suggest hyperthyroidism - it is quite common in cats of all ages. Hyperthyroidism (over-active thyroid) causes heart problems as does Hypothyroidism (under-active thyroid). With an over-active thyroid, it causes severe weight loss, often accompanied by diarrhea. The cat may eat a lot but loses weight. Under-active thyroid makes the cat fat - even if he didn't eat a lot. The same applies to humans too. My husband has an under-active thyroid and his weight ballooned. On the other hand, my late mother had an over-active thyroid and she lost weight very quickly and had to be hospitalised. Both forms of thyroidism cause heart problems. In severe cases, heart attacks - that's what caused my hubby's heart attack last year.

I'm surprised your vet hasn't checked for that already. As has been suggested, I'd go to another reputable vet and get a second opinion. It is also worth noting that if your cat does have a thyroid problem, certain medications will not be suitable for him.

Hope this helps and I'll send healing vibes for you and your little cat.

I just wanted to wish you well. I hope you get some answers soon. I also think it's worthwhile to get a second opinion.