Vibes for Stumpy please!

Originally Posted by Momofmany

But my friend had a brilliant idea on food for him and we confirmed that it was OK to do this from the vet: (human) baby food. He LOVED the Gerber turkey and rice this evening. We'll probably keep him on it for a few days until he is able to eat cat food again. Darn cat won't eat canned cat food - he only licks the gravy and he can't eat dry right now.

Click to expand...

It's lucky you can get meat baby food there. When Straycat's teeth (abscessed) were removed, I looked high and low for plain meat baby food here. Such an animal apparently doesn't exist in Germany. I ended up mixing canned food with cat milk or serving pureed chicken breasts and rice. He ate cottage cheese and Ricotta, too.

Stumpy, you and your whole family are in my prayers....I know how awful it is to wait for test results of any kind. Poor precious baby, I hope he's feeling better!

Karen

Originally Posted by jcat

It's lucky you can get meat baby food there. When Straycat's teeth (abscessed) were removed, I looked high and low for plain meat baby food here. Such an animal apparently doesn't exist in Germany. I ended up mixing canned food with cat milk or serving pureed chicken breasts and rice. He ate cottage cheese and Ricotta, too.

Click to expand...

The friend that told me about the baby food had a cat with about 6 absessed teeth as he aged. Poor baby had to have all of them removed. This was the only thing that he would eat during those times.

Stumpy is still clingy tonight. I can tell his mouth is still very sore today.

He hated the turkey and noodles (it smelled like a turkey stew to me) but chowed the chicken and rice. Nothing like opening up different flavors of baby food, crawling on the floor after a cat to see which one he is interested in eating. I'm glad I only bought one kind of each before I committed to more. The dogs loved the turkey and noodles (I'm too frugal to throw out food) and are probably rooting on the side that he doesn't like a flavor.

Sweet Stumpy...you hang in there sweetie pie.
You are taking such good care of your boy.

Originally Posted by Momofmany

The friend that told me about the baby food had a cat with about 6 absessed teeth as he aged. Poor baby had to have all of them removed. This was the only thing that he would eat during those times.

Stumpy is still clingy tonight. I can tell his mouth is still very sore today.

He hated the turkey and noodles (it smelled like a turkey stew to me) but chowed the chicken and rice. Nothing like opening up different flavors of baby food, crawling on the floor after a cat to see which one he is interested in eating. I'm glad I only bought one kind of each before I committed to more. The dogs loved the turkey and noodles (I'm too frugal to throw out food) and are probably rooting on the side that he doesn't like a flavor.

Click to expand...

I can just picture the dogs! Straycat's mouth seemed to be sore for a little over a week, and then he was back to stealing food out of shopping carts at the local supermarkets, and hunting. All the teeth on one side of his mouth had to be removed.

Plasmacytic-lymphocytic stomatitis and not cancer. The prognosis for this disease is not good - the best you can do is keep them pain free and eventually may need to extract all of his teeth. His immune system is working against him and this can be related to a autoimmune disease (FeLV, FIV, Calicivirus). We're going to take him for a combo test on Saturday morning to rule that out. If we're OK there, we start him on immunity boosters (similar to what they give to cats with FIV) and continue the antibiotics. I understand that this is a regime that will need to be kept up the rest of his life.

He is eating dry food but I think he is swallowing it whole and not chewing it. At least he continues to eat - the vet thought he wouldn't be able to swallow at all for a while.

*sigh* I think I'm at the start of a long haul......

Originally Posted by Momofmany

*sigh* I think I'm at the start of a long haul......

Click to expand...

I feel for you & Stumpy but at least it is not the big "C" ----
There is a very real possibility that with the help of TCS members & your vet, you will find ways for Stumpy to live comfortably with this complicated illness.

You might want to start a new thread with Stumpy's diagnosis in the title.

Good wishes & lots of positive vibes are coming to you both.

Originally Posted by xocats

I feel for you & Stumpy but at least it is not the big "C" ----
There is a very real possibility that with the help of TCS members & your vet, you will find ways for Stumpy to live comfortably with this complicated illness.

You might want to start a new thread with Stumpy's diagnosis in the title.

Good wishes & lots of positive vibes are coming to you both.

Click to expand...

Thank you!

Great idea to start a thread on the topic. I want to get thru Saturday's test first and go from there. Therapy is quite different depending on the underlying cause. I would love to hear other's trials and tribulations with the disease. It seems to have all the ups and downs like late stage CRF does. Write-ups that I've read so far call it a "frustrating" disease.

I have just moved and have a new vet. I actually have more confidence in her than my old one so that is a good thing.

I've just seen this thread, Amy, and I'm so sorry to hear this news. Thank heaven Stumpy has the Mum he does and that you have confidence in your vet. I'm praying for as smooth a ride as this diagnosis will allow.

Aww, the poor thing - i know nothing about stomatitis, but am praying that you can deal with it, and at least it isn't cancer. I do hope the tests on Sat are OK - are they going to be done in house or sent off?

Originally Posted by booktigger

Aww, the poor thing - i know nothing about stomatitis, but am praying that you can deal with it, and at least it isn't cancer. I do hope the tests on Sat are OK - are they going to be done in house or sent off?

Click to expand...

They'll just run the standard Elisa combo test on Saturday and I'll have the results in 10 minutes. I doubt it is either one of those - we've had everyone in the house tested a few years ago and we haven't introduced any new cats since. But it is better safe than sorry to have them run.

Since he just went thru a full geriatric blood profile a few weeks back (obviously they don't test for FIV/FeLV with that), we do know that his blood panels were basically normal. He had 2 white blood cells numbers that were just slightly off and the vet said she could have attributed those to the stress of moving, or it could have been the start of this problem. If he had FIV, his numbers should have been way off for red, plasma, etc. I'm glad we have those to fall back on.

Amy...if there is a way to help Stumpy live well with his health challenge...you will find it.

Your experience with Stumpy's recent blood work, shows us how important it is to have a full "baseline" blood panel to compare with later tests.
We should all have one for our kitties..especially when they become seniors.

When you start the new thread...
please add a note & link here, so we will be sure find it.

Extra positive vibes will be sent Saturday.

I just caught this thread. I'm so sorry Stumpy is ill. He is very lucky to have you for a meowmy . I will keep Stumpy in my prayers and continue to send out {{{{{Feel Better Vibes}}}}} to Stumpy.
Please keep us posted.

Originally Posted by xocats

Your experience with Stumpy's recent blood work, shows us how important it is to have a full "baseline" blood panel to compare with later tests.
We should all have one for our kitties..especially when they become seniors.

Click to expand...

AMEN!! AMEN!! AMEN!!

If folks on this site learn nothing else, it should be the importance of running a baseline geriatric blood panel when they are about 10 years old (if not before). Stumpy just turned 10 in April.

My boys are 6, and I had that done this year. I will do it every year from now on, too. Thanks!

We're here for you and Stumpy through this journey!
I'm sorry the prognosis wasn't more positive. Give Stumpy a hug for me and we are here if you need us!

HUGS,

Karen

FIV/FeLV negative!!

Not that I was too worried, but a cat that hasn't been sick in his life doesn't come down with a immunodeficiency disease out of the blue for no reason. He actually gained a little bit of weight this week (must be the baby food), he road better in the car (4th trip to the vets this month), and his gums have died back from a flaming red to a bright pink. A lot of progress in a short time.

At this point we are assuming that this was triggered by the stress of moving. Before we moved, my husband and I talked about the possibility that the move would cause some stress related illness in one of the cats, and the one most likely would be Stumpy. He's king of the house, and poor guy takes on a lot of burdens being the king. He had to make sure that everyone had their place (with him on top) in a new environment. I wish I could take that job from him, but that's just not the way with cats!!

He's going to be on pred daily until the swelling is entirely gone, then every other day for probably the rest of his life to contain flare ups. Antibiotics for probably another 3-4 weeks, and will get an excessive dose of love and affection from Steve and I.

And the vet recommended they start on a good tarter control food. I bought a bag of Science Diet T/D, put a little bit on top of their regular food and filled a second bowel, and it disappeared almost immediately. I'm not sure that Stumpy got any of it, but it sure is a big hit in the house. Hope it isn't THAT expensive!

I just came across this thread--Stumpy sounds like quite a guy! Sending loads of (((((healthy vibes))))) his way. (and I must say, you are a very good cat-Mom)

Stumpy truly is King.
I am so happy for you both.
Your little King will remain in my prayers.
I'll be watching for Stumpy's progress updates.

Yaaayy Stumpy!!!!! . I am so glad the test came back negative! I will keep sending vibes to Stumpy.