My 10yo male Kee-gee started blimping up mid-January until one day I was looking at him and he looked like a walking cantaloupe. I took him in to my vet who identified his abdominal swelling as a giant accumulation of fluid.
The vet performed: a blood panel (came back normal); an x-ray (couldn't see anything but the giant bag of fluid with Kee-gee's organs pushed to the edges of his chest cavity); a needle aspiration of the fluid (sent out to the lab for analysis); and a preliminary ultrasound by my vet (like the x-ray - the fluid collection was so gigantic that it blocked much visibility as to where it was coming from).
The aspirated fluid analysis came back as neutrophils (white blood cells - found in many types of infections), but didn't appear to be cancer cells. So, my vet thought it was some kind of internal cyst, but was reluctant to diagnose further without Kee-gee getting a better ultrasound from a more experienced technician.
As a last ditch, the vet prescribed a broad spectrum antibiotic (Veriflox) which I gave him for 10 days. To our surprise, the abdominal swelling went down completely after just a few days on the antibiotic. It was as if you had popped him with a pin. All was well for about 5 weeks after the Veriflox, then I noticed he was blimping up again in early March - only about half as much as before.
We went with a second round of the same antibiotic, this time he was completely deflated within three days on the medicine, but we continued for 20 days instead. Meanwhile, I made a very future appointment for an ultrasound with a technician my vet really likes. Kee-gee kind of held his own for 4-5 weeks again off the medicine. I even had more Veriflox stock piled in case I needed it, but resisted re-administering it to see if he could handle the swelling on his own. So last week, the abdominal swelling went down on its own.
Just a few days ago, we finally had the ultrasound appointment and the consensus was that he has a cyst or multiple cysts on his pancreas. They said the cyst was enclosed in a honeycombed bag (sounded to me like his pancreas itself) and even in its relatively deflated state was about the size of a small lime. Considering that when I took him the first time it must have been the size of a grapefruit or cantaloupe - a small lime didn't sound too bad.
Well, my vet said he has never heard of such a thing - looked like he saw a ghost - and said he would have to get back to me once he had consulted with some ER doctors at our specialty hospital as to what could be done. I just couldn't imagine cutting some giant sized cyst off of his fragile little pancreas - certainly nothing the size of a grapefruit.
The funny thing is Kee-gee has never stopped eating, seems in good spirits, and both the vet and the ultrasound tech remarked that he did not look like a sick animal at all. It did seem that whatever it is, it is very susceptible to the Veraflox, but also that he seems to blimp up and down - even without the medicine.
Anyone have anything on this particular illness? I know there have been a lot of people on this board having cats with pancreatitis. When I just search for "feline pancreatic cysts", it isn't that common and mostly you are just pointed to pancreatitis.
The vet performed: a blood panel (came back normal); an x-ray (couldn't see anything but the giant bag of fluid with Kee-gee's organs pushed to the edges of his chest cavity); a needle aspiration of the fluid (sent out to the lab for analysis); and a preliminary ultrasound by my vet (like the x-ray - the fluid collection was so gigantic that it blocked much visibility as to where it was coming from).
The aspirated fluid analysis came back as neutrophils (white blood cells - found in many types of infections), but didn't appear to be cancer cells. So, my vet thought it was some kind of internal cyst, but was reluctant to diagnose further without Kee-gee getting a better ultrasound from a more experienced technician.
As a last ditch, the vet prescribed a broad spectrum antibiotic (Veriflox) which I gave him for 10 days. To our surprise, the abdominal swelling went down completely after just a few days on the antibiotic. It was as if you had popped him with a pin. All was well for about 5 weeks after the Veriflox, then I noticed he was blimping up again in early March - only about half as much as before.
We went with a second round of the same antibiotic, this time he was completely deflated within three days on the medicine, but we continued for 20 days instead. Meanwhile, I made a very future appointment for an ultrasound with a technician my vet really likes. Kee-gee kind of held his own for 4-5 weeks again off the medicine. I even had more Veriflox stock piled in case I needed it, but resisted re-administering it to see if he could handle the swelling on his own. So last week, the abdominal swelling went down on its own.
Just a few days ago, we finally had the ultrasound appointment and the consensus was that he has a cyst or multiple cysts on his pancreas. They said the cyst was enclosed in a honeycombed bag (sounded to me like his pancreas itself) and even in its relatively deflated state was about the size of a small lime. Considering that when I took him the first time it must have been the size of a grapefruit or cantaloupe - a small lime didn't sound too bad.
Well, my vet said he has never heard of such a thing - looked like he saw a ghost - and said he would have to get back to me once he had consulted with some ER doctors at our specialty hospital as to what could be done. I just couldn't imagine cutting some giant sized cyst off of his fragile little pancreas - certainly nothing the size of a grapefruit.
The funny thing is Kee-gee has never stopped eating, seems in good spirits, and both the vet and the ultrasound tech remarked that he did not look like a sick animal at all. It did seem that whatever it is, it is very susceptible to the Veraflox, but also that he seems to blimp up and down - even without the medicine.
Anyone have anything on this particular illness? I know there have been a lot of people on this board having cats with pancreatitis. When I just search for "feline pancreatic cysts", it isn't that common and mostly you are just pointed to pancreatitis.