E tube with Hepatic Lipidosis

[Soyboya]

Hi everyone... I have been reading many different peoples stories on here and decided to post my own. My girl Zelda has hepatic lipidosis. She was hospitalized on 03/14 for anemia, elevated liver enzymes, and post op monitoring as she had a foreign object removed from her small intestine. I cannot help but feel guilty despite knowing I took her to the vet almost every week or every other week for two months before they found the object.

Her tube feeding is the a/d wet food !!420 ML!! per day. 105 per feeding.

I was wondering if anyone has had experiences with their kitty on tube feeding being incontinent of stool and bladder and lethargic since starting. She. does a lot of lying around and doing nothing, but she seems to have some energy to fight me with the feedings.

I'm sure since she has hardly ate in months that this is incredibly hard on her, and she doesnt feel good getting the food. She has lots of diarrhea and I feel so sad watching her. The vets keep telling me her prognosis is good but watching her suffer is making me so so sad. She's truly a fighter.

I cannot afford to hospitalize her again, as her surgery to remove the object was $4000, hospitalization $5000, and the tube insertion $1500 so we are managing at home. The vet said its normal that she's pooping herself with the food she;s on and that she's just laying around.

I am so exhausted as she gets fed 9 am, 3pm, 9pm, 3am. Meds at 5am, 9am, 11am, 5pm, 9pm, 11pm

Shes on clavamox, gabapentin, renal k+, mirtazapine and denamarin (which we are holding because she threw it up today when given orally which is the only way.)

Its hard to feel that i am making the right choice in making her fight. Shes only 3 years old.

Her e tube was inserted 03/22 because she appeared incredibly jaundiced and i Immediately took her to the vet. She left the vet 03/17 without one.

Please share your experiences and any advice had with the tube. Looking for some comfort

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi and I want to welcome you to TCS, even though i hate what brought you here. I have no direct experience with this, but I do know through all I have read that recovery from hepatic lipidosis can be a long haul. So, I would not be surprised that you have not yet seen any kind of results.

When you say incontinence, do you mean that Zelda is peeing/pooping where she lays, or is not doing either at all? If the former, she is just too tired right now to move. I would lay puppy pee pads underneath her that you can change out frequently to keep her more comfortable - and, clean her as needed. If you mean the latter, without her eating/drinking properly she may not have much to excrete just yet. Are you also giving her water through her tube too?

It shouldn't cost you anything more to at least keep the vet updated on her and to ask questions. I would do that as well.

I know there will be other members to come along soon and offer better assistance than I can. I just wanted to let you know that you are not being ignored, and my thoughts/support are with you all the way through your journey to Zelda's recovery.

 

[Soyboya]

Hi and I want to welcome you to TCS, even though i hate what brought you here. I have no direct experience with this, but I do know through all I have read that recovery from hepatic lipidosis can be a long haul. So, I would not be surprised that you have not yet seen any kind of results.

When you say incontinence, do you mean that Zelda is peeing/pooping where she lays, or is not doing either at all? If the former, she is just too tired right now to move. I would lay puppy pee pads underneath her that you can change out frequently to keep her more comfortable - and, clean her as needed. If you mean the latter, without her eating/drinking properly she may not have much to excrete just yet. Are you also giving her water through her tube too?

It shouldn't cost you anything more to at least keep the vet updated on her and to ask questions. I would do that as well.

I know there will be other members to come along soon and offer better assistance than I can. I just wanted to let you know that you are not being ignored, and my thoughts/support are with you all the way through your journey to Zelda's recovery.

Incontinence as she's peeing / pooping where she lays. We stopped the gabapentin with hopes it provides her a bit more energy to move around, I have put down puppy pads for her and had the vets do a more extensive cleaning of her today.
She is for sure not lacking in excreting anything, as she is peeing / pooping a TON.
The only water she gets through her tube is her flushes, but the food she is receiving is high in water content and packed with nutrients. Thank you very much for responding <3 and the advice.
Im almost positive the vet office is sick of hearing from me, as I call them frequently with questions.

 

[FeebysOwner]

See if she doesn't start to perk up more over the coming days. Once you see some improvement in her - or even now, if you want - you could help her to get to her litter box and place her in it to see if she will go then. You will just have to do it multiple times a day to ensure you are more likely to catch her before she goes where she is laying. If need be, you can carry her to/from for now. And place a litter box closer by to where she is spending her time.

As far as your vet goes - or any vet for that matter - don't worry about whether or not they get sick of hearing from you!! It is their job to help you out any way they can. So, call when you feel the need to do so!!

 

[fionasmom]

Im almost positive the vet office is sick of hearing from me, as I call them frequently with questions.

I am sorry about your cat's condition and certainly hope that there will be an improvement. This might be irrelevant, but what did they do to remove the foreign object? I am assuming a surgical removal given the location, but did they need to do a resection?

I hate to play the money card, but you paid your vet over $10,000 for this one episode. Keep that in mind if you feel hesitant to make the call.

 

[Soyboya]

I am sorry about your cat's condition and certainly hope that there will be an improvement. This might be irrelevant, but what did they do to remove the foreign object? I am assuming a surgical removal given the location, but did they need to do a resection?

I hate to play the money card, but you paid your vet over $10,000 for this one episode. Keep that in mind if you feel hesitant to make the call.

That makes a lot of sense. I do like that way of thinking, makes me feel less self conscious calling them so much. They did need to do a resection

 

[fionasmom]

This may not be the problem with your baby, but a resection can cause faster transit time and possible diarrhea.