Infection related question

[Aafia Ijaz]

If a cat has gone through on and off infections e.g in the stomach area or somewhere close, what can that lead to?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Without more details/information, it would be very hard to speculate. Are you talking about IBD and cancer, based on your most recent post (IBD | TheCatSite)?

 

[Aafia Ijaz]

That too. But also kidney disease?
Also, is it possible that stress or emotional trauma can cause kidney disease in cats? Stress and emotional trauma because of frequent vet visits and hospitalization. My cat has been to the vet several times and have stayed there and one time she was admitted for 3 weeks

 

[FeebysOwner]

Kidney disease is a very broad term, covering a range of conditions/causes, but in general it is not normally brought on by infection. However, if an infection were to travel from the bladder up the urethra to the kidneys and a cat is not properly treated, it can cause kidney damage. Stress by itself from vet visits or a hospitalization - when added to other issues - could attribute to kidney issues, but not strictly on their own. Although, again, not knowing what the hospitalization was about, leads any one here on this site very little to work with in terms of speculating.

If I recall from your previous threads, this is a young cat, and it would seem she had some sort of acute kidney issues. Acute kidney issues can cause kidney damage but is usually NOT considered the same as CKD. It all depends on the causes and the treatment. Some acute kidney issues can be resolved without damage, others may not.

 

[Aafia Ijaz]

Stress by itself from vet visits or a hospitalization - when added to other issues, what other issues exactly? If you could give any examples?

I don't really know if it was acute because she only stopped eating when she was diagnosed and she also had anemia which is one of the signs of ckd. Her wbc and platelets were also elevated and rbc was low as you can see in the image

 

[Aafia Ijaz]

Questions about Mammary Hyperplasia
so this is one of my threads where I've summarized why my cat was hospitalized. You might wanna scroll just a little

 

[FeebysOwner]

so this is one of my threads where I've summarized why my cat was hospitalized. You might wanna scroll just a little

I took a few minutes to briefly look through that thread. I don't see a connection between that and kidney issues. I also saw where the vet said that the hard spots you were feeling were fibrous in nature. That along with hyperplasia, are typical benign conditions. If that area is now healed, even if there are still 'lumpiness', that may never go away. Fibrous tissue is essentially scar tissue, and generally does not dissolve even over time. But thanks for letting me see that thread!

Stress by itself from vet visits or a hospitalization - when added to other issues, what other issues exactly? If you could give any examples? I don't really know if it was acute because she only stopped eating when she was diagnosed and she also had anemia which is one of the signs of ckd. Her wbc and platelets were also elevated and rbc was low as you can see in the image.

I merely mean any other health issues - that can be just about anything. I will tell you that not all CKD cats have anemia - I have one who is Stage 2-3 CKD and is not anemic. And, I still believe an acute kidney issue will not directly cause CKD. It can cause kidney damage as I said but that is not exactly the same as CKD. I don't know if this article (see link below) can shed any light on your case or not.

Those blood tests results are from March (and, yes I also saw the ones from February too). So, now I am trying to figure out if any treatments were given in the way of antibiotics between the two tests, as well as any after the March tests. I wasn't able to get the timeline right when reading your other threads (sorry). Have you had any more tests run since then? I know you are not very trusting about your vet, and I can understand why - but, what is the vet's assessment of the high WBC and low RBC?

Also, have they run another Chemistry panel since February? That would tell you more about whether whatever kidney issues she had are still ongoing.

I know you said you have limited access to vets in your area, so I can see why you are coming here to this site for help. Any chance at all of taking your cat to another vet (along with a copy of all the records you have)? I realize you think this vet you have might be your best bet, but tbh, another set of eyes with another vet practice might be helpful. You don't have to let them treat your cat if you don't want, but it would be interesting to hear what another vet might have to say.

Signs and Treatment of Kidney Failure in Cats | FirstVet

 

[Aafia Ijaz]

Sorry that thread was way too old i accidentally sent you the old one. But the condition was not hyperplasia it was mammary tumor because it was growing and ulcerating. She even had a surgery for that but we never did the biopsy even after he surgery. Worst thing is a week or two after her surgery, another tumor starting developing from another mammary gland. It is still growing and at times there is a bit of discharge. 2 days ago there was a red or dark pink discharge coming out from the previous location of the tumor that was removed during the surgery.

Coming back to your question, she was given antibiotics between February and March and i think after March too because she stopped eating. No kidney tests were done after February. She was doing just fine in the first few days of April but i for some reason believe that the kidneys have gotten worse because in the middle of April she started vomiting once almost everyday. The vomiting was mainly hairball and sometimes yellow or white foam (she was having RC kitten food at that time I don't know if that caused the kidneys to worsen which caused the vomiting or if it was something else coming up). She's still vomiting yellow and sometimes white foam once a day with a bit of dust idk if it's dust or a bit of fur but not hairball because she has been shaved l and her appetite has decreased dramatically (only eat 2 spoons of catfood or eat nothing at all). She also had diarrhea in between but that was just once a day. Right now some of her stool is very soft and mustard color from inside and some of it is a bit hard (not constipated hard, i would say it is normal as compared to the very soft stool) but the color is mustard from inside. She is drinking water like before ever since she was diagnosed with kidney disease no change in that. Not to mention, the vet prescribed Gaviscon for 10 days and in those 10 days she only vomited twice.
Btw her weight is 3 kg and it didn't drop or rise. She's one year and 5 months old

 

[FeebysOwner]

2 days ago there was a red or dark pink discharge coming out from the previous location of the tumor that was removed during the surgery.

That, as you already know, cannot be normal after all this time. You HAVE got to find another vet to consult with.

She's still vomiting yellow and sometimes white foam once a day with a bit of debris not hairball because she has been shaved l and her appetite has decreased dramatically (only eat 2 spoons of catfood or eat nothing at all). She also had diarrhea in between but that was just once a day. Right now some of her stool is very soft and mustard color from inside and some of it is a bit hard (not constipated hard, i would say it is normal as compared to the very soft stool) but the color is mustard from inside. She is drinking water like before ever since she was diagnosed with kidney disease no change in that. Not to mention, the vet prescribed Gaviscon for 10 days and in those 10 days she only vomited twice.

Gaviscon can help to reduce stomach acid, which can be brought on by an empty stomach which tends to result in vomiting yellow and white foam. Vomiting like this tends to occur when a cat has gone many hours without eating. On that note alone, feed her every two to four hours 24 hours a day. Not an easy task, I know.

Now that I know what I know from your most helpful responses, I really, truly believe you need another vet opinion. Are there any options to find another vet?

 

[Aafia Ijaz]

Cbc and x rays were done today. Vet says WBCs are elevated probably because of the tumor. He says the x rays reveal constipation and that there are stools in the intestines which is strange because i haven't seen her straining in the litter box and she had very soft stools and diarrhea. I told him this but he said the x rays say she's constipated and when palpated her intestines seemed full.

 

[Aafia Ijaz]

That, as you already know, cannot be normal after all this time. You HAVE got to find another vet to consult with.

Gaviscon can help to reduce stomach acid, which can be brought on by an empty stomach which tends to result in vomiting yellow and white foam. Vomiting like this tends to occur when a cat has gone many hours without eating. On that note alone, feed her every two to four hours 24 hours a day. Not an easy task, I know.

Now that I know what I know from your most helpful responses, I really, truly believe you need another vet opinion. Are there any options to find another vet?

Coming back to your question of whether there are any other vets around. Yes there are however, they're way too far. Plus my sister blindly thinks this vet is the best in town because of good word of mouth and won't listen to me twice when i say i want her to see another vet who is ever better because I've seen that on google reviews and not a single bad review. But she just wouldn't listen to me because she's the one who pays for her and drives her to the vet I'm just a student. In my country, we don't move out once we turn 18 and we stay with our parents till we get married

 

[FeebysOwner]

Her WBC is less elevated, RBC is better, so that would be considered good. But the platelet count is now low. Vet blaming the platelet count on this 'tumor' as well? I don't understand about the constipation. I can't read x-rays well enough to say much about what those pics show.

I wonder if your sister would be willing to consider getting a second opinion? Some vets will do a second opinion consult by reading the test results for tests already done. It would cost something to read and interpret, but if they would be willing to do it, you could send them the reports without an actual vet visit. Maybe because you far away from other vets, they might be more willing? Another set of eyes and a different perspective could change her mind. I realize that is a long shot.

 

[Aafia Ijaz]

No he didn't say anything regarding the platelets value. Also, earlier today you mentioned that your CKD cat is not anemic. Is it because you were giving him medicines to boost his RBCs? As I've been doing the same and this is probably why the RBCs are currently normal. Although, it's been a long while since she's taken the medicine.
I've also read that cats with AKD are not anemic, is that true?

 

[FeebysOwner]

I have never given Feeby any supplements for blood/anemia.

There are a ton of possible causes for anemia, and actually one of them is toxin ingestion which can also lead to AKD. I don't know if that corrects itself if the AKD is resolved or not. Here is an article on anemia, but I am not sure it is going to really be of any help.
Anemia In Cats: Causes, Symptoms, & Treatment - All About Cats

 

[Aafia Ijaz]

Thanks. I'll have a look at it.
Also, how old is Feeby and when was her condition diagnosed?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Feeby is 17+ yo. She was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism in 10/2020. Her creatinine was at 1.8 (range 0.6 - 2.4) at that time, but she was not 'officially' diagnosed with CKD until her creatinine hit 2.8 by 5/2021.

She takes meds for the hyper-T. She has been on an appetite stimulant since 11/2021, because she started to lose weight. And I recently started to give her an anti-nausea med in addition in case she is experiencing some level of nausea as her eating is waning once again, and she is starting to lose weight again, despite the appetite stimulant. I am also starting her on a phosphorus binder because her level is a bit high for what it should be with a CKD cat. Her blood work (WBC, RBC, etc.) numbers have all been - and remain - within range knock on wood).

I don't suppose you could convince your sister to have an ultrasound done? It might show more about what is going on with Dobby's intestines.

 

[Aafia Ijaz]

How does the appetite stimulant work? My cat wasn't eating or i would say she would only eat a little bit before the vet started antibiotics, gave her enema and appetite stimulant. The day she was given the appetite stimulant, she still wasn't eating. But the next day she started eating a little and day after that she started eating like a maniac, asking for food all the time. Idk if that's the result of appetite stimulant or a disease. Because I've heard ibd cats do sometimes eat a lot. Her poop is also mustard color from inside since a long time and now the upper part is a bit white too. You know when a brown furniture has white paint dropped on it accidentally, like that. The texture is rough but the entire poop is soft

And no i can't really convince but i might get it done because I'm desperate, but at the same time I'm also scared to death. I'm scared getting her ultrasound done. She already has kidney disease and mammary tumor. I am very frustrated. I really wish miracles could happen

 

[FeebysOwner]

I don't know what appetite stimulant they gave her - it kind of sounds like mirtazapine which can take a while to kick in and can last for a couple of days once it does. That would be the pill form. I think they have an injection form too but not sure if it works the same way or not. I have a transdermal form for Feeby and give that to her every other day, in a tad bit lower dose than recommended because she would howl otherwise. A lot of vets, IMO, give a too big of a dose and that can make a cat become a maniac about food.
There is a 'newer' type out called Elura that I think probably doesn't cause as dramatic results, but I am still researching it.

Not sure what part of the ultrasound you are scared of. Feeby has had two of them and did quite well really. The first one they had to give her a tiny bit of sedative, not because of the ultrasound itself but because her belly had to be shaved first and she squirmed on them. The 2nd one she didn't need a sedative. The other part of scared is the results, and I get that. Feeby is not doing as well as she was, so I need to get over my fear of what they might find and have another ultrasound done. At least I will know what I might be dealing with.

EDIT: I don't what to make of the white coloring to her stool, can you call the vet and ask what that might be? You could even send them a pic if they will accept them - a lot of vets do nowadays.