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- Jun 2, 2014
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I am new here, but have spent a lot of time reading through these boards. You all seem like such wonderful people who "get" what it's like to love and be loved by a cat. I'm looking for some help and support as I navigate a health crisis with my baby.
Mindy went to the vet last week for a Senior checkup, and the vet felt what she thought was an enlarged spleen or liver. She did bloodwork and Mindy's globulin and albumin levels were way off from where they are supposed to be. Mindy has always been a chronic vomiter, but lately has been throwing up every day when I get home from work. We thought it might have been from eating too quickly because she always did it about 10 minutes after eating and it was always undigested food. But now, with these other findings, the vet is really thinking lymphoma. Before she thought maybe IBD. She has never thrown up wet food and doesn't throw up her kibble at other times of the day, or when she is hand fed.
Mindy is not eating as well as she was. She will eat her dry food if I give it to her by hand. I didn't realize how little she has been eating. She loves wet food, but only the kinds with lots of gravy. Oddly, she doesn't seem to know how to eat the meat-she only licks off the gravy. I don't know how much nutrition she is getting from that. She never has been a big eater in general. She still lives for and loves to eat anything she is not supposed to-cheese, ice cream, hot dogs, you name it.
Last night I took her to the animal hospital for what they diagnosed as a UTI. She just finished 2 courses of antibiotics, so now that it has reoccured, her vet thinks maybe a kidney infection. She started back on Clavamox last night.. She will go for an ultrasound next Monday to look at the enlargement as well as her kidneys now. We didn't want to wait that long, but her vet feels that because she is a nervous and easily stressed kitty, she would be better off waiting for this particular Dr. who will be gentle and patient with her. I'm hoping in the long run this one week does not make a huge difference. I am still hand feeding her every day. She eats pretty willingly from my hand, so I don't feel I have to force her-yet. Now we don't know if the reduced appetite is due to a possible lymphoma or a reocurring infection.
Mindy is my best friend in the world and I am scared to death for her. She is a gentle soul and skittish with people she doesn't know. The few times she has had to be boarded for the day, she refused to eat and drink. I have to stay with her in the exam room for all of her visits-even vaccines and bloodwork-because she freaks out and screams when she gets scared. I don't think she could handle much more than the ultrasound. I'm overcome with anticipatory grief and I don't even know for sure what the problem actually is. I know kitties don't live forever and I've been lucky to have such a special kitty for so long. I live far from my family in a city I don't love and work a job I trully don't enjoy, so Mindy is my rock. She has been there through it all. She adopted me when her former family couldn't care for her anymore. I was told she didn't like people-but she hopped into bed with me the first night and that was it. I don't know how I'll live without her
I've cried and cried for days, torturing myself over the what ifs. Everytime I look at her I am overcome with the idea that she might be leaving me. I had to call out of work today because I haven't been able to eat or sleep.
Has anyone elses kitties expereienced these health issues? I'm praying it's not cancer. I did lose Mindy's buddy Rusty 7 years ago to a large lipoma, so I know even if it isn't cancer, it could still be bad. Than you all for any guidance you can give.
Mindy went to the vet last week for a Senior checkup, and the vet felt what she thought was an enlarged spleen or liver. She did bloodwork and Mindy's globulin and albumin levels were way off from where they are supposed to be. Mindy has always been a chronic vomiter, but lately has been throwing up every day when I get home from work. We thought it might have been from eating too quickly because she always did it about 10 minutes after eating and it was always undigested food. But now, with these other findings, the vet is really thinking lymphoma. Before she thought maybe IBD. She has never thrown up wet food and doesn't throw up her kibble at other times of the day, or when she is hand fed.
Mindy is not eating as well as she was. She will eat her dry food if I give it to her by hand. I didn't realize how little she has been eating. She loves wet food, but only the kinds with lots of gravy. Oddly, she doesn't seem to know how to eat the meat-she only licks off the gravy. I don't know how much nutrition she is getting from that. She never has been a big eater in general. She still lives for and loves to eat anything she is not supposed to-cheese, ice cream, hot dogs, you name it.
Last night I took her to the animal hospital for what they diagnosed as a UTI. She just finished 2 courses of antibiotics, so now that it has reoccured, her vet thinks maybe a kidney infection. She started back on Clavamox last night.. She will go for an ultrasound next Monday to look at the enlargement as well as her kidneys now. We didn't want to wait that long, but her vet feels that because she is a nervous and easily stressed kitty, she would be better off waiting for this particular Dr. who will be gentle and patient with her. I'm hoping in the long run this one week does not make a huge difference. I am still hand feeding her every day. She eats pretty willingly from my hand, so I don't feel I have to force her-yet. Now we don't know if the reduced appetite is due to a possible lymphoma or a reocurring infection.
Mindy is my best friend in the world and I am scared to death for her. She is a gentle soul and skittish with people she doesn't know. The few times she has had to be boarded for the day, she refused to eat and drink. I have to stay with her in the exam room for all of her visits-even vaccines and bloodwork-because she freaks out and screams when she gets scared. I don't think she could handle much more than the ultrasound. I'm overcome with anticipatory grief and I don't even know for sure what the problem actually is. I know kitties don't live forever and I've been lucky to have such a special kitty for so long. I live far from my family in a city I don't love and work a job I trully don't enjoy, so Mindy is my rock. She has been there through it all. She adopted me when her former family couldn't care for her anymore. I was told she didn't like people-but she hopped into bed with me the first night and that was it. I don't know how I'll live without her
Has anyone elses kitties expereienced these health issues? I'm praying it's not cancer. I did lose Mindy's buddy Rusty 7 years ago to a large lipoma, so I know even if it isn't cancer, it could still be bad. Than you all for any guidance you can give.
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