New kittens, vomiting and coccidia

[iPappy]

Yes, I was very impressed from the start which surprised me given they had a lot of negative reviews. But then I realized that a lot of the reviews were probably for the regular vets or the emergency side, not the specialists (who won’t even be called in for emergency care, which I found crazy)

Thank you I’m of mixed feelings still since the doctor was very direct that surgery outcomes are not the best. One positive is that once it‘s done if things go well it will be fixed rather than what I expected which was a lifetime of having to “keep ahead“ of IBD and the problems that go along with it. The cost is also going to be really high but then I thought about the potential costs of IBD in comparison which calmed me down (years and years of needing Cerenia, Mirataz and novel proteins would add up really fast)



Thank you honestly never thought I would hope for her to have eaten a rock or something and that be causing this but here we are lmao I was glad they had tissues everywhere because after he told me that surgery was risky I needed a quick cry. Apparently it’s rather rare in cats but I found a few reports and they all had positive outcomes so I calmed down a bit once I processed everything.

I'm always hesitant when I see a business with hundreds of reviews, all 4 or 5 stars. Paying for reviews happens and when there some negatives thrown in there, I know they're not having them removed or "farming" for more 5 stars from people who may not have an experience to share. It seems more honest IMO.
IBD or symptoms of are not inexpensive to treat or without ups and downs. If the surgery can fix this completely, you'll both be happier for it in the long run.

 

[Kwik]

I'm always hesitant when I see a business with hundreds of reviews, all 4 or 5 stars. Paying for reviews happens and when there some negatives thrown in there, I know they're not having them removed or "farming" for more 5 stars from people who may not have an experience to share. It seems more honest IMO.
IBD or symptoms of are not inexpensive to treat or without ups and downs. If the surgery can fix this completely, you'll both be happier for it in the long run.

I don't read reviews or do much of anything on the internet-I primarily go with referrals from IRL people that I know- I have no idea who anyone is writing reviews( mother,brother,cousin,best friend?) Why would I believe anything written by random internet users that may or may not be credible- seems like a waste of time imo

 

[GenCat]

I'm always hesitant when I see a business with hundreds of reviews, all 4 or 5 stars. Paying for reviews happens and when there some negatives thrown in there, I know they're not having them removed or "farming" for more 5 stars from people who may not have an experience to share. It seems more honest IMO.
IBD or symptoms of are not inexpensive to treat or without ups and downs. If the surgery can fix this completely, you'll both be happier for it in the long run.

Definitely agree on this. When it's a lot of positive (especially generic looking) reviews but in this case they were extremely concerning types of things like obviously serious health issues (things we would tell someone GO TO A VET NOW) being called "normal" and them being sent home with minimal to no diagnostics or treatment. Resulting in their pets ending up at another emergency vet even worse off, which may be a trigger point with me since I lost my Bubby cat due to negligence like this. There are multiple emergency clinics I've seen like this where as my own vet (that takes emergency walk ins) only had one review that was that concerning and it was more of something they probably were too late to treat anyway.

At this point I just want my poor wee one feeling better. She loves food but doesn't get to enjoy it at all, which is something I can relate to having to go through for many years.

I don't read reviews or do much of anything on the internet-I primarily go with referrals from IRL people that I know- I have no idea who anyone is writing reviews( mother,brother,cousin,best friend?) Why would I believe anything written by random internet users that may or may not be credible- seems like a waste of time imo

Sadly, I didn't grow up in this area so information about local places is hard to come by and we're such a small area no one has experience with pet related surgeries past the basics (No one I know would be able to afford this kind of surgery, honestly). Usually I read the bad reviews for vets and doctors looking to see specifically what people say. A solid 5 stars across the board will make me just as cautious as getting 3.5 stars.

Basically in this case it was "this vet hospital that has specialists is getting lower ratings than my local Walmart and pets were sent home without even being checked for anything besides the basics then charged $300.....".

 

[iPappy]

We have had a few negative reviews over the years (not vets here!), and I was advised to just ignore them by a few people I considered mentors at the time. I wish I hadn't listened, and had confronted them head on. It's been so long it would be stupid to do so now, but, I feel like I could have cleared the air and let readers know that they were only reading one side of the story.
For instance, I saw a 1 star review for a local vet that I know is good. They posted a very long winded review on how their German Shepherd was not treated properly, and ended up having to go to emergency later that night, and they were very dissatisfied and out time and extra money, etc. (The obligatory all caps DO NOT TAKE YOUR PETS HERE was included at the end.) The review made it sound like a case of malpractice by a careless vet and staff.
However, the vet's office responded to the review, and it turns out the dog was incredibly aggressive and couldn't be examined by the staff. The owners refused to pay for any sedation so the dog could be examined thoroughly (blood work, etc.) The vets had no way of knowing what was wrong with a dog they couldn't even approach, and had to guess as the owner was non compliant to having the dog even lightly sedated, something the owner forgot to mention in their original review. Situations like these make me take reading reviews with a grain of salt.

 

[GenCat]

Yeah I get where you‘re coming from since my comparison to Walmart ratings was very apt considering friends who have worked there and had customers lose it on them over absolutely nothing then go on to post reviews about how ~rude~ all the employees were. I’m not sure why big vets like this don’t offer replies because it definitely would have made me feel a bit better to hear their side of things but I know that can backfire as well if not worded professionally enough.

Funny enough your example is very similar to the scenario that resulted in my personal vet getting a one star review.

 

[Kwik]

Definitely agree on this. When it's a lot of positive (especially generic looking) reviews but in this case they were extremely concerning types of things like obviously serious health issues (things we would tell someone GO TO A VET NOW) being called "normal" and them being sent home with minimal to no diagnostics or treatment. Resulting in their pets ending up at another emergency vet even worse off, which may be a trigger point with me since I lost my Bubby cat due to negligence like this. There are multiple emergency clinics I've seen like this where as my own vet (that takes emergency walk ins) only had one review that was that concerning and it was more of something they probably were too late to treat anyway.

At this point I just want my poor wee one feeling better. She loves food but doesn't get to enjoy it at all, which is something I can relate to having to go through for many years.



Sadly, I didn't grow up in this area so information about local places is hard to come by and we're such a small area no one has experience with pet related surgeries past the basics (No one I know would be able to afford this kind of surgery, honestly). Usually I read the bad reviews for vets and doctors looking to see specifically what people say. A solid 5 stars across the board will make me just as cautious as getting 3.5 stars.

Basically in this case it was "this vet hospital that has specialists is getting lower ratings than my local Walmart and pets were sent home without even being checked for anything besides the basics then charged $300.....".

Sickening,isn't it? Very very sad - makes me sick

 

[GenCat]

I realized after this the real reason I was reading reviews and side eyeing this place even more than normal…I’ve dealt with a vet from a different branch of the same hospital

Still waiting for an update from the specialist and will probably schedule surgery ASAP if that’s what they advise. Everyday is a struggle to get Cerenia in the little one and thinking about being able to see her sleep comfortably, in whatever crazy cat position she wants, brings me joy.

Also today I noticed her whiskers are so adorably short and gray. She is such an adorable baby.

 

[Kwik]

I realized after this the real reason I was reading reviews and side eyeing this place even more than normal…I’ve dealt with a vet from a different branch of the same hospital

Still waiting for an update from the specialist and will probably schedule surgery ASAP if that’s what they advise. Everyday is a struggle to get Cerenia in the little one and thinking about being able to see her sleep comfortably, in whatever crazy cat position she wants, brings me joy.

Also today I noticed her whiskers are so adorably short and gray. She is such an adorable baby.

Beyond adorable...

 

[GenCat]

Specialist got back to me but it didn't reveal anything more than they already knew, something seems to be blocking the flow from stomach to small intestine causing organs involved to become enlarged. They're unsure if fixing the blockage will even resolve the enlarged organ issues or not. Asked about the cost of surgery...5-6 thousand. Feeling ill just thinking about it, I was hoping closer to 3. It's not like I don't have the money for it but it's a huge amount for us right now (my job doesn't pay that well and I take a lot of unpaid sick days due to my health issues, husband will still be in school for about 6 more months and we don't know how long before he finds a job so no income there either). I'm not even sure that covers her recovery time where she'll need a feeding tube.

I'm going to call a few other places tomorrow and see if this is the baseline cost for this kind of surgery. Just feeling really overwhelmed.

 

[Kwik]

Specialist got back to me but it didn't reveal anything more than they already knew, something seems to be blocking the flow from stomach to small intestine causing organs involved to become enlarged. They're unsure if fixing the blockage will even resolve the enlarged organ issues or not. Asked about the cost of surgery...5-6 thousand. Feeling ill just thinking about it, I was hoping closer to 3. It's not like I don't have the money for it but it's a huge amount for us right now (my job doesn't pay that well and I take a lot of unpaid sick days due to my health issues, husband will still be in school for about 6 more months and we don't know how long before he finds a job so no income there either). I'm not even sure that covers her recovery time where she'll need a feeding tube.

I'm going to call a few other places tomorrow and see if this is the baseline cost for this kind of surgery. Just feeling really overwhelmed.

That's alot of money and I know you must be feeling quite overwhelmed. So does " seem to be blocking " mean there is definitely something blocking ?Do they believe it's a foreign object ?

You're wise to search around to get a better idea of whether that's high,,average or low cost for the type of surgery they are suggesting- Maybe Forbes Advisor or Carecredit can help you with the National pricing standards State to State?Or give the VHMA a call( Veterinary Hospital Mgrs Association) probably 50% Vets set their prices according to their estimations .... at least it's a starting point I can think of off the top of my head-hope it helps

 

[GenCat]

That's alot of money and I know you must be feeling quite overwhelmed. So does " seem to be blocking " mean there is definitely something blocking ?Do they believe it's a foreign object ?

You're wise to search around to get a better idea of whether that's high,,average or low cost for the type of surgery they are suggesting- Maybe Forbes Advisor or Carecredit can help you with the National pricing standards State to State?Or give the VHMA a call( Veterinary Hospital Mgrs Association) probably 50% Vets set their prices according to their estimations .... at least it's a starting point I can think of off the top of my head-hope it helps

From what I understand they observed a lack of flow between the stomach and intestines, but the why is still a question mark and they said they couldn't be totally sure until they were inside looking at it.

This is all conjecture on my part, but if it was a blockage I think it would have already been more severe (gotten completely stuck at some point) or we would have seen other signs of damage (blood in the litter box). If it is the pylorus it makes sense why certain angles help as well as her being on my shoulder while getting a tummy massages (gravity and relaxing the muscle enough that her stomach will slowly drain)

I asked around and it seems this is fairly "normal" for such a complex surgery. It does also include the hospitalization that would be required due to needing a feeding tube until the stomach heals enough. Most people who mentioned lower costs were because they were strays/rescues and got discounted rates. I asked the other large-ish veterinary hospital nearer to me if they had someone who had knowledge of this kind of surgery and they told me they would refer me to the place I'm already discussing it with lol

I keep looking at my other two cats and saying "y'all better stay healthy OK, I can only afford one sickly child"

The attached screenshot is caused by XiaoXiao being overly loving lol he also posted this before I was done typing.

 

[Kwik]

From what I understand they observed a lack of flow between the stomach and intestines, but the why is still a question mark and they said they couldn't be totally sure until they were inside looking at it.

This is all conjecture on my part, but if it was a blockage I think it would have already been more severe (gotten completely stuck at some point) or we would have seen other signs of damage (blood in the litter box). If it is the pylorus it makes sense why certain angles help as well as her being on my shoulder while getting a tummy massages (gravity and relaxing the muscle enough that her stomach will slowly drain)

I asked around and it seems this is fairly "normal" for such a complex surgery. It does also include the hospitalization that would be required due to needing a feeding tube until the stomach heals enough. Most people who mentioned lower costs were because they were strays/rescues and got discounted rates. I asked the other large-ish veterinary hospital nearer to me if they had someone who had knowledge of this kind of surgery and they told me they would refer me to the place I'm already discussing it with lol

I keep looking at my other two cats and saying "y'all better stay healthy OK, I can only afford one sickly child"

The attached screenshot is caused by XiaoXiao being overly loving lol he also posted this before I was done typing.

Well he wants to be part the group discussion so " hello Xiao Xiao"

I'd imagine a foreign object would have been detected by the radiology specialist. I'm sure you've discussed with the surgeon the possible variables that might be encountered once they are inside and what each would entail so if with each scenario the outcome is that little sweetheart have a better quality of life after recovery then that's what really matters..

I have no idea what I would or rather " could" do if I were in your shoes ,I suppose I'd beg,borrow and maybe see if I could sell an organ on the black market?Money comes ,money goes but it doesn't breathe or bleed( my Dad's Wise words to me my entire life)but when you don't have it,you just don't have it..... such a sad world we live in where almost everything revolves around someone making a profit

You know you're in my prayers my friend

 

[GenCat]

Anyone here ever have a cat with a feeding tube? I'm guessing that LiLi will need one for awhile in order to avoid stress on her newly operated stomach, maybe even after she comes home. I read the Lisa A. Pierson article on feeding tubes which helped me understand a bit better, but looking for laymen's experience with it at home.

Will ask at her appointment tomorrow but just feeling anxious considering everything.

Well he wants to be part the group discussion so " hello Xiao Xiao"

I'd imagine a foreign object would have been detected by the radiology specialist. I'm sure you've discussed with the surgeon the possible variables that might be encountered once they are inside and what each would entail so if with each scenario the outcome is that little sweetheart have a better quality of life after recovery then that's what really matters..

I have no idea what I would or rather " could" do if I were in your shoes ,I suppose I'd beg,borrow and maybe see if I could sell an organ on the black market?Money comes ,money goes but it doesn't breathe or bleed( my Dad's Wise words to me my entire life)but when you don't have it,you just don't have it..... such a sad world we live in where almost everything revolves around someone making a profit

You know you're in my prayers my friend

As always thank you for your words of encouragement. XiaoXiao says hi back but would be doing it from behind a chair or couch (he is terrified of strangers).

I was thinking the same thing, but was wondering if maybe if it was small enough to only somewhat block food passing but not totally then maybe it's too small for them to see on the x-rays? I don't know, it seems weird to me too which is why I'm guessing it's pyloric stenosis.

My local shelter just got in a cat that has a completely disfigured leg and were getting donations for surgery. Fundraisers and local rescues may be able to help in such a scenario, but I know how difficult even that can be.

 

[iPappy]

Anyone here ever have a cat with a feeding tube? I'm guessing that LiLi will need one for awhile in order to avoid stress on her newly operated stomach, maybe even after she comes home. I read the Lisa A. Pierson article on feeding tubes which helped me understand a bit better, but looking for laymen's experience with it at home.

Will ask at her appointment tomorrow but just feeling anxious considering everything.



As always thank you for your words of encouragement. XiaoXiao says hi back but would be doing it from behind a chair or couch (he is terrified of strangers).

I was thinking the same thing, but was wondering if maybe if it was small enough to only somewhat block food passing but not totally then maybe it's too small for them to see on the x-rays? I don't know, it seems weird to me too which is why I'm guessing it's pyloric stenosis.

My local shelter just got in a cat that has a completely disfigured leg and were getting donations for surgery. Fundraisers and local rescues may be able to help in such a scenario, but I know how difficult even that can be.

One of my cats had a feeding tube briefly. They are not as scary as they sound. If it's a temporary fix to help her heal and the vet recommends one, I'd look into it for sure.
My cat was given Hill's A/D, as it's a very smooth pate style food and it was mixed with water into a slurry to make administration easy. The syringes provided were very large and easy to fit into the tubes opening, and the tube itself was very user friendly.
The food does need to be room temperature warm, and flushed with a small amount of room temperature water before and after each feeding.
One big plus with a feeding tube is administering liquid medications (antibiotics, steroids, pain killers, etc.) There's no fighting your cat to get medications down orally. You just send them through the tube. When they are sick, weak, or recovering this is a welcome relief.
My cat had a tiny little cylinder-shaped port on the side of his neck. He never scratched at it or bothered it, which was a big relief for us both.
The tube was placed because he was unable to eat, but, he was still acting so himself I couldn't bear to let him go just yet. (Had he been weak or showing no interest in anything, I would have thought harder about that decision.) He did pass away from cancer (unrelated to the tube or the procedure) last month, and it gave him some extra time to snuggle with his sisters. You can see the tube below in the photo.

 

[GenCat]

Appointment to discuss things with the surgeon was this morning. She explained the three options that are most likely, she won’t know which one is best to use until she sees how constricted the pylorus is.

Pyloromyotomy where they slit the outer muscle layer letting the inner layers bulge through making the passageway for food bigger . This can only be used if it’s the outer layer causing most of the constriction and they won’t be able to biopsy it to see if there are any underlying issues. This is the most “gentle” option in that it doesn’t pierce all the way through to where food flows.

Pyloroplasty. They cut a vertical incision all the way through the inner layers of the pylorus, they then rotate the edges horizontally which forces the pathway to expand.

Y-U pyloroplasty. They cut a Y shape in the pylorous up to the stomach then pull the extra tissue into a U shape thus opening up the passage even more than the regular pyloroplasty.

Then the less preferable option is the Billroth I. This is in the case that the passage is extremely small and the other options won’t clear it enough. In this case the stomach is connected directly to the intestines. This has the most long term health concerns. She may need acid reducers or motility medication for the rest of her life due to how easily the contents of her intestines can back flow.

The surgeon was fairly confident they wouldn’t need to resort to the Billroth I, but didn’t want to guarantee it because you never know.

No matter which procedure the risk for internal bleeding/things going wrong are about the same. They said the stomach is rather forgiving when it comes to surgery and healing. As long as she is stable they’ll be sending her home the next morning. She will have a feeding tube for a minimum of two weeks just to be safe. They said it’s not required but if she stopped eating for whatever reason they would have to put one in anyway so might as well. It will make it easier for her and us to make sure she gets adequate nutrition as well as her medication with less struggle.

Her surgery is scheduled for early next week so will update again once we hear more.

One of my cats had a feeding tube briefly. They are not as scary as they sound. If it's a temporary fix to help her heal and the vet recommends one, I'd look into it for sure.
My cat was given Hill's A/D, as it's a very smooth pate style food and it was mixed with water into a slurry to make administration easy. The syringes provided were very large and easy to fit into the tubes opening, and the tube itself was very user friendly.
The food does need to be room temperature warm, and flushed with a small amount of room temperature water before and after each feeding.
One big plus with a feeding tube is administering liquid medications (antibiotics, steroids, pain killers, etc.) There's no fighting your cat to get medications down orally. You just send them through the tube. When they are sick, weak, or recovering this is a welcome relief.
My cat had a tiny little cylinder-shaped port on the side of his neck. He never scratched at it or bothered it, which was a big relief for us both.
The tube was placed because he was unable to eat, but, he was still acting so himself I couldn't bear to let him go just yet. (Had he been weak or showing no interest in anything, I would have thought harder about that decision.) He did pass away from cancer (unrelated to the tube or the procedure) last month, and it gave him some extra time to snuggle with his sisters. You can see the tube below in the photo.
View attachment 470464

Aww so sorry to hear about your beautiful black kitty. I'm glad that it at least gave everyone involved time to be together.

Thank you for sharing, it helped me understand how it works better and feel less anxious.

 

[iPappy]

For this, I would feel relieved having a temporary feeding tube as a just in case. Hopefully she'll eat just fine on her own! Having it for medications, if she's not happy about taking them, will be so much less stress on you both.

 

[GenCat]

Look forward to lots of “cone of shame” photos Tuesday actually here is a throw back to my baby boy when he had his pretty pink camo print cone. He was such a whiny baby when he had his neuter, like the clingiest little monster.

I’m planning to get a dog crate and crate cover from walmart Monday and set it up so the whole thing is cushioned and super easy to get in and out of the litter box. I don’t want to move the playpen back in the house for my own sanity’s sake as well as to avoid her throwing herself at the walls of it like the jungle queen again I think I would die of a heart attack if she did that this time, it was bad enough after her spay.

I figure the crate will be useful in the future even if it’s just to separate them for meals. XiaoXiao is becoming a little piggy again, I really wonder if he’s still growing and if so how long till he stops. I think he hit 12 pounds now but doesn’t seem overweight and I know our outdoor cat grew way longer than normal too, like 2-3 years. Sometimes I still give him extra food if he asks because one day he eats barely anything and others he starts trying to lick everyone‘s bowls clean whether they’re done or not.

 

[Kwik]

Look forward to lots of “cone of shame” photos Tuesday actually here is a throw back to my baby boy when he had his pretty pink camo print cone. He was such a whiny baby when he had his neuter, like the clingiest little monster.

I’m planning to get a dog crate and crate cover from walmart Monday and set it up so the whole thing is cushioned and super easy to get in and out of the litter box. I don’t want to move the playpen back in the house for my own sanity’s sake as well as to avoid her throwing herself at the walls of it like the jungle queen again I think I would die of a heart attack if she did that this time, it was bad enough after her spay.

I figure the crate will be useful in the future even if it’s just to separate them for meals. XiaoXiao is becoming a little piggy again, I really wonder if he’s still growing and if so how long till he stops. I think he hit 12 pounds now but doesn’t seem overweight and I know our outdoor cat grew way longer than normal too, like 2-3 years. Sometimes I still give him extra food if he asks because one day he eats barely anything and others he starts trying to lick everyone‘s bowls clean whether they’re done or not.

I can't wait to see those photos- and for her to be on her way to a good healthy life....God Knows this baby deserves it! PRAYING for the BEST!!!

 

[GenCat]

LiLi is in surgery now. Waiting for the call that she's out and how it went.

Mentally and physically exhausted purely because work was awful yesterday and I only slept 4-5 hours because I get home late and surgery drop off was super early/long drive.

 

[GenCat]

Whew, heard back from the surgeon a few hours ago. LiLi made it through and is stable, but the surgery was very rocky and they were glad to have an anesthesiologist to keep her stable because if the surgeon had been doing it herself she may not have made it. Apparently her blood pressure was all over the place and caused them more than a few panics.

Really makes me wonder if the shelter neglected to tell me how she was during the spay and honestly if I knew we might risk losing her during the surgery I probably would have made other choices, but I digress.

There wasn't any foreign blockage, but the pylorus was narrowed most likely causing the issues. They did the Y-U pyloroplasty. Feeding tube is in so she comes home tomorrow as long as she continues to improve over night.