Senior cat with sudden issues and now he may not make it...

[oyster]

Our cat, Biscuit, is 13 and has been with us for twelve years. He was diagnosed with lung cancer 3 years ago but miraculously, he is still with us (a story for another day).
I took him to our vet (who is new to the practice) and filled her in with his medical history. He had bleeding gums and was refusing food so that is why I took him in. Sure enough, he had 3 rotting teeth. The vet will not pull them out till she can put him under anesthesia but since she is not sure if he has lung cancer, she wants to look at his history and run some tests. Anesthesia being risky for senior cats with issues. She thinks he has lung worms since a cancer diagnosis would certainly have led to his death.
We had to take him again on Friday because he absolutely refused any food. She looked at his throat and said it was inflamed and gave him pain medication. Well, getting that into him is a nightmare but to add to that, he is still refusing to eat and is hiding under furniture. The last time he exhibited this behavior, he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He also has severe diarrhea and has thrown up bile once. I gave him slippery elm bark but again, getting it into him is a hit and a miss.
I am getting ready to call the vet tomorrow. Are there any questions I can ask as to what this might be other than the rotting teeth? He does seem to want to eat and tried a few bites so I know he can still chew a little. But he keeps swallowing and I think that is the source of the pain. He has lost weight since the last 2 days and it is not looking good. He is hiding, not eating, looking haunted and depressed.
Is it strep throat or something like it? Can I ask for her to run some tests? Apparently, pain management is not cutting it.

 

[nurseangel]

I am so sorry to hear about Biscuit. We have been through similar situations with elderly cats that the vet doesn't want to risk putting under anesthesia regarding teeth. I just looked it up online and apparently cats can get Strep, though it presents differently than it does in people. I would certainly encourage her to run some tests. I will be praying for you and Biscuit. I wish I had information to offer. Please keep us posted on his status.

 

[stephanietx]

I would seek a second opinion, either from another vet in that practice or another vet practice. You cat is not eating (major problem with that) and needs to have teeth pulled. Is he able to eat anything such as meat baby food?

 

[fionasmom]

Can you get a referral to a specialty pet hospital if there is one in your area? All vets are jack of all trades, and I mean that in the best possible way as that is what the standard veterinary practice entails, but it sounds like you need a specialist, at the very least, an internist. Specialty hospitals are also much more able to give anesthesia to at risk and older pets and have everything set up in case something starts to go wrong.

 

[oyster]

Thank you for your responses.
We went to a bigger clinic about 40 miles away. They have several specialists but as we were new patients, we didn't get to see one today. Anyway, they couldn't figure out what was causing his loss of appetite, diarrhea, and occasional throw ups. They have ruled out teeth as a major problem. There is no swelling or redness in the gums etc. I specifically asked them to check for stomatitis but they ruled that out. So they have taken his blood and will do a blood panel. They also gave him a few other shots to help him eat, overcome nausea (which they suspect) and will let us know the blood results tomorrow.
Biscuit ate a teaspoonful of chicken with aloe but seems more keen to eat kibbles which we only give as treats once a day. I don't know if I should give him kibbles as that is only going to aggravate the diarrhea. They will also study his lung x-ray taken by the regular vet to see if something with his cancer history is causing the current problems. The doctor who saw him today is an oncologist so I hope she knows what she is doing. We were not allowed into the building and had to exchange all info outside the building because of coronavirus. Our cat was taken inside for an examination and brought back out.
Very frustrated that we don't have answers. He is minimally better, still eating very very little, and traumatized by the vet visit. Meanwhile, my other cat was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism this week. So we are in for a rocky ride.

 

[oyster]

I would seek a second opinion, either from another vet in that practice or another vet practice. You cat is not eating (major problem with that) and needs to have teeth pulled. Is he able to eat anything such as meat baby food?

Unfortunately, I can't find one without onions in it. And he is being very picky. I tried sardines in oil with just a hint of oil and half a sardine mashed into his wet food. He ate about a teaspoon of that food.

 

[di and bob]

My heart goes out to you all, I'll pray for an answer to be given. Your caring and love will do much for his recovery....
You might try boiling up some chicken parts and shredding the meat, now is not the time to worry about nutrition, so if he wants something, give it to him. My Burt lived on Arby's roast beef and chicken McNuggets for a while until he felt better. There are different anesthetics around too, some are used with senior cats that don't put them so far under. You might ask.

 

[amandag1]

Hope you set some answers soon
Try delectables bisque or stews!
Freeze dried treats are also great
I say if he hasnt much food and will eat kibble let him have a little.

 

[Jcatbird]

Ferber 2nd foods all meat baby food should be free of anything that he can’t have if you can find it. I have been ordering specialty foods and there is a delay in some deliveries but I found some needed supplies at the smaller “Mom and Pop” type grocery stores. I don’t know if you have IGA or Bi-lo stores but they seemed to have things I could not find elsewhere.
My Felv cat has sever digestive issues but the Fancy Feast broths are something he likes and they don’t cause him to throw up or have loose stools.
One of my immune compromised elder cats had a bad tooth and throat irritation. He got some sub q fluids and I spent time pureeing food , some chicken broth or water added, in a blender for him. The smooth texture made it like baby food and much less difficult for him to lick up. Apparently the tooth had some infection. Once the tooth was removed the throat inflammation cleared up and so did the hard swallowing he had been doing. Hoping it will all be cleared up for Biscuit quickly and that your other kitty is okay too!

 

[oyster]

Update: The blood results came back today and everything looks normal. So, the vet thinks he might have an infection because of the diarrhea. She doesn't think the teeth could be a cause for this. His teeth that need to be pulled out are not inflamed and the gums seem ok so she thinks it must be something in the stomach. She has prescribed antibiotics and we will be going to pick them up shortly. She says we can bring him in for an MRI if things don't work out with the antibiotics. I feel it's just a shot in the dark and the vet has no clue what's going on with Biscuit.
Edited to add: The vet did not check his temperature. She also refused the stool sample we had brought along because it was too little of a sample to do a proper reading.
However, I have been reading several threads in this forum with similar issues, and am wondering if I should give him antibiotics as I (nor the vet) really knows what it's for. And won't they make the diarrhea worse?
Edited to add: We will get the antibiotics on Friday now as the clinic is closed tomorrow and I can't make it there before they close today. I hope Biscuit will get better by then.
As for eating, he is eating a little more--with a lot of coaxing and some sardine oil mixed into his food.
Symptoms: Weight loss, lack of appetite, depression and anxiety, lethargic, diarrhea (no vomiting) but the stools are no longer as watery or as often.
Could someone advise me what I should do next? Should I give him the antibiotics? Should I take him in for an MRI? I have Slippery Elm Bark--should I give him that?

 

[di and bob]

Antibiotics are pretty standard when things go wrong. My cats usually got a steroid injection too. Most recovered quickly after receiving both and not really knowing what was wrong. One cat recovered fully after we were told she was dying.

 

[oyster]

Thanks! I will ask the vet everything I can tomorrow. Meanwhile, Biscuit is eating a bit more and has no diarrhea. Slippery Elm Bark is really helping his tummy, I guess.

 

[CatLover49]

Update: The blood results came back today and everything looks normal. So, the vet thinks he might have an infection because of the diarrhea. She doesn't think the teeth could be a cause for this. His teeth that need to be pulled out are not inflamed and the gums seem ok so she thinks it must be something in the stomach. She has prescribed antibiotics and we will be going to pick them up shortly. She says we can bring him in for an MRI if things don't work out with the antibiotics. I feel it's just a shot in the dark and the vet has no clue what's going on with Biscuit.
Edited to add: The vet did not check his temperature. She also refused the stool sample we had brought along because it was too little of a sample to do a proper reading.
However, I have been reading several threads in this forum with similar issues, and am wondering if I should give him antibiotics as I (nor the vet) really knows what it's for. And won't they make the diarrhea worse?
Edited to add: We will get the antibiotics on Friday now as the clinic is closed tomorrow and I can't make it there before they close today. I hope Biscuit will get better by then.
As for eating, he is eating a little more--with a lot of coaxing and some sardine oil mixed into his food.
Symptoms: Weight loss, lack of appetite, depression and anxiety, lethargic, diarrhea (no vomiting) but the stools are no longer as watery or as often.
Could someone advise me what I should do next? Should I give him the antibiotics? Should I take him in for an MRI? I have Slippery Elm Bark--should I give him that?

Have you had xrays ..ultrasound done
Sometimes like in my case...thats how I found out what was wrong with my baby
Sometimes you yourself have to request them..or you may not never find out anything
Like my vet when my baby got sick..
I requested an x-ray done to see if my baby had pancreatitis
And round up finding out his lungs were deteriorating

 

[oyster]

Thanks for your response, CatLover49. I am sorry I didn't update on this issue. So much else going on with both of them!
My two senior cats both got hit by this bug (we think) and had similar symptoms. They just got sick one after the other. And the doctors do not know what it was. We did not get x-rays as they had just been done 2 weeks ago to check on his lung cancer. He still has that but for some miraculous reason, it has not spread.
As for the stomach bug, I just kept giving a regimen of Slippery Elm Bark, Saccharomyces Boulardii capsules, and a few other natural supplements. It cleared up after a week or so. But it really drained their health. I didn't think one would make it. Thankfully, he is a survivor.
So long story short, both cats got some kind of viral infection (bacterial was ruled out through the blood tests), were injected with anti-nausea medication and fluids. The vet wanted to use antibiotics but cautioned that it was a shot in the dark as they had no idea what they were dealing with. Both cats diets were amended with medicines (above) and they recovered. Phew! Now we are on a different health journey.