The vet has given up on my 16 year old cat

[ginny]

When she vomits, what does it look like?  Completely undigested?  Partly?  Completely?  

If it's undigested, then maybe she needs enzymes and a probiotic to help with digestion?  

I can't help but think that she has developed a fear of eating even though she is so hungry, because most of the time it comes back up.  So maybe a little tranquilizer might help? Something that helps calm her?

If she gets a tube, regardless which kind, then it will become apparent if her esophagus is the problem or if it's in her stomach.  If food stays down with tube feeding, then that'll give her esophagus time to heal, if that's the problem.  

The problem with H2 antagonists (or PPI's if they are even given to cats) is that they reduce stomach acid which is needed for proper digestion/absortion/vitamin and mineral utilization.  It may be taken for a very short period of time, but then tapered off per the recommendation of the vet.  However, I find that most human doctors are unaware of the risk and danger of antacid drugs.  So I am just assuming here that vets are unaware too.  Or maybe its the only answer they can come up with (always a bad idea).  

How does she do with sugar water placed on her gums for quick energy?  

 

[sadiesdad]

 Not sure because she is eating canned food, that is pureed. When she gets sick, it looks like you mixed the food with water and poured it on the carpet. When you try to wipe it up, it smears like you dropped some cat food on the carpet and tried wiping it up.

 I had worried about her getting a fear of eating, but last night, almost immediately after getting sick, she would go right back wanting something else to eat. so far since 10:40 this morning, I have given her 4 little dabs of food, she ate it all like she is hungry, but once she ate so much, it's like she was saying, "enough already". I just tried to give her some more, but she wouldn't eat anything, but she did drink some water.

 I had also been wondering about the reduction of acid. I told my wife, how can her food stay on her stomach 4 hours and not be digested? Maybe we have reduced the acid too much... so starting yesterday I went from giving it to her every 12 hours to every 24 hours. The vet never specified, and the bottle says every 12 or 24 hours.

 Never tried sugar water, but I bought a paste, GNC Ultra Mega high calorie Booster. The vet said you have to be careful about giving it to her for very long period of time because the sugar in it can make her have diarrhea.

 

[ginny]

Was food staying undigested in her stomach for hours before  you started giving her Pepcid or after?  The sugar water is more for emergencies, but then her situation is dire, so if that's all you can get in her at least you have that option.  It's absorbed right there in the mouth so it bypasses the normal path of digestion.  Dextrose is better because it has no fructose like regular table sugar.  Dextrose might be what you have on hand from GNC.  Check the ingredient list.  

To be clear, this vet is different than the one who gave up on your kitty?  

I wonder if the problem is in the stomach, if she could have a J-tube (jejunum).  Good heavens poor girl!  Ondansetron is pretty strong a drug and it does stop nausea.  I've had it once before during a migraine.   I'm just concerned because she doesn't seem to be nauseated, she wants to eat!  

All I can think of is that it might be a partial blockage.  Has she pooped?

 

[ginny]

Also dextrose is more readily available energy than table sugar.  Fructose is shunted to the liver to be processed and if she has any liver issues fructose should be avoided.  

 

[sadiesdad]

After the pepcid, before that it wouldn't stay down more than 15 minutes.

 Yes, the ones that gave up were an animal hospital with about 4 or 5 different vets. This is one lady that runs a cat specific vet, well and other exotics like hamsters and stuff.

 Yes, but the Ondansetron is also to prevent vomiting. I figured it was strong because I looked it up in wikipedia and it says it is given to cancer patients after chemotherapy and surgery, radiation therapy and is also good for gastroenteritis.

 She pooped about last Monday and Wednesday I think, none since then.  I noticed one thing that has changed, when she first started throwing up, it was a lot of white foam, and she heaved so hard it threw her down on the floor sometimes, now she hardly shows any physical contractions, she just starts turning her head sideways, chewing, like she's got something in her mouth and then it just gushes out.

 

[sadiesdad]

 Sorry I haven't kept ya'll up to date... Sadie was getting worse, and last Sunday she was very weak, it scared me so I decided to try giving her fluids again and I did it! But Monday morning when we got up, Sadie was just lying in the floor of the bathroom moaning with every breath. I told my wife it didn't look good, she better give Sadie a good, goodbye before she went to work, because I was afraid of what the vet was going to say.

 And I was right, the vet said she was lying on the floor because she has given up, she doesn't care any more. When they had her on the table to give her fluids, she let them do whatever they wanted without any protest. She said, you know what is going on right? We can give her something to let her go and I guess she saw the look on my face because she then said, or we can give you some pain meds to give her and just keep her comfortable if you prefer her to go naturally.... She said the company that was doing her blood test was in California and because of the time difference we haven't gotten the blood test results yet, but I will tell you, it almost doesn't matter now, it will show if it's intestinal cancer or irritable bowel syndrome. We can hit her hard with meds for the IBS but a good chance she is too far gone.

 By the time I had gotten home, the vet had already called an left a message on the answering machine. I tried calling back several times, but she was in surgery for most of the day. She finally called about 5:30 and apologized for it being so long getting back to me. She said a high level for IBS was 140 and Sadie's was 251. She told me what we could try with the meds and all and then hung up.

 The next day, we went to the vet as usual, and the vet told me, "That little girl doesn't want to go yet! She is hanging in there! Her kidneys are fine, her liver is fine, her blood is fine, but she has a little high white blood cell count, it seems as if she is trying to catch something, so we are going to give her some antibiotics for that. We are going to have to work hard, giving her many small meals and not let her drink so much water she throws it up."

 Tuesday she was a little better, not much improvement.. but yesterday when we got home, I gave her about two syringes filled to about .5ml of food, the second one she all of a sudden started licking the food off the syringe and chewing on it. I immediately got a dish and took a spoon and put about 1/4 of a teaspoon on it, she inhaled it... so I waited a half hour and did it again, with some water... she went on like this from 3pm to 7:15pm and threw up twice... I think I was giving her the water too close to the food. So I started giving her the food every twenty minutes and after two or three feedings waiting another 20-30 minutes and letting her have water. Then me and my wife gave her fluids with the IV at 8pm, after that she didn't want any more water, but kept eating up until about 9:30.

 This morning my wife gave her a little food and she threw it up, then I tried to give her a little and she threw it up. I figured it might be because most of her meds were at the end of the time frame... she really didn't want any more food after that. But when we went to the vet today, they said she had gained a few ounces!!!  And as soon as we got home she wanted to eat again, so we started the same schedule, until about 1pm and she had went to sleep. She slept until 2pm and got up and wanted to eat, it's 3 pm now and she has been eating a bit of food every 20 minutes and nothing has come up!!! 

 

[margd]

What a roller coaster you have been on.  I am so very glad to hear of Sadie's improvement.  Your love and devotion to her is paying off in a big way.  Paws crossed that she continues to improve.  And that you and your wife get a full night's sleep without worry soon. 

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• margd
• Mar 22, 2016

 

[sidneykitty]

I'm so glad to hear she has gained a few ounces! I hope she continues to recover and gain weight. Keep at it, though I know you will. Bless you for all your hard work and dedication to little Sadie...you have no idea how much your story touches me. 

 

[donutte]

Just caught up on this thread - so happy to hear Sadie is doing a little bit better! Celebrate the little victories, I say... It does indeed sound like you've all been on an emotional roller coaster, hopefully it won't be such a bumpy ride, at least for a little while.

 

[plan]

That's great news. I think Sadie knows you're not giving up on her, and she's not giving up either.

I'm really happy to hear she's doing a bit better, and I hope she makes a full recovery. She's lucky to be so loved.

 

[sadiesdad]

 Well, I am sorry to say, the good news didn't last. Sadie would have good days, but most she would still throw up, finally week before last the vet wanted to try giving her a steroid to calm the IBS. At first it didn't seem to make a difference, then she had a couple good days, then not so good again.

 We went back this last Tues and they gave her another steroid shot and the vet said we would see how she done and up the dosage if we had to...

 I started noticing Weds., Sadie was getting weaker, she was having a hard time getting up from the floor and started laying on the floor some. Yesterday was worse, we went to the vet for fluids and back and she mostly laid in the floor, only getting in my lap once... When we got home she ate some, but got sick at 2pm and again at 4pm... she started going out on the porch and just lying flat on her side... but she did go out on the patio, and I watched her lie in the grass and stretch out, she almost did a roll, it looked like she was enjoying herself...

 Last night she got in her bed and seemed she couldn't or didn't want to get up, so every 20 minutes I would bring her food to her and she would scarf it down. She seemed real attentive to me and my wife, very alert, watching every time we walked by and meowing at us.

 This morning was the same, she didn't even come into the kitchen to eat, so I was bringing her food to her in her bed. I even dug out "our" string, me and her played with since she was a kitten and she slapped it with both paws and grabbed it in her teeth like she always does, I dropped my end and said, "Wuup! You got it away from me!", then I held it over her and she slapped it a few more times.

 By the time we were about ready to head to the vet for fluids, I went to pick her up and she was like a rag doll, her head just laid to the side. I put her chin in my hand and turned her toward me, she had a vacant like look, but she looked at me and then vacant again. I laid her back in the bed and called the vet, they said bring her on... I was hesitant... when I went back in there, Sadie was almost unresponsive, just lying in her bed, her breathing seemed a little heavy to me... then she had two seizures in about 10 minutes. I called the vet and told them we weren't coming... Sadie just laid there breathing with me talking to her, rubbing her, I even brushed her a little, her breathing got a little more ragged... I went to my pc to see if my wife had seen the email I sent her, about that time she called on the phone and I told her about Sadie... when I went back in there, Sadie had passed. The bottom picture she is sleeping, I wouldn't take a picture of her after she passed.

soothing-syrup.jpg

• sadiesdad
• Jul 1, 2016

LittleGirl.jpg

• sadiesdad
• Jul 1, 2016

nappin'.jpg

• sadiesdad
• Jul 1, 2016

 

[margd]

Aww, I am so sorry to hear this.  Sadie was a lucky girl to know such love and to be with her person towards the end.  She was such a pretty, dear little girl - my heart aches for you right now.  They are never around long enough, never.  I so wish things had been different.

You might consider writing a tribute to her in Crossing the Bridge.  http://www.thecatsite.com/f/19/crossing-the-bridge   It really helps a lot of people to talk about their lost babies with others who understand and have been there.  

RIP Darling Sadie.  

 

 

 

[hbunny]

I am so, so very sorry for your loss.  RIP Sadie.  I'm so glad you got to be with her, and she with you, and you had some great moments together before she went.  Sounds like she did the things she wanted to do there at the end, which makes for very precious memories.  The stretching in the grass, how wonderful she got to experience that.

 

[tamu708]

I am very sorry for your loss.  Very heartbreaking.  

Sadie was a beautiful little girl.  

RIP sweet angel Sadie.  

 

 

[ej x]

Sorry to hear that! All my prayers and wishes are with Sadie now.

 

[zed xyzed]

I am so sorry for your loss, Sadie was a beautiful girl  

 

[maggiemay]

What a valiant pair of fighters you and Sadie were!  I know your wife was involved a great deal as well, but you and Sadie, when I thought of your struggle, are so linked.  I am so, so sorry about this.  I know that you are happy that little Sadie isn't suffering anymore - no more struggles to eat, to keep it down, no confusion about why her body is betraying her -  fly free, precious Sadie.  You will be so missed.

And you, Sadie's dad, no one - and I do mean no one - on this earth could have done more for their girl than you did.  You fought for her with determination and devotion.  And Sadie knows how much she is loved.  I believe with all my heart that when that special bond is forged between a kitty and her humans, that bond is a forever bond.  It's forged out of unconditional love and nothing so puny as death could ever break it.  We will see them all again some day, these babies of ours who went before us, and what a joyful day that will be!  

In the meantime, you have no idea of the toll all of this has taken on you and I hope that you will get plenty of rest and be good to yourself.  It takes a while to recover physically.  You will grieve for Sadie in your own way, as will your wife, and my prayers are with you both as you go through this difficult time.  It was Sadie's time, and she held on for as long as she could.  Bless you, beautiful Sadie, for having filled this home with such incredible love.  We lost our 16-year-old, Lexi, on Wednesday when she lost her battle with cancer,, and I'm sure these two old girls, Sadie and Lexi, are romping and playing  together like kittens as they wait for us, too, to step into the Light.  Hugs...........

 

[foxxycat]

I am so sorry for your loss. I only hope you have peace sooner than later. You did everything you could to figure out what it was. May Sadie run free at the bridge with all the other cats who have gone on. They are probably playing the string games up on the Bridge. 

 I am so sorry again for your loss.

 

[rubysmama]

So sorry about Sadie. Rest in peace sweet girl. 

 

[donutte]

Poor little girl I'm so sorry for your loss. Her last moments were filled with love, just remember that. I know that doesn't help much now, but it will after some time.

to you and your wife.