Toby vomiting and losing weight, fine otherwise

[barbb]

Not really, the oncologist came out and stooped down for a few minutes and said he's all done now and we'll see what happens after this, come back each month for a checkup, cats will be cats so you never know. Then she left and the technician came with Toby and said we are out of prednisolone tablets and so we are giving you cherry flavored liquid prednisolone to try for now.

This is Chicago Veterinary Specialty Group http://chicagovetspecialists.com/ in case anyone is wondering where NOT to take your pet. This is where the technicians deliver serious news or information of consequence only if they choose or as an offhand remark, where the oncologist says ridiculous statements that mean absolutely nothing, and where anything serious is written on the discharge statements that nobody goes over with you.

Sorry to be so negative but I've been through over 20 weeks of this, so I feel qualified to speak to it. And it isn't as though I haven't given them time to show themselves to be better nor have I kept my mouth shut after weeks of being treated like this- but to no avail. I think they believe they are doing a great job. My experience on this forum and seeing what other people have had with their veterinarians tells me otherwise.

Anyhow Toby is not eating hardly at all this week. He is off his schedule though- he was supposed to get his last chemo treatment tomorrow but we had to do it early because the oncologist is on vacation. Re: cerenia- they only give us a 4 day supply, 1 half tablet, after each treatment, and no appetite stimulant at all, so maybe that is why Toby's reaction is different from Lazlo's. We are hoping he bounces back by later this week. I am loathe to even call them, I know they will just tell me to double his prednisolone. And in that same vein, I just called Toby's regular vet and they do have prednisolone tablets, there is a two month supply waiting for me to pick up.So what I am I doing with cherry flavored liquid prednisolone? What kind of veterinary practice would give you cherry flavored liquid for your cat instead of suggesting to call the regular doctor or seeing about getting it elsewhere?  Augh!

Yes we are taking the vacation to Hawaii. I wanted to wait until January but John wants to go next month so we are going then. Thank you for listening. Yes I am despondent :-(

 

[barbb]

This morning Toby came down with me and the other kitties, I fed him his favorite, tuna, and he threw it up right away. Now I have a call in to the oncologist, and I gave him a whole prednisolone hoping that would help whatever is inflamed. The vet center told me the oncologist was on another call, which is odd because I was told she would not be there today. I just have a bad feeling about this bc he has not been like this his entire treatment. I thought maybe he was upset because he usually gets his chemo today and he starts to hide and eat less the day before. :-(

 

[barbb]

The oncologist's office gave me an appetite stimulant and more cerenia. I gave Toby a small crumb of the appetite stimulant because I read online that it is best to start small. It's a good thing I did that because even that tiny amount made him eat a ton and also he vocalized a lot. It is 12 hours later and he is still eating a lot. Now I realize they probably give that to him at his treatment as well as this is behavior we have seen before. This is part of the frustration I have, that little pieces of information like this have never been communicated to us, neither on his discharge instructions or in person. So I can only guess :-(.

In the meantime, I think I finally figured out what is wrong with him, it may be diarrhea. We just smelled the litter box and I took a look and "somebody" had very runny stool. Even though three kitties came from there around the same time- go figure! I am pretty sure it was him, so I gave him metronidazole that they had given me in case this happened after the doxorubicin. He has not had diarrhea before that we know of, but I talked to them today and they said this would be at his point of lowest immunity since it is his last treatment and we had to bring him in four days earlier than usual. 

If anybody else has had their kitty get diarrhea after treatment with doxorubicin, I'm curious how many days of metronidazole are needed to help? His chemo treatment was Friday so he would have gotten the diarrhea sometime after that, although he is not at all dehydrated.

I am just glad that he is moving around again and that this may be the problem, it has been scary seeing him inactive and ill. Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[ldg]

Laz didn't receive that treatment, so we don't have experience with it. But a normal course of metro for non-parasite related issues is typically five days (at least by our vet).

The appetite stimulant is mirtazipine? :nod: That's not uncommon, this effect. It did that to Lazlo too - he'd want food every half an hour or so, and it wears off over three days (it's meant to be given every 3 days).

I sure hope it's just the cumulative impact of the chemo, and everything is uphill from here!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!

 

[barbb]

Thank you for the info, the instructions on the meds all say as needed. :-) On the mirtazaprine I think Toby is super sensitive to it because he ate almost nonstop after taking an incredibly tiny amount. I want to leave some for the cat sitter if there is an emergency but I hate leaving Toby hyper while we are away. Hopefully he will be stable by the time we are going in December.

 

[ldg]

I think he will be. :rub:

 

[barbb]

I can't begin to thank you for so much support and valuable information. Seriously I don't know how we would be getting through this without you. I am hoping so much now that each day Toby will be a little better. We want him to have time to just enjoy being his little boy self, without trips to the doctor and chemotherapy, not knowing why all this stuff is being done to him. I long for the day I can just see him having fun again, grooming himself, chasing the other kitties, and not hiding in the mornings worrying that mommy is going to scoop him into a carrier!

 

[ldg]

I think he'll catch on soon enough there's no more regular trips! :cross: :heart2:

I want all of those things for your Toby too! :rub:

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

Muffin has that same appetite stimulate. It would make him super hungry. But it would wear off after three days and he would need some more. He has finally gotten to the point where he doesn't need it to keep eating.

 

[just mike]

What a long ordeal this has been for you and Toby. It does sound like he's going to stabilize soon. The appetite stimulant sounds about right. I've given it to Hoot a couple of times and the nagging for food and howling are exactly the same way she behaved. I was happy to have her that way as opposed to the listless limp she had become. I still have some issues with her but there is no cancer and they can find absolutely nothing wrong with her save a bladder infection a couple of months ago.

I sure hope this is clearing up for you guys. The trip to Hawaii sounds like a good time for you and your husband. You did not say what you were going to do with your kitties while you were gone. I'm grateful to have a really good pet sitter that lives in when I travel. She really is a marvel. I hope you guys can find, or have, someone you can trust to care for them so you can enjoy your trip.

 

[barbb]

Thank you everyone for your input. This is a new path for me because throughout his illness, the one thing we did not have to worry about was Toby's eating. I guess this illness does not leave any stone unturned though. It is especially helpful to hear what others have gone through in the not eating/appetite stimulant area since we have never given it to him before nor had this happen.

And for the past two days Toby gets up in the late AM (he sleeps in late always lol) and when I feed everyone he ignores his wet food and goes right for his crunchies. He eats a bunch and throws them up, then goes back for more. :-(, and I think those get thrown up as well but I cannot always find it or hear him depending where he goes after eating it.

Because he sleeps in, I never am able to give him his prednisolone or pepsid before I feed him, but this has not been a problem in the past.

We thought the first time he threw up -yesterday- was a hold-over of the appetite stimulant and that he threw up because he ate so fast. It is still a possibility but I am not too optimistic about that. 

I have been trying to follow his trips to the litter box but have not been able to catch him in there, nor has my husband. I try, but I am also caring for three FIV+ kitties in a separate foster room so I am in there sometimes, and fall asleep there some nights augh.

I skipped his metronidazole yesterday bc he seemed better after morning/evening doses of it for two days- this was together with his appetite stimulant tho. But I gave it to him again today when I saw him throw up. I said to John, I don't know whether to give him this or laxatone, I have no idea if he still has diarrhea or if he is stopped up.

His stomach is gurgling a lot and he is in his bunny crouch position as he has been pretty much since a day or two after his last chemo treatment a week ago friday. I have taken him upstairs to bed and gotten him comfy beside me for a nap several times when I see him like this since otherwise he kind of stays in the bunny crouch waiting for me to help him.

Today I also gave him several fingerfuls of canned pumpkin since he won't eat it in his food, I just grab a fingerful and wipe it across his tongue.

Tonight we gave him salmon sushi that we brought home from dinner, and then we also cooked him salmon and fed it to him, just to get some non-grain food into him. He ate a reasonable amount but not like he usually does. This is what we did after I opened four different types of cat food, all of which he ignored. He is just not interested in any wet cat food so far as I can tell. But he does eat people food- not everything he used to eat, but he still does have an interest.

I will call the doctor about this but am wondering if anyone else's kitty was like this at any point in his treatment. They did tell me this would be the lowest point of his immunity and that having a tough recovery from a doxorubicin treatment is not uncommon. 

For our Hawaii trip, we talked about it and decided that if he is not stable enough, we will postpone it since we can't really enjoy ourselves if he is terribly ill. We do have a great cat sitter, she has been a vet tech but now has her own pet sitting business. We always have her come twice daily. We also talked about boarding Toby at the vet's as a worst case scenario. I would hate to do this, even though our vet has a fabulous boarding accommodation. I would welcome opinions in this area too. I really hate to see how "hyper" the appetite stimulant makes him, and how that would be if the cat sitter were giving it to him and then leaving, versus him being at the vet. This is assuming he doesn't take a turn for the worse before then. 

Thank you all in advance for your help!!

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I think he'll catch on soon enough there's no more regular trips!

I want all of those things for your Toby too!

We're all hoping that Toby returns to his old  "pre Lymphoma" self and want to see more pictures of him flying thru the air again!  

 

[barbb]

Awwww we are too, he is quite the character when he is feeling good! Today he ate slightly better, probably bc I gave him a crumb sized amount of appetite stimulant in the AM. The doc is supposed to call me tomorrow. No throw ups today at least none that I have found so that is really fabulous?:nod:

 

[ldg]

:rub: Toby - NO more weekly vet visits! Come out and PLAY! :heart2:

 

[barbb]

Today he ate nothing until this afternoon, he just slept all morning. He came downstairs with the other kitties but went to a spot in the sun and just went back to sleep. When I had to go to the adoption center in the afternoon I fed everyone again and then he ate just a tiny bit. When I got home tonight he wanted our people food at dinner and he ate a little bit of his food but did not really perk up his appetite. So I gave him more appetite stimulant just about 20 minutes ago and now he is eating.

The vet called back and said if he vomits again we are to call right away and they will schedule his ultrasound. John and I decided to just schedule it anyhow so I am calling them in the morning Wednesday. 

I noticed this morning he got up and went into the litter box and when he came out I looked inside and there was nothing. So I gave him a fingerful of laxatone and this evening he pooed and it was normal. 

Right now we are back to where he was before the surgery, with him not eating as much, vomiting, and having trouble pooing, if these things continue. I am hopeful he will be able to keep down the food he eats from the appetite stimulant. I can see he is already eating right now and I read that the stimulant has an immediate effect. 

I hate giving him the appetite stimulant but I understand that the chemotherapy can cause a loss of appetite. It is just that his last chemo will have been two weeks ago this Friday :-(.

Here is his picture this morning, I took it with my cell phone when he woke up and he was in bed and the sun was on him. He isn't really acting sick, just tired. I am tired too, and then I think it is him that is going through all this illness, not me :-(. I just want him to have his remission and to forget about all this. I dread taking him for the ultrasound and disturbing his world but I don't know what else to do, he has never been like this for so long throughout his treatment. :-( :-( :-( Maybe he is just sick with something else. :-(

toby this morning 1.JPG

• barbb
• Nov 27, 2012

toby this morning.JPG

• barbb
• Nov 27, 2012

toby this morning 2.JPG

• barbb
• Nov 27, 2012

 

[ldg]

The chemo does completely suppress their immune system, so it is very possible he's got a bug. This happened to Lazlo. He had no fever, nothing the vet could detect. But his appetite was off, he wasn't grooming, sleeping all the time. The ONLY difference between what he was going through and when he was sick/on chemo, was he wasn't hiding under the chair. I used the anti-nausea med (Cerenia) and the appetite stimulant again, and this perked him up a little bit. But it took him about two weeks.

But yes - get the ultrasound done. It's hard on Toby, but IMO it helps because you're not left guessing. :rub:

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[barbb]

I have the ultrasound scheduled for Friday morning. In the meantime am giving him his meds. I hope it is just the chemo or another illness, it just seems to have come on out of nowhere, but, of course, he has had cancer for all this time, so...I will just hope and pray. This morning again he did not really show interest in food, and pretty much just laid in the sun and slept. I just fed them again now and he is eating. He ate a bunch last night when I gave him the appetite stimulant. I stayed up with him since he was pretty hyper. So I've been napping today lol. On the good side, no throwups! Paws are crossed that he will be ok.

 

[finnlacey]

Barb, I know I am not on here much but I'm thinking of you and Toby. Praying things improve. 

 

[barbb]

I noticed somebody posted on another thread that egg yolk lethicin helped their cat and they did not need to use hairball control remedies. Is that true? Maybe I can use that for Toby if he seems constipated or has blockage from his sarcoma?

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Yes, quite a few of us use egg yolk lecithin for both hairballs and constipation.  Otto is trying a new one, so I'm anxiously awaiting the results.  Otherwise, I think most of us use Natures Plus