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We’re currently treating a cat with suspected FIP.
Last Monday, I woke up and Salem’s abdomen was very distended, mostly the left side. He was acting completely normal otherwise.
A preliminary exam and ultrasound showed enlarged kidneys and some sort of masses or something on both kidneys.
Bloodwork showed stage 3 CKD, though no CKD symptoms had been observed at that point.
Vet suspected PKD, lymphoma that originated outside the kidneys, or fungal granuloma. Our vet was leaning toward lymphoma.
We scheduled some more imaging and a biopsy for that Thursday.
This imaging showed other irregularities on the kidneys, as well as thickening of the intestinal walls.
At this point, the vet ruled out PKD.
He also seemed to doubt it was lymphoma now, but maybe some other cancer. Fungal granuloma was still a possibility.
But now he and the imaging specialist strongly suspected dry FIP.
We came home and immediately started arranging for treatment with GS, and Salem got started on it the very next day.
The biopsy results were supposed to take 3-5 business days. Today is day 5, and my vet was unable to even get ahold of the place. They have no idea why they haven’t gotten results yet.
Salem was acting fine all last week. But since Saturday, he has gone downhill fast.
He is very lethargic and not at all himself. I’ve increasingly noticed CKD symptoms - drinking and peeing a lot, greasy, spikey coat. He is also nauseous. He lost 1.3lbs in a week or so, down from 15lbs.
I am a complete mess. As I understand it, most cats improve with treatment within the first week.
Not having the biopsy results is killing me. I wanted to make a preemptive appointment last week with an oncologist so we could get in quickly if it turned out to be cancer, but I needed a referral and my vet couldn’t give me one until the biopsy results came back.
Now I fear that if it is cancer, it will take way too long to see the oncologist.
I don’t know why I’m posting here. I’m just scared. I don’t know what to do, I don’t even know for certain what we’re dealing with.
Those of you familiar with treating FIP - how long did it take for your cat to improve after starting GS?
If we don’t get the biopsy results by tomorrow, I’m thinking about just bringing him to the ER tomorrow evening.
I don’t know though… I feel like doing that might be selfish of me? Stressing him like that when they might not be able to do anything without the biopsy results?
But the ER has specialists and an oncologist there, as well as more equipment, so maybe we could actually get more answers. Or at least supportive care for his kidneys, something to slow things down, make him feel better?
And if we do find out it’s cancer tomorrow and I can’t get into an oncologist for another week+, do I just try to take him to the emergency room anyway just to TRY and get some advanced care asap?
I don’t know. I don’t know what to do. I feel so helpless.
I had so much hope when I found out it was FIP. Now, I feel like I’m losing him.
In a lot of ways, it feels like I’ve lost him already. This cat follows me everywhere, he is ALWAYS on me. Everyone always remarks how “obsessed” with me he is. My boyfriend always jokes that he wants to live in my blood.
But I haven’t seen that cat since almost a week now, and I feel completely broken. I’m now seriously fearing I won’t ever see that cat again either. And that soon I’ll really have to say goodbye.
I’m not ready for this…
Last Monday, I woke up and Salem’s abdomen was very distended, mostly the left side. He was acting completely normal otherwise.
A preliminary exam and ultrasound showed enlarged kidneys and some sort of masses or something on both kidneys.
Bloodwork showed stage 3 CKD, though no CKD symptoms had been observed at that point.
Vet suspected PKD, lymphoma that originated outside the kidneys, or fungal granuloma. Our vet was leaning toward lymphoma.
We scheduled some more imaging and a biopsy for that Thursday.
This imaging showed other irregularities on the kidneys, as well as thickening of the intestinal walls.
At this point, the vet ruled out PKD.
He also seemed to doubt it was lymphoma now, but maybe some other cancer. Fungal granuloma was still a possibility.
But now he and the imaging specialist strongly suspected dry FIP.
We came home and immediately started arranging for treatment with GS, and Salem got started on it the very next day.
The biopsy results were supposed to take 3-5 business days. Today is day 5, and my vet was unable to even get ahold of the place. They have no idea why they haven’t gotten results yet.
Salem was acting fine all last week. But since Saturday, he has gone downhill fast.
He is very lethargic and not at all himself. I’ve increasingly noticed CKD symptoms - drinking and peeing a lot, greasy, spikey coat. He is also nauseous. He lost 1.3lbs in a week or so, down from 15lbs.
I am a complete mess. As I understand it, most cats improve with treatment within the first week.
Not having the biopsy results is killing me. I wanted to make a preemptive appointment last week with an oncologist so we could get in quickly if it turned out to be cancer, but I needed a referral and my vet couldn’t give me one until the biopsy results came back.
Now I fear that if it is cancer, it will take way too long to see the oncologist.
I don’t know why I’m posting here. I’m just scared. I don’t know what to do, I don’t even know for certain what we’re dealing with.
Those of you familiar with treating FIP - how long did it take for your cat to improve after starting GS?
If we don’t get the biopsy results by tomorrow, I’m thinking about just bringing him to the ER tomorrow evening.
I don’t know though… I feel like doing that might be selfish of me? Stressing him like that when they might not be able to do anything without the biopsy results?
But the ER has specialists and an oncologist there, as well as more equipment, so maybe we could actually get more answers. Or at least supportive care for his kidneys, something to slow things down, make him feel better?
And if we do find out it’s cancer tomorrow and I can’t get into an oncologist for another week+, do I just try to take him to the emergency room anyway just to TRY and get some advanced care asap?
I don’t know. I don’t know what to do. I feel so helpless.
I had so much hope when I found out it was FIP. Now, I feel like I’m losing him.
In a lot of ways, it feels like I’ve lost him already. This cat follows me everywhere, he is ALWAYS on me. Everyone always remarks how “obsessed” with me he is. My boyfriend always jokes that he wants to live in my blood.
But I haven’t seen that cat since almost a week now, and I feel completely broken. I’m now seriously fearing I won’t ever see that cat again either. And that soon I’ll really have to say goodbye.
I’m not ready for this…