Vet can’t figure out what’s wrong with my cat!

[Linzeew]

Hi all! I found this forum in hopes of finding any suggestions for my cat boyfriends family cat Maurice.
He began a steady decline a few months ago and after 4 vet visits, they still can’t figure out why he’s so sick. I refuse to believe he is just getting old at age 10.
He has been an outdoor cat his whole life and is one of the most social, energetic and non caring cat I have ever met. One day he started staying inside all day which we thought was strange, but it was stormy out that week. After that we noticed he had trouble jumping on to things like he used to, like his back legs were weak. The first vet after doing many tests and X-rays, prescribed him a pain killer due to not finding anything.This seemed to make him feel a little better so she switched him over to one that she supposedly knew more about for long term treatments in cats. The kicker is that the instructions inside say specifically to not administer for cats. I looked it up and the FDA has a black box warning for cat use but cat be used in a small dose if the vet wishes to do so. He was on it for a week or two and had two seizures on it and got bad again so we stopped using it. My boyfriends mom also decided to stop his flea treatment just in case that might be impacting his health too and since he was only staying inside now. After about two or three weeks we decided to take him to a new vet. This vet could only tell us that now our cat is infested with fleas and he is giving up. Alarmed, we get him back on his medication. I start flea combing him a bit after that and my boyfriend begins to give him tuna and all kinds of enticing wet food at night. He seemed to do a bit better then one day last week he perked up. He was jumping all around for 3 days straight! Running and meowing so much it was ANNOYING us! He was really excited and happy and ate a lot. Followed us everywhere, but still didn’t go outside all day like he used to. Although he did go for some time during the day. My boyfriend just have him his next dose of flea meds because after those three days he crashed again and we figured it might be due to the dose being soon. This is the second day after the dose and I can’t even touch him without him yowling/screaming. I came over and tried to do the flea comb and he was so visibly and vocally uncomfortable. I don’t even have to actually touch him and he yowls! I am at such a loss for this guy. It is so hard to see him suffering but we don’t want to put him down if there is some hope out there he can get better. Thank you for reading this massive and confusing story , we appreciate it very much <3
Any suggestions would be greatly encouraged. Anything at all! Thank you.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I really don't have any idea what it is, but do have a question about the 2nd Vet. You mentioned he "is giving up". What did he do before giving up? That part of your quest to find out what is wrong could be very important. Additionally, when he had those seizures on the new pain medication, did you consult with the first Vet to let her know? She might have some more ideas about how to help with his pain, since you said he did better on pain meds. There are more than one or two pain meds available. What was he on (both times)? Lastly, are you dosing him with the same flea medication you have always used, and what is it?

I would not think about putting him down without getting another opinion, since from what little we know, it sounds like Vet #2 didn't really do much, so it would really be a second opinion vs a third.

 

[LTS3]

What is the brand name of the flea product? There is an OTC one called Cheristin that some cats have negative reactions to. One TCS thread on this brand: Do not use cheristin for cats!!!!!!!!!

Hartz flea products are also known to be harmful to cats.

Try these homemade flea treatment suggestions: Homemade Flea Remedies For Cats – TheCatSite Articles It will take at least a couple of weeks of treatment to fully break the flea cycle with a combo of keeping the house vaccummed and clean and treating the fleas already on the cat. Use a prescription flea topical product if you're not already doing so. A flea bath done by a groomer may help.

I'd get another opinion from a different vet and if that vet has no idea, insist that he / she call a veterinary school for a courtesy consult on your cat's other issues.

 

[Antonio65]

My boyfriends mom also decided to stop his flea treatment just in case that might be impacting his health too and since he was only staying inside now.

Hi, is the flea treatment always the same you had used in the past? Can you tell us the name of this product?

After about two or three weeks we decided to take him to a new vet. This vet could only tell us that now our cat is infested with fleas and he is giving up. Alarmed, we get him back on his medication.

Do you see the fleas on Maurice, or is just something that the vet said so you could go home with something?

I don’t even have to actually touch him and he yowls! I am at such a loss for this guy. It is so hard to see him suffering but we don’t want to put him down if there is some hope out there he can get better. Thank you for reading this massive and confusing story , we appreciate it very much <3
Any suggestions would be greatly encouraged. Anything at all! Thank you.

You say he's yowling an screaming when you touch him. Do you think he's in pain, or is he just annoyed and doesn't want to be touched because he's unwell?

When I first read your post, the first thing that came to my mind is that Maurice may be suffering from something that could be Cushing's or more likely Hyperaldosteronism.
I may sound like a broken record, but since this happened to my cat 5 years ago, I seem to see this thing in all cats that show the same symptoms.
Because they are both rare syndromes in cats, vets tend to overlook them.

 

[maggie101]

After my cat saw a vet and had an xray which only showed arthritis on her back he suggested a specialist and got an ultrasound. Have you thoroughly checked her fur for fleas? You could give her a flea bath.its possible she has hyperthyroidism plus fleas. I am curious why the vet said she was infested with fleas when you didn't notice anything

 

[fionasmom]

I also see this as a reaction to something or a condition which has yet to be diagnosed and not the end of the line.

 

[Antonio65]

I also see this as a reaction to something or a condition which has yet to be diagnosed and not the end of the line.

 

[ClayirPann]

You may want to ask your vet about the possibility of feline infectious anemia which is a bacteria that clings to the red blood cells. It's transmitted by flea bites, cat bites, and close contact with an infected cat (like sharing food bowls). I'm just learning about it now; there seems to be 3 forms, and one is way more serious than others. lack of energy, discomfort, inappetence are some of the symptoms, while other cats live with it for years before it's diagnosed. Our foster started sleeping more, didn't want to be touched, red gums and bad breath and he's being tested for it so it's not a confirmed diagnosis yet.