Any Freeper Veternarians? Need Sick Viking Kitty Info (and prayers)

12 MAR 05 | dcbryan1

[dennisw]

You really know your stuff. Thanks for helping out Bryan and his sick cat.

[Jack Deth]

I'm glad to read the Casey is eating, Bryan.

Got my fingers crossed. Prayers and thoughts still up.

Jack.

[msdrby]

It is good to hear that she is OKAY for the time being. I hate that she is not better yet, but I commend you for the great love and care that has brought her thus far already.

My Freeper cat, Ben, and I watch Casey's progress with interest.

[vetvetdoug]

There is one more afterthought. It is rare but cat vaccines are grown in cat kidney cells and once in a great while an autoimmune phenomenon is triggered that affects both the hemopoetic system (blood) and the kidney cells. Dr. Lappin from San Francisco, California, was working on this rare but sometimes lethal phenomenon in cats along with a veterinary oncologist from Colorado State University. The way to identify this is by having an anti-nuclear antibody test to see if there is an autoimmune phenomenon occurring and then proceed from there. You will probably need to see a veterinary internal medicine specialist that is familiar with this occurrence. Remember, I suspected that there was more than one thing going on and this rare SOB may be another pain in the you know what. I am sorry but you got my mind going over all that you have said a hundred times. I want your cat better.

[CAluvdubya]

I'm so glad you posted Casey's update. I've been hoping and praying it meant good news. So, partially good news. Happy that Casey is eating better. Sounds like vetvetdoug has great advice and expert contacts.

Now if only vetvetdoug can find me a good vet in San Diego CA area! hint, hint. :)

[DCBryan1]

I took casey to vet yesterday and left her for a few hours. Im late for work right now, but will let you know that they did lots of ultrasound work and couldnt find anything that looked bad. They said her AORTA was large, as well as a larger than normal atrium. They think she may have had a heart valve infection.

I will post her numbers later, but kidneys and liver looked normals EXCEPT that her BUN went UP to around 41. I picked Casey up after they had closed (Vet works late calling pet owners) and we talked hunting and guns. Casey got down, opened door, and we watched her go explore the vets hospital. She walked right up to cages with dogs in them, sniffed, and gave a good swat and a hiss. She knew that they couldnt hurt her and I think she enjoyed it.

Vet said she was very alert, and alive, and looking great. We walked across the driveway to Kroger and he wanted to try something. We got her a Fancy Feast can of salmon. She absolutely attacked that can and even growled when we tried to take it away from her. She ate 2/3 of the can and drank a lot of water afterwards.. ..Vet was very pleased to see that.

We still awaiting state lab results from the abdominal fluid we took out last WED.

There is still a little fluid around her heart and in her abdomen, but not near as much as was there WED....still skinny, but alert and eating/drinking.

LATE FOR WORK, will post numbers later!

THanks!

CHris!

[CAluvdubya]

Sounds great! I am so glad to hear that Casey is recovering. Re: salmon.....is that what you call a "ferocious appetite"? he he

[msdrby]

kitty bump

[Overtaxed]

Shhh! Don't say "Fancy Feast." I'm trying to get my fat cat to forget the stuff. :)

Glad to hear Casey's doing better.

[DCBryan1]

Glad to hear Casey's doing better.

Vet wants to see her tommorrow. She is doing good because of YOU guys. I keep telling my Vet (whom says that Casey was 3 feet under the ground and should not have survived) that the power of Free Republic and prayer was the key ingredient ;)

THanks again! Will give update on my skinny kitty tommorrow late PM!

[Jack Deth]

That's very, very good new, Bryan!

Prayers still up.

Jack.

[teenyelliott]

THanks again! Will give update on my skinny kitty tommorrow late PM

Hey, you're late! How is your baby????

I have gone through a couple of difficult kitty deaths in the past few years. One, my beloved soul mate kitty Minno, had bone cancer. I didn't even know it until three weeks before she died. We thought initially it was an infection, and even gave her blood transfusions to improve her anemia, but turns out there was nothing I could do. I know how heart wrenching it can be to watch without knowing how it will turn out.

Sounds like Casey is doing better as of your last reports. Please let us know. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for your little one.

[CAluvdubya]

Looks like we had the same thought, teeny!

Bryan, how is Casey? Any updates?

[DCBryan1]

Howdy guys! Back from out of town. Sorry I havent posted in a while. I have been catching up since taking about two weeks off and on b/c of Casey.

She is doing fine, and is eating everytime I present food. She is drinking on her own, and her blood work looks good. The abdominal fluid is less, and was a no-cancer type (so says the State labs).

The only thing the Vet is worrying about now is her weight loss. She has consistantly lost weight over the last month, and is now under her weight before all this happened.

He wants to treat her for her thyroid problem (6.4 on T4 test). She is on Methhimazole (10mg) three (3) times a day for about ten (10) days.

He wants to see if this will drop that number and get some weight up. Every morning she comes to get me and takes me to her food bowl where she eats an entire can of Fancy Feast. I hate wet cat food, but right now, Im gonna give her anything she will eat.

Thanks again for the concerns and advice. Will post again on FRI on her next Vet visit.

DCB

[DCBryan1]

Doug: Please read post above. I took Casey to vet this week and her T4 re-examination and she scored "within specs" about .88 down from 4.7 I think. Her BUN, Crea, and ALT has been normal for a month now, and he said further test would be extraneous unless a change in her behavior.

Vet has had her on Metimazole (10mg) x3 a day. He wants it cut back to AM and PM and see her in 3 weeks.

Let me know what you think.

She is, IMHO back to normal. She has gained a half pound, but still a little skinny. She has a good appetite and a great personality again.

Thanks again for your and everyone else's help.!

DCB

[vetvetdoug]

10mg methimazole three times a day is a little high dosing but once it gets the overall T-4 level down then you will back off. I generally use about 5mg methimazole twice daily for maintenance. The BUN/Creatinine/ALT levels standardized is really comforting. I'd bet the elevated T-4 had the entire system screwed up. This entire debacle shows how medicine is both an art and a science and it doesn't matter how one gets to resolving the problem, the key is resolving the problem. Talleyho!!!!