| magicalfreddiemercury 13.08.2007 14:03 |
The last surviving of my three cats is sick. We lost one last October and one this past June. Now the last one - who just turned 10 - is not eating. I noticed it Friday evening but thought it was due to attitude regarding kittens I just adopted from a local shelter. Saturday, he was chewing funny, so I thought it was a problem with his teeth. But then he started vomiting - even though he hadn't eaten. Saturday night and yesterday it was more of the same. He's interested in his food - wakes me the same way at the same time every morning, circles my feet as I fill the bowls then runs to his food. Only problem is once he gets there, he simply stares at it for a few seconds then walks away. He won't even eat his treats. He starts to eat them then leaves them on the floor. I took him to the vet this morning and he's lost 1/2 pound since his annual exam less than a month ago. The blood test results will be in tomorrow, but as of now, the vet said it looks like liver disease. I can't believe this is happening. All three of my babies so sick so suddenly. I lost two. I can't imagine losing this one also. I just can't. |
| JoxerTheDeityPirate 13.08.2007 14:08 |
my last 3 cats i had all died within 2 weeks of each other,kidney failure,stroke and poisoning by a neighbour,which is why i refuse to get any more. sorry to hear of your cats illness,i hope it gets better soon. |
| YourValentine 13.08.2007 14:12 |
I am very sorry about this ongoing worry and grief you go through :-( I hope your cat recovers. |
| Janet 13.08.2007 14:12 |
Oh no :-( I can't believe this is happening to you again! Sending good positive thoughts to you and your baby... |
| AspiringPhilosophe 13.08.2007 15:44 |
Oh No!!! Magical, I'm so sorry to hear about this!!!! **Hugs** My best thoughts to you and your cat for a speedy and full recovery! Please keep us posted |
| its_a_hard_life 26994 13.08.2007 15:55 |
Dude man that is awful!!!!! :-( |
| deleted user 13.08.2007 16:12 |
That is sad, my deepest sympathy mate, what does the vet say? |
| beautifulsoup 13.08.2007 17:54 |
Positive thoughts for you and the cat. I'm so sorry you're going through this again - and I'll hope for THE BEST! |
| sparrow 21754 13.08.2007 20:01 |
do you think maybe your kitty has a virus? is it an outdoor one? i do hope it will be ok! |
| magicalfreddiemercury 13.08.2007 20:01 |
Thank you for all your positive thoughts. It means a lot to both of us. I just spoke with the vet and it seems Ansel's blood work was all good except that he's dehydrated. On the surface, that sounds great but the vet cautioned me, saying that all that means is whatever he has - if it isn't behavioral - has not yet entered his blood. He said if he doesn't come around in a day or two, then we'll start with X-rays and go from there. Right now, he's on a new, very wet prescription food that should help with his dehydration IF he eats it. Fingers crossed. I did find something very interesting online. It's about 'fatty liver disease' in cats. Apparently, when they stop eating for a long time, the body stores fat, like humans. However, a cat's liver can't break down the fat and so it just sits there, slowly stopping the liver from functioning. The site also said, if it's caught early enough, it can be corrected with a change in diet. This is important because after Slinky passed away in June, Ansel barely ate for two weeks. It sounds like a possibility to me. I just found this out now, so I'll have to wait until tomorrow to ask my vet more about it. Thanks again for all your good thoughts. I was a wreck before but I do feel a little more optimistic now. I'll keep you posted. |
| magicalfreddiemercury 13.08.2007 20:07 |
Sparrow wrote: do you think maybe your kitty has a virus? is it an outdoor one? i do hope it will be ok!Thank you, Sparrow. I hope so, too. He's an indoor cat. Strictly indoor. I suppose a virus is possible but the vet didn't mention that - or if he did I didn't hear it because the words "liver disease" were echoing in my head. After losing my other two cats so suddenly, it's hard to think past the panic, you know? For all I know, my cat is simply still depressed and further distressed by having new kittens in the house. I'd hate to think he's that sad, but I'd prefer that over some of the other options. |
| Sergei. 13.08.2007 20:50 |
I'm sorry to hear about your cat. I hope he gets better. ;__; |
| AspiringPhilosophe 13.08.2007 22:37 |
Hey Magical, I would only give it one day....trust me on that one. One day is all it takes sometimes, that's what happened with Boots. If he won't eat the food, another way to get liquids into him is something I tried with Boots when she was sick. Though she ultimately died, the vet sugguested this to help her out and it works. He said that sometimes if they get a little dehydrated they'll stop drinking, but if you can get your cat hydrated just a little they'll start drinking again. All you need is an eye dropper and some Pedialite or Water. Hold the cat in your lap on his back and force the liquids down his throat. That will help with the dehydration. My continued best wishes and please keep in touch with us! |
| sparrow 21754 13.08.2007 23:32 |
magicalfreddiemercury wrote:oh i didnt know you had new kittens in the house! i think thats possible. i can understand feeling distressed about losing him tho.Sparrow wrote: do you think maybe your kitty has a virus? is it an outdoor one? i do hope it will be ok!Thank you, Sparrow. I hope so, too. He's an indoor cat. Strictly indoor. I suppose a virus is possible but the vet didn't mention that - or if he did I didn't hear it because the words "liver disease" were echoing in my head. After losing my other two cats so suddenly, it's hard to think past the panic, you know? For all I know, my cat is simply still depressed and further distressed by having new kittens in the house. I'd hate to think he's that sad, but I'd prefer that over some of the other options. my aunt's cat was really sick last week, almost died. it turned out he was just really dehydrated and had a virus (he is an outdoor cat and has been sick in all his 3 years of life) but is a fighter, and with some medicine and rest he feels for the most part, normal again. usually cats tend to be drama queens when it comes to sicknesses (at least mine do, they are indoor divas) so they make the smaller sickenesses seem like its terminal, then a few days later theyre ok. i hope your kitty is just doing some silly things for attention like mine tend to do, and with new kittens, i imagine thats exactly what hes doing, just trying to keep your attention on him. but im no doctor. i hope for your sake, that he is definitely ok. |
| magicalfreddiemercury 14.08.2007 13:55 |
HistoryGirl wrote: Hey Magical, I would only give it one day....trust me on that one.I thought about you and your baby when this started happening. And I agree - one day certainly is enough. I took him back to the vet this morning. Between yesterday and today he had maybe a tablespoon of food - and today I had to literally force it into his mouth. They did X-rays and oddly enough it showed a completely full colon. I mean FULL. Could all this fuss be due to simple constipation? Can you imagine??? From liver disease to this? Gross but also quite a relief. They gave my poor little guy an enema and now we're home... you can guess what fun we're having. They also gave him an appetite stimulant, so hopefully, we'll see some progress there, too. The vet did say that this 'backup' would certainly cause the symptoms I'd described. So, as of now, things seem a million times better than they did yesterday. Tomorrow we go back for a follow-up exam and hopefully find out why this happened in the first place. He is on prescription food and I didn't introduce anything else into his diet so I don't know why all of a sudden he'd have trouble like this, but hopefully the vet will have a simple answer and not say something horrible was the cause. Thank you all again for your well wishes. And my apologies for the panicked thread. I really and truly thought the worst was happening yet again. Thankfully, that seems not to be the case. |
| AspiringPhilosophe 14.08.2007 15:00 |
Wow....someone actually thinks about me and the stuff I write here? I take that as a compliment, as it means I've made an impression on someone, and that is enough for me for right now. :-) I'm SO glad to hear that you and your baby are doing better. Hopefully it was just constipation...maybe he's got a virus or something (even indoor cats can get them) or maybe it was a bad can of food. Please don't apologize for the panicked post, Magical. Everyone who has responded to this thread is a cat lover/pet owner and unfortunately some of us here know what it is like to loose a pet. Someone once told me that it can be harder on a person to loose a pet than a family member, because animals can't back talk and they do nothing but are there for you and give you love, without doing anything that can hurt you. Loosing something like that is incredibly painful, and leaves a scar. I teared up the other day when I was going through some pictures of mine on the computer and found a picture of Boots on it, and I don't think I'll be past that point for a while. We all understand what you were going through when your cat first showed symptoms, and with pets it's worse because you can't ask them what's wrong and they can't communicate to you the problem...it's like a giant guessing game, with steaks that are incredibly high. Here's wishing your problem has been solved, and please keep us posted on any improvements! |
| magicalfreddiemercury 14.08.2007 16:45 |
HistoryGirl wrote: Wow....someone actually thinks about me and the stuff I write here? I take that as a compliment, as it means I've made an impression on someone, and that is enough for me for right now. :-)LOL. As a matter of fact, you are among the few here whose posts I actively seek out. :-) |
| AspiringPhilosophe 14.08.2007 17:03 |
magicalfreddiemercury wrote:Awww!!! That's so sweet Magical! :-) Nice to know that I've made some friends on this board.HistoryGirl wrote: Wow....someone actually thinks about me and the stuff I write here? I take that as a compliment, as it means I've made an impression on someone, and that is enough for me for right now. :-)LOL. As a matter of fact, you are among the few here whose posts I actively seek out. :-) **Hugs** |
| magicalfreddiemercury 15.08.2007 20:33 |
Well, it's not that either. I took him in for a follow-up X-ray and it showed his colon is better (from the enema), but his bladder still very enlarged - at capacity, actually. For some reason, he's not peeing so the organs there are distended and pressing against his stomach - giving little to no room for it to expand with food. They kept him today and catheterized him, thinking he had a blockage - which he's had in the past and is the reason he's on prescription food to begin with. However, there was no obstruction. They sent a urine sample out for a culture but right now, we don't have any answers as to why he's not eating. Friday or Monday, depending when the technician comes in, he'll have an ultrasound where they'll check for acute tumors. This is going from bad to ridiculous to the worst imaginable. |
| AspiringPhilosophe 15.08.2007 22:26 |
Oh, Magical!! I'm so sorry to hear this!!! Here's hoping it's just an infection. At least they know what's causing the not eating problem though, so the immediate danger is over. Chin up!! We're all still pulling for you and your baby! |
| magicalfreddiemercury 17.08.2007 15:48 |
NO TUMORS!! :-D Ansel just had his ultrasound and there are no apparent tumors. That means when his urine culture is complete, it will no doubt show a bug of some sort. Logic says that bug will be easily treated - or at least treated easier than if a tumor was found, which... did I mention... NO TUMORS!!! <sniff> I'm so relieved! |
| deleted user 17.08.2007 15:56 |
That's awesome! |
| Janet 17.08.2007 16:05 |
Thank goodness Magical! That is great news! :-) |
| Donna13 17.08.2007 17:08 |
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| Janet 17.08.2007 17:10 |
Sorry for your loss, Donna13. :-( |
| Carol! the Musical 17.08.2007 17:15 |
Janet wrote: Sorry for your loss, Donna13. :-(Me, too- what a terrible thing to have happen. :( But I'm glad Magical's cat is okey! :))) |
| magicalfreddiemercury 17.08.2007 17:50 |
Donna13 wrote: The vet said my cat was dying and also, "Kitties tend to linger," so it is best to put them to sleep before they suffer for too many days.Oh, Donna13, I am so very sorry. I know how hard it is to see them suffer and I know with each of mine I tried everything I could to keep them around. It didn't help them - it only served to make me feel like I was doing SOMETHING for them when, in fact, there was nothing I could do. This situation with my baby was different than all the others. In your baby's case, she was ready. It's so very hard to see that, but it's true. She was already dealing with kidney failure and she hung on as long as she could. There comes a point when they try to tell us it's time. We love them so much that we don't always understand the signs, but they are there. If you'd taken her to the vet sooner, the only difference would have been that you'd have had to let her go sooner... and then you'd feel guilty for not waiting just a little longer. You did exactly what every one of us would have done - wait, hope and cry. Nine years ago, I had to let my first baby go. She was my first pet - a shih-tzu I rescued the day before she was to be put to sleep. By the time she turned 16, she had lung cancer and suffered too much. I was a mess, unable to let her go. The vet told me this - To us, 16 years is not enough, but to her, it's a lifetime. She's lived her life, and she's ready to go now. It's up to you to let her. That might not help you at this moment, but it helped me at the time. She was old and tired, but she was sticking around, hanging on, for me. I couldn't let her do that anymore, so I set her free. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do, but it was also the right thing. You have nothing to feel guilty about. What you did, you did out of love. She knew that. Somehow, they always do. <<<hugs>>> |
| Donna13 17.08.2007 18:19 |
Thank you Janet, Carol, and Magical. |
| magicalfreddiemercury 17.08.2007 22:04 |
Donna13 wrote: Of course, I cried the entire time. Now I can't show my face there again. (Just kidding, but I am embarrassed.)No need to be embarrassed at all. If your vet is anything like mine (and I've a feeling he is), then he not only understands but appreciates the love you expressed. My vet often talks about some of the conditions animals are in when they're brought to the office. You'd think all pet owners love their animals as much as we do. Sadly, that's not always the case. The caring you showed was precisely what they hope to see. |
| AspiringPhilosophe 18.08.2007 18:46 |
@ Magical: I'm so glad to hear that your baby is going to be alright!!! :-D You and your family have been through so much with animals in the last year, you needed a break and some good luck, which you apparantly have received! Give Ansel lots of love, both for you and for all of us cat lovers here on QZ. @ Donna 13: I'm so sorry for the loss of your baby. We've all been through so much here in the last year it seems that all of us have just recently experienced your pain. Please do not feel guilty or embarassed for your feelings or actions in this matter...you did what you felt was right. Hindsight is always 20/20, and one can spend their whole lives going through the "I wish I would have" or "I wish that this hadn't happened" but in the end it doesn't matter. You cannot live that way. Your baby was ready to go, and by putting her down you did the most humane thing possible and showed the greatest love: letting them go with dignity and compassion. Your baby lived a good life, and provided you with a lifetime of love and memories. Cherish those, and remember that you did all you could and your baby's suffering is now over. **Hugs** |
| Donna13 18.08.2007 21:56 |
Thank you, HistoryGirl. |
| Ms. Rebel 20.08.2007 16:40 |
joxerthepinkmohawkpirate wrote: my last 3 cats i had all died within 2 weeks of each other,kidney failure,stroke and poisoning by a neighbour,which is why i refuse to get any more. sorry to hear of your cats illness,i hope it gets better soon.My last cat was poisened by my neighbour... I don't have any cats because of that. My dog is in the house, and now has 14 years :) Fucking neighbour can't poison him xD |
| Sergei. 20.08.2007 18:19 |
Donna13, I'm so sorry to hear about your cat. ;__; I'm sure it was for the best and eliminated lots of pain and suffering for your baby. And Magical, I'm glad to hear your Ansel has no tumors! :D Give him a cat treat for me. ;) |
| beautifulsoup 21.08.2007 19:24 |
HistoryGirl wrote: @ Donna 13: I'm so sorry for the loss of your baby. We've all been through so much here in the last year it seems that all of us have just recently experienced your pain. Please do not feel guilty or embarassed for your feelings or actions in this matter...you did what you felt was right. Hindsight is always 20/20, and one can spend their whole lives going through the "I wish I would have" or "I wish that this hadn't happened" but in the end it doesn't matter. You cannot live that way. Your baby was ready to go, and by putting her down you did the most humane thing possible and showed the greatest love: letting them go with dignity and compassion. Your baby lived a good life, and provided you with a lifetime of love and memories. Cherish those, and remember that you did all you could and your baby's suffering is now over. **Hugs**I can't say it any better than HistoryGirl. Many of us do know what you're going through... magical said: "You have nothing to feel guilty about. What you did, you did out of love. She knew that. Somehow, they always do." ^^^ I truly believe that was the case with my Heidi (we euthanized her at the end of May). The tech brought her in and set her on the couch between me and my husband. I leaned down to hug her and give her kisses. I think she knew...and was saying goodbye. She gave me sooo many kisses, over and over and over. When the vet came in and sat down on the floor in front of her, she reached forward and gave HIM a kiss on the nose. My God, she made me smile even then (she was always a people pleaser) but that's when I was toast (inside; I managed to keep from crying until after he checked her heartbeat to confirm she was gone). (((Hugs))) to Donna13 and everyone in this thread. |
| magicalfreddiemercury 21.08.2007 22:10 |
beautifulsoup wrote: She gave me sooo many kisses, over and over and over.Before the vet came for Adams, Adams was like a wet rag. Part of me felt if we'd waited another few minutes, he would have gone on his own - in his own time. He was that bad. Moments before the vet arrived, I picked Adams up to hug him and tell him how much I loved him. That we were doing this for him because we loved him so much. He kneaded my arm in that moment. Just kneaded and kneaded like always when he was happy and comfortable. And then the vet came but Adams didn't know it. He'd used the last of his energy to show me how much he loved me, too. This is all so incredibly sad, but also encouraging. They do know and while at that moment, I had a twinge of doubt, thinking he might be feeling better and actually survive, I now know the truth. He understood and still loved me, maybe even thanked me. Yours is a beautiful story, beautifulsoup. It made me tear up but I'm so happy you shared it with us. <hugs> Should we switch gears and talk about something happy now? I have photos of my new kittens - Fidget - link link Lady - link link Dobby (yes, because he looks just like Harry Potter's house elf. Poor little guy) - link link |
| iron eagle 21.08.2007 22:16 |
i am sorry to hear about your baby donna i dread the day i have to face that myself just dread it when they are that age it can be a mirad of things fancyface is 16-17 now and started to have similar symptoms-- little bit here and there--water water water... lasted a few days then suddenly she started back 'being fancy'-- i had told her one day that i would give her one more day and the vet she goes...i took her anyway.... they took her to the back and stuck a needle in her and i could hear her crying and being very unhappy... what happens? i lose it and they have to come in to me to console me... hyperthyroidism---she gets nice pills daily or some compound and gives me the loveing go to hell look--she has started to put some weight back on... she is mad at me now cause today was vet follow up day.... all i can do is love and protect her..and give her the best life possible--- i have no doubt you did that also for your baby--you may not feel that you did..but you did one day when you least expect it....she is going to visit you and give you some more love back....maybe a toy moved--a sudden whiff that you immediately recognize as them-a sound-a kiss,something..... @magical i am glad everything turned out ok... |
| sparrow 21754 21.08.2007 23:11 |
glad to hear the good news for you magical! donna i am sorry about your precious pet :( my vet sent us a sympathy card when we had to have our dog put down. most vets are understanding when it comes to losing a pet, since they really are a part of the family. |
| Donna13 22.08.2007 09:04 |
Thank you Cookies, beautifulsoup, iron eagle, Magical and Sparrow. |
| sparrow 21754 22.08.2007 14:16 |
and thats the important thing :) ^^ |
| AspiringPhilosophe 22.08.2007 17:05 |
Awww!!! Magical, your cats are adorable! You can even see their personalities developing already in the photos. :-) I wish I could get another kitten......**sighs** |
| Freya is quietly judging you. 22.08.2007 17:09 |
magicalfreddiemercury wrote: I have photos of my new kittens - Fidget - link link Lady - link link Dobby (yes, because he looks just like Harry Potter's house elf. Poor little guy) - link linkOh my gosh, they are absolutely gorgeous! |
| sparrow 21754 22.08.2007 19:57 |
<b><font color=007788>?Freya? wrote:^.^ kitties!!!! how cute!!!! the first one has beautiful eyes!magicalfreddiemercury wrote: I have photos of my new kittens - Fidget - link link Lady - link link Dobby (yes, because he looks just like Harry Potter's house elf. Poor little guy) - link linkOh my gosh, they are absolutely gorgeous! |
| Sergei. 22.08.2007 21:47 |
magicalfreddiemercury wrote: I have photos of my new kittens - Fidget - link link Lady - link link Dobby (yes, because he looks just like Harry Potter's house elf. Poor little guy) - link linkI love them! :DDD ~^_^~ |
