# My Taffy boy is not doing well



## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Back in August, Taffy got sick, was vomiting and not eating. We took him in, he had blood work, x-rays. They could not tell what was wrong. Blood work looked fine, normal, the vet said. Radiologist said the x-rays showed nothing out of the ordinary. He had another x ray a few weeks later, and still showed nothing. 

So anyway, Taffy perked up, like was nearly back to himself, eating, playing, though he was not eating with as much gusto as he had before, but not enough to concern me that he would be in danger of hepatic lipidosis. Then it was sort of odd. Taffy would have 3 weeks where he would be totally fine. No vomiting, playing like normal, and then he would have a day where he would throw up, pick at his food, eat a little...but he would eat, and he would have a day, maybe sometimes two where he would pick like this, and then he'd be fine. So this has been going on since August. My vet and I had discussed doing the very expensive blood test that is sent of to Texas A & M to see if it could be pancreatitis, but we decided to hold off on it, since he seemed to be doing better. 

Well, Saturday he would not eat, just picked at a little food again, and by the evening I managed to get him to eat some rotisserie chicken and he was drinking, but then he threw up. Same thing Sunday, little picking in the morning, ate some more chicken that night and threw it up again. And this is gross, but what he threw up smelled unbelievably vile. I clean up cat puke usually, no problem, this I could not even, my husband had to do it, it was that bad. I read that it could be a sign of many things, but it could also indicate an obstruction. My vet didn't seem to think that was what was going on with him, he did not do an x ray, which I'm kind of thinking he should have, but he looked at the many ones we did in August and didn't think it would tell us anything, and we are probably going to need to do an ultrasound and an endoscopy, which they do not do there, so I'm likely going to be going to the specialist. He said a biopsy of his stomach tissue would be able to tell him if it was IBD. 

So the vet took blood, urine, he sent it out rather than doing it in the office, and he said he hopes to have results by 5:30 and will call me tonight and we will go from there. Taffy was 11.3 pounds in August, now he is right under 9 pounds  He's really hard to tell that he is that small because he is a big furry cat, but I knew he had lost some weight, I didn't realize it was that much. So I am now waiting for the vet to call in a few hours with blood results to see where we go from here. He said it could be IBD, Pancreatitis or a malignancy. He gave him a shot of cerenia, which helped him greatly in August. He was perked up a bit when I got him home, and I have a feeling he will eat tonight since he had that shot. 

My poor little boy. He is the sweetest and most tender hearted one of my cats. He wouldn't hurt a flea. Gets along with everyone, doesn't scratch the furniture, he's just the perfect little boy. He is almost 7, he has only had 2 rabies shots his entire life. We do have to use Advantage or Revolution on our cats during the summer, because we live in FL where fleas are awful, and our dog goes outside, so fleas can be an issue if we don't use something. Of course, I'm beating myself up thinking of the many things that could have caused him cancer, if it is cancer. I guess we will see where to go when the vet calls back with his blood results. Thanks for listening. I feel helpless and not sure what to do at the moment. Grateful for cat people to vent to.


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## Speechie (Dec 2, 2013)

Oh no, poor you, poor Taffy! Isn't he your sock hunter? 
I am praying that the vets find something easily treated. 
If it is cancer, you can't blame yourself,...cancer happens, it sucks, but it is not something we can always pin down a cause for. I lost my beloved Cosette and Ponty cats to cancer within 2 mos of each other. They were siblings, and I am thinking they had genetic issues... 

Hang in there, holding your hand from afar, and praying for you...


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Oh No, Howsefrau, 
(((Hugs))) and prayers, for you and Taffy...
If his vomit was that vile...it would make me think, some kind of obstruction, as well..
Have you seen any kind of 'coffee ground' looking type of vomit?
Will be keeping you both, in my thoughts and prayers. 
Sharon


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## Jetlaya67 (Sep 26, 2012)

poor Taffy! I hope that you get good news from the vet.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Howsefrau, 
Any news back from the vet yet?
Praying for some good news...
(((HUGS)))
Sharon


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

No call back from the vet last night. I carried my phone with me everywhere I went so that I wouldn't miss the call. He must not have got the results back, or, he is waiting for the other vet that has been treating Taffy, maybe he wants to consult with him? I'm not sure. I know they open in about 5 minutes, and I am going to give it a little time and see if they call before I call back.

He is very weak this morning. I gave him maybe 1/4 of a 3 ounce can of cat food....two different kinds in case he didn't want one of them, and he ate most of it, but it literally take him 20 minutes or more to eat that much. He just slowly licks at it. 

The good news is, he did both in the litter box yesterday, and it seemed very normal, so I do not think it is an obstruction. He didn't strain or take a long time to go. He has been peeing normally. When the vet drew the urine out with the needle, he said the urine looked clear and good. I asked the vet if he thought he should test him for FelV and FIV, even though I had all of my cats tested, I never had Pippy, my girl I took in last February, I never had her re tested. He didn't think it was that though, he said he had a normal temperature. I still wonder if I should ask for that anyway? Maybe I'm just paranoid, I don't know. 

He is just so frail and weak. He did manage to do his sock hunting thing this morning, he drags socks out of a box that I keep in the laundry room for him, it is his box of socks, and he drags them all over the house, mewing all the while, it's really cute. He has done this every day pretty much since we took him in almost 7 years ago. He drug the socks out this morning, but he didn't go very far with them, but at least he did it. I always know he is really off when he doesn't go drag them out at all. 

I hate to be a pessimist, but I have such a bad feeling that something is very wrong. Even my husband, who has been saying "he is just bored with the cat food", or making some other excuse, even he said he thought something really bad was going on with him, and he never says things like that. He is the opposite of me, he is ever optimistic. 

Hopefully I will get a call soon, and have something positive to report. I just want to sit and snuggle with him, but Taffy is not a snuggler. He is sitting in his favorite dining room chair this morning, which is his spot. I know I'm rambling, I'm just so worried. 

Thank you for the prayers and thoughts. I really appreciate it.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

I finally talked to the vet this evening. He said it was not good news. I do not have a copy of his blood work yet, because the office was already closed, but I'll be picking it up tomorrow. Forgive me for not knowing much about what I'm talking about, but he said his T4 was normal, the Super Chem that tests 23 different things was all normal, and looked very good. But his CBC was very bad. He said his white blood count was 38,000 and it should have been about 9,000. He said a lot more, that I do not recall, something else that should have been between 2500 and 8500 was at 33,065. He told me the different things it could be, bacterial infection, and a few other things, or that it could be cancer. They compared it to the blood work that they ran back in August and said that blood work was normal. He did mention that the blood work ran in August was done there at the vet and not sent out, he seemed to insinuate that it may not have been entirely correct? He didn't outright say it, but he sort of implied it. I don't know. 

He has been steadily going downhill since August. He is barely eating. We gave him some shrimp tonight that we were having from dinner, my husband forgot to rinse off the red curry sauce it was cooked in (huge eyeroll from me) and Taffy just threw it all up. He told me he gave him two huge pieces of shrimp....bathed in that sauce. So I'm not sure if he threw up because, hello, a cat should probably not eat red curry, or if he threw it up because he has been throwing up a lot lately. 

He says he would like to put him on Clavamox, an antibiotic that he has tolerated before, in case it is a bacterial infection, but he really does not think that is what it is. I asked him if we could do another x-ray of his belly to see if there was anything else there. He said we can, but he did not think an x-ray was going to tell him anything new. So we are wondering what to do next. I'm thinking an ultrasound, I'm not to keen on exploratory surgery, and putting him through that. He seemed to think it might be lymphoma. Can anyone tell me how lymphoma diagnosis is confirmed? 

He said his urine was great, a tiny bit of protein, but nothing that would alarm him. Liver, pancreas, all of the other 23 things they test for in the super chem looked great. I am so confused as to what to do, I don't even know where to begin. I do know that if he gets to the point where he is hurting.....I cannot let him linger like that. I will not. But I just don't know what to do. I don't know if it's now a matter of, wait and see, and if there is pain medication that they can give him that will help him be comfortable? My regular vet who has seen him all along, he is on vacation and won't be back until Monday. I'll feel better when I talk to him about where to proceed from here. 

If anyone can let me know how lymphoma diagnosis is confirmed, that is my first question right now. He did not say for sure that is what it is, but most of the other things that it could be he pretty much ruled out. 

I guess it's just time to spoil him and keep him as comfortable and stress free as possible. I don't think I want to stress him out with exploratory surgery, but I'm wondering if the ultrasound and maybe an endoscopy will tell them anything. I guess I have lots to think about. 

Stephano and Taffy are so close. Taffy excepted him when we took him in as a stray, and has been his big brother. Stephano knows something is off with him, he keeps going up to him, smelling him, and just stepping back and looking at him, and he just has a confused look on his face. He knows something is not right. It's funny how animals can sense things like that.


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## zuma (Nov 5, 2009)

I'm so sorry to hear about Taffy. I can't imagine how you must be feeling. Did your vet say what type of lymphoma he's suspecting? As far as I'm aware a diagnosis can only be made with a biopsy, but for certain types an ultrasound can give a radiologist a good idea. Lots of pets for Taffy and a big hug to you. It's so tough.


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## Speechie (Dec 2, 2013)

Oh, I am so sorry his Bloodwork is off, poor Taffy!
Massive hugs and prayers of comfort for you, I have no great insight, but know I'm hoping that somehow Taffy can be comfortable for a while longer.


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## Cheddar (Jul 11, 2014)

Oh no, i'm so sorry you are going through all of this. I hope everything works out in the end.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Awwww Geesh Howsefrau...
First...Massive HUG for you...
I think an ultrasound would probably be the best bet, to show up anything (?)
So scary...I'm so sorry...
(((HUGS))) for you, and Prayers for both you and Taffy...
Sharon


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## marie5890 (May 18, 2011)

:sad2

I am so sorry. Please pet Taffy for us. 
HUGS....


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## jking (Feb 22, 2014)

I'm so sorry to hear about what you and Taffy are going through  I'm sending you thoughts and prayers and hoping for the best.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Taffy is back at the vet now, getting IV fluids, anti nausea shot. It's so frustrating, there are 4 vets, and I had a different one today, so now I have seen two that are not my usual vet. I do not like the way that this one looks at things. Taffy was clearly in pain this morning. He cringed when I touched him, he growled at Stephano who kept trying to head bop him. So I've been very gentle with Taffy, and as she left the room, she goes over and ruffles his head pretty roughly. I did not like that. She wanted to keep him there for two days, and I said that I want him at home with me, so I'm picking him up at five. The vet yesterday, he is the one who is more holistic, and has a completely different approach to everything. The vet yesterday seems to think it is most likely cancer and we should keep him comfortable. The vet today says we could go to the specialist and spend a few thousand dollars on an ultrasound and scope and other tests, and the test for pancreatitis. My own vet, the owner of the practice, will not return until Monday. I am so confused. I have no idea what to do. I just know that he is hurting and I don't want him to. 

This is so sad. As we were leaving, I put him in the crate and he started to mew, and you could barely hear him, just a whisper. Then Stephano came up to the cage and kept rubbing his head all over it, and just looking at him. Then he stood on top of the cage, I guess he thought he could stop me from taking him out. He was not happy when I came home without him. 

The hope is that that anti nausea shot and the fluids will help him feel better and maybe he will eat something tonight. I know we probably don't have much time left with him, but I was really hoping for a little more time. But it doesn't look good right now. I'm just counting the hours until 5:00 when I can pick him up.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

I'm so sorry....Poor Taffy, and poor you....
I wish your regular vet was available, it's hard enough as it is, without having to see a different vet....
I hope Taffy is given something for pain...
(((HUGS))) and Prayers across the miles...
Sharon


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## zuma (Nov 5, 2009)

I'm so sorry. It sucks when you don't have access to your own vet. Any chance you could email? I also go to a big practice with several vets but I have emailed my in before and got a reply from Hawaii where she was on vacation. One of the reasons I chose her as my vet, she truly cares. Either way, I hope Taffy will feel better with the fluids and hopefully a painkiller of some sort. Glad Taffy gets to come home tonight


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Oh, I forgot to mention that they did give him something for pain, the buprenex. I had to ask her for it, she didn't seem eager to give it to him but he is clearly in pain. 

We have a lot to think about, and I'm hoping we at least have the weekend to be with him, that the fluids and meds will help him perk up, until we decide what we will do next. I guess it depends on how he does after today. I just can't wait to have him back home with me. At least with him on some pain meds, maybe he will be OK with us petting him.


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## Mandy and Ellie (Oct 22, 2013)

Oh no Howsefrau, I am so deeply sorry for the bad news about Taffy!  He sounds like such a sweet, hilarious little kitty with his sock habits!

Your vet sounds really similar to mine. There's multiple vets at the practice, and my favorite is the owner's son who thinks very holistically and is incredibly knowledgeable about food and the likes. He never pushes anything and tries to help people out when he is pretty certain about something (like not pushing unnecessary, expensive things). But unfortunately some of the vets aren't quite as good... and if you need in on certain days, sometimes you have to see a different vet because your usual one isn't in. Which is always frustrating.

I am really, really hoping some good news comes your way with Taffy.  Tons of hugs and support coming your way, Howsefrau. I'm glad to hear Taffy is coming home tonight for sure.


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## Speechie (Dec 2, 2013)

hoping you are on the way to get your sweet Taffy, and that you get some nice pet pets in tonight. Huge hugs


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

HOW did I miss this thread??!! I am so very, very sorry about your Taffy boy. This really bites the big one - he is much too young for these old kitty problems he seems to be having. I'm so sad for you. I hope you get a firm answer as to what is going on with Taffy soon and that he is even now on the mend.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

*My sick boy has had a very good couple of days*

It has been quite the roller coaster ride with Taffy. Just when I think things are so bad we will have to make decisions soon.....he turns a corner, for the better, and then we are good. I'm not complaining, I am thankful for these days. Every day that I have him, I am so thankful. 

With his white blood count being extremely high, and him vomiting, my vet, who I trust, thought it was best to give him the covenia shot, since he could not keep the liquid clavamox down. I know the risks and side effects and problems some have had that they attribute to the shot, but we decided to give it a try. I am not sure if this is what has helped him. We are going to repeat his blood work on Tuesday and see if it's gone down. We are also going to go ahead and do the GI panel that is sent to Texas A & M and see what they have to say. 

We all thought it was going to be a bad weekend, and he has been so sweet, he has eaten better than he has in months, has not vomited (knock on wood) and not been gulping water. 

We have enjoyed every minute with our gorgeous boy and hope to have many more.


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## Marmoset (Feb 18, 2014)

I hope he continues to get better. I would have made the same decision with the covenia. When things are not looking good I'd try anything. Please keep us updated with the results from Texas A & M.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Howsefrau, 
Prayers that Taffy keeps improving, and that you get lots of extra time, if not years, with him!!
I feel your heart ache and fears...
We're here for you!
(((HUGS)))
Sharon


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

We went ahead and started Taffy on Prednisone last night. He had cerenia yesterday and buprinex once already, probably again soon, trying to cover both pain and nausea. The pattern has been that once his cerenia shot wears off, the nausea is right back. I'm waiting on the vet to call back with his last CBC results, to see if the antibiotics worked at all. And we will see how he acts on the pred. Have not got the results back on the GI panel from Texas A & M yet either. 

I'm having a very rough time with this. I love this boy so much, and if we cannot control his pain and nausea, I'm afraid this will be it. I cannot stand to see him hurting. And jsut when I think this, he seems to turn a corner, for the better, and he has a few good days, so this is REALLY hard!!! I don't want him to suffer, and I don't want to say goodbye to a cat that I think is still doing OK. Just when we think this is it, he bounces back. Maybe the pred will help? I have no experience with this medication for a cat this sick, so I just don't know what to e xpect, and what side effects this medication might give him. 

Thank you for all the thoughts, prayers and kind words. I sincerely appreciate having other cat people to go to right now.


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## marie5890 (May 18, 2011)

I hear what you are saying. I went thru it with my Blues back about 2.5 years ago. Different medical situation, but same thing. Good days vs bad days. And the bad days were full of suffering and pain.

I dont have an answer. I just understand.

For me, I knew when the time was right when I was reminded of the promis I made to her (and all my kitties)

That, when it was time (and that can be really HARD to know), I would take the pain and sadness into my own heart, rather than ask her to suffer.

WHen the suffering days were more prevelent than the good days, I had to make good on that very sad and painful, yet very real promise.

Either way though, I did experience how such a promise can mess with your head, and your heart. It screws around with it.

I dont regret keeping true to my promise to her. But I do regret that I couldnt do more to make sure she had more better days than suffering days.

And to this day, I miss her.
You have my hugs, my understanding, and my sincerest of compassion. Give Taffy pets and kisses from me. I know it's hard. I know how it messes with one's heart and mind. 

It's not easy. Ever. But then, it is all about Love. :kittyball


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## Speechie (Dec 2, 2013)

I'm so sorry Taffy is still not 100%.  
No great advice, just a knowing nod and hug for you. 
Holding your hand from afar


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## zuma (Nov 5, 2009)

I'm so sorry you have to go through this. I'm sending good vibes that the antibiotics have helped a bit. It's so tough. Big hug to you and lots of pets to Taffy.


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## NOLAKitties (May 30, 2013)

Get well soon Taffy! *hugs*


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

LeAnn,
More ((( HUGS))) And Prayers! 
Sharon


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

I actually had some good news from the vet this morning. Taffy's blood count did come down. His WBC was 39,000 before and it is down to 22,000, and his neutraphils were way down too, but still higher than the vet wants them to be. Sorry, I do not have copies yet, so I'm not sure about everything. He said something else that starts with an L was within normal range now, and he was very glad to see that. This was all before he started the prednisone. He did start on the prednisone Tuesday, because he still had been vomiting and not eating much, and we are now going to start giving it to him every other day and see how he does. 

I'm trying to be optimistic of course, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high either....that sounds terrible, but hopefully he had something bacterial going on and he is improving. The vet said we will see if he does OK on the every other day lower dose of pred but we may have to move it back up. It has definitely increased his appetite, but he doesn't seem to be peeing way more, at least not yet, like I had heard it does to some cats. 

So this was happy news! I'll take it! GI panel not expected back until next week, so we will see if that reveals anything. I'm just going to enjoy my boy each and every day, all of them really. 

I snapped a rare picture of Taffy and Pippi sitting close together last night. Usually Pippi hisses at him and runs away, but they stayed here for a while last night, it was very cute.


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## Mochas Mommy (Dec 9, 2013)

Good news! I am glad that Taffy is showing improvements! Hopefully they continue to improve!


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## zuma (Nov 5, 2009)

Fingers crossed he continues to improve. Go Taffy!


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Glad he's feeling better and I love that picture. Taffy looks like he's leeeaaannning away and Pippi just looks a bit annoyed.


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## marie5890 (May 18, 2011)

keeping paws crossed!!!!!


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

How's Taffy doing??
(((Hugs))) and Prayers! 
Sharon


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

10cats2dogs said:


> How's Taffy doing??
> (((Hugs))) and Prayers!
> Sharon


Thanks for asking. The vet called today, finally had results from his GI panel from Texas A & M. No signs of pancreatitis. Said he needed B-12, that it was really low, or something was really low, and recommended that I bring him in tomorrow for an injection, and that may be something we need to do for a while. 

Well, today, he was eating less, and doing the lip licking thing, seemed uncomfortable, so I gave him some buprinex, and it did help. He went, ate, seemed much better, drug every sock out of his sock box, lol. And then tonight, he threw up. Had not done that for about a week. So tomorrow when we get the B-12, we will be getting another cerenia shot. It was a week ago that he had one last, this one lasted quite a while. The vet had wanted to start doing the prednisolone every other day, so we did, and you could tell that was not going to work, so we are still giving it daily. It may not be enough. I hate giving it to him, but I feel like now it is just a matter of keeping him comfortable. The vet mentioned IBD, but I don't know. I always thought IBD included diarrhea, which he has never had, and it just happened so quickly, and he has lost weight and pepcid or reglan have never even once helped with his nausea. This is gross too, but when he threw up again, it smelled really, really bad, and I know he is not blocked because he has pooping daily, and had no issues with that. 

So we will continue to take it one day at a time. I believe that it is probably lymphoma, but what do I know. I do know that he seems very swollen around his middle. They did not do new x-rays since August, so I think I'll have them do a few tomorrow and see if they see anything there. So for now, treating his pain, his nausea, and trying to keep him comfortable. He has these good days, and then he has the bad ones, and today was pretty bad, but not as bad as some of the past ones. Stephano and Pippy keep going up and smelling him all over, like they know something is very wrong. Stephano seems a little stressed over something being not right with his bubby. They are so bonded, so close. He is resting comfortably tonight, in his comfy bed underneath my daughter's make up table, also known as is "hidey hole". Hopefully we can make tomorrow a better day for my sweet little guy. 

Thank you all for your kind words and for asking about him. This is a first for me, a sick cat. As a kid some ran off, or mom gave away, but I never had to face possibly losing one, although I know that the day will come that I will have to. 

Tomorrow will be better.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

Oh howsefrau, I remember that he wasn't doing well a while ago, but somehow I completely missed this thread. I am so sorry for what you and Taffy (and your hubby and your other kitties!) are going through. Seeing one of your babies miserable and not knowing what's wrong and when or if it will get better is so awful. My Celia went through exactly what Taffy's been going through for about 5 weeks - the exact same symptoms, exact same treatments (except pain meds), exact same results (temporary improvement in eating from Cerenia, pepcid doing nothing, etc.). She *seems* ok; we are at the wait to see if an ultrasound will turn something up stage. 

I know it's hard not to panic and assume the worst-case scenario, especially since the vet mentioned lymphoma, but with Taffy's WBC count that high, and the antibiotics working, maybe it is just a very bad bacterial infection. Some bacteria are very resistant and require two rounds of antibiotics. A former emergency vet I had years ago always brought up the absolute worst possible thing that could be wrong, no matter what the symptoms were. If I said she's been scratching at her ears, he's say well, it could be anything. It could be fleas, but it could also be a growth in the ear canal. - Or it could be fleas...You see what I mean.

I agree with you about the x-rays - whether or not the vet thinks they're necessary, it might at least take care of one question mark in your mind. 

I will keep my fingers crossed that all goes well tomorrow. Wishing you lots of strength and sending hugs.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

He's back for IV's today with B-12 and cerenia. I feel so bad doing this to him, but what do you do when he mostly seems OK? He took all of his socks out this morning, even though he did not eat. I knew I as taking him so I put one little morsel of shredded chicken in his bowl, and he moved it around and licked the bowl for 20 minutes and never ate it, same as he does when he's really bad. After I left him, I just lost it in the parking lot. I thought, "am I torturing him"? How awful for a cat to have to be left at the vet all day, wondering when you are coming back and to have them have to put in an IV. But what choice do I have. He is already dehydrated and I know the fluids will make him feel better. I told them if they can't find a vein that to just do Sub-Q and PLEASE don't try to keep sticking him for a vein, and hopefully they listen to me about that. I pick him up at 5. I felt so bad leaving him though. But I know when he comes home he will be hungry, and happy. The good thing about Taffy being a little "slow", lol, is that when he comes home, he is instantly himself. He doesn't hide, or refuse to eat. He is out of the box, looking for his noms,then the litter box, then looking for Stephano, and then his socks, and then his dining room chair. That is his daily routine in a nutshell. Sometimes I'm glad he's a little doofy, because everything seems to roll right off of him. A trip to the vet for Beep, and she's hiding for the rest of the day. 

Spirite - I actually brought up the possibility of a bad bacterial infection. The vet said the covenia will work for 10 days or two weeks, I can't remember what he said. I will talk about the possibility of another round and see what he says. The prednisone has helped immensely, but I couldn't give it today because of him vomiting. Hopefully once he's back on it it will continue to help him get by for a while. I question whether it could be a bad tooth in there. To me, it seems like they don't look very thoroughly in there. His breath is not overly bad, like it could be with a bad tooth, but they said without doing a dental they just don't know. Is that true? They cannot examine his teeth enough to see if one is really bad? He has not ever had a dental, I am ashamed to say, because his teeth have never really been bad. He has been on soft food his whole life, except for the first year I didn't know any better. His teeth are not bad at all for a cat his age, so I never did the dental. And now, I'd do it in a heartbeat, only how can I do that to him with everything he's going through? But I keep thinking in my mind, "what if it is a tooth, or several bad teeth? Would you think that they could guess that it could be that?


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## TranquilityBlue (Nov 13, 2014)

I'm so sorry to hear that your kitty isn't feeling well  sending positive thoughts/vibes from Jasper and I :thumb

Get well soon Taffy!


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

More (((HUGS))) and Healing prayers for Taffy...
Sharon


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

I hope Taffy's back and feeling better howsefrau. Celia also got B-12 and cerenia twice, though both times, the cerenia was only effective for one day. I hope it lasts at least a few days for Taffy.

When Margaux started not eating well, I thought it might be a tooth too. A regular exam showed just a little tartar, nothing that would cause pain, but I was told the same thing you were: it was possible that there was something going on, but that there was no way to know for sure without doing a dental. In her case, the dental showed nothing, but when Celia went in for one because they'd seen tartar, they ended up extracting a tooth, which they didn't know they'd need to do based on the visual exam.

How did your vet react when you talked about possibly doing a dental? Did they think Taffy's current health might be an issue, since he'd have to be anesthetized?


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Well, I insisted on them doing some x-rays again today, and they found something. It looks like he has a foreign object in his small intestines. If I can figure out a way to show the picture, it is very interesting. All of the radiologists that looked at it had a "guess the foreign object game", I guess they play that often, and they all unanimously believe he has a squeeker from a dog toy. They are not positive, but it does look like it is one. How he swallowed this.....it's got to be a little smaller than a quarter but not much. He has to have surgery to have it removed tomorrow. They said hopefully it will pop out when the slice into the intestine, but if not, they will have to resect it. 

The vet does not believe this is the only thing going on with him. Taffy has eaten weird things before, pencil erasers, small pieces of styrafoam, but we have not seen him do it in a long time, and i did not realize he was still doing this. He does his sock hunting but I have not seen him eat anything recently and did not realize he was still doing this. They are going to be able to take some biopsies while they are in there to see if anything else is going on. The vet does not think this is what is causing all of his problems though. My husband thinks the vet is wrong. I don't know. I guess we will hopefully know soon. They let me bring him home but I have to have him back first thing in the morning for the surgery. The vet I do not care for was on tomorrow, and I was like NO. SORRY. BUT NO. So the top vet, the one that I like, he is coming in to do the surgery, thank God. The radiologists looked at the x rays from now and the ones back in August, and they do not see any evidence of lymphoma in his organs, I guess that is good. I guess maybe we will know something after he has the biopsies. Who knows, maybe if Taffy has been eating weird stuff all along, maybe it is IBD and not cancer. That would be nice. 

So we are home. The vet said I could give him a tiny spoonful of watery food, which I wish I had not, because he has been in the litter box 20 times and can't go, and the vet seems to think it is totally blocking him from going, so I guess he is probably going to throw it up soon, the small amount he ate. 

My nerves are shot! LOL!! But I just hope that this is causing all of his problems and that once it's removed, he will be well. My husband and I are going to go through the house and try to remove all the things we think he could swallow. The vet said that he once removed a small rubber duckie from a cat that the family said had been missing for 8 years, and a whole bic razor. So I guess a squeeker is totally plausible that he was able to swallow it. 

Thank you all for your kind words and support and prayers, I am so thankful to have cat people to talk to about all of this. My daughter just asked me who I was furiously typing away to, and I said, my cat forum, lol. You guys understand more than they do. 

I will let you know how the surgery goes tomorrow. Thank you again.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

OMG! What a rollercoaster of emotions, this has to be for you...
Praying his surgery goes well, and they get that 'thing' out of him!
(((HUGS))) and Prayers! 
Sharon


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## zuma (Nov 5, 2009)

Oh wow! Crazy, I so hope that removing whatever it is will help Taffy. It's great that they can do biopsies at the same time, then you at least know once and for all. 
I just caught up on your thread and IBD can be only vomiting, diarrhea and/or constipation are common, but aren't always present. Leelu vomited for years before the diarrhea started and it probably was IBD all along, just not diagnosed. And also the B12 deficiency is common, but not the high white blood count. That's at least what I've been told. Fingers crossed for good news and hopefully just one more day of worry for the surgery.


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## Mandy and Ellie (Oct 22, 2013)

Howsefrau, I've been checking this thread nonstop hoping for some good news for you and your adorable sock-boy, Taffy! 

I am definitely glad you insisted on the x-ray! I know surgery is never a happy moment... but at the same time, I am HOPING that the squeaker has been the issue... hopefully they get it out easily, he recovers very quickly and starts feeling better. Tons of hugs from me, Ellie and Tootsie to you, your husband and Taffy. I'm hoping this emotional roller coaster can end happily soon and you can finally have some relief!


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

I was wondering the same thing about the blood count being high. That is why the vet thinks it is not only this blockage, he didn't think that was what was causing that. But anybody think it could be? A foreign body causing blockage, making him so sick it could maybe cause in infection that could send the WBC sky high? I don't really have any experience with that, so I don't know. But I'd love to hope that it could.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Mandy and Ellie said:


> Howsefrau, I've been checking this thread nonstop hoping for some good news for you and your adorable sock-boy, Taffy!
> 
> I am definitely glad you insisted on the x-ray! I know surgery is never a happy moment... but at the same time, I am HOPING that the squeaker has been the issue... hopefully they get it out easily, he recovers very quickly and starts feeling better. Tons of hugs from me, Ellie and Tootsie to you, your husband and Taffy. I'm hoping this emotional roller coaster can end happily soon and you can finally have some relief!


I know! The vet came in and said I was the best doctor of the day, insisting on the x-rays. I asked for them a few weeks ago too, and the other doctor talked me out of it, so I didn'dt do it, and now I wish I had insisted then. It was funny, when I ddropped him off I didn't say to do the x-rays, and then at 1:00 I called and said for them to do some more. Glad I did.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

Oh my goodness! SO glad you had the x-rays done! I guess the vets figured that if he had ingested something, it would have shown up when this first started going on, so they didn't think more x-rays were necessary. And then the fact that it wasn't there before makes them think something else is going on.

But I'm wondering the same thing as you: isn't it possible that whatever the foreign object is, it caused an infection? Then maybe the antibiotics will be more effective once it's removed. 

It's amazing that kitties can swallow things so big!! I've said before that my first kitty swallowed half of a Q-tip. Thank goodness it somehow passed through her whole digestive tract and out the other end without puncturing anything!

Your poor little guy is probably not feeling too great after being at the vet and getting shots today, but I hope the surgery tomorrow will solve the mystery of what's been going on once and for all. 

Fingers crossed for you and Taffy again!


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## Speechie (Dec 2, 2013)

Wow!! And a quiet hopeful hooray that maybe this foreign body IS the culprit for the labs being off And all his symptoms!! 
Loads of prayers for the best possible outcome.  
Well done, getting more X-rays!


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Mandy and Ellie said:


> Howsefrau, I've been checking this thread nonstop hoping for some good news for you and your adorable sock-boy, Taffy!
> 
> I am definitely glad you insisted on the x-ray! I know surgery is never a happy moment... but at the same time, I am HOPING that the squeaker has been the issue... hopefully they get it out easily, he recovers very quickly and starts feeling better. Tons of hugs from me, Ellie and Tootsie to you, your husband and Taffy. I'm hoping this emotional roller coaster can end happily soon and you can finally have some relief!


I meant to say, thank you for the kind words, and the sweet comment you left on my pictures, I left a comment explaining that picture, it really was the sweetest moment (with my pets) of my life, my heart was melting when I took that picture. Thank you again for your kind words.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

spirite said:


> Oh my goodness! SO glad you had the x-rays done! I guess the vets figured that if he had ingested something, it would have shown up when this first started going on, so they didn't think more x-rays were necessary. And then the fact that it wasn't there before makes them think something else is going on.
> 
> But I'm wondering the same thing as you: isn't it possible that whatever the foreign object is, it caused an infection? Then maybe the antibiotics will be more effective once it's removed.
> 
> ...


My husband, although not a vet, he is convinced this is the problem. And we are thinking back to when our dog had the toy, and removed the squeaker, because we totally remember her doing it, and I can even see it laying on the floor, and I think I picked it up, intending to throw it away, but I set it on a table, and I must have forgot about it. We were trying to remember when that was that we saw it, and it has been a few months. He got sick in August, and that could possibly have been the same time we saw the squeeker. So my husband is convinced this is the problem. Crossing our fingers and praying. Thanks again everyone for being supportive and kind as we go through all of this.


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## Mandy and Ellie (Oct 22, 2013)

howsefrau32 said:


> I meant to say, thank you for the kind words, and the sweet comment you left on my pictures, I left a comment explaining that picture, it really was the sweetest moment (with my pets) of my life, my heart was melting when I took that picture. Thank you again for your kind words.


You are so welcome!  I'm glad you told me because I don't get notifications for picture comment responses and I always forget to check back.  I was looking through their photos ooing and aahing over how adorable they are, but that one caught me by the heartstrings!

Also, I had to comment... I've been doing some reading on foreign object ingestion/obstructions in cats, and in a few I've read high white blood count is a common find when cats have ingested a foreign object or have an obstruction. I can only assume it's the body's way of trying to attack the foreign object and fight it off? 

Here's an excerpt from one link I found... 

"Button's emergency vet was concerned by his findings on physical exam. Button had a high rectal temperature. He was lethargic and painful on palpation of the belly. He would not let the doctor get near his mouth.

The next steps were blood work and abdominal radiographs. The blood work was normal overall *except for an increased white blood cell count*.

Radiographs of the belly showed a thin metallic object and gas in the intestines, as well as bunching of the intestines."

(link: http://www.pethealthnetwork.com/cat-health/cat-surgery-a-z/linear-foreign-body-removal)


I'm soo hoping the white blood cell count is simply a result of the foreign object! I'm rooting for Taffy!


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## Speechie (Dec 2, 2013)

Prayers for Taffy this morning! Hoping that surgery goes well. I'm actually surprised that Pazu has not needed surgery yet- he's got pica pretty bad. 
We try to keep all the little bits up off the floor and off the counters, but every now and then he'll find something. 
Thinking of you this morning


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## TabbCatt (Mar 26, 2014)

Ohmygosh, howsefrau, I've been following this post but refraining from commenting because I'd be of no help. But I'm so glad that you've found some evidence on what's been causing Taffy to be so ill for several months, or at least partially so. I'm crossing my fingers for him and thinking of you both that all goes well and that he will soon be his normal loving and sweet self.

I've also got a pica kitty...G is still annoyingly naughty at times, but I guess he's a typical young cat, too.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

howsefrau, how did his surgery go today? I've got my fingers crossed that you have good news to report.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Howsefrau, 
ALL Paws Crossed here as well, for Taffys surgery today...
We're here for you!
Sharon


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

I thought I posted a long post from my phone, but I don't see it on here, so I don't know what I did, I either put it somewhere else, or it did not post. Anyway....
Well, he survived the surgery, and the doctor was able to get the object out of his intestine without having to cut it all the way and resect it, so that is really good. It would have been a much harder recovery. The doctor said everything looked good, didn't look too damaged, the tissue looked pretty healthy. They took lots of biopsies to send off. It was not a squeaker from a dog toy after all, but it was two objects that next to each other looked exactly like one. I have NO idea what either one of them are. The first one is about the size of a quarter, but more oval, the thickness of a quarter, looks like a bone of some sort, but we are not sure exactly what it was. The other thing would have passed on it's own, only the bigger one was blocking it, it almost looks like a cigarette butt. No one smokes and he doesn't go out, and we aren't even sure if that's what it is. The vet still does not think this is what is making him sick, but that is just his guess and he hopes he is wrong. The biopsies should tell us something. 

My vet wanted me to bring him home tonight, keep him crated and e collar on, just so he would not be alone all night, and so I could give him pain medicine. Let me tell you....it has already been the night from ****! First, Mr. Houdini got out of his e-collar that THEY put on, and managed to rip out his catheter, which they left in, because I am to bring him back in the morning to be monitored, and they are going to try to feed him and see how he does. He did this in the 2 minutes that we stepped out of the room. I had another e collar that I thought stays on better. 3 attempts of tightening it, he got out of all of them, and the last notch we tried to put it on...you couldn't even put your finger under it at all, and it would not turn...and he was clearly choking. When we got him out of the cage to put the collar on first, he ran to the litter box, peed, but he had also peed all over the inside of the cage before we could even put a box of shredded paper in there. So we had to clean the cage. We now have the original e collar from the vet on him, it is tied on with gauze, we'll see if he gets it off again. He probably will. I just gave him his next dose of buprinex, which does not even seem to phase him as far as making him drowsy...not enough to make him rest anyway. When he was out for a moment, he went to an empty cat food bowl that was still in the room and looked for food, I thought that was a promising sign, he is clearly hungry, but they said not to give him food tonight, that they are going to try tomorrow in small amounts to see how he does. They want to keep him all day. I have not seen his scar, but they said it's about 2 1/2 inches long. I am in our den/tv room with him, he is a little calmer, but still fighting the e collar a bit. It is going to be a long night, I'm going to sleep in here all night. This is the feistiest, most tenacious little monster, and even though in many ways he is a little on the "slow" side intelligence wise, I'm thinking maybe I as wrong, because he is fast as lightening to get out of a door, get out of his collar, and to get into his cage. I think they would need to put him in some kind of little kitty straight jacket to keep this boy contained, and I believe he'd get out of that too.

It's going to be a long night. Hopefully he will settle down at some point and give in to sleep and give his poor mother a break for at least a few hours. Maybe this is a good sign that this was the problem, and it's not something worse going on with him. 

He had a dose of buprinex at 5 at the vet, they said to give him another at 9, which we did, and you would think that this would calm him down and help him sleep. Hopefully tomorrow I will have a good report on him, and that he will be able to eat some food. Thanks for your concern and prayers for him.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

I'm so glad to hear that the surgery went well! As much of a headache as it seems he's causing you, it's probably a much better sign than if he were huddled up somewhere. I imagine that if he were really miserable, he wouldn't be bothering to fight so hard to get the collar off! It's pretty amazing that they were able to do that surgery and he's ok enough to be able to stay with you tonight. 

As for intelligence, Taffy shows that kitties are smart when they need to be. I never thought any of my cats has been particularly bright, but Celia is extremely smart when it comes to things that she sees as threats to her well-being (like fighting me tooth and nail if I try to administer any kind of medication - shot, pill, cream, whatever). How long will he have to have the collar on? 

He's probably still a bit overexcited from the stressful day. I hope he'll calm down soon so that you can breathe and relax a bit!

Did they tell you how long it would be before they got the biopsy results back? I guess it takes at least a week?


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

I've been up since 2:45, to give him more pain meds. He fought the collar in the crate, and when he finally settled down, he still had it on around 10, but when I looked at him at 2:45, it was off. But he was sleeping. Since I woke him up looking at him, I went ahead and gave him his medicine, which thankfully is a tiny amount of liquid. He is resting in his crate, with out the collar, but he is not messing with it, and I'm wide awake to watch him. He's so mad that I put him back in the crate, but he was trying to jump up on the couch. I hope he didn't do any damage to his stitches...I actually think there are staples there, hopefully all of his fighting the collar didn't mess them up. What a night. I am actually looking forward to him going back to the vet this morning, where they can monitor him and feed him. I think he will eat, he looks very hungry.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Hi Howsefrau! 
Guess you're not the only one still up...
Just got my guys all fed, and I'll be taking Charlie to the vet in a few hours to see what's up with him urinary wise...

I so hope that Taffy makes a full recovery, and it was those 'Things' irritating his intestines, that caused a spike in the WBC levels...
I'll bet you'll be ready to crash, at least for a little while, after you take him back to the vets!
(((Hugs))) and Prayers! 
Sharon


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## Speechie (Dec 2, 2013)

Calming vibes for Taffy! I remember sitting up all night with my tabby post surgery all night. She wouldn't settle, hated the collar, and finally fell asleep in my chest- she NEVER slept on me,...poor bug was so uncomfortable! 
Hang in there and hope he does well at the vets


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## Mia-chan (Mar 4, 2014)

So sorry to hear about taffy  it sounds extremely stressful. I have never hear of a cat getting so many x-rays in such a short period of time. Did your vet explain to you the risk of radiation? Also getting different opinions doesn't hurt, the kitty shouldn't be suffering so long. 

I take my cats to the cat specialist in castle rock Colorado. Generally regular vets refer cats to the cat specialist if they don't really know what is wrong or to get specialized treatments. It's an all cat facility and they have specialized equipment regular vets do not have. 

If anything happened to my cats I would just die I would be an absolute wreck. Hope Taffy gets well soon.


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## texasgirl (Feb 27, 2013)

Oh my gosh, I take a small break from this site and I missed this thread! I read through it all and am really glad it was an obstruction and not cancer. Soooo glad the surgery went well. I, too, believe this is the cause of his sickness.

My thoughts and well-wishes (and hope he's on the road to recovery!) to you and Taffy! I'm so sorry I was away for so long!


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Well, hopefully it is not something worse, but the doctor is not sure, so they did send off biopsies, so we will see. 

He went back this morning, got some sub-q, but they did not have to put an IV back in, yay. He ate a little on his own, so they let him come home. If he does not poop by Saturday I need to bring him back in. He said his stitches looked good (no staples after all), no fever, his belly was nice and soft, he was very happy. So he's home now, and ate a small amount more about a half an hour ago, and is loopy from his meds. Still taking buprinex for a few days I guess. Just taking one day at a time. Hopefully he continues to do well. 

Here he is pre-surgery yesterday.

Here he is a few days ago. This picture makes me sad. He's really small, and his color is not as bright as it used to be. He still looks pretty though.


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## Arianwen (Jun 3, 2012)

Good wishes for you and Taffy. He's the image of my sister's old cat.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

He has eaten several times today, and so far has kept it all down. We have just given small amounts at a time. He eats it all, and would probably eat more, but we are doing it slowly. He has not gone to the litter box yet, but he has been pretty sleepy from the pain meds. I'm hoping after tomorrow we can cut back the pain meds, but they said for the first two days to give it him regularly, like every 4-6 hours. So far he seems to be doing Ok.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Howsefrau, 
Good Boy Taffy!! Keep it up!
I know you'll feel like doing a Happy Dance...once he has his first good poo!
(((Hugs))) and Prayers! 
Sharon


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## texasgirl (Feb 27, 2013)

Fingers crossed that he is on the road to recovery!!


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## marie5890 (May 18, 2011)

Gentle post-op petpets to Taffy.
He is such a cutie...PAws crossed


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## Speechie (Dec 2, 2013)

More hugs and healing vibes from me! Cheering you on


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## Mochas Mommy (Dec 9, 2013)

Great news! Hopefully you get a nice stinky poop soon too!


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## zuma (Nov 5, 2009)

So glad the surgery went well and he's recovering just fine. Now fingers crossed the biopsies are clear too.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Yes, a stinky poop would be very good news, hopefully tomorrow. He did pee. I have him in our tv room and he has taken a liking to a spot right under the tv. I do think he was hurting tonight, and they told me to give him his pain meds every 4 hours right now. I'm guessing tomorrow maybe I can cut back on it, but they will be calling me in the morning and I'll ask. 

Here is a picture of him laying in his spot. I brought a comfy cat bed in for him, but he wants this spot on the floor, so I put a blanket down for him. You can see his shaved belly. He also has both legs partially shaved, from where he has had IV's. He still looks pretty cute, even with his exposed, wrinkly belly.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

I'm so glad he's at least eating now! He's really a beautiful kitty, and what a trooper to go through what he's been through in just the past couple of days!


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## TabbCatt (Mar 26, 2014)

Oh I'm so relieved that he's at least eating and urinating. He does look much more relaxed than what I've read from last night! 

Is there a reason you want to wean off his pain meds earlier than what the vet suggested?

Hoping the biopsies are all negative for anything bad...crossing my fingers still...


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## texasgirl (Feb 27, 2013)

How's Taffy doing this morning? Any news on the tests?


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Oh, I wasn't trying to wean him off the pain meds earlier, they just weren't clear on how long I keep giving it every 4 hours. The tech just called to check on him and I asked her how long I keep giving it every four hours. She said until the medicine is gone? But I think I will call back and ask her to ask the vet. I'm thinking surely at some point I get to give it just a few times a day, but it doesn't seem right to me to just keep giving it til it's gone. I'm confused. Guess I'll be talking to my vet soon for clarification. 

I'm not sure if he just looks depressed because of the meds, pain, or what he is feeling. I know he would rather be back to his own routine of hunting socks and sitting in his dining room chair instead of confined to the room that I have him in, that's probably part of it. I hate not knowing what is going on with him. I'm spending the day in the tv room with him chilling. I let Stephano come in to see him for a few minutes, because he was going crazy trying to see him, and he was so sweet. He kept rubbing his head against him and laid down next to him and started purring. It was so sweet. Pippi on the other hand, she came in, sniffed him once, hissed and ran out, lol.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

texasgirl said:


> How's Taffy doing this morning? Any news on the tests?


Ugh. My vet told me that the biopsies are sent to a lab in New York, and with the weather and flight delays, that they it has been taking longer to get results back, so he said to prepare that it could be 10 days.


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## texasgirl (Feb 27, 2013)

howsefrau32 said:


> Ugh. My vet told me that the biopsies are sent to a lab in New York, and with the weather and flight delays, that they it has been taking longer to get results back, so he said to prepare that it could be 10 days.


 
That's terrible! It would be nice if they could do these tests in the same state!

I guess you will just have to watch Taffy's progress and see how he does. It looks like he's doing okay so far, though. And that's good news1


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

Taffy is probably stressed after what he went through and the confinement, and maybe in some pain, but I'll bet he's happy to be spending the day at home with you. And it's so cute that Stephano is trying to comfort him.  I guess Pippi figures that Taffy's getting some love from Stephano, so he doesn't need hers. 

I hope you don't have to wait 10 days for the biopsy results. And I hope you get a good night's sleep tonight. Give Taffy some head scratches for me!


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## zuma (Nov 5, 2009)

How's Taffy? Any poop yet? Hope he's recovering just fine. What a pain about the biopsies, fingers crossed it won't take that long.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

He's doing "OK", I guess. When I give him the food, he eats a little bit. I offer it to him all day, and he does take little bits here and there. I didn't think he got enough yesterday so my daughter helped me syringe a little turkey baby food into his mouth slowly, and then he started to eat some of it on his own. By the evening, he had eaten most of 1 jar of baby food, and this was in addition to some other food he ate here and there. I even gave him fancy feast, and he ate a little of that. I've been sleeping in the tv room on a couch so i can be in there with him and this morning right before 3 he went to the litter box and I was crossing my fingers, praying, pleading that he was going to poop, but he just did a big pee. It was time for his pain meds then, and he slept very well. This morning, he ate a little, but I am going to have to take him back to the vet. he wanted to see him if he had not pooped yet. This will be 3 days since the surgery. With all of the pain meds he's on, I'm not shocked he has not pooped, but am hoping it will happen soon. He's getting ready to get more pain meds, and I'm guessing that is a good thing since he will be loopy when we put him in the cage and take him to the place he is so sick of going to. I just hate doing this, it is the worst stress on him, but we have to make sure he's OK. One good thing is, he has not thrown up! And before, no matter how little he had eaten, he would throw up after a few days of having the cerenia shot, which he has not had since Tuesday morning, before we knew about the blockage. But 4 days was about as long as he would go before he would throw up. He also is not taking the prednisone right now, hasn't since Monday morning, which I think also helped him not throw up. I am taking it as a good sign that he has not thrown up. We will be leaving in about a half hour to go to the vet again. We'll see what he says.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

So glad his tummy has settled down. All at Chez Marcia have their paws crossed that he will poop soon. Coco says a poopin' cat is a happy cat!! Such sage wisdom from her!


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## texasgirl (Feb 27, 2013)

Can you find out what he ingested that caused the blockage? I've been very curious about that.

I think Taffy will be okay. He has a good pet mom!


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

texasgirl said:


> Can you find out what he ingested that caused the blockage? I've been very curious about that.
> 
> I think Taffy will be okay. He has a good pet mom!


I need to take a picture of it, so you can see it. We have no idea what it is.

His weight was up from 8.3 to 8.8! And they weigh him on the same scale every time. His incision looks perfect, no fever, belly was nice and soft, he didn't feel like he had much in there to poop out. He has not eaten a lot, but it seems to be improving. As soon as we got back from the vet, he ate some fancy feast seafood food, and he ate more than he has since before the surgery. 

My vet said that we could cut back on his pain meds some now, maybe give him a little less than we had been giving him. I just went to give him his meds now, and it's been 5 hours, and he seemed better, resting comfortable, not crouching, not purring. I think he's a little depressed that he can't be out in his favorite places in the house yet, but the vet said NO jumping up on anything, to keep him quiet still. So we do let Stephano come in for "visiting hour", lol, and he lays be him and just purrs, he wants his big brother back to normal soon. 

Just waiting on the poop now. Somebody send the poop fairy our way, and send your best poop vibes, lol. Once he does that we'll feel a lot better. I am hopeful that this is what has been the problem all along, because he has not vomited any more, knock on wood. Before, even if he'd only had small amounts of food, he would throw up. Everyone at the vet clinic had to come see him, they have all taken care of him for so long, they are all hoping for the best for him. I know you all are to, so thank you


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

This is all good news howsefrau! I am very familiar with the waiting-on-poop game...But it has to be reassuring that there's a good explanation for why he hasn't pooped yet, given how little he's been eating.The poop fairy has had to visit us here numerous times, but I think her (his) work here is done (for now), so I'll send the fairy down to you.


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## marie5890 (May 18, 2011)

So glad that things are going in the right direction, including his weight. Continuing prayers and the poop fairy...


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## gizmothecat (Jun 26, 2013)

Been mia for a bit...work, sick. Just saw this post 

sorry to hear about poor taffy (and you!). I'm glad that there was a resolution at least. I hope that is all it was-blockage. I do hope taffy contines to improve and leaves that *present* you've been hoping for


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

He seemed much more interested in food this evening, ate a little more, still nothing great. I just heard some noise just now, couldn't see because I'm sitting in the dark, and he is eating some more. Also, he took his antibiotic in a pill pocket and was begging for more pill pockets, so I gave him a few. I hope they don't make him sick, I was thinking that he probably should not eat too many of those, they are treats, but seeing as he had not eaten all that much today, and we are trying to get him to eat more so that he can poop, I gave him 5 I think. I hope I didn't make him sick. He's much more active this evening with his medication dosage lowered. And he keeps going back to his bowl and eating a little at a time, and is even grooming himself again. I hope to wake up to poop in that litter box!


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## Mandy and Ellie (Oct 22, 2013)

I don't think I've ever hoped so much for a poop in my life... lol... really hoping Taffy's appetite keeps increasing and finally has a poop! So happy to hear he seems to be eaitng more often and grooming himself. You will be one happy catmom and we will be one happy forum if he just poops!


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Go team poop!

The grooming is always a big one when Mow is sick. As soon as I see him start I know he's headed in the right direction.


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## TabbCatt (Mar 26, 2014)

So far, so good with Taffy, weight is going up, yay!

We all know what goes in must come out, so here's to hoping it comes out from the back end and in purrrfect form! 
I think we are all preparing ourselves to do our classic "CF happy dance" with you, howsefrau! 

Bummed that the bad weather could affect the speed of Taffy's biopsy test results, but still holding out it's all good!

I'm also curious about that foreign body that was recovered out of him.
This morning I found a tiny bit of plastic in a bit of saliva on my carpet. Yesterday, G was looking like he was going to hack up a hairball, but then stopped. Ate his breakfast slower, but consumed it all. I think I'm gonna have to keep my place immaculate around this guy...


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Well, here I am at 3:40 in the morning, and I look over and see Taffy in the litter box. I could tell he was straining. And when I checked, nothing, but a big pee. Then a few minutes later he went back, more straining, but he did the tiniest little poop....I mean, it was smaller than a tootsie roll (didn't know what else to compare it to lol). Now, I know this boy has not eaten very much, so I didn't expect much to come out, but the straining bothered me. I think I'll add a tsp of canned pumpkin to his food this morning, and see if I can get him to eat it, but I have a feeling I may have to syringe that in. He is up, walking around. He had not had pain meds since 10:30, and honestly, I am only 50% sure he got them at 10:30 because he was squirming and fighting me...another positive sign, returning to a PIB about taking medicine. So yay, a tiny little poop, about 1/2 the size of a tootsie roll,and it was pretty hard, but at least we know he can do it, I just think a little fiber will help, and my vet said he was OK with that. He's stretched a few times, and is starting to want out of this room too. 

I will get some pictures today of the stuff that was blocking him. I'm so curious about what it is I'd like to take it to a scientist to study it and find out just what it is, lol. Tomorrow, we are having an all out cleaning party in my daughter's room, where he sleeps at night, to make sure there are no little things laying about. And I'm considering just making him sleep in this room permanently, because there is not much in here for him to get into. And he is my little creature of the night. Sometimes you can hear him jumping on and off the bed and the dresser. I was wondering, maybe if I put his box of socks in there, if he would focus on that instead of whatever else he does at night. He has always slept put up in a bedroom at night, because Beep, my killer cat who can't be out when the others are out, is out all night. I do think if he had the run of the house at night, he still might find something to get into, and maybe that would be worse. This is one strange boys, his odd habits.


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## texasgirl (Feb 27, 2013)

I know milk is not good for cats but I do sometimes give it to my Moses when he's straining to poop. That makes him go almost immediately. If you're getting a little desperate for a normal poopie then maybe you could try it?


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

He finally did it! The poop fairy finally paid a visit, and he made a pretty normal and decent sized poop! It was not 30 minutes after I posted about his first tiny poop that he did it. He is still straining to go, so I think I will try a little pumpkin. I don't think I will try the milk, only because I know when he's had some before it just gave him diarrhea, but if he had not done one yet, I might have resorted to that. Also, he had cleaned his bowl, which still had a little bit of food in it. He's eating this morning, but he's not super hungry since he just polished off what was in his bowl at 4 am. He's also desperately trying to get out of this room. I brought his box of socks in here to see if it might interest him, but he really just wants out. I'm hesitant to do that, because I know he will go right back to jumping up on things, which he is not supposed to do yet. 

I am pleased this morning!!! Thank you for all of your vibes for a poop....I think it worked!


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Yay for poop!!!

Things sound positive and I'm so glad. Thought and prayers for continued improvement.


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## TabbCatt (Mar 26, 2014)

Woohoo! CF happy dance has started! :jump:mrgreen:
More good vibes that the next one will not be so hard!


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## Speechie (Dec 2, 2013)

Hooray for poopies!!! Great news! 
More cheering and prayers for a total recovery from us!


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## texasgirl (Feb 27, 2013)

So glad for the poopie, hooray!!

Now it's sounding more and more like the obstruction was the reason for his illness, especially since he hasn't vomited lately.

I bet that knot in your tummy is going away!


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## marie5890 (May 18, 2011)

Thanking the Poop Fairy!!!! (man, are we stange people or what  )


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## zuma (Nov 5, 2009)

Yay poop! Haha only on CF.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

So glad to hear not only that he pooped, but that he's eaten and is trying to get out of the room - those must also be signs that he's feeling better! 

Yeah, only here do people get this excited about cat poo. Where else can you find whole threads devoted to poo and descriptions of the various forms and consistencies and a whole bunch of people who find this completely normal!


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

YAY! Happy Dance for Taffy!!
He POO'D


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

I went in to check on him a few hours ago, and this is what I found him doing. A happy sight to see.


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## Arianwen (Jun 3, 2012)

Very pleased!!


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## marie5890 (May 18, 2011)

That is such a GOOD vital sign!!!!
Let's hope that the corner has been turn for good and things are only going to be good from here going forward!!!


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

I know Marie, I keep saying the same thing in my head, he has turned a corner for the good and it's going to be all good. He's really mad at me, because he wants out of this room, but the vet said NO because of his stitches and doesn't want him jumping up. He is suddenly a fan of the Wellness Duos, I had bought every different kind of food to tempt him, and that is the one he is really liking at the moment. I think I may let him out of the room but follow him around so that if he tries to jump up on the piano, which is the place he eats ( the crazy things you do when you have a dog), I can catch him. I'm not sure if this is a good idea, to give him a little break out of the room, if I can follow him? I'm still thinking about it. I think he really wants to go hunt for socks, lol.


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## Speechie (Dec 2, 2013)

Ah, that video does my heart good!! Great seeing him tuck into his food like that!! Wonderful news


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## marie5890 (May 18, 2011)

howsefrau32 said:


> I know Marie, I keep saying the same thing in my head, he has turned a corner for the good and it's going to be all good. He's really mad at me, because he wants out of this room, but the vet said NO because of his stitches and doesn't want him jumping up. He is suddenly a fan of the Wellness Duos, I had bought every different kind of food to tempt him, and that is the one he is really liking at the moment. I think I may let him out of the room but follow him around so that if he tries to jump up on the piano, which is the place he eats ( the crazy things you do when you have a dog), I can catch him. I'm not sure if this is a good idea, to give him a little break out of the room, if I can follow him? I'm still thinking about it. I think he really wants to go hunt for socks, lol.


I know after my Harmony had her FME, she had HAD to where the cone of shame for 12 days. SHE HATED it, but we had this agreement. If she was quiet by my side, I would take it off. If she got up, it had to go back on.

That seemed to work. 

I dont know if such a "truce" would work with Taffy, but it IS important to follow the vet's advice at this point as we all know. We dont want any complications....


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

We do put him in a larger crate and e collar if we have to leave. We did leave tonight for 2 hours, c ame home to e collar off. They could not keep it on him at the vets! He is Houdini! I think it's because he has this tiny little head, which used to look really funny when he was chunky, but now is in proportion to the rest of his body. His incision looks perfect, no oozing or redness, but it looks as if the thread had come out in one part, and I don't think its because
He messed with it but because he fights like a maniac when he's in the crate and collar. Do you think these would be self dissolving stitches? They look very thin but I have no idea if they are, his papers he went home with does not say anything about them. I'll be talking to them first thing, and he's just had his bedtime dose of meds so hopefully he will be calm for the night.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

aw howsefrau, the link was removed. Do you use something like Photobucket that you could link to?


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## texasgirl (Feb 27, 2013)

Just checking in to see how Taffy is doing....


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

He's doing very well, eating like he did before he started getting sick. He seems like he's getting a little depressed being in the same room all the time, but the vet said at least 10 days. He's not messing with his stitches, but they look like they are starting to come out in one spot, I think just from him moving around, but the incision is closed, not red, it looks good. And he's a poop factory once again! 

One thing I have learned from sleeping in the same room all this time with him, 3:00 AM is his party time! He wakes up at 3:00, he eats any remaining food in his bowl, then he pees, always on one end of the litter box, and then he turns around and he poops on the other end of the litter box. Then he walks around the room checking things out. I bet this is when he got into trouble and ate whatever it was he ate that got himself in trouble. 

But yeah, he is starting to get depressed from being in this room all the time. I bring Stephano in here to hang with him for a bit, and I think that helps. Stephano goes over to him and head bops him and lays next to him, it's so sweet. Yesterday Taffy started to groom Stephano's face, it was so cute. Still no biopsy results though. But I have a good feeling that he will be OK. He has not thrown up and he just seems like he was before. I'm hoping I hear something by the end of the week. But he's hanging in there, will be a much happier camper when he can come out of this room though


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Best post ever. ^


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

MowMow said:


> Best post ever. ^


Thank you 

I had to shorten the video, and I think I managed to get it right now, although when I watched it on photobucket it was in slo-mo, so I'm not sure if I messed up, or if it's because I'm streaming a netflix movie and my wifi is just really slow. It shows him the other day when he first started eating again.


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## TranquilityBlue (Nov 13, 2014)

What a funny eater  it's so cute how he picks up his food with his paw!

Glad to hear he's doing better :thumb


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## marie5890 (May 18, 2011)

I agree with MowMow.
That was one of the best posts ever. It so nice to hear when a furry one, who has been very ill, turns the corner and gets better.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

SUch great news! It's so funny and soooo cute that he paws his wet food out of the bowl!  Margaux did that with kibble but not with wet food. 

Out of curiosity, did Taffy know you were awake while you were watching him or did he think you might be sleeping? I've always wondered if my girls would act differently if they knew I was watching v. if they thought I was sleeping.


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