# Taffy is sick :(



## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

I'm trying not to panic this morning, but Taffy is just off this morning. He rarely throws up, and he threw up his entire breakfast this morning, and before he threw it up, he actually walked away from his bowl before it was empty....something he never does. Also, every morning, Stephano and Taffy both wait for my husband to scarf down his eggs because he always gives them each a teensy bite of egg when he is done (and a bigger bite for the dog), something he does every morning, they wait for it. He didn't even eat his bite this morning. Of course, this was after he threw up. Also, he always goes to do his sock hunting thing in the morning, usually right after he eats. He is not doing this. He's just sitting. I was in a rush this morning, so I did not see if he used the litter box. With three cats out at the same time, it's hard to know who went and when, but I'm not trying to see if there is a problem there. 5 years ago Taffy was my cat that had several blockages and UTI's. He has been healthy as a horse since, and has been on wet food ever since then, so I'm hoping it's not a urinary issue, but I'm just not sure what is going on with him. I'm watching him to see if this vomiting thing is just a fluke thing, and if he is using the litter box OK, or if we need to see the vet, which we will if I think something is up. I'm just hoping not. No one has been sick for a very long time, not since 5 years ago when he was the one sick. But he is not sock hunting right now, which is the first time in a long, long time, so I have a feeling we will be going in, dang it.


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

You already know very clearly that "something is up" with Taffy. He's clearly feeling ill. Only question is, is it an illness that will resolve spontaneously, or will it require veterinary intervention. With a cat with a history of urinary blockages, I wouldn't be taking any chances. It'd be off to the vet for me.

In fact, my boy, Mew, is also feeling sickly right now. It started late last night. It looks like constipation, to which he is sometimes prone. But he's also running a fever, and that's not at all typical of a simple constipation. So I'll be calling the vet as soon as they open in a couple of hours and taking him in today. I just don't recognize this combination of symptoms, and I'm not comfortable with a treat-at-home-and-wait-and-see approach under these circumstances.

I hope that both of our boys will be back in good health quickly. BTW, if you haven't done so already, you should take Taffy's temperature.

Laurie


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## 21inCostaRica (Aug 18, 2013)

I hope he gets better soon. I would go to the vet if he doesn't get stressed, and of course of you can afford it. If any of these things is an issue, I would watch him for a few hours.
Oops, Laurie ninjaed me.


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## Speechie (Dec 2, 2013)

Vibes and prayers for Taffy


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

How awful that I do not even have a thermometer. I just cleaned all the litter boxes, fresh litter, and I have him closed up in his room. Am going to see if I can entice him to eat a little bit of food, just to see if he will go pee afterwards. I'm thinking it could also be constipation. I'm sure we will be off to the vets soon after they open. I will let you know what they say.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

I'm just sitting in here with him, in his room, hoping he will come out of his "hidey-hole", which is underneath a big skirted make-up table in my daughter's room. This is his safe place, he loves to hang here. It used to be his very own special place to go, and lately, Stephano has been going under there snuggling with him.


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## Heather72754 (Nov 1, 2013)

Aww how sweet that they snuggle together. So sorry Taffy is not feeling well, hope you find out what's going on with him. atback


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Thanks Heather. I have no problem bringing him in, I just don't want to jump the gun too fast if he just has an upset tummy, because he gets so stressed going to the vet, I know, what cat doesn't, but he usually gets so stressed it causes him to get sick. I'm trying not to have a freak out though, because that is my nature, to freak out.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

I can already tell I'm going to be an annoying pain here today, lol, but I'm happy to report that he peed!!! A good amount. Still watching him to see if it's constipation. It is so hard to tell when you have 3 cats using different litter boxes! Someone threw up a hairball yesterday, and we weren't sure if it was him or Stephano, because it looked like black hair, but Taffy has black too, so I'm guessing it was him. He is out of the hidey hole and laying next to me on the bed now.


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

It's certainly a relief to know that he can urinate. Now if he'll just give you a nice, big poop.

Mew seems to be feeling a little better. He ate a little, then stretched out on his side and purred to entice me to give him a good rub. I think maybe he is just constipated, but I don't think he's passed the problem stool yet. I'm going to give him a few more hours to see how things pan out. If nothing comes out into the pan, I'll run him into the vet this afternoon. I hate it when things like this happen on a Friday. I'd rather pay a regular exam fee today than a huge emergency fee tomorrow.

Laurie


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## cat owner again (Dec 14, 2012)

I hope both your cats ,"work it out". Is there any way to take temperature than recital with thermometer?


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## 21inCostaRica (Aug 18, 2013)

My vet has bought a thermometer that gives you the temperature after only one second or so, but I think it must be very expensive. Still, if a cat is running a high fever she will lie down with her paws tucked under her body and you will be able to see the nictitating membrane. Also the fur goes sort of puffy, you can always tell. Above 41º C you will be able to feel the heat anyway if you put your hand close to her body.

I do keep urine and fecal sample cups at home, just in case.


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## Mochas Mommy (Dec 9, 2013)

Sending healing thoughts to Taffy and Mew!


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Laurie - I'm glad Mew is feeling better. I'm thinking the same thing, why do things always happen to me on a Friday? It always happens that way though. I did remember seeing Taffy poop either yesterday or the day before. He is such a creature of habit, more so than my other cats. He eats, he pees and poops, and then he hunts socks, and then sleeps in the same chair, every single day, until 11:00, when he goes in his room to sleep in the bottom of the cat tree until 4:00. 

He has moved from the bed onto the cat tree. He does not feel warm at all. I'm hoping it's just a tummy thing, one day thing also. It's noon here now. The good vets that I trust are not in today, only the one I do not like very much or trust their judgment with my cats.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Oh Dear...Hugs and Prayers and Healing Vibes for both Taffy and Mew!!
Sharon


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

We have an appointment for 8:00 tomorrow morning. My vet will be there tomorrow, today, the one that was there I do not care for at all. 

I managed to get him to eat a tiny amount this afternoon. And he just threw it up  I did see him drink some water earlier, and he has peed a few times. I'm hoping we don't end up at the ER tonight, luckily it is 1 mile from my house, the vets are great, I actually like them better than the vet who was on duty today at my regular vet office, but I'm hoping he will feel better in the morning. 

I definitely remember seeing him poop yesterday or possibly the day before, and he peed today. I just want to see my vet in the morning. He is the one who saw us through all of Taffy's issues when he was 1, back when he had his blockages. He is now about 6 years old, and he has had no issues in five years, been perfectly healthy. He is so young, I'm hoping this is nothing serious. All of the other cats seem perfectly fine.


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

It's a BIG relief that he is able to urinate. Now, I assume you ran right out and bought a thermometer so that you could take his temp, right? In my household, when one of my cats suddenly refuses to eat anything at all, it's always been either constipation or fever. So, the first thing I do is take the temp. If there's fever, I treat that. If no fever, I treat for constipation.

Gotta go check Mew's temp, which he's guaranteed NOT to appreciate!

Laurie


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

*Update on Taffy*

Sort of an update. He is at the vet right now, he wanted me to leave him for a few hours to run blood work, do an x-ray, and give him some fluids, since he has now not had food or water in 24 hours. He did not think he had a fever, it was 102.5, which he said could be a little high for him or normal. 

I am trying not to panic. I did find a few hair balls he had thrown up in the past day or so. I'm thinking that might be the best case scenario, impacted with hairballs, that I'm guessing can be treated. He is only 6 1/2. 

They mentioned wanting to give him an injection for anti-nausea, cerenia. I told them to hold off on it until I find out more information on this medication. Does anyone know about this? I'm so reluctant to give anything to them, especially an injection, but I understand if they throw up, they can't eat, which can cause major problems from that. I googled it, said it is an anti nausea medication for dogs and can be used in cats. This does not make me feel better, I know nothing about it. So I told them to not do it until I get back up there. They said it should jsut be a few hours. Minutes feel like hours when your baby is sick and away from you. Hopefully I have some blood work info Laurie can help me decipher. 

Trying not to be a basket case right now, but I am.


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## Arianwen (Jun 3, 2012)

Know nothing about the medication but a lot depends on how much you trust your vet. There are three vets in in the clinic I use that I would trust absolutely, one who I don't really know but who sees good and one I wouldn't trust with an earwig! So much depends on the individual vet.

Very, very best wishes for you both.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

That's why I didn't go yesterday, the one I wouldn't let treat my pet rock was on duty. The one today I do trust. I've been going to him for over 12 years now, he's operated on my dog and done all of the spay/neuter surgeries on my cats. I trust him as much as I trust any vet. 

I'm trying to keep myself busy until he calls me back. I've been home a half hour and feels like he has been gone for 2 days.


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

Cerenia is generally well tolerated and effective in cats, though it should be used with caution if there is any degree of liver dysfunction or disease. The injectible form may cause pain and/or swelling at the injection site. The pill form reportedly tastes awful and should NOT be given in or with food or Pill Pockets.

Laurie


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## marie5890 (May 18, 2011)

Crossing paws for both Taffy and Mew. 
Hope they feel better very quickly


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## Heather72754 (Nov 1, 2013)

My previous vet who treated my cat I lost last October told me that the Cerenia injection is very painful - that being said I did have one done for my cat because he couldn't stop throwing up and it was very effective for the nausea.

All fingers and paws crossed for Taffy and Mew to feel better. atback


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Taffy is home! He spent a few hours at the vet, had an x-ray and bloodwork and fluids. Vet said blood work is good, I'm trying to figure out how to scan it so maybe someone can let me know what they think? But vet said liver, kidney's and everything looked good. Until I can figure out how to scan, I'll just tell you his GLU-132, BUN 15, CREA -1.4, and there is a whole bunch more, I had a senior one done, but I'm not sure which one is the liver? Sorry, I know I'm a dope. 

He did have an anti nausea shot, cerenia. I was not sure about it, vet told me not to be worried...I'm not sure if I did a bad thing by getting it, but he is now hungry, so I guess that is a good thing. He said not to feed him until tonight. Poor little guy, he is now looking at his bowl, and I feel bad. Wondering how long I should really wait? IDK. He said a very small amount, wait a few hours, and then a very small amount again. 

The x-ray report, which I will scan also when I figure it out (or get my teenager home),and it was looked at by a radiologist and they gave a report, said there was some gas, they did not see a bowel obstruction, but did see some sort of soft tissue or something there in his stomach. Would not say if it could be a growth or could it be a hairball or something he ate, he just wouldn't say. I will tell you I have seen 3 hairballs barfed up, most likely he did them. He said he had a small amount of stool in his bowel, but nothing impacted in there. He told me to give him a half of a pepcid tonight and then the small amount of food. He is going to call me first thing in the morning and he will be at the office in the morning so I will bring him back up in the morning if he is not improved. But, the fact that he is hungry right now.....I'm not sure if it is just the cerenia shot, I'm guessing it is, or if it's just gastroenteritis or he ate a piece of string or something....because he has done that before, swallowed things, but he has always thrown them up before. 

We did not do the cystosentesis since I did see him pee a good, normal amount yesterday. I didn't do it because I didn't want to put him through the stress of that, on top of everything else he was doing. I looked at his urine right as he went yesterday, I did not notice any blood or mucous in it, not that you can always tell, but it seemed OK, and the fact that he went was a good sign to me. So we didn't do that one. 

I'm just happy to have him home. He is resting on his cat tree in his room right now, all is quiet and well. I want to go snuggle him, but don't want to disturb him after his traumatic experience of all that he had to go through this morning. I'm hoping he just ate something that is going to pass through him quickly and he'll get over it and be back to normal soon. I think it's a good sign that he wants food now, and I guess I'll wait until tonight to give him a small amount and see if he can keep it down.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Heather72754 said:


> My previous vet who treated my cat I lost last October told me that the Cerenia injection is very painful - that being said I did have one done for my cat because he couldn't stop throwing up and it was very effective for the nausea.
> 
> All fingers and paws crossed for Taffy and Mew to feel better. atback


Heather, do you remember how long the injection worked for the nausea? They said to wait to feed him, but I'm hoping that thing doesn't wear off and then I feed him and he throws up. Wondering if he still needs the pepcid since he had the shot? So many questions and unknowns, which is why I love talking to other cat people who have been through these things.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

laurief said:


> Cerenia is generally well tolerated and effective in cats, though it should be used with caution if there is any degree of liver dysfunction or disease. The injectible form may cause pain and/or swelling at the injection site. The pill form reportedly tastes awful and should NOT be given in or with food or Pill Pockets.
> 
> Laurie


Laurie, the vet did say his liver and kidney's looked good. I'm going to either scan it, if I can figure out how, or just type out what everything was. I'm not sure which one is the liver? Is it LIPA? It says his was 303.

And I meant to ask, how is Mew doing today? Hoping he is feeling better?


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## Heather72754 (Nov 1, 2013)

IIRC I think the shot is supposed to work for a full 24 hrs. I don't know why he would need Pepcid tonight while he's got the Cerenia onboard but you trust the vet so I would give it, it can't hurt. Also did the vet say why you should wait until tonight to feed him? The Cerenia works right away as far as I know and since he hasn't eaten at all in a while I'm not sure why you would wait.

Is there an ALT or an AST on his bloodwork? Those should be the liver values. I think the LIPA is short for Lipase, which would be for the pancreas.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

ALT - 54
ALKP 41
ALB 3.3
GLOB 4.5

There is more, lots more lol, when I figure out scanning


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

*Taffy still not feeling great*

Taffy spent the morning yesterday at the vet, getting x rays, blood work and fluids. When I went back in to see the vet he said that his blood work looked very good, and the we ruled out a lot of things like kidney or liver problems, and that everything looked great. I won't post all of the results here, but someone is helping me decipher it, and I'm hopeful they think the same thing, that it all looks good.

The x rays were looked at by a radiologist and my vet. He said that he did not have a blockage, had a fair amount of gas in his stomach, and said he did have some material in his stomach, but nothing blocking it, could be hair. He said it could be a growth of some sort, but I don't think they could really tell from the x rays. He didn't want me to think the worst yet, and he couldn't really say it was not something or it could be nothing. I hate those kind of results, ugh, so frustrating. 

He gave Taffy a cerenia shot for nausea, and between that and the fluids, he did come home and eat, I am happy to say. The vet said to wait until the evening to feed him, but he was so hungry, I gave him a small amount a few hours after he was home and he ate every bit. Ate a bit more later, but did not finish it. He even came out of his room into the living room, but did not do his usual sock hunting thing he does, or sit in his favorite chair like he has done his whole life, but at least he was out of his hiding spot in my daughter's room, so I was pleased with that. 

This morning though, he would not eat again  He did pee and poop though, when I put him in the litter box, I was very happy to see that and can't wait to report that to the vet this morning, he is supposed to call me this morning and see how he's doing. So I guess he is better than he was, or at least yesterday he was, and now this morning, he did not eat and he is back in his room again.

Stephano and Pippa are completely weirded out by him, I guess because he smells like the vet and he is sick. Yesterday Stephano's hair went up every time he walked up to him and he would bat lightly at him and then walk away. Pippa just went up to him, sniffed at him and then growled and walked away. 

I'm not sure what is going on with my boy. I had hoped he would be feeling better this morning, but he seems to be back to the not eating and hiding in his room, so I don't know where we go next. The vet said I could give him half a pepcid, and I didn't give it to him yesterday, since he did have the cerenia shot and he was eating a little, but I guess I will try that this morning and see if that will help him be able to eat. He is not that old, only a little over 6.


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## Heather72754 (Nov 1, 2013)

Aww howsefrau so sorry to hear Taffy is still a bit under the weather. atback Maybe he is just still recovering from his gas/tummy upset episode. Did you give him the Pepcid yet? Is he doing any better? At least he peed and pooped, that's great.


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## Mochas Mommy (Dec 9, 2013)

Hoping he continues to improve and stay improved. Poor little fellow!


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

I just gave him half a pepcid ac, per the vet recommendation. If this does not let him feel well enough to eat, he said we can try the cerenia tablets for nausea. He is hopeful they would help again, since they did help yesterday. I'm going to offer him some food in about 15 minutes and see if he will take any. I bought some stuff I know he really likes. I guess if not we'll be back at the vet in the morning, probably for more fluids and to talk about what we can do next.


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## Heather72754 (Nov 1, 2013)

I wouldn't think you would want to keep giving him the Cerenia - I thought that was mostly used mainly for nausea that happens with chemo. It doesn't actually make the nausea better, just blocks the perception of it. It doesn't do anything for what is causing it. I could be wrong, but that is my understanding of how that medication works.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Heather72754 said:


> I wouldn't think you would want to keep giving him the Cerenia - I thought that was mostly used mainly for nausea that happens with chemo. It doesn't actually make the nausea better, just blocks the perception of it. It doesn't do anything for what is causing it. I could be wrong, but that is my understanding of how that medication works.


I wondered the same thing. My vet agrees it should not be used for very long, but is thinking that since it seemed to help him be able to eat and move around a bit yesterday, that maybe it would help him for a few days to be able to eat, and if this is just gastroenteritis, the medicine would help him get through it. 

I don't know at this point. He's still not interested in food. He has not made a single peep. We just now syringe fed him some wet food mixed with water and warmed up slightly, and he didn't fight us at all, so we managed to get a little bit into him. We are going to try again in a little later. 

Other than his two bouts with UTI's 5 years ago, I have not ever had a sick cat. This is all new to me. Never lost a cat either, except childhood ones that ran away or my parents gave away, so this is all new. The vet mentioned an appetite stimulant for him, maybe that will help. All I know is that we will be there first thing in the morning with him.


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## stephy (Aug 17, 2011)

have you tried boiled chicken since its bland?


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

stephy said:


> have you tried boiled chicken since its bland?


No, but I've tried so many other things, because this boy likes to eat. I've tried other human food that he loves, like tuna and salmon, and part of a rotisserie chicken, these are things he usually goes insane for. I've tried fancy feast appetizer, and even offered a few kibble, something he does not get much of and he likes very much. I've tried warming the gross fancy feast stinky food in the microwave, he still doesn't want it. We ended up syringe feeding him a little bit, and plan to do a little more again tonight. He did not throw up what we gave him, which is good. I'm thinking the pepcid helped with that. 

He's such a funny cat, and follows the same routine every single day since we've had him. He eats, uses the litter box, and then he is off to his box of socks that I keep by the dryer for him, and he drags them out, one by one, and either lines them up in a long row, or sometimes he varies it up and makes one large pile of them in the living room. He is a very quiet cat, doesn't mew much at all, but all the while he is dragging the socks out, he is mewing his funny little mew. Then when he's done, he is off to his favorite dining room chair where he stays for hours. He never strays from his routine. He is the most adorable, sweetest, gentlest boy ever. 

Here is a picture of him on sock patrol


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## Speechie (Dec 2, 2013)

That is such a cute photo! So sorry he is still not quite right.  prayers that he turns a corner for the better tonight!!


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

We just syringe fed him some runny food, and he didn't protest at all. However, when we were feeding him we noticed a very bad smell coming from his mouth, and I do not recall this before. My husband asked me "did they look at his teeth?" Honestly, I don't know what all they looked at because I saw the vet for about 15 minutes and then left him there for the blood work and fluids. If it were something like a bad tooth, or if he had some sort of infection, I would think his blood work would have shown that? I'm guessing. Oh, and the had the bad smell earlier, before we fed him. My daughter noticed it, she was holding him when we gave him the pepcid, and she said he smelled awful, but I didn't notice it until now, so it was there before we gave him the food. 

Anyway, something new to report to the vet tomorrow and have them look at. Not sure if this bad smell that is coming from his mouth, just that it is pretty bad. He is still around 102.5, which is what he was yesterday at the vet. I'm just glad I got a little fluids and food into him, and so far he has kept it down.


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## marie5890 (May 18, 2011)

Glad you are going to bring this to the attention to the vet.


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## koneko_otaku (Jul 22, 2010)

Have the vet check the teeth. It could be bad teeth causing pain and difficult for cat to eat. Rotten teeth or worse, cancer is known to cause bad breath and eating challenge.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Taffy is back at the vet getting fluids and another x -ray to compare to the ones taken on Saturday. I'm hoping that the small spot they saw in his stomach is something that has moved. I guess if it's a tumor the spot will still be in the same place, so hopefully the x ray will give them a better idea of what it is. 

No more vomiting, I think the pepcid is helping, but not enough for him to eat, so he will be getting more cerenia, since it helped him eat Saturday. Also, on the plus side, he came right out of the room this morning and into the living room, sat next to me, sat in his favorite chair and hung out on the bottom of the cat tree until I had to be the bad mom and put him in the carrier to go back to the vet. I felt so bad, because he was finally chilling, but I know he needed fluids. We did syringe feed him some watered down wet food twice yesterday and again this morning. I'm not sure exactly how much food he needs to be getting to prevent hepatic lipadosis, I'm trying to research that now. 

He did look better. He smelled the food, licked his lips like he really wanted to eat it, and he did not fight me when we syringe fed him the food. Hopefully we will have some answers today as to what is going on with him.


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## Heather72754 (Nov 1, 2013)

Fingers and paws crossed that you get some answers. Did the vet say anything about the odor you noticed? Poor Taffy, he sounds like such a sweet boy.


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

Let us know how it goes! Did they get a reading on the pancreas enzymes? If not they didn't do that, try it as an add on blood test.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Carmel said:


> Let us know how it goes! Did they get a reading on the pancreas enzymes? If not they didn't do that, try it as an add on blood test.


AML - 819
LIPA - 303

I think those are the ones that are about the pancreas. We had a senior panel run, they tested everything. According to what the vet said, everything looked normal.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Taffy spent another day at the vet getting sub q fluids, another x-ray, he had another injection of cerenia. The vet said that the new x-ray still shows a small spot in his stomach that could be something, he thought it could possibly be food, but he really hasn't eaten that much, so I'm kind of doubtful. He did eat twice on his own Saturday, after the first cerenia injection, and I syringe fed him Sunday and this morning. The spot is still in the same place. If I want an endoscopy or ultrasound, I guess I have to go to the specialist, or the crook vet near me that I totally do not trust. He also prescribed an appetite stimulant and some cerenia tablets to take home, I guess the shot only lasts for 24 hours. He has ventured out of his room, spent time walking around a bit, actually walked up to his box of socks like he wanted to drag them out, but he didn't. Now he's looking out the window. He had been just hiding out in his room, so this is progress, him coming out of his room. The vet is hoping it is something gastrointestinal and the medicine will help him until he gets over it, but if not, I guess we will need to think about more testing. We have already spent a lot of money in the past two days, but when it's your babies, what can you do? There is no other option for us, we just have to figure out a way to do it.


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## Heather72754 (Nov 1, 2013)

What did he say about the bad odor? Any idea where it is coming from and why?


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

The test for pancreatitus is called fPL. It's an add on test that isn't in the senior panel (I don't think, at any rate).

https://www.idexx.com/smallanimal/r...enu/innovative-tests/spec-fpl.html?SSOTOKEN=0

But I am also wondering about the bad breath and the image on the x-rays. Maybe exploratory surgery is in order; if so I'd consider skipping the ultrasound... all it could tell you is if you more likely need the surgery, at a tune of about 500+ more dollars.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

Oh no, howsefrau, I hadn't had a chance to read through this until now.

Poor Taffy! And poor you. It's just awful when they're sick, and even worse when no one knows what's going on exactly. 

At least he's up and moving around and getting some food, though. 

So it's just wait and see at this point? 

Your description of his routine, with the sock hunting, was so cute - and then the pic was even cuter.  I hope it's nothing serious and that he's back hunting his socks soon.


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## marie5890 (May 18, 2011)

Hugging all of you. I know the feelings you are experiencing.


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## sheiladoreen (Jul 11, 2014)

I am feeling your pain today Howsefrau. Pucc has similar symptoms- bit of vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, not quite himself and refusing food. He has had a few laps of water today but we have had to syringe feed him despite the anti-inflammatory and diarrhea meds. We'll be going back tomorrow for blood work and an exam. I'm wondering about Pucc's teeth too as I've seen him do an Elvis-like lip curl (not sniffing anything) a few times which is out of character. Don't you wish they could just talk to you?? 

We are in same boat with funds too- we just adopted a new cat last month so we had some pretty extensive vet bills for him with neuter/initial vaccination and health checks. But what can you do? We paid for an emerg trip yesterday but are trying to wait it out until tomorrow for a follow up. His breathing and heart rate are normal, doesn't feel warm, room temp ear and wet cold nose.. He seems totally normal other than his strange behaviour and unwillingness to eat. It's tough. We'll send a few prayers your way for Taffy  hugs


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

Oh no. Mew and Pucc too? And I'm slightly worried about Mr. Casper now. 

Howsefrau, did Taffy eat any dinner?

Fingers crossed for all of the kitties!


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Sigh. I love my vet, but the office is making me doubt returning, and I'm thinking I will get a second opinion from another vet that in the past I LOVED, but sadly, she only works 2 days a week, and never seems to be there when I need her. 

The good news. Taffy ate dinner last night, after being at the vet all day, getting another cerenia shot, which seems to be key in him being able to eat right now. My appt was not until 2:30, because my vet was in surgery all morning, so they asked me to bring him in early so they could hydrate him, because Sunday night, we did have to syringe feed him food and water, and I knew he probably did not get enough. Then when I went in to get him.....they had forgotten to give him the fluids?? Wth?? My vet was in emergency surgery, and I could not speak to him, and he had called me and spoke to me before this, said short of him sending Taffy for an endoscopy, he could not be sure if there was something in his stomach, or it was just possibly food on the x ray, or inflammation. We both decided that we would try the approach of lets give him appetite stimulant and cerenia tablets, hope that this is gastrointestinal, and maybe those might help him until he pulls out of this. Then I get there, they had forgotten to do the sub q fluids, I was FLABBERGASTED, since they asked me to bring him early for the fluids. This was the techs fault, not the vet. He was horrified too. They did the fluids and did not charge me for them or the in boarding fee for that morning. I'm sure some of you would be at the specialist now, doing the endoscopy, but if there is cancer or something there, I will keep him comfortable as long as I can, will not drag his life on. I adore him, but I will not do that to him. 

He was immediately hungry when he got home from the vet, and ate a good amount, and hung out with us, even walked up to his box of socks, and sat in his chair again. He looks better. Still has the odor from his mouth though. I still think there could be a tooth issue, but the vet didn't think that's what it was. But the funny thing taffy does, he looks at the food, smells it, licks his lips, licks at the foot without it going into his mouth. I even offered kibble, a usually forbidden other than treat food, and he ate a few and licked all of them, they all had his saliva all over them, but he didn't eat them....it was as if he couldn't but desperately wanted to. 

He did a little poop this morning, though, hooray! I believe he peed, I followed him around but had to leave for a few hours so I'm not positive that he did, but he is getting mostly water in his food and has peed several times, so I think he is, but watching carefully. So I know he has been getting a little something. And.....he just drug about 4 of his socks out of his box, lol, we were so happy to see that. So he looks better, is interacting with Stephano and Pip, sitting in his chair, but the eating thing, just eating a little and sometimes only when we help him, and only even then with the cerenia. Hopefully the appetite stim will help with this too, but I jsut gave him that first dose this morning, it's only been an hour or so. 

We are going to try the medicine and see how he is by Friday, to see if this helps him get over whatever it is. If he goes downhill after we stop the meds, we will talk and see where to go from there. Like I said, I will not pro long his life and I will not let him be in pain. I will do everything I can to keep him comfortable, but I cannot bear to see a cat struggling and in pain. So hopefully it doesn't come to that, but I guess we will see. 

I am still horrified about the vet techs forgetting to administer his fluids. They are getting so busy, I think they just have more than they can handle. I'm thinking of a visit to my old vet friend who cared for my springer spaniel when he was sick and dying, and she has lots of senior cats.......and she is a total cat person. I think it's time to give her a call for the second opinion. I may just have to go sell a kidney today to pay for all of this, lol.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

Oh wow that's amazing that they forgot.  How much longer did he have to stay at the vet because they told you to bring him early for the fluids?

When Celia was doing that, licking her lips, acting like she wanted to eat, but then walking away, it was because she was constipated. But I'm wondering if in Taffy's case, he ingested a foreign object that he can't pass? Maybe that's what's showing on the x-ray? I feel like something similar happened to someone here recently where the kitty had swallowed some thread. I don't know how they'd know for sure without having to do exploratory surgery or something like that though. 

I really hope that this is just some bug that he'll get over on his own. Poor little guy - he must be hating these vet visits, but what can you do? You just want to be able to explain to them that you're trying to make them feel better...although I really feel like on some level, when they go to the vet and they're not feeling well, they do understand that they're there because you want to make them feel better.

Hang in there!


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## 21inCostaRica (Aug 18, 2013)

Hugs to you both, I agree that the worst part of this is not knowing. Lots of times they get very sick and then they get better and you have no idea what it was or what exactly made them better. 

One of my cats was vomiting for two days and my vet told me she had some anti-emetic at home and she would bring it to me in the afternoon (it was a Sunday.) My cat was still not eating so I gave her an antipyretic out of desperation and for some reason she started eating straight away and did not vomit again.

Perhaps you could ask your vet about metoclopramide; it's also a gastrokinetic and it's approved for cats. I'm not saying Cerenia will harm your cat, it´s only a suggestion. Olive oil is wonderful, he might lap a little bit by himself. If he feels nauseous he will lick his lips, but it's true that constipation can cause nausea.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

spirite said:


> Oh wow that's amazing that they forgot.  How much longer did he have to stay at the vet because they told you to bring him early for the fluids?


I had brought him in around 10 and got there at 2:00, and he was out by 2:30. Does that sound long enough for them to do the sub q fluids? I know they did because when they brought him out they showed me the big hump on his back and told me not to panic, since have never had a cat that had this done before. 

I don't think he is constipated. I do wonder if it is something that is not moving through his digestive track though. They see something on the x-ray, but nothing big and nothing looking like it's impacting him. They only see a small amount of stool on the x ray also. And he did have a bm this morning. The vet said, and it also said on the x ray that there was an area of his intestines that looked a little bunched up....I think that's how they put it, but that it was nothing that looked alarming. But to me, couldn't a bunched up intestine mean something in there? Not sure if they could get it out. I just don't know.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

21inCostaRica said:


> Hugs to you both, I agree that the worst part of this is not knowing. Lots of times they get very sick and then they get better and you have no idea what it was or what exactly made them better.
> 
> One of my cats was vomiting for two days and my vet told me she had some anti-emetic at home and she would bring it to me in the afternoon (it was a Sunday.) My cat was still not eating so I gave her an antipyretic out of desperation and for some reason she started eating straight away and did not vomit again.
> 
> Perhaps you could ask your vet about metoclopramide; it's also a gastrokinetic and it's approved for cats. I'm not saying Cerenia will harm your cat, it´s only a suggestion. Olive oil is wonderful, he might lap a little bit by himself. If he feels nauseous he will lick his lips, but it's true that constipation can cause nausea.


I am not crazy about giving him the cerenia, but I can tell it is definitely helping him eat. As soon as I got him home from the vet, he wanted to eat. He has always been the funniest cat, you can tell he is a little stressed at the vet, but not as much as my other cats. He's just very chill when he is there. And then as soon as he is home, it's like it never happened. Not to be mean about my fluffy boy, but as far as cats go, he is not the brightest bulb in the tanning bed, lol, and I think maybe that's why he doesn't get as goofy as the other cats do when they go to the vet, because he doesn't get it as much as they do. That sounds mean, lol, and I'm not trying to be, but has anyone else ever had a cat that you just knew was not as......bright as your other cats? And then you have those really smart cats, that know every little thing that you say and every detail going on around them


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## sheiladoreen (Jul 11, 2014)

We admitted Pucc for hospitalization this morning as the constant syringe feeding/worrying/monitoring was making it difficult for us to lead normal lives (my boyfriend and I both work full-time) and I trust the vet more than me in administering the medications properly. We had no blockages via x-ray but lots of gas in the bowels.

I just got an update via phone and they said he'll take food but won't walk up and eat any himself (which was the same at home- he clearly wasn't hating the syringe food, he just didn't love being held still and forcefed). She said they had just switched from IV fluids to an appetite stimulant but I'm not sure what exactly it is; she said it takes a few hours for it to start working so hopefully he'll get eating on his own.

Pucc had obvious issues with his bloodwork- his GGT was high which concerned the vet the most as he could have bile duct issues and he had some pancreas variations. She said as long as he's eating and his GGT levels fall for the bloodwork tomorrow then he should be fine to go home and stay on his anti-inflammatory, diarrhea meds + appetite stimulant until he feels better.

We have a tentative diagnosis of pancreatitis, which doesn't seem so bad. At least it's not terminal at this point, which is what I was most scared of. Hoping Taffy gets some good news soon and starts eating without the cerenia.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

howsefrau, I don't think it's mean. We're just acknowledging that they're not perfect.  My first cat was definitely not the sharpest knife...I'd put a cardboard box on its side on the floor and drag a wand toy across the outside back of the box. She'd run inside the box looking for the noise every time and never once thought to walk around it to see if the noise was outside of it. :roll:

But we wouldn't have them any other way!  And anyway, how great is it that Taffy's just laid back and not freaked out by the vet?! If I had to choose between the world's smartest kitty and a kitty who didn't try to kill the vet and the vet techs at the vet, I'd take the non-assassin kitty any day! 

Does Taffy seem uncomfortable otherwise, or just lacking appetite? 

sheila, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Pucc's bloodwork results are normal tomorrow and that you can bring him back home!


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

I agree. I love Book to death, he's such a sweet boy... but DARN he's a dim bulb..... Neelix is smarter @ 13 weeks than Book is @ 3 years old. I still lurves him though.


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## CrazyCatLazy (Jan 17, 2011)

I don't know if this is helpful at all, but it could be IBD. This sounds a lot like what I went through with my cat. All of a sudden his usual food irritated him and he had to be put on a low residue diet.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

MowMow said:


> I agree. I love Book to death, he's such a sweet boy... but DARN he's a dim bulb..... Neelix is smarter @ 13 weeks than Book is @ 3 years old. I still lurves him though.


At least you have one smart one. Neither of my girls seems to have figured out that sometimes pulling a door won't open a door but pushing it will.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Came home tonight after my daughter's birthday dinner.....to socks!!!! A whole living room full of them! Sorry this picture is blurry, from my old, cruddy iphone camera, but I had to take a picture of it. I thought something bad happened, because Laura gasped and then said SOCKS!!! Taffy was all sweet and out in the living room like normal. Then, we fed them their bedtime meal, and Taffy ate every bite! He had eaten some earlier, but maybe less than 1/4 of a 3 ounce can of watered down food. This time he ate every bite. He had the cerenia (anti nausea) and mirtazipane (appetite stimulant) this morning, around 10:30. I'm sure the medication is helping, but he seemed to feel better this morning, even before the medicine, but he did not eat much this morning, but a little. In fact, we were worried about him and gave him some water with the syringe earlier. 

He does seem more like himself today, like maybe he is feeling better. I hope this continues. I realize it could jsut be the medication causing him to feel better, but hopefully he's just getting over whatever this is, and that it's not something awful. 

Glad to hear that I am not the only one with a slightly doofy cat, lol, and I know we love them all any way, no matter how slow they might be. All of my other cats learn after about 3-4 tries of chasing the red dot that it's a horrible trick and that people are laughing at their expense. But Taffy will chase the red dot all day long, lol. Also, you can spin da bird or another wand toy in circles and the boy will run in circles all day long, honestly, he would never stop if we didn't. Still, we love him even though we do get quite a few laughs from goofy things he does 

Oh, he even tried to wrestle with Stephano tonight, when I put them in their room for the night. This is also a typical nighttime thing they do, Stephano cries for 5 minutes at the door like he is being beaten, because he is in his room for the night, and then Taffy tells him to knock it off and wrestles him to the ground and stands on him and bites his neck (not hard, I promise....seriously, stephano could flatten him in a second if he wanted to). So, they had their hissy and then Stephano went to snuggle up to my daughter on the bed, and Taffy to his cat tree, just like they do every night. 

Hopefully this is a good sign that he has turned a corner for the better and will continue to improve. Thanks everyone for the advice and support these past few days.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

sheiladoreen said:


> We admitted Pucc for hospitalization this morning as the constant syringe feeding/worrying/monitoring was making it difficult for us to lead normal lives (my boyfriend and I both work full-time) and I trust the vet more than me in administering the medications properly. We had no blockages via x-ray but lots of gas in the bowels.


I'm so sorry to hear that Pucc is doing worse  Hopefully the appetite stimulant will help, it certainly seems to have helped Taffy. They gave Taffy mirtazipane, along with cerenia, which is anti-nausea. He had 2 shots of cerenia, and it helped immensely, and now he is taking the pill form, just til the end of the week, to see if this will help him over whatever is wrong. 

I don't know much about pancreatitis in cats, but hopefully that is something that is fairly easy to treat in cats? I'm not sure if it is just a diet thing, like with people, and avoiding certain foods, but hopefully that's the case, if that is what he has. I really hope the medicine helps. From what I have heard from others here, it has helped so much to get their appetite back, so hopefully this will do the trick for Pucc. Hugs, and hope to hear that he is feeling better tomorrow.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Forgot to post the picture of the socks we came home to. What a happy sight this was!!!


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

CrazyCatLazy said:


> I don't know if this is helpful at all, but it could be IBD. This sounds a lot like what I went through with my cat. All of a sudden his usual food irritated him and he had to be put on a low residue diet.


This is something they are considering, as well as possibly pancreatitis. His blood work looked good, but someone mentioned there is a more in depth test to check the pancreas? So maybe that is something I will ask the vet about. Which food is considered a low residue food?


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

spirite said:


> But we wouldn't have them any other way!  And anyway, how great is it that Taffy's just laid back and not freaked out by the vet?! If I had to choose between the world's smartest kitty and a kitty who didn't try to kill the vet and the vet techs at the vet, I'd take the non-assassin kitty any day!


This made me laugh so hard, probably because I'm slap happy and exhausted from all of the worrying, LOL. Non-assassin kitty, LOL! All of my cats are like this, I consider myself very lucky 

And as far as him being uncomfortable or just lacking appetite, well, he definitely seemed uncomfortable the last few days, jumping down very slowly and carefully and moving slowly, but today, he seemed to be doing it with more ease. Much more ease. Not sure if it's just the medicine doing this, but hoping that it is because he is getting over whatever this was and that he is actually improving.


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## sheiladoreen (Jul 11, 2014)

howsefrau32 said:


> And as far as him being uncomfortable or just lacking appetite, well, he definitely seemed uncomfortable the last few days, jumping down very slowly and carefully and moving slowly, but today, he seemed to be doing it with more ease. Much more ease. Not sure if it's just the medicine doing this, but hoping that it is because he is getting over whatever this was and that he is actually improving.


These same things were going on with Pucc. Our vet said that gas in the bowels can be very uncomfortable so they move around slowly. Pucc had stopped jumping before we hospitalized him. It sounds like he is getting a lot better. I loved the photo of the socks! :lol:


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Sheiladoreen - yes, the could tell that he had gas in his gut when they did the x-rays too. Hopefully Pucc will feel better too once he gets all of that out.

More socks this morning, I am happy to report! And he also ate all of his food on his own. I did not give him the anti-nausea or appetite stimulant this morning yet, and I'm wondering if I should. He has only had one dose of each yesterday. The shots were done on Saturday and another one on Monday, but those last 24 hours. I know they helped, but it doesn't seem like maybe he needs it now? But I am questioning myself as to whether or not I should continue it. I hate medicating a cat unless it's absolutely necessary. 

Hopefully this good prognosis continues


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## sheiladoreen (Jul 11, 2014)

That is great! Pucc had a positive prognosis this morning. The vet called and said he is now eating on his own and his pancreas/liver levels are returning to normal so he has been cleared for discharge. They wanted to keep him until this afternoon on fluids as they said the more he gets the better chance he has at a quick recovery.

We're not taking home an appetite stimulant- our vet said the one he received by IV will last 3 days and is usually enough to jumpstart their system into recovery. She said if he stops eating again in a few days then to come back for some but that he should be fine.

I would say if he seems okay then to skip the appetite stimulant. You can always decide to give him one later in the day if he shows signs of slowing down.

Our kitties' symptoms seem really similar. The vet did mention that it's hard to diagnose pancreatitis so it's a very underdiagnosed condition. On the bright side, she said that if they go through a fairly fast/intense crash then likely they're suffering from acute pancreatitis and will recover in full and likely not have another episode. She said if it's a slower/more functional episode then they probably have chronic pancreatitis that will need to be dealt with for their lifespan, so as scary as it was that Pucc and Taffy had a fast and seemingly sudden/surprising decline, it might actually be a good thing.


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## sheiladoreen (Jul 11, 2014)

Here's some info on Pancreatitis:
Pancreatitis (Feline) - VeterinaryPartner.com - a VIN company!

Pucc had fairly obvious symptoms (heightened GGT/liver bile numbers and abnormal amylase) but he wasn't suffering from a fever or much vomiting.


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## Mochas Mommy (Dec 9, 2013)

Poor little guys...I am happy to read that they are both feeling better and that the socks have returned! (I guess I know what you do with the other half of all the socks the dryer steals!)


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Sheilandoreen - Thank you for the article, that was really helpful. Yes, the vet did say that it could certainly be pancreatitis, or IBD, but said just what this article said, that it is pretty hard to diagnose. If that is what caused this, I am hopeful that he will be one of the cats that completely recovers from it and that it doesn't become chronic. One can hope anyway. 

Mochas Mommy - Yes, the socks are the box of socks missing matches to them. If we forget to return them to the box, he just goes over and stares at the box and looks for other things. He will even try to pull away a napkin that is underneath a glass. It's so funny, when people that don't know about Taffy, one of my daughter's friends, when they come over and they see either a trail of socks, or a pile of socks (whatever Taffy is in the mood for that day), you just see the look of confusion on their face, and we have to explain his silly habit


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

Oh I'm glad to hear that both Taffy and Pucc are doing better! 

howsefrau, that pic of the socks was hilarious. Who would have ever thought that the sight of socks could make a person so happy?!


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## olywhizz (Mar 25, 2014)

good luck with your cats


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