Need some good vibes and prayers for Benni
 

Benni hasn't been eating lately and has lost some weight. I have been force feeding her for the last few days waiting to get into the vet. We went in this afternoon. All I can say is ....... here we go again. :( She has liver disease. I told the vet if she was in pain and there wasn't much of a chance to put her down. Maybe selfish of me but I don't want her suffering. The vet feels she has a chance to recover.
She is on Amoxicillin twice a day, Metronidazole twice a day, Buprenorphine twice a day, Mirtazapine to get her appetite going, and sub Q's for her dehydration. I have her in the house in Dart's crate. She is not a happy girl but she has no choice.
Please say a prayer or two for her. I don't know if I can handle losing another one so soon.

Oh, 14+, there has been too much sadness on the board this summer. I will send lots of prayers for Benni in hopes that she gets well soon. patti:pray::grouphug:

:pray::pray::pray: :goodvibes::goodvibes::goodvibes: :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: :fingerscr

Hopefully if the vet says she has a chance he feels it is not too far advanced.

There has been too much sadness here lately...hopefully Benni will be a success story :pawprint:

Oh no, this is just too much this summer :cry::cry: :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

Hopefully Benni will make a quick recovery :goodvibes::goodvibes::goodvibes::goodvibes: and tons more :goodvibes::fingerscr:pray:

Aww Benni <3

I'm very new here don't know people around yet but it does make me sad to know that a kitty is sick, plus I've been there in hard situations with pets and as the owner is very hard.
I have so many prayers pending and I will remember Benni as well.

Take care and be strong.

Oh no, :grouphug: for you and Benni

:goodvibes::goodvibes::goodvibes: for Benni

She will be in my prayers.

Lots of kisses and hugs for Benni! What type of liver disease does she have? Thanks for helping me while you are going through this rough time. Be strong and positive, and hopefully things will get better! :pray::pray::pray:

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: mf.....

Oh 14+ Sending you, Benni and the rest of the gang lots of :goodvibes::goodvibes::goodvibes: and a bunch of :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

Please keep us updated on her conditions. :pray:

Sending good wishes and :goodvibes: for Benni's complete and swift recovery!! :grouphug:

Oh poor Benni I am sending lots of good thoughts and vibes your way.

Thank you everyone for your good vibes. I admit I have been a bit of a mess with this coming on the heels of losing Brownie in April. I've been doing some more reading and looking for answers. All I've come up with so far is second guessing the worm meds that the vets have prescribed/sold me for my gang. She asked about regular worming which I have always done. I have recently started using WormGuard in their food as well. Every time I have had them checked for worms there has been no infestations so I am a little confused.

All we can do is to hope that these meds do their job and Benni is back to her normal self. I am missing her growly, snappishness. :(

Oh no Benni...you hang in there tough girl! :goodvibes::pray::goodvibes::pray: that all those meds do their thing and she recovers quickly!
:grouphug:

When you say liver disease did the vet give a more definative diagnosis? Hepatic Lipidosis (Fatty Liver) or Cholangitis/cholangiohepatitis complex or Portosystemic shunt (Liver Shunt) or Toxic Hepatopathy (damage by toxins)?

Ask your vet about getting some [URL="http://www.nutramaxlabs.com/vet/products/Denamarin.aspx"]Denamarin[/URL] it includes SAMe and Silybin an extract of Milk Thistle both liver supportive.

:goodvibes: for Benni

[QUOTE]Liver Disease in Cats - Causes, Symptoms & Treatment of Cat Liver Disease
Overview:
The liver is the largest internal organ of the body. It is located in the abdomen, under the diaphragm. It performs many functions which are essential to life.

•Cleans the blood by removing medications & toxins
•Regulating chemicals in the blood
•Produces & secretes bile, which aids digestion & absorption of fats. Bile is a greenish-yellow fluid which consists of bile acids & waste products such as bilirubin. It is made by the liver & stored in the gall bladder.
•Produces specific enzymes which aid digestion of food
•Converts most sugars into glycerine which it stores up as glycogen until required
•Fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K need bile in order to be absorbed by the body
•Production of blood clotting factors
•Manufacture of certain hormones
•Breaks down haemoglobin creating metabolites that are added to bile as pigment.
•The liver changes ammonia, a toxic by product of protein metabolism into urea, which is excreted in the urine.

The liver is divided into sections (known as lobes), each of which is composed of thousands of structural & functional units (hepatic lobules).

Two blood vessels enter the liver. The hepatic portal vein contains de-oxygenated blood from the spleen, pancreas & digestive system & the hepatic artery contains oxygen rich blood from the lungs.

Liver Disease:
There are several causes of liver disease in cats, which include:

•Hepatic Lipidosis (also known as Idiopathic Hepatic Lipidosis or Fatty Liver Disease). Hepatic Lipidosis is a common liver disease which is caused when a cat becomes anorexic (stops or reduces the amount of food it's eating), the body begins to use fat stores as fuel. These fat stores are sent to the liver, to be broken down to supply nutrients. Unfortunately, the liver sometimes becomes overwhelmed & is unable to process this fat as quickly as necessary, leading to a build up of fat in the liver, which interferes with normal liver function.

•Cholangitis/cholangiohepatitis complex: This is a number of related inflammatory & or infectious disorders of the liver and/or the biliary tract. Cholangitis relates to infection or inflammation of the bile duct & cholangiohepatitis is inflammation of the biliary system & by extension the liver. Causes of infection may often include FIP, Pancreatitis, IBD, bacterial infection, parasitic infection (including toxoplasmosis).

•Damage by toxins (Toxic Hepatopathy): This is caused by exposure to drugs, toxins or lack of blood to the liver.

•Cancer: There are many different types of tumour which affect the liver. Primary liver cancer (liver beginning in the liver) is uncommon in cats. Most cancers of the liver originate from some other site & spread to the liver.

•Portosystemic shunt (also known as liver shunt): Portosystemic shunts are abnormal communications between the portal & systemic venous system which allows intestinal blood to be delivered to the systemic circulation prior to hepatic detoxification. A shunt means that blood bypasses the liver, resulting in blood not being detoxified by the liver & a rise in toxins. Portosystemic shunts may be congenital or acquired, most shunts in cats are congenital & cats demonstrate clinical signs within 12 months of age.

What are the signs of liver disease in cats?
Symptoms may vary depending on what has caused liver disease, but common symptoms include:

•A common sign of liver disease is icterus (also known as jaundice). Signs of icterus are yellowing of the eyes, skin & mucous membranes.
•Loss of appetite
•Abdominal effusion
•Weight loss
•Polyuria (increased urination)
•Polydipsia (increased water consumption)
•Enlargement of the liver
•Lethargy
•Diarrhoea
•Vomiting
•Seizures
•Bad breath

How is liver disease diagnosed?
Your veterinarian will perform a physical examination of your cat & will want to run several tests, including a biochemical profile to look at;

•ALT (alanine aminotransferase) is an enzyme produced in the liver cells. The ALT test determines the level of this enzyme in the blood, which increases when damage to the liver cells has occurred.
•AST (aspartate aminotransferase) is an enzyme also found in skeletal & cardiac muscle cells, the brain & red blood cells. Elevated AST in the blood is also an indicator of liver disease, although as it is found in other organs, it is not as specific for liver cell injury as elevations in ALT.
•Bilirubin: This is a major breakdown product of red blood cells. When red blood cells wear out they are trapped in the spleen and destroyed, releasing bilirubin into the blood. This type of bilirubin is called unconjugated. This bilirubin is transported in the blood to the liver, where it is taken up & conjugated (joined with glycuronic acid). This conjugated form may either be stored in the liver cells or excreted into the bile. Bilirubin levels are increased in cats with liver disease, gallbladder disease or have excessive destruction of red blood cells (known as hemolysis).
•Low blood urea nitrogen.
•Low blood glucose.
•Low potassium (hypokalemia).
•Low cholesterol.
•Albumin: This is a major protein of the blood plasma. It is manufactured by the liver. Low levels of albumin in the blood can be a sign of liver disease.
•Complete blood count
•Urinalysis
•Thyroid testing
•Bile acids tolerance test
•Ultrasound: An ultrasound can give your veterinarian an idea of the size & shape of your cat's liver & gallbladder, and detect gallstones & biliary obstruction (blockage of the flow of bile from the liver).
•X-Ray: An x-ray may be taken to give your veterinarian an idea of the size & shape of your cat's liver. X-ray may also detect the presence of tumours.
•Biopsy: A liver biopsy is taken to determine the exact type of liver disease. This may be done at the same time as the ultrasound.
•Serologic Testing: Testing for diseases such as FeLV, FIV, FIP & toxoplasmosis may be taken as these diseases are associated with some liver disorders in cats.


How is liver disease treated?
Treatment depends on the cause of liver disease.

Hepatic Lipidosis:

•Intensive nutritional support. Most frequently this involves feeding a calorie dense, high protein food via a feeding tube either directly into the stomach or esophagus. This type of feeding will usually be required for 6 - 8 weeks.
•Fluid & electrolyte therapy if the cat is dehydrated.

Cholangitis/cholangiohepatitis complex:

•Supportive care with IV or subcutaneous fluids & nutritional support.
•If the cause is bacterial, antibiotics will be prescribed.
•Medication to control vomiting if necessary.
•Corticosteroids may also be helpful in cats.

Damage by toxins:

Supportive care.

Portosystemic Shunt:

•Surgical ligation.
•A prescription diet which is restricted in protein may be recommended.
•Supportive care, where necessary.[/QUOTE]

Thanks kr and growler.
Growler - Cholangitis/cholangiohepatitis complex is the one that I *think* she is leaning toward only because she asked about worming the cats. This vet is the one who does not give lots of info unfortunately. When I go back in I will have more questions. As I said when I heard liver my mind kind of shut down.

I have that same link in my favourites. I also have Denemarin, Milk Thistle and Sam-E here from Brownie. :rip: I have LiverTone as well but think I will get a new bottle of it. Not so sure how effective it is now.

14+,Rocky too had obvious Liver-problems,as his liver was huge,I don't know if that caused his high calcium-levels,or if the tumor on his Para-Thyroid caused it,the vet did not know,but it's of no importance anymore.
I hope Bennis problem has been caught early and hopefully can be cured:pray:
I don't understand why they have to be on worm-meds if no evidence of parasites have been found,but I suppose with so many cats,the vets want to be sure:confused:

I feel for you my friend:(:grouphug:

I'm so sorry 14+ :( good luck to Benni , I'm sure with all the good meds she's getting , she'll be better real soon :fingerscr :goodvibes:

I'm so sorry you have to go through this 14+ :(
I hope benni recovers. I don't know alot about the different liver diseases, but I sincerely hope this is something the liver can repair itself from. :grouphug::grouphug:

We are looking at Denamarin for monster as well, but can't find it where we live and none of the vets have even heard of it :shrug:

Thanks ladies. :grouphug: The support means a lot. :thumbs up

[QUOTE=Rgeurts;951380]We are looking at Denamarin for monster as well, but can't find it where we live and none of the vets have even heard of it :shrug:[/QUOTE]

Rgeurts - Our Canadian vets don't seem to sell Denamarin. At least none that I have found. I order mine online.

Here's some info on it.....
[url]http://www.drugs.com/vet/denamarin.html[/url]

And a site to order from......
[url]http://www.1800petmeds.com/Denamarin+Tabs+-prod11008.html[/url]

Sorry to hear about Benni 14k...saying my :pray:'s that she recovers just fine.

Geezz 14+K. I pray that Benni bounces back quickly.

My thoughts and prayers with you and Benni. Keep strong.:grouphug:

14+, it sounds like the vet is optimistic about Benni recovering, so I'm taking that as a very good sign.

I'm sending positive thoughts and many prayers your way for Benni to get well quickly!:grouphug:

Sending lots of prayers and good wishes for Benni :pray: :fingerscr :goodvibes: and big hugs to you. :grouphug:

lots of :goodvibes::goodvibes::goodvibes: are being sent ur way!!

Sending lots of prayers and good thoughts your way....

:goodvibes: and prayers that your sweet kitty gets better real soon

How is Bennie today? Is this anything similar to sweet, beautiful Brownie?

:2huggers: hang in there, 14+.

:goodvibes: :fingerscr :pray: for Benni.

Thanks again everyone. It is truly appreciated. :cloud9:

[QUOTE=Love4himies;951496]How is Bennie today? Is this anything similar to sweet, beautiful Brownie?[/QUOTE]

She is fiestier today. I guess the meds are helping a little. Unfortunately she isn't eating. I am still force feeding her. I've tried her regular food, tuna, baby food. Most of the time she would wolf those things down. Now she licks her lips and turns her head. I'm assuming the lip licking is nausea. Hopefully tomorrow she will try something on her own. :fingerscr
L4 - when the vet said liver I immediately thought that. Knowing how hard Brownie fought only to lose in the end and with the vet saying Benni is in pain from the liver I said if she wasn't going to make it to put her to sleep now so she wasn't suffering. The vet said the two cats were nothing alike. Brownie, my angel, also had anemia. Benni doesn't. It was the anemia that got him in the end. :( All I can do is to keep praying Benni pulls back from this. :pray:

Raise her food dishes up a bit - head above the stomach while eating.

Have you tried [url=http://www.purebites.com/ProductsCatEng/productschicken_cat.html]purebites treats[/url]? They're easy to crumble ontop of other food. What about cooked meat? The bbq chicken from the deli counter in the grocery store seems a near irresistible food for cats. Tried raw w/her?

Was she tested for Helicobacter?

[URL="http://www.vin.com/proceedings/Proceedings.plx?CID=WALTHAMTNAVC2003&PID=3671"]Update on the Diagnosis and Management of Feline Cholangiohepatitis 2003[/URL]

[url=http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_feline_cholangiohepatitis.html]Feline Cholangiohepatitis - Mar Vista Vet[/url]