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Old December 11th, 2008, 01:26 PM
gkjones gkjones is offline
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Not defecating and fluid in lungs

This morning I took my 14 year old cat (the one that has periodic seizures/muscle spasms) to the vets. She hasn't been defecating, has been eating very little, and yesterday her breathing became labored. On examination she seems to have fluid in her lungs and a painful mass in her abdomen. I'm waiting for the vet to call with the results of xrays. Can a cat get so constipated that it can cause pressure on the lungs and fluid buildup -- or is this just wishful thinking on my part? I am so worried.
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Old December 11th, 2008, 01:52 PM
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I'm so sorry your poor kitty is having such a rough time, and it certainly sounds very scary and difficult for you! It sounds like you've done all the right things, and that she's in good hands. I hope your vet will be able to give you good new today
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Old December 11th, 2008, 02:56 PM
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I hope you get good news too
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Old December 11th, 2008, 04:26 PM
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Here's the scoop so far. The vet drained 80 ml of fluid from her lungs and sent it for analysis; she is breathing better and seems more like herself. Her liver is twice normal size (and is the hard body the vet felt during the exam -- why would the liver feel hard?). I brought her home for the night and will take her back tomorrow for a bi-cavity ultrasound so they can see what the story is with her heart, liver, etc. She eagerly ate a bit of wet dinner and had a good drink of water.

I didn't get a chance today to ask the vet what his hypotheses are. I imagine there are a number of things that could be going on.

I very much appreciate the kind words of the posters here. Thank you.
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Old December 11th, 2008, 04:37 PM
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gkjones,for your kitty to get well
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Old December 11th, 2008, 05:32 PM
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I don't have any suggestions but do want to offer support. Sending some that you get some good news tomorrow.
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Old December 11th, 2008, 10:16 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gkjones View Post
Her liver is twice normal size (and is the hard body the vet felt during the exam -- why would the liver feel hard?).
Erm, maybe an infection? 80ml of fluid in the lungs is ALOT. I mean...wow. Or atleast it sounds like alot. And no, constipation can not cause fluid buildup in the longs as far as I know. They are two completely unrelated organ systems.

Sorry... none of this sounds very good though :sad: Hope your vet can fix your kitty up good though!
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Old December 12th, 2008, 12:34 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gkjones View Post
Her liver is twice normal size (and is the hard body the vet felt during the exam -- why would the liver feel hard?). I brought her home for the night and will take her back tomorrow for a bi-cavity ultrasound so they can see what the story is with her heart, liver, etc.
Pulmonary edema and an enlarged liver can be symptoms of congestive heart failure, unfortunately. Constipation is sometimes related in the sense that a cat may be too weak to push feces out if it has a heart condition. Renal issues can also result in constipation (from dehydration) as well as heart issues and fluid buildup. The good news is that in either situation, cats can continue to live a quality life with the right supportive care. My fingers are crossed that it's something easily treatable.

Good luck with the ultrasound, and let us know what the vet says.
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Old December 12th, 2008, 05:56 AM
gkjones gkjones is offline
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At this point I'm afraid that we're going to lose her before she can be treated actively. She didn't eat or drink anything yesterday and the day before only took what would be the equivalent of sips of water. When your cats have been this ill what have you found entices them successfully to eat?
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  #10  
Old December 12th, 2008, 07:25 AM
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Some tuna juice on her food may entice her to eat or what ever her favourite treat is. Fancy Feast is a fav amongst cats so you may try that. Another enticer is parmesan cheese sprinkled on top of their food.


However, if it was my cat, I would be force feeding it something or have a feeding tube inserted. A cat should not go more than 24 hours without food unless it is being monitored very closely by a vet.

Good luck.
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Old December 12th, 2008, 08:50 AM
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I'll second the force-feeding if she can't be tempted with anything else. I've had to do it before when things were dire, and it payed off.
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Old December 12th, 2008, 12:42 PM
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gkjones, I sure hope your kitty pulls through. I agree with force-feeding. If you can get a syringe from the vet, it is really helpful in force-feeding. (take the needle off if there is one)
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Old December 12th, 2008, 01:41 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gkjones View Post
When your cats have been this ill what have you found entices them successfully to eat?
Plain chicken baby food is the hallmark food tempter for my cat. If he won't eat that, I know we're in dire straights and at the very least, an appetite stimulant is needed. I worry about force-feeding if you are dealing with a heart issue, as the stress of it might be too much. Depends on your cat, I guess.
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  #14  
Old December 12th, 2008, 02:30 PM
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Just got the diagnosis: Eccentric cardiac myopathy (advanced). Don't know what the recommended treatments are yet but will head to the vets in an hour or so and find out. She will be force fed today and have more fluid drained from her lungs. Blood tests (including checking her taurine levels) will be done, too.

Thank you for the ideas about how to entice her to eat and for your continued supportive words.
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Old December 12th, 2008, 02:52 PM
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Good luck with treatment, gkjones! I hope all goes well with her and you find the perfect enticement to spur her appetite
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Old December 12th, 2008, 05:00 PM
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gkjones,your little girl is very lucky to have such a devoted owner,whishing you both the best,I am sure it's very stressful for both of you.
Lots of and for your little girl!!
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  #17  
Old December 13th, 2008, 07:56 AM
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Smile

Feeling optimistic this morning. She was started on Lasix and diltiazem yesterday, had fluid trained from her other lung, and was force fed twice (had a seizure after the second one). She was absolutely spent last night, as you can imagine. She snugged in all night but got up frequently to use the box because of the lasix. This morning we had planned to force feed her, but she came out and had some crunchies from our other cat's bowl. Offered her some of the wet food she likes and she ate what is typical of her for her first nibble of the day (she's a really light eater but likes to have multiple noshes throughout the day). So I didn't force feed her but will offer her food every hour or so.

So, she's eating! And she seems to have a bit more energy. I'm hoping that this is the meds working and that she's on her way to a maintainable and adequate quality of life. No blue-skying here, but I'm optimistic that she'll be around for a while longer and not uncomfortable.
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Old December 13th, 2008, 08:58 AM
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Thank's for the updatethat she'll continue to improve
Do you happen to have any pics of her to post for us
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Old December 13th, 2008, 09:10 AM
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that she will continue to recover.

I second chico's request for pics
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Jasper RIP (2001-2018)
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Old December 13th, 2008, 09:44 AM
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Here's a picture. I don't take many and this one is a bit blurry. Compared to this pic she's a skinny mini now.
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Old December 13th, 2008, 09:47 AM
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OMG she is beautiful
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Rose semi feral, a cpietra rescue, female tabby (approx 13 yrs)

Jasper RIP (2001-2018)
Sweet Pea RIP (2004?-2014)
Puddles RIP (1996-2014)
Snowball RIP (1991-2005)

In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats.-English Proverb

“While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions.” Stephen R. Covey
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Old December 13th, 2008, 10:04 AM
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Soooo glad to hear she is eating!

She is such a beautiful cat
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Old December 13th, 2008, 04:35 PM
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Love her colouring,she's a beautiful girl and I that she'll be ok
Please keep us posted
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Old December 13th, 2008, 04:50 PM
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She's a cutie. Please keep us posted.

ACO22
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  #25  
Old December 13th, 2008, 08:53 PM
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The day didn't continue on such an optimistic note as it started. After her first nosh this morning she again was turning up her nose at any food. This afternoon when I took her to the litter box she started to lick the litter -- and it is clumping litter! So I immediately got her away from the litter and a friend brought over some non-toxic litter. She's now had two feedings (by syringe) and I'll give her another later tonight. She actually does very well with the syringe feeding, which is good because she has really lost a lot of weight.

I don't know if this is a good idea but ... while I've been wiping up the food mess that ends up on her chest (and head and me and furniture and friend holding her during the feeding I've been leaving the food around her mouth so that she'll do her normal grooming routine after her feeding (which she does). I'm hoping this keeps some of the normal feeding routine in place and moves her toward independent eating as she feels better.
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Old December 13th, 2008, 10:04 PM
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I am sorry to hear this :sad:

Through Mooki's problems, we had some success with the baby food...I would put it in a bowl, use my finger and wipe little bits on her nose...she would lick it off and then I woke up and found the whole bowl empty...
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Old December 14th, 2008, 09:11 AM
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gkjones,babyfood is a good idea,if you have not tried it already,but make sure it has no onion.
It is usually an up and down rollercoaster caring for sick animals,most of us have been there more than once,it's heartbreaking,but every sign of improvement is elating,so we are keeping our for your lovely little girl
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Old December 14th, 2008, 09:44 AM
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good luck all fingers and paws here are crossed for your little angel's speedy recovery. Keep us posted
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Old December 14th, 2008, 10:51 AM
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I have to vent a bit. My little cat has had seizures (mostly tonic; occasionally clonic) all of her life. Irregular enough that I did not put her on meds for them. So now with her dilated cardiomyopathy it has been suggested that I start a taurine supplement (because in the 80s that was the deficiency identified as causing this kind of cardiomyopathy, or so I understand).

So today I'm online trying to find an appropriate taurine supplement that will be in a format that my finicky little one will consume. I run across scientific articles, the earliest from the 80s, indicating that taurine seems beneficial in controlling seizures, too!!! With all my questions over 14 plus years, including special trips to Tufts vet school, no one ever suggested trying a taurine supplement, nor do I think her taurine levels were ever checked. How is this possible?

I'll never really know for sure (unless, of course, we see a real turn around with the taurine supplementation) if her seizures and her heart problem could have been avoided by an informed suggestion. At the very least, it would not have hurt to try taurine supplementation so many years ago.

That's the end of my rant. Anyone found a taurine supplement that even finicky cats really like?
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Old December 14th, 2008, 11:52 AM
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Quote:
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Anyone found a taurine supplement that even finicky cats really like?
I give Aztec 100 mg a day of Now brand taurine. I get the 500 mg caps, open one up and sprinkle some in his wet food. It's such a small amount and is really quite tasteless/odorless. He's never noticed it and he's quite finicky. He actually has HCM, not DCM, but many of us believe taurine is good for the heart no matter what the heart condition is. If you could give your cat 200 mg a day, that should help (you can't really overdose on taurine as it's water soluble).

Something else you should consider is Coenzyme Q10. I supplement 30 mg a day of that, but you could go higher (60 mg) if your cat will accept it. Again, I use Now brand, and not the soft gels but the powder filled caps. The soft gels just have extra oils in them because it's believed CoQ10 is better absorbed if it's mixed with a fat, but if you're mixing it in with cat food, that has plenty of fat.
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