2/1 Scooter Update - Vetty Visits

[Jill & Scooter]

Hi everyone,
I've started to post several times but somehow couldn't bring myself to do it. Almost like if I don't post it or talk about it, it isn't real. As I mentioned the last time I posted, Scooter was getting a little bit of a belly and seemed to be getting a little thin over the rest of his body. He was eating well and all 5 P's in place, seemed to feel fine. I got him in to the vet the 1st week in Jan. They did blood work and looked him over, they said he had fluid in his belly. Our vet said there's several things that can cause fluid on the belly, none of them good or very treatable. Got the results back the next week and they didn't really tell anything. Took him back the next week for more different blood tests and an xray. The xray didn't show much and the other blood work results were back this week and didn't give any answers. The vet said the only other thing to do was take him to an internal medicine doc. The nearest one is several hours away. I knew a vet clinic in a town just 30 miles away had an ultrasound, thought an ultrasound might tell us something, without taking him so far. I took him there Wednesday. They couldn't see anything on the ultrasound and pulled some fluid off his belly. They did some testing on it there, but didn't find anything that told us anything for sure. The vet there feels it's very likely cancer, based on the way the fluid looked. After visiting with him I decided against going to the specialist. They could probably come up with a diagnosis, but wouldn't be able to cure whatever it is. I didn't want to put Scooter through the drive and a lot of poking and prodding. They did send some of the fluid off for furthur testing, I'm not really expecting anything that will help Scooter, but it wasn't very expensive. I should have results around Wednesday. Scooter continued to seem perfectly normal until Tues. He hasn't been eating that well since then. He seems comfortable, though. He made me laugh last night. DH got something he had ordered yesterday. When he opened the box, Scooter was in it before DH could even get his item out of it. He has always loved boxes. He's been in and out of it this morning. I have so hoped something treatable would be found, but it's not. I can't believe this is happening, My sweet little man is only 7, he should have lots of time left. He's getting pretty much anything he will eat, I don't think some higher carb food will make any difference at this point, and tons of love and attention. Sorry this is a little rambly, I can't quite get myself together.

 

[Tina Marie (GA) and Jan]

Jill - so many hugs and much love.
I can relate in that after getting off insulin, we seem to expect more good results instead of worsening health. Your journey has been a long one on insulin, then off, and precious Scooter is young, like you say. I sure wish I was a great doc and could think of something helpful. This makes me sad for you, but on the other hand, I see Scooter is being loved and adored.

I am praying for good results, please keep us updated. Maybe it's not as bad as, or what, you think

 

[Debra and Yoyo]

I am very sorry to hear about Scooter's condition. I am speechless. Please, lets think positive and maybe someone will give you some good news that his condition can be treated.

Is it possible to call the specialist or to have your vet call the specialist. Maybe with their experience they can tell you more. Explain to them the distance to travel to them and maybe they will be sympathetic. Or maybe they can refer someone else for you to see closer to your home that you are not aware of at this time.

Wishing you and Scooter the VERY BEST. My heart goes out to you

 

[Wendy&Neko]

((((Jill))) I a so sorry to hear the sad news. I had a similar situation with civvie Theo, I did go to the specialist, but they still couldn't get a diagnosis.

I am glad to hear he is still loving boxes, that's a good sign. I would get him some nice soft beds, my Theo's belly got uncomfortable at one point if he was on a hard surface. Make sure you also get some buprenophine - it may get painful at some point. But I'm hoping that point is not for a while. For now, enjoy every day with Scooter. Give him some kisses from me.

 

[carfurby (GA)]

Jill I'm so sorry. I hope you have many more days with Scooter. Just make the most of each day and try not to think about the future. I know it's not easy. Remember Scooter is his same loving self and doesn't know anything is different. Sending prayers.

 

[Jill & Scooter]

Jill - so many hugs and much love.
I can relate in that after getting off insulin, we seem to expect more good results instead of worsening health. Your journey has been a long one on insulin, then off, and precious Scooter is young, like you say. I sure wish I was a great doc and could think of something helpful. This makes me sad for you, but on the other hand, I see Scooter is being loved and adored.

I am praying for good results, please keep us updated. Maybe it's not as bad as, or what, you think

Thanks Jan.

 

[Jill & Scooter]

I am very sorry to hear about Scooter's condition. I am speechless. Please, lets think positive and maybe someone will give you some good news that his condition can be treated.

Is it possible to call the specialist or to have your vet call the specialist. Maybe with their experience they can tell you more. Explain to them the distance to travel to them and maybe they will be sympathetic. Or maybe they can refer someone else for you to see closer to your home that you are not aware of at this time.

Wishing you and Scooter the VERY BEST. My heart goes out to you

Although we don’t have a definite diagnosis, our regular vet, two vets at the other vet clinic and a vet elsewhere that they called for an opinion have all said that the several things that could cause the fluid are not treatable. If I or the vets thought there was any chance, I would definitely get him to a specialist or get the vets to consult, but I don’t think a diagnosis would help us any. Thanks for caring.

 

[Jill & Scooter]

((((Jill))) I a so sorry to hear the sad news. I had a similar situation with civvie Theo, I did go to the specialist, but they still couldn't get as diagnosis.

I am glad to hear he is still loving boxes, that's a good sign. I would get him some nice soft beds, my Theo's belly got uncomfortable at one point if he was on a hard surface. Make sure you also get some buprenophine - it may get painful at some point. But I'm hoping that point is not for a while. For low, enjoy every day with Scooter. Give him some kisses from me.

I’m going to try to get some Bupe on Monday. He doesn’t seem to be in any pain, but I want to be prepared in case. He has a couple fluffy beds, but has never really used them, they’re there if he needs them though. Right now it doesn’t seem to be bothering him. I will give him kisses from you. Thanks as always for your caring and advice.

 

[Jill & Scooter]

Jill I'm so sorry. I hope you have many more days with Scooter. Just make the most of each day and try not to think about the future. I know it's not easy. Remember Scooter is his same loving self and doesn't know anything is different. Sending prayers.

Thanks Carla. I’m trying to enjoy each day. It is hard. Appreciate the prayers.

 

[Sue and Luci]

Oh Jill...I'm so very sorry to read this...I can understand perfectly what you mean - it seems if we don't write it...and read the words...then perhaps it's not what we think...what we hear...what we are told...I do hope they're all wrong...but you're doing the right thing...love him, give him what he wants...let him have the boxes to his heart's content...

Please keep us posted...we're here for you - all of us collective kitty lovers will be praying for you and Scooter - sending you many many good vines and strong healing prayers and thoughts...feel the power of our embrace across the internet....

 

[Bobbie And Bubba]

Oh Jill! I’m so sorry that the prognosis does not sound real good.


Hoping for a miracle with Scooter’s name on it!

 

[Jill & Scooter]

Oh Jill...I'm so very sorry to read this...I can understand perfectly what you mean - it seems if we don't write it...and read the words...then perhaps it's not what we think...what we hear...what we are told...I do hope they're all wrong...but you're doing the right thing...love him, give him what he wants...let him have the boxes to his heart's content...

Please keep us posted...we're here for you - all of us collective kitty lovers will be praying for you and Scooter - sending you many many good vines and strong healing prayers and thoughts...feel the power of our embrace across the internet....

Thank You Sue! My goal right now is to spoil him as much as I possibly can and to make sure he knows how much I love him. We are feeling the prayers and good thoughts from everyone.

 

[Jill & Scooter]

Oh Jill! I’m so sorry that the prognosis does not sound real good.


Hoping for a miracle with Scooter’s name on it!

Thank you Bobbie! I’m hoping for a miracle for sure. I’m still hoping when they get the results from testing the fluid, they’ll say not as bad as we thought, we just need to do this. I’m not really counting on it though.

 

[Ella & Rusty & Stu(GA)]

Jill, I am so sorry to read of Scooter's probable diagnosis. I hope that the diagnosis isn't as bad as feared and that Scooter will have many more happy years with you.
Hugs for you and scritches for your boy,

 

[Jill & Scooter]

Jill, I am so sorry to read of Scooter's probable diagnosis. I hope that the diagnosis isn't as bad as feared and that Scooter will have many more happy years with you.
Hugs for you and scritches for your boy,

Thank you Ella!

 

[Ti-Mousse (GA) Pepe (GA)]

Jill, can't believe something could go wrong with Scooter... He's still young and such a little winner !
Let's hope for the fluid results to be better than what they think!
Ti is with him! Paws in paws with his friend !!
Sending you all my positive vibes !!

 

[Pamela & Amethyst]

Oh dear Sending lots of Love,Light and Healing to you and your handsome little man

 

[Pamela & Amethyst]

Also Scooter is too young I feel it is not his time yetPositive energy always helps!!

 

[Judy and Boomer]

Oh Jill I'm so sorry to be reading this about Scooter! It is odd that the ultrasound didn't show anything but hopefully that is good news! Is he acting like he's uncomfortable? It's good that he's still enjoying his boxes; if he is uncomfortable he will likely seek out something soft to lay on.
Sending lots of vines!!!

 

[Jill & Scooter]

Jill, can't believe something could go wrong with Scooter... He's still young and such a little winner !
Let's hope for the fluid results to be better than what they think!
Ti is with him! Paws in paws with his friend !!
Sending you all my positive vibes !!

Thank you Lyane! We are feeling the good vibes and they're helping.

 

[Jill & Scooter]

Also Scooter is too young I feel it is not his time yetPositive energy always helps!!

Thank You Pamela! We really appreciate positive energy!

 

[Jill & Scooter]

Oh Jill I'm so sorry to be reading this about Scooter! It is odd that the ultrasound didn't show anything but hopefully that is good news! Is he acting like he's uncomfortable? It's good that he's still enjoying his boxes; if he is uncomfortable he will likely seek out something soft to lay on.
Sending lots of vines!!!

Thanks Judy! It is odd about the ultrasound. I was really afraid they would see a huge tumor, but the vet said there could be smaller ones on some of the smaller organs that he couldn't see. The fluid they pulled from his belly had a lot of old blood in it, he said that pretty much indicated cancer somewhere. Scooter seems pretty comfortable. He is choosing to lay on a closed up box with a blanket on it in his room. This has been a favorite spot of his forever. I tried to put a bed on the box for him, but he wouldn't lay on it then, so I guess it not bothering him. Since they pulled the fluid on Wednesday his belly is still smaller. I think he is much more comfortable. He had gotten pretty big before that.

 

[JoyBee&Ravan]

I have so hoped something treatable would be found, but it's not.

Please don't let yourself give up already.
Years ago my cat Ivan had an Xray & Vet said she "thought" it might be a tumor in his stomach. He continued to act OK & eat but after several weeks his stomach swelled up with fluid.
He was 16 yrs old & no one back 20 yrs ago would do surgery on him. I kept searching & found someone. The tumor was not in his stomach but in his bowels. Vet removed a section of his intestine, with the tumor. He said the good news was it was a muscle tumor,& would not come back.

Ivan developed an infection & the vet felt he needed a blood transfusion because he was weak. Ivan had a bad reaction from the blood & died from that.If not for the blood I feel he would have lived a long time.

If had a cat now with a swollen belly I'd have an ultra sound of his intestines also just in case there might be a tumor there causing the fluid retention.

I wouldn't wait to have it all checked. It was nearly 6 months later that my cat had the surgery & by then the tumor was quite large.

Scooter is still young so don't give up! It may be something else altogether.

My kitty Alice will be 18 this June.She's lost some weight recently. I found a Lump the size of a large olive on her stomach. Vet took a needle biopsy , drew out some fluid & checked under a microscope.Did not find any cancer cells.
Ravan & Alice get 2 drops of CBD oil, along with Vit E ,B-12 & Omega 3 In a bit of water In a feeding syringe. I started adding a pinch of Curcumin for inflammation. It's been 3 weeks & the lump is gone. My vet said ,Keep doing what ever it is you're doing! She's eating good & hasn't lost any more weight. It still might be cancer, time will tell. (They both get 1/2 cap of SEB in the feeding syringe 2 X a week to keep things moving smoothly)

I'm aware that most of the people here do not believe in using herbs & CBD oil. For over 50 years I've seen great results. My last kitty Peggy Sue died from Oral Cancer just over 8 weeks ago. Without a doubt the CBD oil kept her eating till the day she died.

Best of luck to Scooter!

 

[JoyBee&Ravan]

Pancreatitis is a common cause of ascites in cats. ( Ascites (pronounced “a-site-eez”) is the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity. )

Came across this info. There's a lot of reasons Scooter may have the fluid in his abdomen.

Will you Post his Lab results?

 

[Susan&Felix(GA)]

Oh, Jill, I'm so sorry! It feels so sad and scary and unfair.

When Felix was given a poor prognosis last May and vets said to expect maybe 2-3 months, people here reminded me that vets don't know everything. And Felix is still here 8 months later enjoying a very good quality of life; I often get tears on him when I'm smooching him, but it has mostly been a happy time. I'm sending tons of vines and prayers that your time with Scooter is happy and full of smooches, too, and that the days stretch to months and the months to years. Years and years!

You're such a loved kitty, Scooter.

 

[Jill & Scooter]

Please don't let yourself give up already.
Years ago my cat Ivan had an Xray & Vet said she "thought" it might be a tumor in his stomach. He continued to act OK & eat but after several weeks his stomach swelled up with fluid.
He was 16 yrs old & no one back 20 yrs ago would do surgery on him. I kept searching & found someone. The tumor was not in his stomach but in his bowels. Vet removed a section of his intestine, with the tumor. He said the good news was it was a muscle tumor,& would not come back.

Ivan developed an infection & the vet felt he needed a blood transfusion because he was weak. Ivan had a bad reaction from the blood & died from that.If not for the blood I feel he would have lived a long time.

If had a cat now with a swollen belly I'd have an ultra sound of his intestines also just in case there might be a tumor there causing the fluid retention.

I wouldn't wait to have it all checked. It was nearly 6 months later that my cat had the surgery & by then the tumor was quite large.

Scooter is still young so don't give up! It may be something else altogether.

My kitty Alice will be 18 this June.She's lost some weight recently. I found a Lump the size of a large olive on her stomach. Vet took a needle biopsy , drew out some fluid & checked under a microscope.Did not find any cancer cells.
Ravan & Alice get 2 drops of CBD oil, along with Vit E ,B-12 & Omega 3 In a bit of water In a feeding syringe. I started adding a pinch of Curcumin for inflammation. It's been 3 weeks & the lump is gone. My vet said ,Keep doing what ever it is you're doing! She's eating good & hasn't lost any more weight. It still might be cancer, time will tell. (They both get 1/2 cap of SEB in the feeding syringe 2 X a week to keep things moving smoothly)

I'm aware that most of the people here do not believe in using herbs & CBD oil. For over 50 years I've seen great results. My last kitty Peggy Sue died from Oral Cancer just over 8 weeks ago. Without a doubt the CBD oil kept her eating till the day she died.

Best of luck to Scooter!

View attachment 51049

Thanks for the info on the supplements! I have been giving Scooter CBD oil and SEB for several days hoping it would help with his appy, I will look into the other supplements too. When he had his ultrasound Wednesday they looked at his intestines and didn’t see anything. I’m still hopeful the results from the fluid they drew off his belly will tell us something. Thanks for caring to share your knowledge.

 

[Jill & Scooter]

Oh, Jill, I'm so sorry! It feels so sad and scary and unfair.

When Felix was given a poor prognosis last May and vets said to expect maybe 2-3 months, people here reminded me that vets don't know everything. And Felix is still here 8 months later enjoying a very good quality of life; I often get tears on him when I'm smooching him, but it has mostly been a happy time. I'm sending tons of vines and prayers that your time with Scooter is happy and full of smooches, too, and that the days stretch to months and the months to years. Years and years!

You're such a loved kitty, Scooter.

Thank you Susan! I agree vets don’t always know. My sweet drooler, Jessie, was diagnosed with cushings almost 3 years ago. The vet told me two years was pretty much the max life expectancy. Not only is she still here, but she’s doing very well. Scooter is getting tons of smooches and anything else he wants. I’m hoping for lots more time!

 

[AmandaE]

Jill, I am keeping you and scooter in my thoughts and prayers ....and hoping that in Scooters case the fluid build up is just some weird one off event. My fingers are crossed that the fluid doesn’t show anything serious.

so sorry that you’re going through this

 

[J.J. and Phoebe Squeak]

Thinking of you and Scooter and sending vines and prayers your way.

 

[Jill & Scooter]

Jill, I am keeping you and scooter in my thoughts and prayers ....and hoping that in Scooters case the fluid build up is just some weird one off event. My fingers are crossed that the fluid doesn’t show anything serious.

so sorry that you’re going through this

Thank you Amanda! Very much appreciate the prayers.

 

[Jill & Scooter]

Thinking of you and Scooter and sending vines and prayers your way.

Thank you J.J.!