16 y/o in remission 3 months, great numbers, losing weight, bad vet visit

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Thtathy

Thtathy

Member Since 2017
Hi - Stacy & Jazzy here. Jazz (adopted her 1/21/17) has been auto/feeder free-feeding on Young Again Zero Carb since early Feb and in remission since midFeb. Steady numbers, no fluctation in periodic testing. Loose stools and occ diarrhea but told it is normal with Zero Carb food. Lately she drinks water all the time and eats all the time (that part is consistent) but she lost a lb and seems sliiiightly sluggish. Took her to new Feline-only vet 7/20, annoyed with experience and do not have numbers in hand but 7/21 anothr Dr in the clinic called an said thyroid normal, kidney values 'that of a kitten which is a concern,' liver function normal. Her 3 day 'spectrum test' showed her bs as holding very steady. Says bowel seems hard and she's a little dehydrated; I have been giving her 100cc fluid with vitamin B in port 2x week since. Could be IBS, or some other things I cannot recall from the rather heartless blathering, would cost thousands more on top of the $465 ($39 for mandatory blood pressure test with a cuff that actually MADE her freaked out).

She's basically herself but a little lethargic and drinks more water (during day mostly). I love her so much and she is a delight and want her to be with us longer but...lack of funds and her age and condition are breaking my heart. Anyone with similar issues or advice appreciated. You all are the best.

Thanks!
Stacy
 
Yes, it is hard to make the decision for what to do when funds are limited and one does not a fully well cat.
For me if a lot of money is required with not much hope of a cure I have not pursued a cure.
 
I sympathize as well. If Jazzy is not eating much, then maybe a hunger stimulant could help. Mirtazipine. For Leo, that didn't work and Prednisolone did help. Both of those drugs are in pill form and fairly inexpensive. The issue with Jazzy is her age, and then the lack of funds.

As my Dad's cats got older (years ag0), he was in the same boat. Cats would get issues, but he didn't have the money. His solution was to make them happy on their remaining days/months. One cat just liked to eat the cat gravy in the canned food. Really, I thought his overall approach was pretty humane. He really loved his cats.
 
Can you post a copy of her labs? Call the receptionist and ask her to email them to you.
 
Possibly a malabsorption problem related to IBD. Is Young Again the only food you are feeding? Maybe adding a low carb canned food would help. My kitty always drank a lot of water when he was only eating dry food. Since he only eats canned food supplemented with water and his diabetes went to remission he never goes to the water bowl at all now.
 
Hi All, Thanks so much for your support. Jazzy is eating...like a champ...sorry for being unclear, but lost some weight and has been drinking more water and pooping a lot and gassy. Finally a different vet from the practice called and was much more helpful. I suspected IBD and thirst from YA coupled with possible exposure to something from the 1/2 Primal Nugget bar 2x a day....as does vet ...sI started exactly what Lillie mentioned yesterday, adding powdered potassium supplement and Fortiflora. Blood work came back inconclusive so they are retesting for free. Kinder Dr suggests an ultrasound on her bowels but for the next week I am going to watch her numbers and habits. FF classic 2x a day and YA in the feeder is the plan now.

I am getting her numbers and will post.

Best,
Stacy
 
Best of luck to you with your Jazzy. Dealing with weight loss in cats can be so frustrating. I hope the added FF classic food helps.
 
Hi - If you can believe it, I still don't have her labs or the retest back; it's making my blood boil but they sort of have me hostage. I am really struggling with this new vet clinic. One thing they mentioned was abnormalities with her red blood cells and possible presence of Heinz bodies. From what I can find, that usually indicates that the cat has eaten something toxic, like onions. Believe me, I have had cats my entire life and am well aware of toxins, poisonous plants etc. I am wondering if something in YA could cause this...it's the only thing she ate for 6 months straight. Any other Moms experience Heinz bodies?
 
I don't know what YA is, but assume it's a cat food brand? Sorry I don't have experience with Heinz bodies. The blood results should help with the diagnosis. They should only take 2-3 days max.
 
Young Again Zero Mature...dry food specifically for sugar cats...it got Jazzy into remission but causes bowel irritation in some cats. S/w vet yesterday. She believes that the Heinz bodies are from the diabetes...so with Jazzy still in remission although I have gone to canned FF supplemented with YA...Dr did not see an increase in Heinz bodies and thinks they are leftover 'unstable red cells' from the diabetes. She says that they should go away in time. Thinks Jazzy's hard-ish bowels are from the irritation, I am watching her elimination habits. Her coat and eyes are really good, she's her nutty self. Quality over quantity is the goal, they want me to clean her teeth and do some extractions so I am researching affordable options.
 
Sounds like a good health checkup in general. Our kittehs are on FF classics - real good for cats. They like chicken the best.

Dental work in cats seems expensive to me. Little Dude just had another $500 of dental work, including removal of 2 more teeth. Expensive. The anesthesia is an expensive component.
 
Thanks JeffJ and everyone on this thread and on the forum in general. Smart, caring, dedicated people helping others out of genuine kindness...I wish we could bottle this... :)
 
Heinz body is a firm of anemia. Have you fed any food that contains garlic or onion? I'm feeding my kittens Primal and if anything their stool is on tge hard side likely from the bone in the food. What is meant by kidney values like a kitten? Can you post the labs, especially creatinine, BUN, red blood count, HCT?
 
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