Rocky&ClaireCat
Member Since 2018
Hi everyone! We are new to this board as of a few days ago. I have posted a few threads in the ProZinc thread, but thought I'd post an intro here. Rocky is a domestic short-hair tuxedo cat, age 10 yr 5 months, 1 week. (Born 3/1/08). I adopted him 1/21/17 after his owner died in Dec 2016. He was in a hoarding house with 16 cats and a dog, all of whom went to the shelter. He had diarrhea from day one that he came to my house and we literally tried everything for this cat. Ultrasound and blood work were perfect. Diarrhea continued until I started home-cooking chicken for him (boiled chicken breasts) and feeding Applaws brand chicken/rice/broth. But things still weren't quite right. He had tapeworms and bartonella, both of which he was treated for in July/August 2017. He was negative for the bartonella on the follow up test in November, but the other cat I adopted the same week was still high positive and continued treatment for 6 months. Rocky started to gain weight from the rounds of steroids for the diarrhea, and was hungry all the time. Fast-forward to this spring, when there were a few bouts of vomiting, as well, and some uncontrolled diarrhea (wherever he was sleeping). Blood work was perfect. He was about 23 lbs, though. In July, we started him on prednisolone again after other things didn't work for the diarrhea (tried a powder in the food - didn't work; tried treating for parasites - didn't matter). He seemed fine, except that on July 30 and 31, he started drinking a lot. On Aug. 1, he started vomiting. He threw up more than I've ever seen in the afternoon, and then a small amount of fluids in the early evening, and then dry heaves an hour later. I took him to the emergency hospital and they checked him right away. WBC was high, glucose was high, and he had a fever in the upper 103's. They treated with cerenia, bup, and subQ fluids. Said to follow-up with vet. I called the vet the next morning and they said to bring him on Friday unless he worsened. He was lethargic and not eating or drinking. I gave him food and water with a syringe. He saw the vet Friday morning and she said he needed to be hospitalized for an IV at least. I took him back to the same hospital and they started an IV and suggested an ultrasound because of his chronic GI issues. Ultrasound showed thickening in the duodenum, mottled mesentery, and pancreatitis. They did an aspirate biopsy and it looked like lymphoma. However, the pathology report came back on Saturday and it was reactive lymphatic hyperplasia. The vet said it might be cancer, though, and suggested a surgical biopsy once he's better from the pancreatitis. His spec fPL also came back on Sat. (that my vet had done on Friday morning) and that was 15.3. I brought him home and started ProZinc at home, every 12 hours. I asked the vet about home testing for glucose and she said she thought the diabetes was temporary, but that I could order a monitor, so I ordered an AlphaTrak2. Meanwhile, he was sleeping a lot, getting cerenia, pepcid, etc. On Monday morning, he looked pretty good, but started to look awful by afternoon and his third eyelids became prominent. I called the vet and took him right in. They gave him SubQ fluids and a 72-hour long-acting bup shot. Said to continue cerenia and pepcid. They also sent me home with SubQ fluids to give him at home for a few days. Fast-forward to today - Sunday --- and he's way better. I'd almost say he's back to normal. He's running, jumping, feisty when it's time for pills or checking BG with the lancet, and grooming himself. He's also pooping normally now. That started a week ago Sunday. (He hadn't pooped since the Wednesday he was vomiting like crazy, 4 days before that.) He is seeing the specialist at a really good vet hospital in the morning on August 13. (internist) I am hoping we will get a plan to manage the diabetes (even if it's temporary), figure out if the pancreatitis is lessening (seems to be), and figure out the mottling of the intestines and what that means. This poor cat has been through so much at this point. He seems happy, though, and you wouldn't know he was sick at this point. I should mention that his weight has dropped in the past 10 days while he's been sick, and he's now down to 20 lb 9.5 oz (as of Sat. morning).
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yet! 