Trinket update - fpli normal, waiting for urine test results

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Traci and Boomer

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Trink's got a high fever-105. They say it can go up at the vet, but it's still considered high.
They gave her a CBC with an fpli and I'll have the results Tuesday.
They gave her 100cc's of fluids.
Her mouth is perfect - no sores, no gum issues or bad teeth.
Her weight - 8 lbs is perfect - not over or under weight.
Her belly feels fine.
I didn't get a fecal - but I will. (this would cover worms gotten from fleas)

She said Fancy Feast isn't good quality food. Love that...it makes me feel like crap. :? THey offered her A/D which she started eating on her own in front of them. I only bought 4 cans. She's not eating it here. :roll:

She thinks Trink isn't eating because of her fever. Why she has a fever, we do not know yet. She mentioned FIP. The blood test for this was $180. She said I didn't need to do this yet, but it's something to consider.

I am to give her amoxocillan 2x's a day until it's used up. I mixed it with food any syringed it. Is mixing it okay? I thought it would mix in her stomach - so it must be okay, right?

I can also give her a quarter pepcid every PM. Can you remind me which pepcid I should get? Can I get a generic so it won't be as much money?

The vet says this could clear up on it's own - that it could just be a random sickness.

I forgot to mention that I gave her some raw-ish (partly cooked)food a couple weeks ago. Should I have mentioned this? Could she have something from eating raw? Will an antibiotic help this?

Any thoughts or comments are welcome!!!
 
Re: Trinket update - fever of unknown origin

Traci

I am at a loss. FIP, WTH? where would she have gotten that from? None of my cats ever ran a high fever from just being at the vets. I am not sure about mixing antibiotics with food the others can give advice on that. I have always just given directly.
Its not good to know Fancy Feast is not good quality food either as thats what most of us feed here. I am not sure about the raw either I never given mine raw.
I am glad to know her mouth is good, teeth etc, But what is causing that fever?

Terri
 
Re: Trinket update - fever of unknown origin

Traci and Boomer said:
She said Fancy Feast isn't good quality food. Love that...it makes me feel like crap. :? THey offered her A/D which she started eating on her own in front of them. I only bought 4 cans. She's not eating it here. :roll:
I am to give her amoxocillan 2x's a day until it's used up. I mixed it with food any syringed it. Is mixing it okay? I thought it would mix in her stomach - so it must be okay, right?
...
I can also give her a quarter pepcid every PM. Can you remind me which pepcid I should get? Can I get a generic so it won't be as much money?
...
I forgot to mention that I gave her some raw-ish (partly cooked)food a couple weeks ago. Should I have mentioned this? Could she have something from eating raw? Will an antibiotic help this?

Any thoughts or comments are welcome!!!

Fancy Feast is adequate and within budget ... unless the vet wants to pay the food bills! The kitten FF may offer a bit more protein for the buck.

If it was something from raw food, I think you'd have seen it sooner.

Yes, you can mix it with food ... but you may generate a "taste aversion" ie, will no longer eat that food voluntarily. If she'd eat tablets in pill pockets, that can be easier than syringing medicine into her.

Get the plain Pepcid AC, 10 mg, and cut into quarters. If you put it in a syringe with some liquid, it will dissolve easily. If you give the pill bit straight, follow with a couple CCs of water to ensure it doesn't stop in the esophagus. Or see if pill pockets would work. I find I can use half of a pocket around most dose sizes.
 
Re: Trinket update - fever of unknown origin

Megan once had a 103 degree fever at the vet. He was worried enough that he kept her overnight, gave her some fluids, and the next morning early lightly anesthetized her - the fever was gone by then - to get a good look at her teeth (which she wouldn't allow while she was conscious). No illness and no tooth problems. It seems truly to have been due to getting *really* upset about being taken to a new vet. Now she loves that vet, and the fever hasn't recurred on other visits.
 
Re: Trinket update - fever of unknown origin

Hi Ladies-

THanks for your responses!

Terri- I thought FIP was extreme too. The freakin' test was also $180! The vet said the cat's temp can go up a little while at the vet - I guess similar to how BG's can go up? A normal range is 100-103 but she's 105. They took it twice and the second time it was a little higher. She was shaking so she was scared.

I mixed the liquid meds with baby food not cat food-she's easy to syringe so I'll do it this way. I also don't want her to get nauseaus or avoid me because the meds taste so terrible...baby food must taste better than plain liquid. She won't eat a pill pocket-she's still not eating much. She did eat a little turkey. She's acting better now too. More perky.

I'll get the pepcid in a couple minutes. I plan on dissolving it in baby food too. If I mix it in baby food it's like making a flavored medicine, right?

This is precisely why I didn't run to the vet as soon as I saw she was acting weird. They never can just see the cat and diagnose them. In my case that never happens. They seem to have to do the process of illimination. Like - if the blood test is normal, then we'll go to the next step. Luckily since I have insurance and it covers by "incident" I can keep going back and get it covered-unless they charge me for an office visit because the general exam isn't covered.

It seems like she's in a better place right now after the fluids.
 
Re: Trinket update - fever of unknown origin

I'm glad you have insurance on Trinket. I have it (PetPlan) on my three cats, and it has paid for itself many times over. It's a great feeling that you don't need to make medical decisions on the basis of cost.
 
Re: Trinket update - fever of unknown origin

When Oliver was very ill after his vaccines, he was not eating either, and he did eat some of the A/D at the vet office but just a few licks. I also got a couple cans because it's very easy to mush with water and syringe feed if needed. Otherwise, there's nothing wrong with the fancy feast and friskies pates I am feeding.

I hope the meds start working and you can give pepcid BID because once a day does not last long enough. the daily total is 5mg, so cutting the pills in four makes you able to give twice a day.
If you want to crush it and mix it with food, that would be good.

Do you have a thermometer at home for her? Just pick up one with the flexible tips and have it just for her. I have a travel sized jar of vasoline and a thermometer for my two cats.

if she is not eating, try any food at all to see if she will eat.
 
Re: Trinket update - fever of unknown origin

Traci

My poor little Siamese mix used to just shake at the vet too she was so scared. Poor little Trinket I hope she gets better soon. Poor baby.

Terri
 
Re: Trinket update - fever of unknown origin

If her belly feels fine then I wonder why they think FIP. No sneezing or runny eyes or anything like that?
I wouldn't worry about the raw food you fed her-in rare instances it can cause toxoplasmosis. I would think you would see changes not long after her eating that food.
I really hope she is better soon and will be a good eater for you tonight.
 
Re: Trinket update - fever of unknown origin

Jill-

I took a few minutes to look into FIP. There is no "real" test to diagnose FIP. I'm glad I didn't decide to do it! The test just looks to see if there are antibodies in the system and even if there are, that doesn't mean the cat has FIP. Sounds like a hige waste of money to me.

She's not lost weight - she's gained 2 pounds since November! She also doesn't have diarrhea. I remember another vet telling me this in the past when Boomer was sick - it seems they always throw it out there as an option.

She's still not eating. Interested but can't do it. She did eat some deli turkey. I'm continuing to syringe her and it's going well. I gave her the pepcid. She is more herself...she doesn't seem sick like yesterday. Dave reminded me to give her Reiki so I will.
 
Re: Trinket update - fever of unknown origin

what about an appetite stimulant? Maybe something stronger for nausea if the pepcid is not helping enough?
 
Re: Trinket update - fever of unknown origin

Ya know what? An appetite stimulant was never mentioned! I think I actually may have some. I'll take take a peek. I need to go back there tomorrow with the poop sample I finally got so I'll ask them about it.
Thanks for the suggestion!

Update: her poop was formed and not loose! Good sign. I know that the AB's can make poop get runny so I'll put FortiFlora in her food.
 
Re: Trinket update - fever of unknown origin

I am taking a photoshop class today so I'm not home with Trink which is where I feel like I should be. This morning she was acting okay, excited to eat but then didn't. Same thing. I got some AD syringed into her but we had a stuck plunger and it exploded all over her and my clean clothes with her antibiotic in it..so I don't know how much she got of it. It's SO upsetting and maddening at times. I swear. I wanted to cry.
Anyone know where I can buy some new syringes that last? Would CVS of Whole Foods have them? I'm across the street from a CVS right now and get an hour lunch.

I've given her an appetite stimulant dissolved in water and then edded to food and then syringed in along with her AB.

I need to go to the vet tonight to drop off the poop sample - should I have her get more fluids and her temp taken by a tech so I won't get charged for a visit? Would getting her more fluids help the fever?

I am so sad that I'm not home with her. She did eat some turkey this morning when it was offered to her.
 
Re: Trinket update - fever of unknown origin-update & questi

Traci

I don`t know if you can get the syringes to feed at the drugstore, but the vet can give them to you and ask for a few. You might call CVS or stop in and ask them. I always made the vet give them to me, free. I am sorry you are having such a hard time with Trinket and so sorry she is not feeling good. I hope they can get to the root to of the problem soon.
I had to syringe feed Arthur AD as well in December, I would mix with a tiny bit of warm water if that helps at all.

Terri
 
Re: Trinket update - fever of unknown origin-update & questi

I've seen Karrie post that you can water down the food for syringe feeding and push it through a small strainer to get out the large pieces that may get stuck in the syringe. (I'm not sure if you would need to blend it in the blender first, or if you could just strain it after stirring up with water?) I am so sorry you're going through this.
 
Re: Trinket update - fever gone, a little eating

Tonight I hauled her off to the vet again for fluids....she wasn't happy. nailbite_smile She screamed the entire way. Her fever is gone!!! :-D We still gave her fluids just in case. I was charged $17 - the lowest vet bill ever I think. :roll:

Tonight when we came house she lightly touched some of the cat food and ate some turkey without assistance. I'm still going to syringe her the AD, which she will not eat now that we're home! :lol:

I will get her blood test results tomorrow. Paws crossed that all is fine. Thanks for everyone's support here.
 
Re: Trinket update - fever gone, a little eating

Hi Traci,

I'm glad Trinket is feeling a little better. I've been following his progress. I hope they don't find anything in the results & it turns out to be a passing virus. Sorry you're having so much trouble.

Melanie & Racci
 
Re: Trinket update - fever gone, a little eating

Hopefully, it was just a mild virus. You seem to have the same luck as me when it comes to your kitties! It's always something :roll:


Sandy - Dottie, Jeter & Tilly
 
Re: Trinket update - fever gone, a little eating

Traci, I will be thinking about both of you. I am hoping it is nothing. Positive thoughts for everything good to come back tomorrow.

Jenn & Baxter
 
Re: Trinket update - fever gone, a little eating

Is there any chance this is a dental issue? If Trinket cracked a tooth, eating may hurt!
 
Re: Trinket update - fever gone, a little eating

Traci,
I did find some syringes at the pharmacy that I was able to use for syringe feeding, and for food, I had very good luck to water down the vet A/D food. Ordinarily I don't like the vet foods, and neither did my cats, but I had very good luck with Ollie when he was sick; he did lick at some of the A/D and it's very fine so was perfect for syringe feeding. And if the water mix is not liked, what about some drained tuna water into the A/D?

The appetite stimulant is ever couple days, yes?

I wonder if it would be a good idea for you to get a fluids kit from the vet and give fluids at home, just so Trink does not get all stressed with more vet visits.

i hope you get some good news with the test results tomorrow.
 
Re: Trinket update - fever gone, a little eating

This morning Trink was outside my door with Merlin waiting for fuds! Yay.
Did she eat though???? A couple nibbles. Ugh.
Now all my syringes are stuck and even oiling them up doesn't work-gotta get new ones and I forgot to ask last night at the vet of course.
I was able to get her AB's into her at least.
The vet called and all the blood work is normal. :-D
(kidney, liver, thyroid, white and red blood cells - they also did an fplii which is not in yet)
She's not eating the AD like she did at the vet of course.

Maybe she needs new food - but what????

So it's good news except the eating. But she HAS gained 2 pounds since November 1st so she WAS eating at one point!! :lol:
 
Re: Trinket update - doing better, blood looks good

Glad the blood work is good.
Now to dance with food. You are more then welcome to join Baxter & I on the dance floor. I have been to Petco 3 times in the last week..urg..frustrating. I have tried almost every food on the market now.
I hope she will eat some food very soon.
 
Re: Trinket update - doing better, blood looks good

LOL! What a pain in the arse!

WAIT!!!! I thought you were doing raw? What happened?

Trink and Baxter would make a good couple. Have you seen her? She's a blue point long-haired siamese mix. They would make very pretty kitties....if they only could. :lol:
 
Re: Trinket update - doing better, blood looks good

I saw her she is pretty. She looks like my Kacoo GA 2003. Now they would have made some pretty kitties together.. :lol: He was a blue point short hair, apple head.
I was trying to do raw. Then Baxter started to pee blood took him to the vet, possible UTI. A week later he was severely constipated. Took him back to the vet for a manual clean out. So I put him back on canned food for all meals. I wondered if all those problems where cause by the semi raw food. I hadn't got to the point of adding the supplements. I was still using canned food for one meal. My DH blamed all Baxter's problems on the raw food. I have been hesitant to try the food again. I have 2oz molded cups of the semi raw in a ziploc bag in freezer. :sad:
 
Re: Trinket update - doing better, blood looks good

OMG Jenn. Somehow I missed Baxter peeing blood. HS! That must have been terrifying. Did he end up having a UTI? What clears that up - antibiotics? Is he okay now?
Yeah-I thought of the few days that I was doing raw too. BF brought it up too...I wondered if that's what caused this. I didn't tell the vet because I didn't want to get lectured. :roll:
 
Re: Trinket update - doing better, blood looks good

Well, it sounds like Racci is a member of this club too! Right now she's refusing the one favorite food out of the what feels like hundreds that I've tried in the past few weeks! I can't find canned foods that she finds acceptable!

I'm so glad Trinket is feeling better though and the tests were negative. Maybe she's just on a hunger strike too.
 
Re: Trinket update - doing better, blood looks good

wow...glad I got here late and saw the Lil T is doing better!!

celi
 
Re: Trinket update - eating better, fecal was normal

My sweet baby girl is starting to eat! Thank God! I'm still giving her anti-biotics twice a day and we're waiting for the urine culture results and the fpli - should be tomorrow. I am incredibly happy that she's making progress and eating on her own!!! Oooooh....I hear her eating now. Nom, nom. :-D
I didn't have to syringe her today. And it's a good thing....all my syringes are crapping out - they won't slide.

PS - for those who read my visual migraine thread - I had another one today so that's it. I am officially giving up the birth control pills that I'm on (the kind that you only get your period every 3 months) and going back to the regular ones....it's too bad that these damn pills gave me these weird symptoms. nailbite_smile
 
Re: Trinket update - eating better, fecal was normal

Ohh I did not see this thread when you posted it .. I'm so sorry trinket was not feeling good .. I just can't stand it when our kitties are sick! So glad to hear that she is eating again today on her own .. I hope she is on the road to recovery!!
 
Re: Trinket update - fpli normal, waiting for urine test res

Hi Ann-

Thanks for asking! Trink's Fpli was normal - that's the pancreatitis test. I am still waiting for the stinkin' urine test reults....they are taking forever it seems. I would have thought that a urine test would be done faster than a blood test.

She seems okay. She won't just eat when I put the food down like her (now) chubby brother does. I follow her around with the food bowl and sometimes she'll eat. It's seems pretty random but she does poop so I know she's eating something.

She's still on anti-biotics and still playing and seems like herself. Hopefull this is some kind of cat flu that she'll get over soon. nailbite_smile
 
Re: Trinket update - fpli normal, waiting for urine test res

Traci and Boomer said:
Hi Ann-

Thanks for asking! Trink's Fpli was normal - that's the pancreatitis test. I am still waiting for the stinkin' urine test reults....they are taking forever it seems. I would have thought that a urine test would be done faster than a blood test.

Urine culture? Those are incubated for 24-72 hours--if something grows, then it needs to be plated out again to test antibiotic sensitivity.

Most blood tests can be run in anywhere from 5-30 minutes. More specialized testing may take several hours.
 
Re: Trinket update - fpli normal, waiting for urine test res

I'm glad she started eating and pooping. Even if not like normal, its still a good sign.

Melanie & Racci
 
Re: Trinket update - fpli normal, waiting for urine test res

Hi Traci,
it's a big relief to see some good results in numbers and how Trink is acting.
I have a question about the fPLI test; were you given the test result value?
I believe that 0 to 3.5 is negative and 3.5 to 4.0 or something is iffy area.
Shadoe was always in double digits on her attacks, so it was clear her problem, but Ollie was always in that iffy zone, flying under the radar. I always get the feeling that the iffy zone is like having an almost headache.... it's sort of there but not really.


I hope you have continues improvement for Trinket
 
Re: Trinket update - fpli normal, waiting for urine test res

Deanie and Boo (GA) said:
Traci and Boomer said:
Hi Ann-

Thanks for asking! Trink's Fpli was normal - that's the pancreatitis test. I am still waiting for the stinkin' urine test reults....they are taking forever it seems. I would have thought that a urine test would be done faster than a blood test.

Urine culture? Those are incubated for 24-72 hours--if something grows, then it needs to be plated out again to test antibiotic sensitivity.

Most blood tests can be run in anywhere from 5-30 minutes. More specialized testing may take several hours.

Oh! I guess that's what's happening then! Thanks for the info. I hope nothing grows!
 
Re: Trinket update - fpli normal, waiting for urine test res

Gayle Shadoe & Oliver said:
Hi Traci,
it's a big relief to see some good results in numbers and how Trink is acting.
I have a question about the fPLI test; were you given the test result value?
I believe that 0 to 3.5 is negative and 3.5 to 4.0 or something is iffy area.
Shadoe was always in double digits on her attacks, so it was clear her problem, but Ollie was always in that iffy zone, flying under the radar. I always get the feeling that the iffy zone is like having an almost headache.... it's sort of there but not really.


I hope you have continues improvement for Trinket

Nope, I didn't get the results in hand-they called me. I'll ask about it. I'm going in there tomorrow to pick up some AD so I'll ask.
 
Re: Trinket update - fpli normal, waiting for urine test res

First, big hugs Traci! I know you've been dealing with food and tummy issues for a while just like I did. "Frustrating" doesn't quite cut how I felt!

Having seen FIP firsthand with a friend's cat, oh wow. You'd know if it was FIP. I feared FIP with Gadget for a while, but after having seen a real case of it, no, he clearly did not have FIP. He has IBD. FIP is scary. My heart still breaks for the friend of mine that dealt with it. The coronavirus that causes it almost every cat as, so I don't know how they test for it other than drawing fluid from the peritoneal cavity like they did for the friend of mine. And that neon-colored fluid only occurs once they are bad off from what I understand. Anyway, the cat reacts and has FIP or they don't react and are carriers of the virus. That's my understanding.

When I syringed Grey her food with meds, I got a Baby Bullet blender (same company as MicroBullet) which was perfect for blending up one can of food at a time. It was a Godsend for syringing food! I ended up blending the K/D and adding in meds that way. To fix up her meds, depending on what it was, I had a pill crusher and pill spliter, a mirror and razor blade. Yes, friends that came over looked at me sideways over the mirror with white powder on it. :lol: The mirror allowed me to separate the coating on the pepcid after crushing it. That coating would stop up the syringe and cause the same explosions. Basically after crushing the pill I'd empty the powder onto the mirror and then separate out the big pieces of coating. Then I'd quarter it up into 4 doses. I didn't see any difference as far as oxidation of the medication, fresh crushed vs 48 hours crushed seemed to work the same. Know that you cant's add pepcid in with other certain medications, something about it blocks the absorption. I don't know which meds though. I was syringing multiple times a day, so I gave pepcid alone, then hours later gave other meds.

Oh, and it's worth mentioning although you probably already know, you can't feed A/D for a long period of time. I think it's the vitamin A in it. At the same token, Trinket HAS to eat something. I hope you find that "something" very soon!

Jenn & Baxter said:
I was trying to do raw. Then Baxter started to pee blood took him to the vet, possible UTI. A week later he was severely constipated. Took him back to the vet for a manual clean out. So I put him back on canned food for all meals. I wondered if all those problems where cause by the semi raw food. I hadn't got to the point of adding the supplements. I was still using canned food for one meal. My DH blamed all Baxter's problems on the raw food. I have been hesitant to try the food again. I have 2oz molded cups of the semi raw in a ziploc bag in freezer.

So sorry about the UTI and other problems! After starting mine on raw they got a little constipated at first (almost a blessing after all the diarrhea!), so I added Slippery Elm Bark and psyllium. That stopped it. Julie got mildly impacted anal glands once, which I extracted and have had no recurrences even after dropping the SEB and psyllium. I add more water to the food than is directed, it's a habit I developed even when they were on canned since I'm so paranoid about male cats and urinary problems. Anyway, now they are used to the chunked thighs with premix. I wonder if using fresh bone vs. the bone meal in the premix will make any difference. I'm going to follow Dr. Pierson's recipe including leaving out 20-25% of the bones. I'll keep yall updated if you'd like. My grinder should be here this week.

Traci and Boomer said:
Yeah-I thought of the few days that I was doing raw too. BF brought it up too...I wondered if that's what caused this. I didn't tell the vet because I didn't want to get lectured.

What's interesting to me is that she seems to like the deli meat, correct? That makes me wonder several things. First, I wonder what they are putting in the foods now that so many cats (including mine) won't eat canned. Many of us had problems with Fancy Feast a few years ago because of *some* change in it. I also wonder if that change was what was making all three of mine so sick. Second, I wonder if she was full. One of the biggest adjustments I've had to make when feeding raw is they end up eating less food visually. The canned I was throwing out to them was literally at least 4 times as much food. At first they gobbled up the raw and looked at me like, "But mommy, I'm still hungry!" Over time they adjusted, even with me giving them extra food. I truly think they'd starve if I switched them to canned now because their tummies are used to a smaller amount of food. As far as lectures, thankfully I'm known at the vet's office for being good about researching things. I also have no problem when the times comes (shots) of explaiing exactly what I am doing and why. Not to mention, the proof is in the cats: no diarrhea, super slick coats, appropriate weight, they have even more energy than before, and I could go days before cleaning the litter boxes. I DO keep up with the litter boxes, but sometimes it's everything I can do to get out the door, so sometimes the boxes have to wait until that night. Even their urine isn't "sticky" like with lo carb canned food and cleans up easier than when scooping out the box. I'll get off my soapbox about raw now. ;-)

As far as birth control, I went on Depo-Provera for that reason. I have endometriosis and due to a procedure done years ago (very long story), I am NOT to have the "one week off" so to speak. It turned out I have a family history of being a bit batty on estrogen. Worked out in my favor since I only have to worry about BC 4 times a year.

Good luck and keep us updated, maybe between everybody else's reponses we can find a solution.
 
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