MA from the cat site referred me here. I'm in desperate need of ideas -- suggestions. Here's the story.
My mother took in a very young stray in December. She had both eyes, but one was milky white. Mom provided routine vet kitten care, and started antibiotic treatment for the eye. Basically the eyeball is rotting and draining out, and she's been under vet treatment.
I took this female kitten into my home in May. She is now about 7-8 months old. She was spayed in early June. She weighs about 6 pounds. She's been a healthy eater, active, friendly, sassy, and beautiful looking.
I'm going to tell the story backwards now. Last night when I got dinner ready for my (4) cats, Penny didn't come to the kitchen. She was asleep in her nesting bed. I went to wake her up for her dinner and she was really limp. I took her some canned food, and she turned it away. I tried to entice her with a couple of treats and she turned those away. When I went to bed that night, i took her to my room with me. She laid on the bed and didn't move. I noted that her good eye, didn't seem right. Basically the third lid remained partially closed. Suddenly, I felt as if she had urinated, and then smelled an odor (I thought she passed gas or had a loose stool.) I turned on the light so I could see what happened, and there was no waste whatsoever. What I did find was a parasite worm, I believe it was a roundworm, exiting her anus. I removed it with a tissue. It was about 1/2 inch long. I then realized that perhaps she was sick with the worms. When I looked back over her behavior since Thursday, it made sense. On Thursday, she vomited 2 times in a row after her morning meal. I didn't have time to take care of it as I had to go to college. My roommate took care of it for me, so I didn't get a look at what she vomited. She was fine when I got home 2 hours later. Friday night, she started sneezing. She sneezed so often that it kept me awake. She climbed into bed with me which she has never done before. She was dusty, so I thought she'd been in the basement and was sneezing from the dust. Saturday morning, she took in her breakfast as normal, and spent the morning romping around the living room. She didn't sneeze once. She laid down for her mid-morning nap, and she didn't get back up. It's hot here, and all the cats have slowed down from the heat. So I wasn't overly concerned, until I tried to feed her dinner that night.
Last night, the night I found the worm, I decided to take her to the ER Vet.
Penny had a temp of 107.2. They immediately iced her down and her temp dropped to 103. Here are the vet's notes.
Temp: 107.2 P: 200 R: 45 CRT: 1 (could be \) MM: Pink WT: 8.5 (counting carrier)
1. TPR: Hyperthermic, tachycardic
2. Appearance: QAR, recumbent, BCS 4/9
3. Heart/lungs: WNL
4. Ab. Palp: Tucked abdomen, fluid filled small intestines, perineal staining
5. Eyes, ears, nose: Discharge (Purvlent) R eye in empty socket.
Tentative DX: heavy parasite load, systemic infection, viral, ope ... *I can't make sense of the last entry.*
Treatment:
PE
IV Fluids: 32ml/hr LRs
Ketofen: 8mg IV PRN
Cefazolin: 85mg IV qbh
Fecal Exam: (my notes: Penny did not provide a fecal. They swabbed the anus and rectum, but test was negative.)
Droncit: 1/2 tab PO once
CBC: WBC (24x10 to 3rd power) Next (?) (21x10 3rd power)
CHEM: WNL
I brought her home today with instructions for vet visit tomorrow.
Penny ate about 3 tbsp of feline a/d canned. She's urinated several times, but has not produced any bowel movement. Earlier this evening, her head felt heated, so I wrapped an ice pack in a towel and placed it in her nesting bed. She laid her head on it. She doesn't move, she doesn't respond to touch, no purring, nothing.
Something new in just the last hour or so is a weezing sound on expiration. I'm afraind that what I'm hearing is a "death rattle," of sorts. It certainly doesn't sound good. I am beginning to believe that she isn't going to make it through the night. If she does, however, I would like very much to go to my vet tomorrow armed with ideas.
NEED ADVICE -- URGENT -- URGENT -- URGENT
Re: NEED ADVICE -- URGENT -- URGENT -- URGENT
Joyce,
Don't wait for tomorrow, don't know if you'll check this post tonite yet, but I would suggest getting her back to the ER for monitoring overnight. The fever could be persistent, despite the treatment already given. Antibiotics can take time to combat an infection, and if it has elevated since she was brought home, it may not respond. In this case, I would opt for an injection of dipyrone or similar to reduce the fever immediately. More fluids, or even an IV may be necessary at this point (if you dont have a rectal thermometer and can't take her temp at home, you truly have no idea how high or dangerously high her temp may be. If it's dangerously high and you don't know it, this could put her back into shock state).
Unless you saved the worm, don't know if roundworm is the partial problem, sounds more like tapeworm, given your description, and your vet treated AS IF tapeworm. I would also rule out hookworms as well.
Was she tested for heartworm at all, or FELV/FIV? Also, were x-rays taken of her chest and abdomen to try to find the source of inflammation or fluid or infection? The CBC would have shown some sort of infection, but determining the source remains to be seen. I would be seriously concerned with peritonitis, whether that be systemically or related to FIP. Other rule-outs might include congenital heart disease (as in congestive heart failure) or bacterial overload, pleural effusion, lung disease, fungal disease, heartworm, etc. You might also take a quick run through your home (especially in the basement) and check for any tell-tale signs of rodenticide poisoning (mouse/rat bait), fertilizers, plants, chemicals, solvents, lyme, anything that she could have gotten into, spilled or was covered with (hence the dust you were talking about)
I'm confused about the right eye....was an enucleation actually done at the time of the initial severe infection? (removal of the orbit) ...your vet's notes indicate empty socket which would tell me enucleation was performed, however, why is the socket draining and necrotic? Is there also a sinus problem going on, or infection in the other eye, nasal cavities? Why has treatment ensued since December, was there ever a complete diagnosis on the infection? (viral vs fungal or immunological) ...perhaps this ongoing infection has spread internally and is causing multiple problems, such as peritonitis, but, need to rule out above mentioned potentials as well.
My best guesses at this point might include: GI enteritis, severe bacterial overload, congestive heart failure, lung infection, heartworm, FIP or fungal infection. Your vet may yet want to perform cytology on any discharge and/or serology to rule out fungal or viral infectious agents. I wouldn't worry about her not having a bowel movement at this point, as it doesn't sound like she's eaten much to actually produce. The fluids given should help that, and if she increases her appetite, this will help as well in another day or two.
Wish I could think of more, please post an update when you've spoken to your vet......I strongly suggest getting her back to ER tonite, immediately for monitorization and additional treatment if necessary, trust your instincts, if she has a 'rattle' in her lungs or chest cavity, you can't risk that, time is of the essence.
Don't wait for tomorrow, don't know if you'll check this post tonite yet, but I would suggest getting her back to the ER for monitoring overnight. The fever could be persistent, despite the treatment already given. Antibiotics can take time to combat an infection, and if it has elevated since she was brought home, it may not respond. In this case, I would opt for an injection of dipyrone or similar to reduce the fever immediately. More fluids, or even an IV may be necessary at this point (if you dont have a rectal thermometer and can't take her temp at home, you truly have no idea how high or dangerously high her temp may be. If it's dangerously high and you don't know it, this could put her back into shock state).
Unless you saved the worm, don't know if roundworm is the partial problem, sounds more like tapeworm, given your description, and your vet treated AS IF tapeworm. I would also rule out hookworms as well.
Was she tested for heartworm at all, or FELV/FIV? Also, were x-rays taken of her chest and abdomen to try to find the source of inflammation or fluid or infection? The CBC would have shown some sort of infection, but determining the source remains to be seen. I would be seriously concerned with peritonitis, whether that be systemically or related to FIP. Other rule-outs might include congenital heart disease (as in congestive heart failure) or bacterial overload, pleural effusion, lung disease, fungal disease, heartworm, etc. You might also take a quick run through your home (especially in the basement) and check for any tell-tale signs of rodenticide poisoning (mouse/rat bait), fertilizers, plants, chemicals, solvents, lyme, anything that she could have gotten into, spilled or was covered with (hence the dust you were talking about)
I'm confused about the right eye....was an enucleation actually done at the time of the initial severe infection? (removal of the orbit) ...your vet's notes indicate empty socket which would tell me enucleation was performed, however, why is the socket draining and necrotic? Is there also a sinus problem going on, or infection in the other eye, nasal cavities? Why has treatment ensued since December, was there ever a complete diagnosis on the infection? (viral vs fungal or immunological) ...perhaps this ongoing infection has spread internally and is causing multiple problems, such as peritonitis, but, need to rule out above mentioned potentials as well.
My best guesses at this point might include: GI enteritis, severe bacterial overload, congestive heart failure, lung infection, heartworm, FIP or fungal infection. Your vet may yet want to perform cytology on any discharge and/or serology to rule out fungal or viral infectious agents. I wouldn't worry about her not having a bowel movement at this point, as it doesn't sound like she's eaten much to actually produce. The fluids given should help that, and if she increases her appetite, this will help as well in another day or two.
Wish I could think of more, please post an update when you've spoken to your vet......I strongly suggest getting her back to ER tonite, immediately for monitorization and additional treatment if necessary, trust your instincts, if she has a 'rattle' in her lungs or chest cavity, you can't risk that, time is of the essence.
..........Traci