Very Sick Maine Coone

[krisg]

Hi there

This email is a cry for help to all cat and animal lovers as Carter, our Cat, is very sick and our vet has run out of ideas – we need help or advice from somewhere!

Carter is a 7-year-old Maine Coone cat, we got him from a rescue home about 5 years ago. He is a lovely cat and a good companion for my partner Kelly and I.

If anyone has any ideas on what we can do, what is causing his illness, or may know someone that may be able to help – please get in touch with me on kris@key-bay.com or call me on 078999 22 506 (UK Mobile). Please keep forwarding this email on, I only need to reach one person who may be able to help.

Carter has always been a little chesty, sometimes wheezes and coughs but nothing too serious. He also has a sensitive stomach, especially with rich foods – it is not uncommon for him to be sick after eating around once a week.

Carter started to lose weight around 6 weeks ago – at first I thought he was eating houseplants and they were making him sick or he had worms. So I removed the houseplants and wormed him. He carried on losing weight. The sickness after eating got worse and then he stopped eating! We took him to our vet and he checked him over – he appeared to be all clear apart from a little rumble on his lung that he would keep a check on. He gave him an anti-biotic injection and something to stimulate his eating and sent him home.

The situation didn’t improve and over the course of 2 weeks Carter was in and out of the vet around 4 times. Without going into too much detail I’ll bullet point the details from the findings of the vet:

- Blood tests show a very high white blood cell count, a second test showed the count as normal. The Vet suggested that the first count was a fluke
- Carter tested negative for leukaemia
- His teeth were checked and there were no signs of an abysses
- Temperature was normal
- A head and neck x-ray showed all clear

However a chest x-ray showed a patch (or cloudiness) on his chest/lungs. The Vet treated him over 10 days with more antibiotics. Still no improvement. Carter was still not eating and was very docile. Another X-ray showed that the patch was a little clearer but still there, a little pleurisy around the lung also. The antibiotics continued.

We also noticed that when Carter was eating he was licking his lips all of the time and looked a little like he was having problems swallowing, he was also favouring the left side of his mouth. We found a sore on his left temple that he had rubbed, we were given steroid cream to treat. The membrane on his left eye was also visible (up) and his eye was closed a little.

It is also worth mentioning that when Carter ate solid food, when he swallowed he made quite a strange cruching/graunching noise – no idea where it came from.

Carter was admitted to the Vet for 4 days 2 weeks ago and a sample was drained from his chest. Under the microscope the Vet said he saw Lymphoma cells along with lots of other cells – however his colleague was unable to confirm this. The sample that the Vet said was very good was sent to the lab for more tests. He told us that is was not good news and that Carter could have a cancerous tumour on his chest that was more than likely inoperable – this was causing all of the problems and was the patch on his chest/lung.

We brought Carter home to spend some precious days with him and the Vet gave us Prednicare tablets to make him comfortable, promote eating and give a chemo effect to the tumour.

The membrane on his eye was now very visible and his eye was closed even more. The Vet told us that the tumour was pressing on the Ganglene nerve in his chest and causing the membrane to pop up and the eye to close. However on closer inspection it appears that the sore on his head was the result of a fight with our other cat and has now nearly healed. The membrane in his eye also has a nick in it (which is healing) – possibly due to the same fight. So we are left wondering about the Ganglene nerve remark!

As I type this Carter is holding his weight around 5kg, he is eating a little – mainly yoghurt, some prawns, baby food and a little cat food. He is very tired but good natured. He is also very weak. We have taken him outside where he sniffs, walks around, stretches, scratches and has a good wash. He is still licking his lips furiously as he eats food and still makes the graunching sound as he swallows solids. When he eats there is a pronounced swallow. It is also worth noting that when he eats from a spoon (we hand-feed him) he dips the left side of his face in it sometimes – perhaps this is because he is week?

The test results came back from the lab yesterday and we were told they were inconclusive. They could not tell if it was Cancer or inflammation, we were told any further tests would get the same result.

The Vet has now told us to play it day-by day – I think he has totally run out of ideas. Meanwhile Carter is still unwell and I cannot sit here and do nothing. I know that his chances are slim and my partner and I have come to terms with this – but we have to explore every possibility. I am hoping the power of the Internet can help out.

I can provide any further detail that you may need and I am sure our Vet can provide the results of any tests if you think you may be able to shed some light on this.

As I said at the top of this mail, if you can help or have any advise please get in touch kris@key-bay.com or 078999 22 506 (UK Mobile). If you can’t help but know someone who may be able to help please forward this email on to them and others.

As we all know the Web is the biggest network of people that can be found and I am just hoping that someone can help.

Many thanks for your time

Kris and Kelly

[jason]

sorry if i missed it, but seems like your cat is indoor/outdoor and you need to keep him indoors, especially now.

seems like your vet has been "hitting and missing" alot given your descriptions of the various tests your cat has endured. i would suggest another vet asap, you can have medical records sent over to another vet without much problem.

"day by day" sounds like very bad advice at this point, maybe im wrong and am not keen to some technical detail here....but your cat is in dire need of medical attention and after an "inconclusive test" (among what appears others) i would be on the phone right now setting up an appointment for today with another vet....be sure to mention specifics about your cats condition to be seen quicker (this is not an annual checkup).

i dont think we can offer anything other than the advice to be seen by a more proactive vet today, dont delay this.

[Auntie Debbie]

I too would suggest a different vet, preferably a specialist if possible. Here is a link to a bunch of links on conditiions that may apply to Carter. Alot of the symptoms you mention may be rolled up in the calcivius link. But please look through them all.

http://consumer.vetmedcenter.com/consum ... +%26+Lungs

I hope something can be done to help Carter and that he will be okay. Please let us know how he is doing, ok?

[ctmorris]

Could be that he is hyperthyroid - my kitty was - don't know if he's been tested for that - but it's a simple blood test - checking his T4 levels.

This causes weight loss, vomitting, lethargy, rapid heart beat, bad coat - etc - just a thought - my kitty is a main coone as well - and a simple tapazol tablet 1/2 am & 1/2 pm is doing him just fine.

He's been gaining weight for the past 6 months - he got down to REALLY skinny before they figured out what his issue was..

Hope this helps - C.