ARGH...Muffy's again...

[CynthiaR (Whitewolf)]

He got sick. Now they're keeping him in the hospital. So they're gonna do a blood test and an urine test. A few days, he secretly lost some weights and looked skinny. He has a hard time chewing the cat foods. My family made him some softened foods (no oil, no salt, just plain yucky food) that he can consumed but only a few bites. He drinks water okay, he pooped and urinated in the box okay. He's active well, hyperactive like he's normally does. <sigh> Muffy is dehydrated. Temperature is normal. Luckily for him. He spooked me off so easily by taking him to the vet this morning and letting the professor knows that I cannot attend the class.

Now the bill will be $364 Not again...so they charged the remaining left of $228 from the CareCredit card. I have to pay cash of $136. ARGH! He was sick last year, which charged up the CareCredit of closer to $600. Now again?? He has been sick every since he's a kitten at 6 weeks old when he first came here. Now I have to wait for the results tomorrow.

I can't believe Muffy is angry at me for taking him to the vet. He hissed at me. Vets know, he hisses if he didn't like me taking him to the vet. <sigh> If he is brought home, he's happy and purring at me.. weird. But he gotta know that he needs HELP big time. Cuddle and Mickey are same size chubby fellas.. with no help problem. But only him?? I hope he will NOT end up like what I heard about FIV or anything.

[Traci]

Cynthia, refresh my memory, how old is he?

What was the diagnosis last time? (I seem to remember it was anemia or IHA?) Did the vet voice any suspicions this time? Did she rule out stomatitis or oral problems that could be preventing him from eating?

If the last diagnosis were immune-mediated, your vet needs to refer to Muffy's records and possibly opt for further immunological profiling, to rule out hemobart, toxoplasmosis, FELV/FIV...any of which he could be a carrier and develop the same symptoms of illness under stressful conditions (with the exception of hemobart, this is usually a one-time incident of illness, but he can still remain a carrier).

I hope it's nothing serious, but don't be afraid to ask questions of your vet and if you have to, get a second opinion if your vet can't accurately diagnose.

[CynthiaR (Whitewolf)]

He's 5 1/2 years old now. Right now, the vet is looking in his records to see what went wrong. Maybe his pal didn't figure the diagnosis correctly because he's OLD. So he's looking in his blood test again to see what is the matter. The last time, he had a stomach infection and weak with dizziness. Now, vet is afraid for this time, I haven't heard from the vet yet. He's working on the blood tests for hemobart, toxoplasmosis, FELV/FIV. He said hopefully NOT the FIA (Feline Infectious Anemia) like my beloved Lucky had but Lucky never bite any cats or puppies to spread that disease. He loved them like crazy. He knew that Lucky never have bitten anyone all his life.

Anemia problem belonged to Cuddle's records but he's stronger now and chubby.

Muffy only had URI when he was a kitten 6 1/2 weeks old, unexplained high fever when he was 3 months old, but each year, he has a stomach infection from eating somewhere or licking somewhere..but no chemicals around our homes, they're in the high cabinets where they can't reach. So now, his vet is working on it. He knows it's my daughter's favorite cat and didn't want to see her feeling sad. The oral problem he has have to be delayed until he's healthy first and then they'll work on his teeth on the next visit immediately. I feel like a bad mother.

[Traci]

What is the normal diet you're feeding him? You mentioned that you are giving him soft foods, but if these are people food, it isn't appropriate. Ask your vet for a suitable diet, which should be determined upon the lab results.

If he has diseased teeth, oral ulcers, etc, this could be one reason he is not eating sufficiently and/or a partial cause of the weight loss, but bloodwork should be done NOW to determine if there is any significant findings for organ disfunction, thyroid problems, etc.

[CynthiaR (Whitewolf)]

Normally..Cuddle, Mickey, and Muffy have been eating Whiskas dry food. They rejected all high cost cat foods from the pet shop. So the only food they like are Whiskas since they're kittens.

My aunt thought since it's for the best for a while before I took him to the vet, she cooked the chicken without oil and salt. Just water to boil. And rice added. She also decided to use the DaVet's baby cereal recipe from books which I stored about cats' health records, Davet's recipe, etc. But Muffy has normal brown poops. Vet said it's a good idea of what my aunt did with cooking. Becuz Muffy retains some energy boosts in him, running around and play with other cats than he ever seen in other cats in his care. My aunt told me Muffy refused to eat deli meats and baby food of turkey and chicken. She tried her best but he snuffed them and walked away. So the only choice she did is chicken and rice boiled to very soft. After that, he didn't vomit and was able to keep the food down. She said it's only for temporary like emergency only. She doesn't recommend feeding people foods but to keep Muffy energy and lively, she cooked only a small portion of chicken/rice and davet's formula recipe, until he got to the vet. She got a copy of davet's recipe because it looks good.

That's what the vet said, if there is no problem with his blood, then he will work on his mouth area to get it healthy again. I'm gonna ask him about what diet he needs to eat. I checked Cuddle's mouth this morning, pearl whites..I don't understand. Mickey as well, regular white color.

I'll keep your posted after I get home from vet hospital after college class.

[CynthiaR (Whitewolf)]

Grrr...Okay, he has the same bacterial infection in his stomach. The blood test showed no sign of any hemobart, toxoplasmosis, FELV/FIV, FIA nor does he has organ disfunction, thyroid problems, and stomatitis. He didn't have anemia either. He asked me if there is any plastic bag that he licked. Grrrr! Now why would Muffy lick the plastic bags????? He have to stay in the hospital for one more day..racking up the bill again. <sigh>

He's doing okay, he still has IV in him. He ate the WHOLE can of food and water. I looked high and low for any plastic bags around this apartment. What more and what hidden places should I look for? I looked back and figure that the same plastic bag he licked last year. I have told my kids always put those plastic bags in the tight drawers or throw 'em in the trash. What else is a plastic beside the plastic bag? He said Muffy can go ahead and eat his favorite Whiskas becuz he ate the WHOLE cans already.

List of taking away or throwing away: ribbons, balloons, plastic bags..(haven't have balloons and ribbons in our home for long time), small tiny pieces of plastic toys..plastic tags that came off the plastic bags must be noted..too long a list. what else is there? I'm getting dizzy and migraine because he have to stay in the hospital one more night for observation. He brushed against the door and meowed at me to take him home, I told him he have to wait. He kept meowing and brushed against the door. I stayed for an hour after I came over there from college and before closing hours. What else should I KNOW before he comes home?

[Traci]

Cynthia, how did your vet determine a stomach infection? Did he say anything about a possible obstruction?

As for the plastic, I don't know how your vet came to that conclusion, unless you specifically noticed he chewed on them recently and he feels Muffy ate small pieces of them (which could eventually build up as an obstruction, or even mingle with a hairball, thereby causing obstruction as well). Sometimes it is the ink on plastic bags that cats are attracted to....most often it is simply the texture and "crinkly" sound it makes when they chew it.

As for other items in your home.....think of it as kitty-proofing just as you would a small toddler, you know the things your children could have put in their mouths when they were babies, your kitties are the same...you have to keep many objects put away and out of harm's way. I would also ask your children to help, and to be sure the toys/smaller objects in their rooms are kitty-proof. Also ask them never to give your kitty's any taste of what they're eating, snacks, people food, etc....many are harmful to pets.

Is there any way he could have eaten raw meat or raw eggs, or gotten into the trash? Other things to rule out would be cleaning chemicals, human medications, things your kids may have innocently given him.

Without knowing how your vet diagnosed a stomach/GI infection, it's hard to advise how to proceed from here. Was an x-ray taken? Was a fecal exam done?

[CynthiaR (Whitewolf)]

Vet gave him both an x-ray and ultrasound tests to check out any infections and there is no obstruction that I asked him about it. Like you said "ink" on the plastic bag he was licking like crazy sometimes IF I'm not around, my kids would scream for me to get there and is chewing softly like kitten would do but never torn the pieces off. Vet said there is so many chemicals on every plastic bag that smells and tastes sweet to felines. I just smelled it.. now I understand why they smells like almost like cookies or sweet foods thought we don't buy cookies for a few days. (I bake 'em) Now I have to make sure none of any plastic bags or pieces (tabs that came from the plastic bags the ones that bag persons put on the hooks before putting items in them plus other small plastic that is either wrap kind or something) are around in this apartment. And yep, fecal exam..nothing..just some his furs on it. No worms, soft but firm brown stools he said. He'll have to give him medications for infection, Laxatone, and some other medications. I think they'll be different kind of medications than the ones he used.

We never give him raw foods. I have to put him in the bedroom while mopping the floor because of his habits of walking on wet surface. Cuddle and Mickey are aware of wet floors so they waited until I tell them to go on when it's dried already. He told me to make sure it's COMPLETELY dried before letting him in the kitchen and restroom. He thinks I might miss the wet spots that we can not see but felines can see well.

Kids are too old to fool around with the medications. As for trash, none of them ever try to go in the trash since I taught them from the time they're kittens. Now I have to baby-proof all over again...just a minor needs of putting the baby-proofing concepts on. Drapes are re-checked to see if there is any torn thread or lints. The latches on the cabinets got replaced today. I'm sure if he managed to open it somehow and got into the old cabinets that were never used. Because I put all the chemicals on the top shelves above the sink area where they can not reach unless if they can put the ladder. I get freaked out. Cuddle and Mickey are well aware of surrounding but Muffy..I don't know what is going on with him. My daughter spends a lot of time with him because it's her favorite cat since she was 6 years old, now she's 11 1/2.

I just got my own break from cleaning and fixing around this apartment before he'll come home.

I need to get some rest after a bit more cleaning and heading off to sleep to wake up tomorrow morning. I just hope and pray they will give me reduced costs... <sigh> I'll gonna have to think some more of around here before bringing him home safely and secured.

[CynthiaR (WW)]

Okay, finished cleaning and now it's soo secured. I'll keep you posted.

Cynthia

[CynthiaR (Whitewolf)]

Finally got him home. He was given two different medications instead of three. One is the same one that Lucky used in the past years: Delta Albaplex and other is Lixotonic. Must be given twice a day. <sigh> No dry food and only canned food he can eat for a while. Whiskas canned foods cost more than dry food. Any alternate foods?? Or just those canned foods? wet the dry food to soften? Muffy is looking outside of the window now. He loves looking out and he's happy he's home. But he got puzzled why everything is SO clean and secured. And meow? I told him his best friend's in school. My aunt is picking him up to stay there for a while.

I tried to keep Cuddle away from Muffy. Cuddle keeps on sniffing him. The bill racked up 556 dollars minus 228 and I paid extra today. UGH! Next week will be taken him back to the vet again for re-examination. I wish I get a free re-exam.