I Need Help Fast, or Encouragement

[Luv my kitty]

My 2 yr. old tabby has been in the vet hospital since last Wed. I wk, 1 day.
She had quit eating and couldn't go to the bathroom.

The vet has been giving her enemas and even manually tried to clean her out. Now he says her bladder isn't working either.
He gave her anti-biotics and has had her on prednisone for a week.

He says when he pinches her tail, she gives no reaction for a few seconds (delayed reaction).
He said he would like to keep her on prednisone for a week and a half to see if that works.
She stills is impacted farther up in her colon and he can't reach it.

He has suggested sending her to university vet hospital for more tests because he thinks she has nerve damage.
I would gladly send her if I had the money. It will cost $1,000 just for the initial work-up, and then he talked like he didn't much think they could help her.

I am going to leave her there another day and see what happens.
I can take her to another vet, but she probably would say the same thing.

It is so hard to know what to do. I am a nervous wreck worrying about it.
I just had my 22 yr. old cat put to sleep a couple of months ago.

I have had this cat since she was 4 weeks old. Found her and her brother abandoned.

This problem could be so many things. We may never know.

Please help me if you can.

[Ash]

Do you know what tests have been done and the results?

If your vet hasn't reached a diagnosis I would certainly bring her to another vet.

[Traci]

Is she an outdoor kitty and/or did she suffer an outdoor accident or a fall, etc from indoors? Do you have a dog who may have attacked her? Were x-rays taken and was full bloodwork done? It sounds like trauma needs to be ruled out as a potential cause to this problem.

If your vet doesn't know how to appropriately diagnose, please get your kitty to a more experienced vet, preferrably a feline-only vet. You may not have to resort to the university visit just yet, a more experienced feline vet may be able to help further.

Concerning is that not only does she seem to have lost bowel function and/or urinary tract fuction, but her nutritional support is crucial as well...if she hasn't eaten sufficiently in the past week, your vet (or a new one) needs to determine if her liver function may be compromised....full bloodwork should be done to monitor the liver and other vital organ functions. The vet should have initiated an appropriate diet, plus a hairball rememdy (Laxatone) to help in aiding the compacted stool to pass...if he hasn't done so, see a new vet immediately and opt for x-rays and bloodwork.

[thyme]

I hope I haven't stepped into a hornet's nest here. A friend of mine had the same problem with her cat. When I read this I asked her what her vet said to use because first her cat had a big problem then her cat didnt'have a problem anymore. She told me and I looked up a source on the Internet. I guess it happens to be herbal. Is that O.K. ? Can one say that here? Her vet thought it was O>K and it was Ok enough to have solved the problem for her cat. that and slippery elm. I guess if anything else can work as well that would be fine too, right?

[Ash]

I'm not a vet but as the original poster describes the situation it sounds more serious to me than just a case of constipation. And as her current vet hasn't been able to reach a diagnose after a week of observation I would advice to see another vet and do/repeat the tests Traci mentioned.

[Traci]

I hope I haven't stepped into a hornet's nest here. A friend of mine had the same problem with her cat. When I read this I asked her what her vet said to use because first her cat had a big problem then her cat didnt'have a problem anymore. She told me and I looked up a source on the Internet. I guess it happens to be herbal. Is that O.K. ? Can one say that here? Her vet thought it was O>K and it was Ok enough to have solved the problem for her cat. that and slippery elm. I guess if anything else can work as well that would be fine too, right?

No. What may appear to work for one cat doesn't mean it is safe, effective or appropriate for someone else's cat. Please remember that. Luv my kitty's cat needs to be properly assessed, diagnosed and treated according to the diagnosed condition. You must understand there are various illnesses and conditions that require individualized treatment, so do not assume that what may have helped another cat is appropriate for someone else's cat. To suggest so is irresponsible and dangerous.

[thyme]

Uhmmm. Question? You say " Luv my kitty's cat needs to be properly assessed, diagnosed and treated according to the diagnosed condition". It looks like she is doing that but she says " The problem could be so many things. We may never know. " So what happens if this cat can't be properly diagnosed, assessed and treated because no one knows what's causing it? What's the next step? Euthanasia?