Cat liver issues

[Traci]

This is why I hesitate to advise and discuss medications when the owner is in a foreign country, plus the vet usually always extrapolates dog or even livestock dosages to cats, which is wrong!

The rilexene dose your vet gave is too high. The cat dosage is 75 mg PER 5 kg, Benny is 5.89 kgs, so his dose should only be 75 mg once a day.

Additionally, the vet should have THREE sizes of these tablets available in his clinic (one for cats and small dogs, the other two for larger dogs), they come in 75, 300 and 600. It is the "75" tablet that you need for Benny. The 75 tablet is to only be given ONCE A DAY (and generally, for a skin condition, no longer than 2 weeks).

So, call your vet and ask him to confirm this, ask for the 75 tablet.

It's possible the 150 mg dose was way too high for Benny and he developed gastric upset. As with any penicillin-type drug, any pet can develop a reaction (although rare), but in higher doses, those reactions are more apt to occur. Call the vet and tell him the dose is too high, and ask for the 75 tablet instead. Remember, give ONE 75 tablet ONLY ONCE A DAY. Tell him Benny got lethargic, and now seems to have runny nose and sneezing - runny nose and sneezing are not typical reactions to this medication, but anything is possible.

Does your NYC vet have associate vets in his clinic you can confer with? This might be better than relying on your Mexican vet for proper doseages. Can you call them and ask?

[christymexico]

wow how terrible for benny
yes i called and he has 75mg
i will go for them today
yes, i called nyc and left a message yday but so far no return call yet..
he is fine now. eating normal, everything good
no more runny nose.
its so frustrating/scary in foreign countries.
our new vet is so nice here and very caring
he is trying his best
i just dont think the schools here are very good.
in any event, i will get him on this asap.
thanks again
christy and benny
a whopping 13.6...im so happy for this..

[christymexico]

hi
sorry i have dropped off..benny is doing fine..well as fine as can be i think
he has gained weight..not his 20 pound original but looks good
he is still on 12 mg prednisolone every other day..ursodial 50mg every morning and denamarin once a day
he is on a dry intestine royal canine diet suplemented with tuna juice
and a steamed chicken breast once a day
my only concern is the muscle wasting in his back legs..he is stronger but has developed arthritis in his back legs and tail...his tail is painful for him..
he jumps on counter for his food
chases the occasional lizzard but mostly lays around..
his poop is somewhat solid these days and eats fine..
i wish it were easier to post a pic...i will try and send one in private...
benny will be 13 years old in march..i found him starving in a tree in nc about 2 months old..hes my sweet trooper..
i do have the cosi1quin but have been hesitant to mess with the delicate balance we have going on..thoughts¡
happy holidays
christy and benny.

[Traci]

Christy, please limit tuna juice to only an occasional use - too much tuna or other fish can cause pansteatitis, and alter vital vitamin and mineral balances. With the liver issues, you do not want to risk using tuna or fish in the diet.

Also, we talked about this before, don't let him chase lizards.

Ask your NYC vet about the rear leg issues, this really needs to be addressed - it could be something easily treatable, but you do NOT want this to progress, so discuss this with the vet ASAP.

[christymexico]

well,he never catches the lizzards
he wont eat the steamed chicken without the tuna juice..but i will try..is there an alternative additive i can add that will enhance his want to eat...
he eats dry but the chicken breast is supplement
as for the legs..i have asked him about this..he said there is a new med for pain for cats with liver..but he didnt know the name of it..just fda approved
i dont have a vet here..so all we can do is email each other in nyc..
thanks
christy

[Traci]

The NYC vet doesn't know the name of the new drug? Or your Mexico vet? The NYC vet should know that.

You could try using a blender, put the chicken in it with a small amount of water, then use that as the enhancer for the dry food. If you're cooking pieces of chicken every day, just put a small piece of it into the blender with a small amount of water to make chicken juice - use the remaining piece of chicken as you normally feed it to him.

If he's eating dry and a normal sufficient amount, it's not necessary to supplement with chicken at all, therefore don't worry so much about how to "enhance" anything.

[christymexico]

ok i will..he seems so be fine..when all this started last jan his tail turned grey..i asked my dr in nyc about this but he didnt seem concerned..the orange and the white is a dull grey color.,,hes pink and healthy everywhere else..
i will try the blender..thanks..this morning i tried without tuna and he turned his nose up to the chicken...he eats enough dry , so i wont worry too much i guess..
his eyes are sensitive to light after all this.
thanks again
christy

[Traci]

How do you know he is sensitive to light? Maybe better get that checked.

Does he hold his tail up when walking, standing etc? Does he groom his tail?

[christymexico]

i checked the eyes with paper strip by vet here in mexico..he just gave me drops for moisture
he holds tail up and i can pet it lightly..he does not groom much below his waist only his genitals..his teeth hurt..that is how we found the liver to begin with with a blood test for cleaning
all of his back leg area and tail he does not like me to touch
mex vet checked said it was arthritis.
other than that he is fine but i have written nyc about pain meds..
i did the blender mix and he loves it.thank you
he is def stable at this point but seems sad. his eyes seem sad..he is still grooming his front half..
christy

[Traci]

Without an xray, you really can't determine for sure if arthritis is present. Was an xray done?

Christy, please discuss these issues with your vet, explain to him your concern about arthritis, how to diagnose it for certain, what concerns you have about Benny's eyes. I'm not sure I understand what you're getting at there.

If the eyes appear sunken (they eyeballs are somewhat set further inside the socket than normal), and/or if they seem glazy, this could be a sign of dehydration (or even natural aging) - it really should be discussed with your vet so you're not missing anything.