cat medical drama continued

[rm]

So Little is going to have an ultrasound today and then I'll get to bring her home, with food aimed at controlling her weight/dissolving the stone.

But now there is MORE DRAMA.

The doctor sees a pronounced thickening in her colon and small intestine. He does not see a discrete mass and therefore does not think there is a tumor; however, she might have some sort of lymphatic cancer causing this. He also thinks a likely (perhaps most likely) candidate is that it's some sort of inflamatory bowel disease, which generally responds to treatment.

Depending on what the ultrasound looks like, she may need a biopsy done by endoscopy. If it is lymphatic cancer, it is probably not treatable, but tends to respond well to cortisol shots. If it is the inflammatory bowel disease, that can be treated and she'll be just fine.

He also said it could be any number of other things, but those are all rare and too much of a crapshoot to mention.

We won't know about the ultrasound results until Thursday night.

Right now this is all cheaper than the initial surgery plan, but in the long term if she needs more tests or a biopsy it's hard to know.

She's 13, and I'm not freaking out yet, but this is definitely getting very stressful.

She has lost 1lb since her last visit, but whether that's the result of me exercising her more and trying to control her diet or related to all this medical excitement no one can tell. He asked me a lot about her puking and bowel habits, both of which have always been messy but not alarming, so who knows what to make of any of that(although reading about other people's bouts with cat IBD, Little's behaviors seem to fit that).

Comments

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

Ugh. Fingers crossed.

[rm.livejournal.com]

This is so taxing.

I think, pretty much from what I am hearing, almost anything they find is going to give her a normal indoor cat lifespan. The issue is $$ and comfort for both of us. The possibility of daily shots or medication for her won't be fun.

Right now I have $649 on the books with the doctor which was a credit from last time plus the deposit on the surgery she's not having. Today's discharge bill shouldn't be over about $550 with the ultrasound and her medication for the last two days, so that's good. It's the what happens next that's the question.

[nekosensei.livejournal.com]

My cat had something similar, but it turned out to be Inflammatory Bowel Disease. She lost weight and she had a tendency to throw up after I fed her in the morning. My vet just decided to treat it as if it were IBD. If she responded to treatment, then it was IBD. If she didn't, it was a lymphatic cancer and there was a form of chemotherapy they could give her. She said that she would need to get a pill every day or ever couple of days and that I would have to wear a glove when I gave it to her so that the chemical wasn't absorbed through my skin. Anyhow, they gave her an antibiotic for the IBD and it cleared up. She also gets a laxative called Laxaire for when she does have the occasional problem with nausea. It makes thing easier to pass. This all happened about two years ago or so, and she's still doing fine.

Oh...I also changed her diet around too and that helped a lot. Originally, I was giving her a light cat food because she was overweight. Now, I feed her a sensitive stomach formula.

I hope your kitty cat gets better soon!

[graene.livejournal.com]

12? Wow, I've lost track of time. Anyway, I am sending health beams her way and yours.

[zillah975]

I'm keeping extra good thoughts for your poor wee kitty. *pets her gently*

[d-aulnoy.livejournal.com]

Sympathy in spades for you and the kitty - it's hard as hell when they're sick.

[imaginarycircus.livejournal.com]

Oh, man. I hope it is treatable and not exorbitantly expensive and NOT cancer. D: My cat is my child substitute so I get really anxious when he is sick.

[hyperina.livejournal.com]

Hm, my cat just had some bladder stones removed in August. Slow healing, new diet, she'll need a follow-up ultrasound. Anyway, I just wanted to MOST humbly suggest that if they consider prescribing Metacam, you should politely reconsider if not refuse, and request a narcotic, instead. Apparently the only reason they don't rx the much safer narcotics so much is because some sneaky pets' human guardians consume them, instead. Bah.

Anyway, this site's a bit alarmist, but you can't argue with the FDA findings, and they were pretty dismal for a cats:

http://www.metacamkills.com/

Wishing you the best.

[sykii.livejournal.com]

Thinking of you both.

[nex0s.livejournal.com]

Buster has had his bouts with growths and intestinal weirdness. My fingers are crossed that it's not too bad! Or too expensive :/

N.

[tearsinger.livejournal.com]

We have a cat with IBD, which used to mean cat vomit every day, at least once.

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

Love and prayers to you and Little Kitty.
Health, strength and prosperity to you!

[laurashapiro.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry about your poor cat. It's terrible to have a sick pet, and even more terrible not to know exactly what's wrong.

[gina-r-snape.livejournal.com]

My Faberge had a very slow acting intestinal cancer. She first exhibited bowel problems at the age of 14 and responded to a variety of alternating medications including some kind of chemo, 1/4 tab of pepto bismal, fiber supplements, steroid for her appetite, fluids and change of diet. She was also subject to manuel bowel extraction a few times. Suffice to say, she wound up living an additional 5 years--dying two months shy of her 19th birthday.

So don't give up yet!

[rm.livejournal.com]

Little has a healthy appetite and is very active, so I feel fairly confident that she's going to be with us for a while yet.

[darthhellokitty.livejournal.com]

Whatever she needs, you can do it. We gave daily insulin injections and weekly subcutaneous fluids to our dear elderly diabetic James Cat for several years that were good for him and us. (And that was AFTER irradiating his thyroid.)

From what I've heard, IBD is very treatable. I hope that's what Little has, so you can get through with it.

Offtopic: Got your lovely card! Thanks!

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

I forget Little is so grown up.

Call me if you need someone to rant at, or if there is anything I can do. I wish we had a port between my place and yours, I would come help you with kitty wrangling medication happy fun scratchy hour!

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

*thinking good thoughts for you both* Let me know if there's anything, etc etc.

[iterum.livejournal.com]

A couple of months ago, my cat had to get an ultrasound under similar conditions (especially weight loss) and the perceived thickening seems to have been an illusion on the x-ray. Good luck!

[coriander.livejournal.com]

Thinking good kitty thoughts!

[bodlon.livejournal.com]

Oh, kitty.

Sending the good thoughts.