Louie ~ Kitty with Chylothorax

Louie is a 4-year old LBK (little black cat) with chylothorax -- accumulation of lymph fluid in the chest cavity. His vet believes it is caused by a rupture from trauma to his thoracic duct. He has had to have his chest tapped multiple times over the holidays to keep him alive, but there is a danger of scar tissue developing. And that's no way to live -- getting your chest poked every 3 days.

IMOM.org has accepted Louie's case to help raise the $1100 for the life-saving surgery. His purrrrsons have been able to raise $1992 and just need a little extra help to get the rest.

I have issued a matching challenge in Louie's thread. I will match the next $100 that comes in. Any of you wanna take my money? You can read more about Louie at the link below.

http://www.imom.org/community/index.php?showtopic=9991

Thank you for considering making a donation. Please share Louie's story on your social media sites.
http://www.imom.org/community/index....ttach_id=14405

Info from Louie's Meowmie. He sounds like some a sweet boy.

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Louie is just the sweetest boy too. Every time we go to the hospital, the ER doctors tell me his latest antics of trying to avoid the needle to drain him. He rolls over onto his back and swats at the lines of the catheter, licks the hands of the vet assistance while holding him down, jumps into the box that carried the instruments for testing his blood pressure, nuzzling the doctor while she has the stethoscope out... They love him now just as much as I do. And the hospital has been so great in helping anyway they can, but will not perform the surgery without 100% of the funds upfront.

We are all so determined to fight this with everything we have. At this point it is just a matter of receiving the last of the funds to get him the surgery he so desperately needs. We are racing against time to obtain the funds needed before he can no longer have the draining done as scar tissue is building up.

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Louie Sounds like a wonderful furever friend!

$50 more towards his procedure with all the love the Ratty crew can muster! (Yes, cats and rats CAN get along... usually with a window between them.) ;)

Thank you so much for your donation!!! Update from IMOM this morning:

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Louie has $770 in donations and needs $374 more!

We are getting SO close! Thank you so much Angels! Poor Louie really needs to have this surgery tomorrow - it would be so great if we can get to "All Funds Raised" some time this morning, so Louie's MOM can breathe and so this kitty can get the treatment he needs. Please can you help? Louie's vet is concerned about the scarring from the chest taps - at some point, the scarring will get so bad that surgery will no longer be an option. So we need to get Louie into surgery before another tap is necessary. So, we're racing against the clock. If you're not able to donate, please share and get the word out to more folks.

If you are able to help Louie with a gift of any size, please go to http://tinyurl.com/79og6jd. Please note your donation is for Louie Lyons.

You can also make a direct donation via PayPal by specifying [email protected] as the recipient. Don't forget to include Louie's name.

Huge Thanks!!!

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I'm heading out to the boonies and won't have internet for almost a week. (Yes, there are still places on the planet that aren't connected). So, I won't be able to give updates. Fingers, paws and whiskers crossed that Louie gets his surgery soon.

We wish we could but Sydney ChristiOfurs medical issues and spaying have left us a bit low.
All we can do is to add our prayers for Louie:love::love::love:

I don't work over the holidays, so between no paychecks for 2 weeks and Mac's white coat visit (just a checkup for his thyroid), I am tapped. But I can send up lots of prayers for Louie, does that count?

From imom.org

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Louie is at All Funds Raised! Donations No Longer Needed!

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I'm certain that all the prayers that Louie can get will be helpful! We are rooting for you Lou!

Oh, that's wonderful! Be well, Louie!!!

:love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:

This really got my attention, as My Sweet Lady went to the Bridge through chylothorax. When someone has a chance, will you please explain what the surgery does? No surgery was ever offered to us. My Sweet Lady was being treated with Rutin and presnisolone, and her chest was tapped only once. i found her in the bedroom doorway when I awoke one morning; it appeared as though she'd started to walk out of the room and simply walked out of her body. Her chylothorax was idiopathic. I'd arranged for an MRI, but the doctor at that center called Lady's doctor and said the duct that was leaking probably wouldn't show on the MRI as the duct is transparent. On the combined doctors' advice, I canceled the MRI.

I really would appreciate knowing the details of Louie's case.

Sharon ~ It's so good to see you here and I'm sorry to hear about Lady.

I don't have the details, but I've posted a request for details in Louie's IMOM's thread. Hope to hear from Louie's Mom soon. Sweet Louie is doing well and is back at home in Rhode Island. He continues to improve.

Lisa, thanks for the reply; it's nice to be connected again. Lady passed several years ago; I have to check, but I believe it was Valentine's Day. If Louie is doing well - that is GREAT! I'm hoping that his case is somewhat different from Lady's; I'd hate to think that my vet missed something. Of course, I had taken her to a specialist who also never mentioned surgery.

Sharon ~ Louie's mom posted this information in response to our request.

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I'm so sorry to hear about your friend's kitty. Chylothorax is just a terrible condition and if it's not treated right away, the chances of recovery are so slim. It's just so so sad. Some animals can overcome it by different types of medications and with time while others cannot. They really don't know what the condition is caused by more times than not and it can easily disappear as quickly as it came on. When I was speaking with Louie's regular doctor, she told me that a practitioner might see it maybe 3 times in their career. Little is known about it and treatment options are far and few.

In Louie's case, it was idiopathic. They ruled out every single possible cause that they could test for prior to surgery. That's why I was trying to wait to see if he could recover on his own or if the condition would resolve itself but the fluid just kept coming back. Then it got to a point where scar tissue was building up and he only had a week or so to have the surgery before they wouldn't perform it any longer due to the conditions of his lungs. So Louie ended up having a thoracic duct ligation, pericardectomy and ablation of the cisterna chyli. Having all 3 things completed at once raises the success rate up to 80%. (Rather than doing the more standard and typical surgery for this condition of completing just the thoracic duct ligation which is around a 20% success rate, from what I've been told.)

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In addition, she recommends this website https://www.acvs.org/small-animal/chylothorax

Lisa, my thanks to you for being the 'go between'; please extend my thanks to Louie's mom - and my heartfelt joy that Louie is doing so well. The link to the website was very helpful. The fact that the condition is so rare - well, I guess Lady's doctor hasn't seen it much. When I called to tell him about Lady, he asked if I had still had her body - she'd passed over the weekend - as he wanted to do an autopsy. Once mine have passed, though, I need to bury the body right away, so Lady's body was already buried. I hadn't known that surgery was ever an option; perhaps, if we'd had the MRI done. . . . But I followed both doctors' recommendation; considering that the doctor in the MRI center was turning down what must be a lot of money, it seemed the prudent thing - to follow her recommendation. The MRI had been recommended by the internist. I guess I wish I'd known then what I know now - and I'd have inquired about surgery. Life is full of that, though, isn't it?

Thanks to both of you. It's past, and My Sweet Lady awaits me at the Bridge. :love:

We're please to report that Louie is recovering and back to playing. You can still see the surgery scar on his chest and where they shaved his leg for the IV, but this sweet boy is expected to make a full recovery.
http://www.imom.org/community/upload...46_1340657.jpg

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Louie's been doing really well. Everyday he seems to be improving and feeling better and more like himself again. He is going in for another check up tomorrow to flash his chest to see if any fluid is there and / or if he was able to rid himself of the fluid that was there since surgery. I'll let you all know how we make out!

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Tears here - tears of relief that sweet Louie is well and happy - and tears of sadness: why couldn't this have happened to My Sweet Lady? My consolation is knowing that she's safe and happy and waiting for me. Thank you, Lisa, for sharing the good news; please give my very best to Louie's mom! :love:

I've got me some major LES going on here. So happy Louie is back playing, just like a cat should be! Congratulations, Louie!:love:

That's wonderful news! Congratulations and loving best wishes, Louie!

:love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:

A last update -- and early birthday present for maerlyn-Sharon :D

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Louie got the all clear from the doctors so no more check-ups! The little fluid that was in his chest is still present but looks like it has been decreasing. They won't drain it because it is so minimal and since it hasn't accumulated they are confident his body will absorb it over time. He also gained a half pound since his last visit which was about 6 days. He can eat lower fat to normal food now and once he gets his weight back up they said they will recommend some low fat foods, but for right now they are more interested in him gaining weight back to a normal range. So happy :)

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Thank you, Lisa! It's so good to know that Louie has recovered and is doing so very well. Please tell his mom to be thankful each day for that blessing, for a blessing is what it is. Louie, may you have many more happy and healthy years here!:love: