My mom's cat - Shydey (a/k/a Shiney)

[Catty1]

Shiney is about 13 years old. He is the surviving one of a pair of Lilac Point kitties that my sister had. She died in 2006 and Pyka, the one cat, was sadly euthanised due to cancer just over a year later. :(

Shiney went to the vet today as he became lethargic and quiet yesterday afternoon. He hadn't eaten or drank much, and hadn't used his litter box - or any other part of the house.

Today he had a urine sample taken and two blood panels. He got sub-q fluids and a vitamin B shot. Results will be in tomorrow.

When Mom got Shiney home she fed him and he just gobbled the food right up. He's sleeping right now.

Would sure appreciate some good thoughts and prayers that whatever Shiney has is very treatable.

Thanks!:love:

[Freedom]

So, he didn't eat, he went to the vet, he came home and ate? Oh yeah that sounds about right for a "C - A - T" just drive the humans crazy!

Seriously, prayers from RI that all is well and if anything shows up it is easily treatable. Since he had sub q fluids, that means he was dehydrated, wonder why? But once they get like that, they feel so icky they won't eat.

Do let us know what the results of the testing are!

[Queen of Poop]

Prayers that he's just fine.

[Karen]

Prayers on the way!

[phesina]

Prayers for dear Shiney that all is well or will be well soon.

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

[katladyd]

Prayers that the fluids and vitamins put dear Shiney right.:love:

[Catty1]

This is beginning to feel like the story of Randi's poor Fister.

The blood and urine work was all fine! :confused: The only remote possibility the vet could think of was the pancreas. She said that the test for pancreatitis gives inconclusive results and that we here in Canada have to send to the southern USA for it to be done.

She did suggest that Mom could stop by and get some painkillers for Shiney...except that he seems to be in no pain. I'll suggest she try that...maybe there's an inflammation in his mouth somewhere?

He still isn't really eating or drinking...but mom found an old feeding syringe she used for Pyka many years ago. She made a kitty burrito out of Shiney with a towel and gave him about 2 tsp of water. She will give him more before bed time.

I hope he is just 'off' for some reason and will bounce back soon! Weird. Thanks for all the prayers and good thoughts - keep them coming. :love::love:

ETA: Mom phone later tonight. She is taking Shiney in 1st thing tomorrow morning for another sub-q. She will ask the vet whether she thinks an x-ray is ok. Shiney has been prone to throwing up in the past - several times a week - but Mom found a food he could keep down. The vet palpated Shiney's abdomen and felt nothing.

Shiney threw up the small amount of tuna juice he had lapped up earlier this evening.

Mom and I are both very very worried. Has something in his body decided it is time to die?:(

It's so very worrisome and frustrating when there is no apparent reason. :(

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so sorry to hear this.:( Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are going out to Shiney. Please take care. (((HUGS)))

[phesina]

More prayers and good wishes and love are being sent for Shiney and Mom and you, Candace.

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

[pomtzu]

Prayers for Shiney coming from us here in Delaware. It's so difficult when they are sick, but the problem can't be pinpointed.
{{{Hugs}}} to Shiney, your Mom, and you too, Candace.

[Catty1]

Thanks again. I talked to my mom this morning - she is waiting for the vet to call her back. She did get up in the middle of the night and warm up some cat food for Shiney. He ate about 2 teaspoons (he is a small cat) but threw it up again. This seems a bit more sinister than just needing an appetite suppressant. :(

Shiney is getting a pain med injection and getting rehydrated. This is a different vet this morning...maybe she will feel something the other didn't? Although Shiney used his litter box twice after the first visit.

Hoping for news/improvement. Still praying. I kept waking up last night.

PT prayers are amazing. Thank you again for sending them and good thoughts.

[Catty1]

Just before 11 am here - I phoned Mom as soon as I got in from the waking group.

She had just returned. The vet palpated him again and said there is food in his intestine. Shiney was re-hydrated and given some pain medication. Mom has some liquid pain med to give him.

Right now he is perky and walking around. Overnight he opened a cupboard door that he has figured out, which shows some liveliness.

The vet also said that hey may just be coming to the end of his natural life span. She also thought that testing for pancreatitis wasn't indicated right now...as I mentioned earlier it not only can be inconclusive, but the sample has to be sent to the southern USA and would take 10 days to come back.

So hopefully the pain meds will allow him to eat and keep food down, and he may turn around.

Thank you for the prayers.:love:

[krazyaboutkatz]

I just wanted to mention that my RB Storm began vomiting up his food and water too. I had to take him to my vet a few times before one of the vets diagnosed him with small intestinal disease. He was also low in some other mineral/vitamin so I also had to give him some supplements for a while. He was put on prednisolone and he was able to reduce his dose to 1/2 a pill a day. This did the trick and without it he would've had a much shorter life. It also helped his appetite too. I hope that Shiney will start feeling better soon.

[Laura's Babies]

Prayers for Shiney from the deep south. I know him being your sister baby makes his so much more special to all of you. I will send up some special prayers for him.

[Catty1]

Thank you all again. Came home from a job this afternoon to a message from my mom. Shiney ate all the food she put down for him - it wasn't a lot, but he did eat it all. He still is shy and won't come to her for cuddles, but he still is perkier.

The vet did say he had a small bladder. How is small intestinal disease diagnosed? Or perhaps a small dose of pred would help him in any case.

The vet also didn't want to mix an appetite stimulant with pain meds as Shiney could act rather wacky on that combo.

A bit of relief here, but still crossing fingers!

[phesina]

I'm glad Shiney seems to be doing a little better.

Continuing prayers.

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

[Catty1]

Thanks Pat.

[krazyaboutkatz]

The vet who diagnosed my RB Storm was able to feel that his intestinal tract was inflammed. My vet also looked more thoroughly at his blood work and she found that he was low in folic acid so I had to give him some supplements for 6 weeks. I also ended up giving him a 1/2 of a pill of regular strength pepcid every night too and his pred was given in the morning.

[Catty1]

Good update:

Mom says Shiney is still not quite himself, but he is under his favourite blue blanket on the couch and when Mom puts her hand under there he rubs his head against her hand and purrs! :)

He is also playing!

The vet called and said if he continues to do well they'll extend his prescription of painkillers. It's not metacam - it's buprenorphine, an opiod agonist: http://www.vetinfo.com/buprenorphine-for-cats.html

Maybe he has some arthritis that was really bothering him. Who knows?

I am just glad he is returning to his normal self. Mom says the amount of liquid med is so small that it's easy to medicate him.:)

[phesina]

What good news!

Continuing prayers and good wishes and love. Be well, Shiney!

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

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm glad that he's starting to improve. I hope he'll continue to do well.:)

[Catty1]

Day before yesterday - Mom said Shiney is completely back to normal! The meds constipate him though, so he is also getting a bit of lactulose.

He's got another week on the pain meds; the vet wants to see if they got him through whatever was going on.

I still suspect a digestive inflammation of some kind...he has had a tendency to throw up regularly but not every day.

Glad he is still himself though.

Will keep you posted. Thank you SO much for all the good thoughts and prayers!:):love:

[phesina]

Sounds good, Candace! Here's hoping and praying for a good vet report.

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

[Catty1]

I got to see Shiney in purrson today. He runs from Mom a lot because she is the mean kitty burrito creator who gives him his meds. He was fine with me...he even flopped' for a belly rub, but I think he is still not quite himself. Likely he is spooked by the meds - and as the pain med is an opiate agonist, it might be changing his thoughts or moods a bit. I did the neck skin test and he is a bit dehydrated.

Interestingly he's thrown up only once - and that was throwing up meds.

Once this course of meds is done then he goes off the painkillers. I am still suspecting inflammation somewhere in the digestive system. I know the vet will figure something out.

Also Mom told me that Shiney is 15! Just a year younger than poor dear Fister. At least if he does have to be on pred or something for the rest of his life it will be worth it.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm glad to hear that he's doing much better.:) My vet told me that cats do much better on pred long term than people or dogs do. Like I said before, pred was a lifesaver for my Storm. It's also very inexpensive too. Lots more prayers and positive thoughts are being sent his way.