My Boo went to hypothyroidism after she had the radioactive iodine. Boo looked like she was on death's doorstep. But she pulled thru and lived another two years, before kidney disease caused her death. Prayers for you and Sydney.....
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My Boo went to hypothyroidism after she had the radioactive iodine. Boo looked like she was on death's doorstep. But she pulled thru and lived another two years, before kidney disease caused her death. Prayers for you and Sydney.....
Well, I stopped the Tapazole as directed and gave Sydney her anti nausea medication this morning. Sydney does look better today, and she seems to be more alert and not looking like she is on the verge of death. She does, however, still look like she doesnt feel very good. She was eating more, and I was actually able to get her to eat about a small can of cat food and a half of bottle of baby food - which is more than I have been able to get her to eat for a week. I am hoping she continues to improve and that she will be feeling better really soon. I am going to call the vet this morning to let them know about her progress. Still waiting to here back about the test results.
It was defintely a huge relief to see her liver and kidneys were fine, I was becoming increasingly concerned. Thank you so much for the postive thoughts, they are very much needed. Like I have said before, this whole expereince has been very eye opening for me. I never really thought about cats and chronic diseases before my Sydney, and now I feel I am more proactive and watching for any signs. I am also researching pet insurance for my Charlie, becuase I just don't know what I would do if he got sick. I could never imagine having 6 kitties! :LOVE:Quote:
I'm glad to hear that Sydney's bloodwork and oragns look good. Lot's of prayers and positive thoughts are being sent her way.
I know all to well about vet bills because I'm dealing with this right now myself. When you have 6 cats it's a never ending thing.
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My Boo went to hypothyroidism after she had the radioactive iodine. Boo looked like she was on death's doorstep. But she pulled thru and lived another two years, before kidney disease caused her death. Prayers for you and Sydney.....
Thank you so much for sharing your story. I am so sorry that Boo has passed on. I feel that Sydney too looked like she was on death's doorstep yesterday, and this is why I feel she went in to hypo. I hope this is it because it is fixable, whereas if the cancer returns, this would not be. Thank you so much for the prayers - they are greatly appreciated!
More prayers as Sydney gets better and better :) .
HUGS!:love:
The Dunn gang is sorry that you are having such a bad week. We will keep the kitty prayers going up for you, your family, and Sydney.
Definitely praying for Sydney.
Good to hear she is eating more, that much be such a relief to see. I hope she continues to improve, poor dear!
Thank you so much Catty1, momtomany, jenluckenbach, and Karen for your kind words and thoughts. Although I am able to get Sydney to eat some, she still isnt eating what she needs to prevent any more weight loss. She actually looked worse today then yesterday. My vet is supposed to call me tomorrow to discuss what are my options now. I am very worried about my little girl, because as it looks like right now, she is dying. She is bone frail and looks like she doesn't feel good at all. It is so sad and my mom and I have stay home all day taking turns feeding Sydney anything we can. We had to put some Nutrical on her lips, so she would lick that down. I can only get her to take a couple licks at a time. She is so very weak. It is heart breaking. I will post what the vet says tomorrow...:(:(:(
I'm so sorry to read this latest update. ((Hugs)) coming your way for you and Sydney. Please keep us updated as best you can.
This is heartbreaking, I know, Katherine. Perhaps all you can do right now is keep her comfortable unless/until you see improvement. This is such a difficult time but please know that our prayers are w/you. You've done so much for Sydney and have gone above and beyond. Keep the faythe. :love:
:( Prayers and hugs to Sydney, and to you and your mom. Sydney is such a survivor, it's horrible that she has some 'mystery thing' that is making her so ill. :(
Prayers for a fixable answer soon!
I'm so sorry Sydney is so ill.:(
Please let us know if we can do anything besides prayers and being here.
More prayers...:love:
HI God ~
Purrayer Pups here onna KAT Line again ...
We know You're werkin hard on Sidney da KAT's case ...
but a lil extra Purrayer Help kan't hurt a bit, kan it?
Maybee You kuld check inna Big Ress-a-pee Book fur sum extra speschul
and *YUMMIE* stuff that Sidney could munch on to help her appie-tite.
We'll go wiff what You suggest, God ... but how'z about roundin up a
2nd Opinyun - just fur talkin sake?
And a {{{God'sHug}}} fur Momma Katherine wuld be a big Help, too.
THANKS, God~
/s/ the Purrayer Pups / KAT Division
The Prayer Pups raised a point, KK - what do you think about a second opinion?
I mean...dumb idea here...but could she have something blocking her digestive system? Is she pooping anything since she has been eating a bit more? Would a treatment of sub q fluids help at this point, to get her over the hump?
HUGS and more prayers! :love:
I'm so sorry to hear this.:( Lots more prayers and positive thoughts are being sent her way. Please take care. (((HUGS)))
I'm so sorry to hear of sweet Sydney's health problems:( I know how hard it has to be for you, to see her sick like this.
how is she today?
Well, the vet seems to think that the cancer is back - even though her blood tests are all normal and there are no masses that can be palpatated, the vet suspects this is why she is acting so lethargic. The vet wanted me to take her to Auburn for an MRI, but I can't financially do that. I told the vet that if in fact the cancer has returned, that Sydney would have to be switched to paliative care, because I cannot afford chemotherapy anymore:(:(:( I started Sydney on some Prednisone, so hopefully this will, if anything, make her feel better. I am going to spend as much time I can with her, because I fear her time with us is very limited. I have been able to get her to eat some tuna and I hope that her eating will improve. This is a very sad time for my family and we are totally devastated. I am going to try to spoil her rotten, so she knows how much she is loved. We are also not letting her know that we are upset, because we know that she could sense this - we are being strong for her. :(:(:(
Thank you again everyone (allmycats, krazyaboutkatz, Catty1, Cinder & Smoke, Medusa, Pinot's Mom, and Scooter's Mom ) for all the support and prayers. They mean the world to us and they help the roughest days not seem so bad. Thank you so much.
Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear this, Katherine! I can only imagine how sad you must be but you're right, our furkids can sense it when we're emotional. If indeed the cancer has returned and you are going to give her palliative care, I'm sure that it will be the best care she can possibly receive. The amount of love and care that you've shown Sydney already is almost palpable and I know that she loves you all the more for it. (((HUGS))) to you, Katherine and gentle pets to your sweet Sydney. :love:
Thank you so much Medusa for the kind words - I know you know exactly what I am feeling right now, and your kind words make me feel better. I can promise you Sydney will be loved more than is humanly possible for as long as she is here - and we will continue to love her once she is gone. Her furpals Baby and Hercules are still in our hearts and minds everyday and she will be no different. Well for now I am going to focus on making her happy, so when I get home I will take her in the yard so she can lay in the grass. That will for sure make her smile :):(:)
The Pred might make her hungry too.
Prayers that she is comfy for as long as possible.
Would it be possible to get a second opinion? It may not be the cancer's return.
I wouldnt know where to go to get a second opinion - most the vets in Pensacola are not familiar with cancer and they just refer me to Auburn, which I cannot afford the MRI needed to definitively say that the cancer is back (my own vet suggested this). I think for now - I am going to give her the Prednisone, which wont hurt her any regardless if the cancer is back or not, and hopefully it will jump start her eating and make her feel better. If I can get her to put on any weight, then I will beable to figure our what the next step should be. I main concern is that she is not in any pain. I mean as of now none of the blood tests or exams have shown cancer - she is not breathing funny - and my vets entire diagnosis is based on the fact that she is not eating - she thinks the cancer has affected her ability to smell and therefore effected her eating. I dont know....:(
Cancer almost always shows up in blood work, so I'm going to remain optimistic that she just has something else affecting her appetite that the Pred will take care of. Prayers coming my way for your precious Sydney! One time, my orange kitty, MacGyver, has a mystery illness that the vets, even the specialists, could not diagnose. They wanted me to spend thousands of dollars to find out. I couldn't afford that (I understand your situation very well), so I just asked for some special food I could force feed him to put some weight on him, some Sub-Q fluids so he wouldn't dehydrate, and some antibiotics on the hunch I had that he had a blood infection. Well, 24 hours after leaving the vet, Mac started to eat and drink on his own. That was four years ago and he is now a very healthy 11-year-old cat. Miracles do happen!
I hope that Sydney feels better soon. I've been out of town and have been reading updates on Sydney but haven't been able to respond. Dear Sydney and Taz (Taz_Zoee's kitty) are in my thoughts often. At least look at the extra time that you were able to spend with Sydney. I never ever would have thought that she would still be with us after seeing those first pictures that you posted with the lump on her head. More kisses from me to her please. :love:
Well, Sydney has been eating a little better the past two days, I have been able to get her to eat about a can of tuna a day and she will take a couple of nibbles of dry food. My mom is starting a morning routine where she will be putting nutrical on her lips, so she has to lick it off. We are trying to get her some strength back. She seemed to be in better spirits yesterday, although she still looks as if she doesnt feel good. We are taking it day by day. I am keeping some hope that it is not the cancer, but I am also trying to prepare myself emotionally in the even it is cancer. She is getting tons of hugs and kisses every day.
That's encouraging, Katherine. I check this thread first thing every morning and pray that there is some good news. We're all holding on for Sydney. If you see that the Pred isn't working for her, there are other appetite stimulants, such as Val Syrup that you can give by dropper, that your vet may recommend but we'll keep our paws and fingers crossed that the Pred will do the trick. :love:
katladyd, thank you so much for your post - I had the same feelings as you and I am holding onto hope that this is not the cancer. I did have one question though, do you remeber what the name of the food was that you bought to force feed your kitty and how were you going to do this (e.g., syringe, gastric tube)? I need to put some wieght on Sydney and at this point I am open to anything. Thank you!Quote:
Originally Posted by katladyd
Also thank you Medusa and Moesha - you both are wonderful and have always been there for Sydney and me. I thank you for your constant postive thoughts, prayers, and posts. I truly appreciate it!
I fed him a high-calorie canned food the vet gave me with a rather large syringe that had an almost spoon-like end. The water was through a syringe a little larger than the ones used to give meds. A spoon would work fine for feeding, though. I picked up a spare syringe for liquids at Wal Mart in the pet section. He started to eat before he drank on his own. Funny. The vet said drinking was more important than eating in the short term. If the syring didn't work for hydrating him, I was given a bag of water and a needle to give him Sub Q fluids. He ended up not needing this, though. My prayers are with dear Sydney, I remember pulling for her when she was going through her chemo. She is one, tough little girl. Give her hugs for me:love:
Gosh, I'm so sorry to hear that Sydney is feeling so poorly. I'm just catching up with things here on PT.
I think the cancer would show up on the blood tests, so I hope that the cancer is still in remission and that there is just another reason as to why she is not feeling well. Hopefully it is just something easy to fix and will not be anything long term or degenerative in nature.
Big hugs to you and to Sydney. All my good thoughts and hopes are going out to you.
Kat - I'm glad you are pushing through this, trying everything you can. Sometimes we have to do this and sometimes we win through, which I very much hope will happen in your case.
A can of tuna is quite a bit of food, unless you mean a mini-can? If you decide to force feed her, use AD from the vet (it's VERY high calorie) with a splash of nutritional supplement. I've found that the best feeding syringe to use is a 35cc rather than the larger ones the vet techs use. Mix the AD up with warm water to the consistency of sloppy oatmeal and make sure it doesn't have any tiny lumps that will block the syringe tip. I keep the mug of feed in a jug of very warm water so that as I draw up more feed it's still nice and warm. Expect protests, but she will feel really good when that stuff is in her stomach.
Did your vet give you Mirtazapine? It's very effective and the dosage is really low, something like a 1/4 tablet every three days. The first day, as you might expect, the cat's appetite is very strong and by the third day it's pretty much back to the way it was before the medication.
Do you know if Sidney is dehydrated at all? That will make a cat lethargic and cause inappetance very quickly. To test for dehydration lift up the cat's skin between the shoulder blades with your thumb and forefinger then let go. If the skin springs back right away, it's a good indication that the cat is not dehydrated. Giving sub-q fluids, if necessary, can make a cat go from lethargic to feeling more normal very quickly.
Good luck! Sydney is lucky to have you as her guardian.
So i wrote this super long post and I was logged out of Pettalk and I lost it - so as a synopsis, Sydney seemed better today. She actaully came down to my room looking for food this morning, which is something she hasnt done in a very long time. She still is eating the tuna (and yes the big cans!) and I was able to get her to eat some of the kitten food last night. Between the nutrical in the morning and the tuna during the day I am trying my best to get her to eat anything she can. Thank you so much katladyd,jjenn_librarian, and Lizzie for your positive thoughts and helpful information. I have printed out this page of the blog to bring to my vet in the event I have to force feed Sydney - since she is eating at this point, I do not think this is necissary, however, if her eating subsides then I at least know what to ask the vet to get. My poor little Sydney - she weights approximately 6bls rightnow, whereas she weighed 13 lbs this time last year. She is one of the strongest fighters I have ever seen and I want her to know that her mommy is right along side her fighting for her as well. Weoll, I am going to run home and feed her, I will make sure to give her extra hugs and kissses from everyone at PT! :love::love::love:
You and Sydney are so lucky to have each other:love: The weight loss may be a delayed reaction from all the chemo she went through a few months ago. You both are in my thoughts and prayers daily. Good luck to both of you!:D
Good news...better and better. :)
If you talk to your vet, see what she thinks of Sydney trying the A/D food on its own without the syringe. Mix with a bit of warm water and some tuna, maybe.
Just a thought. :) She is bound to put a little weight on now. :love:
She just has the SWEETEST face - worth fighting for any time. :)
Wow, I have just caught up with this thread. I am bad and do not come to the health sections very often.
Katherine, if you haven't seen my post about Taz in Cat General, I'll just tell you I know what you are experiencing. Minus the cancer part (at least as far as I know). Taz weighed in at 21 1/2 lbs about 5 years ago. He now weighs 7 lbs. He is skin and bones. I give him sub-q's and it's hard to even pinch his skin to get the needle in. But the fluids have been helping. He seems more alert and more active. He's not eating as much as I'd like him to, but tuna is always a winner. He screamed at me this morning for it.
I also can relate to not wanting to show them how stressed you are. I did my crying BEFORE we gave Taz his first sub-q treatment. I'm much better with it now.
I will definitely be thinking of you and Sydney and hope for the best.
When my Ziggy stopped eating and was in the hospital, they force fed her some canned A/D and I brought some of it home and she ate it here too. It's very easy to mix with water and put in large syringes if you need to force feed her. They also gave her a vitamin B-12 shot and I'm supposed to give her another one tomorrow. This is supposed to help her appetite and maybe it would also work for Sydney. Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are being sent her way.
Yes, the food was A/D. Mac hated it, but it brought him right around and put weight back on him. He had gone from 9 pounds to 7 pounds, but he needed to lose a little weight, anyway. Now, he weighs about 8 pounds and is healthy. Never give up hope.
It's in the nature of cats, isn't it, that the ones who need AD rarely like it but the ones who definitely don't need it are so keen they will lick it off the sick cat's whiskers!Quote:
Originally Posted by katladyd
Today she didnt seem as if she felt as good as she did yesterday. She was less interested in the Tuna, and more interested with going outside. I am going to talk to the vet today about getting some pain medicine and more Prednisone. **Sigh**:(:(:(
I really hope she feels better
I have not posted in a while... but those that remember me will know I have always had multicat households and my guys have usually been long-lived. It is so hard when they get so ill that you can't be sure what they would want you to be doing.
It sounds as if you are and continue to be your cat's loving advocate... In all the years I've had pets I have learned that you need to listen with your heart to what they want. You will know when you are helping him fight his illnesses and when you are fighting not to lose someone you love but who has gotten tired of the fight and wants to let go.
This is not to say that this is that time. You know your cat and you know yourself. You both have my strongest wishes for the best. Whatever happens, remember the love you share never ends.
the barncat