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Original poster

I'm really worried about my cat's sudden illness

121 replies

scroobiuspirate · 04/10/2009 08:50

Don't know if anyone can help, or if anyone can put my mind at rest?

I took her to the vets yesterday morning, and theupshot of that is that she is now on antibiotics, and she also had a pain relieving jab/plus and antibiotic jab.

The vets doesn't know what's wrong tho. I told the vet that when i had picked her up she cried out, that she seemed to have pain when beinding to eat her food yesterday morning. On examination the vet found noproblems with her respiratory nor any obvious bites, or sites of pain. It's really odd.
I am taking her back tomorrow.

It started on thursday, she just seemed not right. She slept and slept. She did eat a bit. She's wide eyed, scared, slow and like she's totally spaced out.

Normally she's joyful, slinky and vocal, she is a lovely 1 yr old tortie.

I had to give her a tablet earlier, and now she is absolutely terrified, and won't come anywhere near me. I know it's sort of understandable, but i've givenher worming tablets inthe past and she's not acted like this.

it's almost like she has had some sort of trauma, and I am really upset for her.

OP posts:
aristoBLACKcat · 06/10/2009 13:24

scroobius
just seen your post about your lovely cat, hope she is getting better

please let us know how you are both doing?

NewbeeMummy · 06/10/2009 13:25

Really feel for you, my smallest cat can be the same if he's had a run in with another cat or dog.

He has been known to hide under the bed for up to 3 days growling and scratching you if you try to get near him, and won't touch his food or water. We have learnt to just give him his space and he tends to come around when he's ready. I know how hard it can be thought when you don't know what it is that is worrying them

x

Original poster
scroobiuspirate · 06/10/2009 13:41

thanks, has been a bit upsetting to say the least.

dd and i love her to bits. dd is huge cat lover anyway, it is her whole life.

Have had 2 cats lost to the road in yrs gone by, and thie tortie girl, well i was only banging on about how wonderful she is last week on another thread.

They have checked her physically top to bottom, there's nothing, no bites, no area's of pain ie bruising, no sign of body trauma. Course i have been googling which is stupid.
Out of helplessness mostly, but i m one of those people whohas to know the ins and out of everything. Problem wise and solution wise iyswim.

Could be toxic, maybe. maybe gone to her brian. Who knows. Whatever has happend, well it's been a gradula onset of this stupor like state she's in now. She's been eating, well, had a good appetite, apart formthe fact today she can't get her head down to the bowl.

have to ring the vets at 4. They are wondering maybe she has some sort of virus, something in her system, hey she could have been born with something?

thanks for your replies, i feel totally bereft/helpless. DD has gone thru so much shit wiht my ex dh, this is the very last thing she needs to be worrying about. x

OP posts:
whispywhisp · 06/10/2009 13:44

She can't get her head down to eat from her bowl? What are the vets doing about that? Surely...SURELY there is a reason for this? Let's hope they find something but also let's keep this thread going so that hopefully BEAUTIFULGIRLS can help...she is a vet and a very good one at that.

beautifulgirls · 06/10/2009 13:45

Sorry to hear that she is still so unwell. I'm sure your vet is doing a lot to try and help her - just one other thought to ask them is if they have sent off any testing for FIP? Can be a very hard diagnosis to make though so can take a while.

englishpatient · 06/10/2009 13:47

Nothing helpful to add but sending my kind thoughts to you and your DD and of course to your lovely cat.

whispywhisp · 06/10/2009 13:50

Oh yes, feline leukeamia (sp?)...forgot that...is she vaccinated? She can be born with FELV but can also get it through bodily fluids....ie blood etc. I lost a cat to FELV - it was horrible. Would definitely ring the vets now and get her tested for it.

Original poster
scroobiuspirate · 06/10/2009 13:53

whispy

beautiful

thanks, for the swift replies. I actually raised the bowl up on to a box this morning!

Pixie (cat) was acting slow/depressed but phsically moved ok for the vet yesterday. They had her out of her pen and said she walked around inquisitively ok.

Things have changed overnight i guess. Or maybe she was just doddery first thing, like you or i would be if in pain? But tend to loosen up during the day.

Beautifulgirls, great relief to hear you are a vet. Thankyou. Thye have a good lab and all the trimmings at my vets, so not sure if this FIP thing is something they would send off?

OP posts:
Original poster
scroobiuspirate · 06/10/2009 13:57

Vet did mention feline luekemia this morn. Asked me to find her vacciantion notes, as it was a different practice that first jabbed her.
She has been jabbed with tri vac? This was december 2008 and then 2nd lot beginning jan 2009. She was about 3-4 months old, Was a stray, and we got her from Animals in Distress sanctuary in Devon.

OP posts:
whispywhisp · 06/10/2009 14:08

Has she been vaccinated against FIV? It would have cost you a fair bit more if you have had her covered....

whispywhisp · 06/10/2009 14:08

If the vet mentioned it this morning...are they going to test her for it? If not you really ought to ring them now and get her bloods taken for it.

aristoBLACKcat · 06/10/2009 14:09

sorry cant be any help to you, send you and Pixie my best wishes though for 4 o clock

FABIsInTraining · 06/10/2009 14:13

Leukemia vaccinations needs to be given annually.

My cat is now 15 and started growling when she was about 5 when I went to live with friends who had 2 cats.

Where we live now there are lots of cats and she is scared of all of them.

She has had an illness for the last 4 years and is now on life long medication.

We took her to the vet initially because she was crying and chasing and then biting her tail.

Original poster
scroobiuspirate · 06/10/2009 14:31

she has only has Nobivac tricat, the one given as standard.

I will mention the FIB one.

thanks for all the wishes. fingers crossed.

OP posts:
Original poster
scroobiuspirate · 06/10/2009 14:33

whispy whisp, she had her jabs done before i got her iyswim, as part of the innoculation at the cat rescue place.

OP posts:
Original poster
scroobiuspirate · 06/10/2009 14:41

there is fiv and fip.

fip is fatal.

fiv is like aids.

think i ought to stop googling now.

OP posts:
whispywhisp · 06/10/2009 14:48

When she had her jabs tho scoob did she also get vaccinated against FELV? If she is covered against it it'll say so on her vaccination card.

whispywhisp · 06/10/2009 14:48

sorry...scroob not scoob!

beautifulgirls · 06/10/2009 15:38

Just to clear up some confusion here....we are all talking about different diseases here!!

FIV = feline aids, no vaccine available. Vets may have in house test kits to use or send off bloods for better accuracy

FeLV = Feline leukaemia virus - same as above re testing. There is a vaccine that should be given annually and vaccinated cats will not cross react with blood tests so the result you get is generally correct.

FIP = Feline infectious peritonitis. No vaccine available. Diagnosis is difficult as a lot of cats will be antibody positive for it, but this does not necessarily mean a positive diagnosis or future disease. Many factors need to be taken into account with this disease. Symptoms range from vague illness to severe neurological problems. No vaccine in the UK but work ongoing. Almost certain your vet will need to send off bloods for this particular one, even the best in house labs unlikely to have the right things to test for this.

Glad to hear she doing a bit better - hope she continues to improve from here.

Nobivac tricat does not cover feline leukaemia by the way. Sadly not all charities vaccinate routinely for leukaemia, but once she is doing better I would ask the vet about getting it done and then boostering each year with her standard vaccines.

Original poster
scroobiuspirate · 06/10/2009 16:58

she had leukemia, and has had to be put down.

i feel like the shittest pet owner. i was not aware of the leukemia one. 2 different vets nevermentioned it when i firt got her. she only had the nobvac one.

I have a cat who is 4 and NO vet has ever mentioned it.

i have had 3 cats, NEVER knew.

dd and i are distraught. Pixie was an angel, she really was. and never lived more than a yr. we even had her 1st birthday the other day.

I don't know how i am going to be strong for dd. why.

OP posts:
Original poster
scroobiuspirate · 06/10/2009 16:59

she was such a possotive thing, really gave us focus.

OP posts:
TigerBitesAgain · 06/10/2009 17:29

Oh, I'm so sorry, how rough for you and your DD. Please don't think you're the shittiest pet owner, you gave her a lovely home and lots of love.

FABIsInTraining · 06/10/2009 17:29

I am so sorry for you and unsure why no one has said to vaccinate against leukemia. My cat has been having the jab for 15 years.

I am so sorry.

Hope you and your dd are okay (ish)

FABIsInTraining · 06/10/2009 17:30

What I mean is, it isn't your fault she hasn't had the jab if no one had told you about it.

whispywhisp · 06/10/2009 17:54

Right, for a start you did far more than a lot of cat owners would ever have done...not only did you give her a loving caring home for the short time you had her but you went to great lengths to try to find out what was wrong with her, got her to the vets and you didn't give up. She will be eternally grateful to you. You could not have done any more for her, nor could a vet. Once a cat is diagnosed with FELV there is nothing anyone can do and she would have suffered.

Yes it is a dreadfully sad day for you and your DD but just remember one important fact in all this...she is no longer suffering nor in pain. She is now a happy little cat looking down on you and saying 'Thank you'.

I do hope you and your DD will be ok....thinking of you on this very traumatic day with a very sad ending.

xxxxxx

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