Hello All. Me again. I apologise in advance as this will be a long post.
Fluffy, my 13 yr old BSH has been having a few health problems as some of you may be aware. It all started quiet inocently around this time last year when she wasnt eating and we took her to the vet and we were told that she was constipaed and needed colonic irrigation. She had that done and we though that was the end of that.
Well end of last august (2006) around the time when our other cat disappeared Fluffy became very quiet and withdrawn, not eating as much as usual and spending a lot of time in the spare bedroom (dark and quiet). I to tart with thought she was missing the other cat, whom she was secretly very protective of. A few days later I noticed her right eye was watering a lot. I thought that perhaps she got something in her eye or got it hurt in a fight as when younger she was good at getting into fghts. SO I thought perhaps this is hurting her and thats why she is somewhere dark. I toook her to the vet who couldn't find anything to cause concern with her eye and gave me a cream anyway, in case he'd missed a scratch or something. We did the course but she was no better. A few days later we noticed that in her food bowl and on be she slept on there were small spots of blood. Worried we took her back to the vet who suggetsed we get her a dental, and as this was a saturday w were told to bring her back on monday on an empty tummy. Well come sunday the kitchen was almost swimming in blood!!! This was definitely not a dental prob. So we took piccies in on monday and it was agreed that actually although her teeth were not perfect they were fine as they were and would not warrant a dental. So we left her at the vets for bloods, xrays,camera down her nasal and throat canal and scrapings of what they eventually found in her right nostril. They couldnt do a biopsy as it was so small but said that scrapings were good enough for what they needed. We were told that thats where she was bleeding from and it was all inflamed and thats why she wasnt eating. Also they could not operate to remove it as it would mean totally demolishing her nose. So we were told to take the steroids home and for the first week give her twice daily 5mg doses and after a week go down to once daily. She seemed to improve sooo much. She was eating, drinking, going out and telling birdies and other cats of for being in HER garden!!
Then after a few weeks the vet suggested trying half a tab a day but after a few days her nose began to bleed again. So for 3 days we went to 2 tabs daily and back to 1 tab after that and she has been on this ever since.
About 6 weeks ago she began not eating well and not going toilet again, and if ever anyone tried to pick her up she howled in pain. She slept all the time but in funny positions. By the time we got her to the vets her breathing rate increased drastically and was always like this, even when asleep. The vet listened to her heart and lungs and apart from increase in her breath rate all was well. Although when he tried to feel her abdomen she tried to take his finger of. She got weighed an in a space of 6 week she lost about a kilogram. The vet booked her in for day surgery for further tests. She had chest and abdomen xrays, full bloods and colonic irrigation again aas we were told that she was ever so compaced and thats probably why she wasnt eating. Her lung xrays and bloods came back within normal range and we were told that perhaps the breathing difficuties were because she was so compacted and probably having cramps due to inability to go loo. They reckoned her breating was nothing to do with the nasal growth as she was still breating through her nose and not her mouth which she would do if she was cimpensating for a blocked nose.
We were sent home with lactulose and told that that all they can do for her. For a while all seemed better. Although her breating never returned back to normal it had improved and she was eating again. Although she was refusing dry food but happy to have wet stuff especially if fish based!! She was also going loo ok with help of lactulose.
Well 10 days ago we realised that she wasnt going toilet again and that she was being more and more picky with her food and most of the time only licking the jelly of her food and leaving the rest, but still asking for food. So we thought she may be constipated again, so we increased the lactulose and gave her an anal enema (vet gave us this). She had one reasonable poop and that was the end of that. She would polish the jely from 3-4 sachet of food but only eat the meat of about 1 sachet (recommended dose for her size is 3-4 complete sachets) in any give day. So we took drastic action and bought senackot over the counter and gave her half a childs dose every day for 3 days. She is now borderline got diarreha and therefore most definitely not blocked and ieven with that only doing poo business once a day (small dollop). She still isnt eating and is very lethargic and I have noticed that her left eye is now watering too. SO I have as of yesterday increased her steroids to 2x5mg daily. I understand it takes a few days for it to take effect, but I am soo worried as she has lost lots of weight and would hazard a guess that she now weighs less than 5kg whereas in January she weighed 7.3kg (yes I knw she is an enormous kitty).
She has also become very clingy and forever talking to me (no idea what she trying to tell me). I could easily sit next to her and cudlle her all day and she wouldnt budge-Abnormal for her, she is a cat that will have 1 cuddle every fortnight or something. Also wen I give her cuddles I have noticed that her furr around her chin area has become matted and all stuck together like she has food in it.
What do I do??
Any advice would be most welcome.
