Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat Health & Behaviour => Health & Behaviour General => Topic started by: beanie260904 on May 31, 2008, 22:43:55 PM
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Hi, I am new and could really do with some advice for my poorly kitten.
History: I brought Bambi on the Friday 21st March 08 she is a BSH, she had diarrhea as soon as I brought her home, I researched it online and found that kittens can get diarrhea when stressed and is perfectly normal for the first day or two, so I set up her area with all the things she needed and left her be to settle in. The diarrhea continued and come Sunday morning I found a mass of blood all over her stool. I was immediately taken back and telephoned my local emergency vets; I was told it was more than likely just something that upset her tummy, and to bring her down first thing Monday for an examination. On Monday she was examined and put on probiotic paste, since then she has been to the vets around 12 times, treated with various anti-inflamitories, probiotics, medicine, speciality foods including (royal canin sensitivity control, hills prescription diet etc), and she is still having diarrhea. She has been tested for all forms of worms and parasites numourous times and about 4 stool samples have been tested, she has also been tested for viruses, such as feline influenza etc the only step left is a gut biopsy, which I am reluctant to do, atleast until she is older as she is 19 – 20 weeks old, but looks about 8 weeks as she only weighs 2.8 lbs.
Although obviously Bambi still being ill is causing me great concern the reason I am posting this is a new problem I have noticed, and the vet seems, well, slightly bewildered by it, one of her paws is massively different in size to the other one, it is especially noticeable when she is sitting (not lying or walking) it looks like it is two sizes bigger than her other one, not just in width but in length as well, the vet said as she is not limping or anything it is most liking just an abnormality, but I am still really worried about it and wondered if anyone on here knows anything about similar symptoms.
Also Bambi is greatly underweight for her age and I am finding it difficult to get her to gain weight as she is fussy and she cannot have any food that will upset her digestive system, any ideas?
Thank you for all your help
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None of us are vets here and I would advise taking Bambi to another vet for a second opinion urgently.
You say you brought Bambi............do you mean you bought her and was it from a responsible breeder? If it was have you spoken to the breeder and were any of the other kittens ill or the mother and if so what has happened to them?
I wish Bambi lots of good wishes but this sounds like it may be a bit serious I think.
Its a bit late for those who know about kittens to be on now but we have some who are in rescue work and have had probs like this with sick kittens and maybe able to advise you :hug: :hug: :hug:
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Thank you for your reply, yes I was planning on having Bambi seen by a specialist, however, I am an epileptic who can not drive so distance can be a bit of a problem. Yes, sorry I bought her from a breeder, I thought she was reputable as I had to pay £425 for her and I asked her loads of questions and saw both her parents etc (first time buying a kitten) however, I was wrong, I did not see the warning signs until it was too late. Bambi had two brothers there left over, one of which had a deformality, his eye socket was further back than it should have been (not massively, but noticable) the breeder told me it was due to the mother over grooming him, and it did happen sometimes, I thought she was the expert and did not really think anything of it.
I have contacted the breeder and she has been very abusive, after much threatening of court action the only response I have received off of her is a refund on return of the kitten, which is awful, as I would never do such a thing and to be honest she knows it, and thats the only reason she made the offer because she knew I would never except. I have been pestering her for atleast a partial refund as her vet bills have exceeded £250 so far to date, luckily I received some of the petplan 6 weeks free insurance but not all of it was covered, and currently I am paying out £55 a month for a special diet for her. I have insured her with petplan highest level of insurance once the 6 weeks free insurance run out so I am hoping after I exceed the excess again I might be allowed some of the money back but it all depends as technically this is a pre-existing condition.
Thank you for your response
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Has the vet taken x-rays of her gut? My fathers cat had horrendous gut troubles from day one and it was only 6 months later after numerous courses of anti-inflammatories that the problem became apparant one day- She'd swallowed some string! It might be a good idea to try a 2nd vet if this ones confounded..... :Crazy:
What a disgusting woman that breeder is.....is she fully registered, if so a report to the governing councils is required me thinks >:( There are peeps on here who could advise you on how to approach the situation of getting some of your money back.
Have you tried her on a diet of chicken/whitefish and rice/potato? It's good for kittys with sensitive stomachs. My Z's had to have this several times as he's got various food intolerances.
Hope this is a help and that she gets better :hug:, :welcome: to Purrs
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Hi :welcome: to Purrs
Sorry to hear your little one is so poorly. I can't really offer any advice I'm afraid but you will get lost of good advice from this site, but like Gill says it's a bit late at night for many of the knowledgable kitten peeps to be around. Hopefully they will see this thread tomorrow.
Sending lots of positive vibes to Bambi :hug:
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So sorry about the breeder some are just so bad and give the good ones bad names.
I dont know how petplan work when breeders etc give out this insurance but would have thought this should not be counted as a pre-existing condition.
Petplan if they will not cover the costs should stop allowing bad breeders to use them.
In the past when my cats have been ill . if its the same illness you should not have to go through the xcess thing again as its a continuing illness and the vet should have made that clear on the Forms. If its a continuing illness and Patplan have paid out it cannot then be classed as pre-existing condition, I would have thought!
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Sorry to hear about Bambi, hope you can get her back to good health again. When you say she's been tested for viruses, do you know if the vet tested for coronavirus? as that can cause diarrhea and it can take an age to clear up.
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No he hasnt taken any x-rays, he is reluctant to as she is extremely fidgety and he thinks he might have to give her some sort of anesthetic to keep her still, but he does not want to as she is so tiny there is some risk, I think I will ring the vets tomorrow and perhaps ask to be referred to a specialist as she clearly is not getting any better.
Yes both Bambi's parents were GCCF registered but she said she doesnt believe in registering the kittens, and as I was only after a house pet she said I did not need to, again I should have perhaps seen the warning signs, but to be honest I just didnt think until she fell ill and then I started piecing it all together. Yes I will be writing to the GCCF to see if they can do anything about the situation. If any one has any advice on how to get the breeder to give me a partial refund or something to help with Bambi's costs (as I am a university student - living at home) I would really appreciate it.
I have been speaking to this lovely woman online whom breeds silver tabbies as I was originally contacting her about her kittens (before Bambi) and she had none left, she was so lovely that after Bambi fell ill I emailed her and asked for her advice, she has told me the extra lean beef mince (in small portion) works wonders for kittens, and that apparently pumpkin is also really good for them. I have been giving Bambi the mince and she does really like it but I have not been giving her much at all probably a very small portion once a week. I will give a try your idea of chicken/whitefish and rice/ potato, as you never know what might work.
As I was typing this 3 more of you replied so thank you all for your help and advice I will be sure to take note of it all. Also I am not sure if he tested for the coronavirus all he said was he tested for all the three potential life treatening ones, which are fatal and he tested for all the typical things like worms parasites etc, I will be sure to ask him though, so thank you.
Again thanks for all your help xx
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Yes both Bambi's parents were GCCF registered but she said she doesnt believe in registering the kittens, and as I was only after a house pet she said I did not need to, again
she has told me the extra lean beef mince (in small portion) works wonders for kittens, and that apparently pumpkin is also really good for them. I have been giving Bambi the mince and she does really like it but I have not been giving her much at all probably a very small portion once a week. I will give a try your idea of chicken/whitefish and rice/ potato, as you never know what might work.
Just wanted to say, whatever foods you do try, make sure you introduce anything new slowly, so as not to upset her digestion any more, and then stick to that for at least a week, so that you can tell if diet is making a difference or not
I would definitely take it up with the GCCF as she is registered with them, and I don't really understand why she doesnt register kittens, my persians I had as kittens were pet only, but were still registered by the breeder.
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Hi and welcome to Purrs
Can't offer you any advice but wanted to wish Bambi well and send her a :hug:
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I agree with Gillian ... about the registration of the kittens ... my two Abys were bought as pet only however they have full GCCF registration including family trees and pink transfer slips. This breeder needs reporting as I think there is something dodgy going on here.
Of course your main priority is Bambi's health and welfare at the moment.
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I am sorry that you are having so many health issues, and sorry that you have found a poor breeder. One word of warning with the minced beef though is that it isn't a complete diet, and is lacking in certain nutrients that are vital for cats, so shouldnt be fed as a complete diet. You can get prescription diets online cheaper than the vets - my vets have just put the price up, so we were saving £2 a box by buying it online, so that might be something to look at - we use VetUK, as we have a charity link to it, there are about 4 charities on here that have a link to it, so you can help a charity out as well as saving money. Good luck with her, and good luck with the second opinion.
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Shes 5 months old and weighs little over a kilo? :Crazy: poor little cat :(
I hope you manage to sort her out soon
As your continuing your cover note without a break you should be safe
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I was just thinking the same MM - she must be so tiny.
Wishing Bambi a speedy recovery xx
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hope bambi is a little better, if this person doesn't believe in registering kittens with gccf perhaps she shouldn't be charging gccf prices
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hi there, and sorry to hear that you and Bambi are having such a difficult time.
Can I suggest that if he hasn't already and is running the test for Coronavirus antibodies... you also have him request a stool test for trichimonas.
Symptoms sound very similar, stunted growth in kittens, etc. I am also aware that it is rife in certain breed circles of which BSH seem to be one and it is a breed that we have run into many cases of Trichomonas over recent years. Mothers can be affected and then passed onto the kitten which can then cause problems for the kittens in growth, weight gain and can go until approx 12 weeks before showing any obvious symptoms such as the diahorea. It is also very commonly not picked up because it is not a routine test completed and because it can result in a positive count on the Coronavirus Titre (Antibody) Count so everyone just assumes it is this and starts banging on about FIP. (of which Coronavirus is not) ;) and then you end up not getting the root cause of the problem.
I would also be prone to running this test before any gut biopsy as it is a lot to put the little one through if not needed.
Keep us posted on progress and feel free to ask any questions, etc on the above either publicly or by PM.
Good luck Bambi and you.:hug: hopefully you will find an answer soon.
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Hil all,
thank you for all your concerns about Bambi, she is still not well unfortunatley, but she seems heavier, she has an appointment to see the vet on Monday so when I see him I will enquire about all the illnesses you mentioned, and hopefully we might get some where. I have also added a picture of her on my display picture when posting so you can see her :Luv2: She really is sweet. I have written to the GCCF about my concerns for this breeder so hopefully there might be some progress with the situation. Thanks for all your posts about Bambi and what you think the causes my be I will mention all of them to the vet and make sure they are checked for. I am still really bewildered by her right paw, as it is so much longer than the other one, if she is lying down you can not tell a difference but if you see her at a side angle or sitting down it looks like the left paw is 'normal' and the right is wearing a clown shoe, it is really hard to explain unless you see it for yourself, but could these illnesses you mentioned such as coronavirus or trichomonas cause this to happen? A friend of mine said it could be down to inbreeding and this could be why she didnt register her kittens???
Also I am currently having the secur-a-cat systom installed, not quite finished but nearly done, which means one less thing to worry about.
Hope all is well with everyone else
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Hope the vet check goes ok. If it's Steve and Julian doing your cat proofing say hi from me (Chrissie) and Charlie
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Hi, no unfortunatley its not, a few friends are doing it for me because I couldnt, i am hopeless with DIY.
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Well not to worry, I couldn't do it either! Hope it goes well
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They wouldn't necessarily cause the deformaties but wouldn't help as the trichomonas parasite drains the goodness from the cats and doesn't allow them to extract the goodness from the food so therefore they are not getting the nutrients they need. Very often even once the trichomonas is treated and gone it will leave very severe Irratable bowel which needs steroids to help straighten out. it is not a 'quick' fix and can take a few months to clear completely.
In breeding is highly likely and is not unheard of and would certainly be a big pointer towards such severe deformaties. Let us know how you get on with the tests and if you want any info from my own experiences with these conditions you are more than welcome to PM me or I'll reply to your messages here.
good luck with it all... I know how worrying it can be :hug:
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Hi all,
I took Bambi to the vets today and I asked about the viruses you mentioned (trichomonas and coronvirus) and yes she has previously been tested for both twice, so still not sure...the vet said the only other thing he has not tested for has something to do with her pancreas, so he took a blood test and that is being sent off to the lab for analysis and will take 10 days, I could not believe how much this blood test cost, usually he charges about £25-£30 but this one cost £70! He also said if I decide to have the gut biopsy he will referee me to that specialist to have it done, as apparently my current vets will cut her open to do the procedure, but this specialist will not need to cut her open and will use a camera through her mouth so it is less invasive and has less risk. So we are now just going to wait for the test results and see what happens.
xxx
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good luck for the test results Beanie.... hopefully you will find some answers soon and a wee change in your luck!
How is the little one in herself at the mo? hope she is ok. Sending lots of positive thoughts and :hug: to you both.
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Good luck for the test results :hug:
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The pancreas test has to be sent to the USA so probably why it is expensive. Good luck with the results and hope little Beanie does ok
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Thought I would just update everyone on Bambi, we got the blood test results back and they were negative, so our only option now is to be referred to a specialist called 'Dick White', I got a quote how much all her treatment is going to cost, as because of all these unexpected vet bills these last 3 months as well as being an at home university student I am feeling the pinch. They quoted me £2390 so I have sent Petplan a pre-authoisation form to find out where they will fund the treatment or not so fingers crossed.
x x x
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Fingers crossed for her.
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Good luck with petplan, if you didnt get told of any exclusions being put onto your policy when you took it out you should be ok ;D (they print any exclusions on the back of your certificate)
Give bambi a chin tickle from me ;D
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did they actually tell you what the £2300 was going to be for seeing as how they don't actually know what's wrong with her?? (or have I misread something! )
sending big hugs to Bambi.... :hug:
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Best of luck with Petplan, hope you can get to the bottom of Bambi's problem
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Hi, yeah they gave us a quote which was the following:
Consultation: £170
Hospitalisation: £120
X-rays (abnormality in paw): £400
tests and pathologies: £300
general anaesthetic: £350
Surgery: £1000 (gut biopsy)
Medication: £50
Total - £2390
They dont actually know what is wrong with her its a quote for all the tests and everything they are going to try
xxxx thanks for all your posts both me and bambi appreciate them xxxx
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Which vet do you use?
I was quote for a surgical exploratory £150
GA is about £80 normally
All those figure seem very inflated. I expect a specialist to be more expensive but that is taking the p
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The vet I am usually with is companion care which is probably average price, but the practice that quoted me these prices is Dick White who I have been told is a world class specialist so I guess its reflected in the prices (unfortunatley lol)
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I know specialists are more expensive, but that still seems high - Tigers limp and stomach tests (including hospitalisation) came to just over £800. I dont know if I still have the breakdown, but she had x-rays, fluid tested, bloods and an ultrasound.
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Yeah I know it is really expensive, but hopefully it is reflected in their treatment, and hopefully petplan will cover it as well, will have to wait and see :)
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When you consider the cost of the equipment and the upkeep of it it doesnt surprise me, i hope they can find out whats up with her :luck:
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Hi, just wanted to update everyone I received a letter of PetPlan yesturday and they have agreed to pay for Bambi's operation and eveything (bar the £80 excess) so soon she will be seeing the specialist dick white YAY. so thanks for everyones posts
xxxx
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Fingers crossed the specialist can sort her out.
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Excellent news and it must be a big relief for you. Lucky you got that covernote!
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Great news, what a relief for you! Fingers crossed that he fixes her problems :)
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Just thought I would give everyone a quick update on Bambi, sorry it has been sooo long its just I have been run off my feet lately.
Well Bambi went to the Dick White referrals specialist and they run all sorts of tests. She had blood tests, x-rays, ultra-sound, and a the stool sample. After wards they discovered that Bambi has a moderate lung pattern, suggestive of allergic airway diease. Abdominal ultrasound also revealed enlargement of the abdominal lymph nodes which apparently is suggestive of intestinal inflammation. Her blood tests showed high levels of white blood cell numbers. Her stool sample was tested and no abnormalities were found. So on Tuesday (16/09/08) she is having a gastrointestinal endoscopy and bronchoscopy. I am hoping all goes well. She may be able to come home the same day or she may have to stay the following day after...I am hoping she will come home the same day, cant stand leaving her at the vets.
Anyway fingers crossed and thanks for all your help.
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Good luck for Tues.
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Just read throught this thread and wanted to wish Bambi all the best for Tuesday, she is lucky to have such a caring mum :Luv2:
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This is the first time I've seen this thread. First of all I wish you and little Bambi all the best.
Secondly I really hope you got somewhere with GCCF. I hate to say it but it sounds like there's a reason for not registering the kittens. This could be many things and I don't want to start accusing but they charged you the high end of the going rate (although I'm going back about four years to when I was considering buying so that may be about right).
I've seen numerous peds in rescue with problems such as breathing in persians and diahroea and I don't think a single one was accompanied by proper GCCF paperwork. Corporal Smokey was bought in to us with his "papers" but that was just a printed out sheet of his family tree with "Smokey" scrawled on the bottom in pencil.
I know there are some great breeders out there but I wish the irresponsible ones were brought to justice somehow.
Best of luck :hug:
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Wishing Bambi lots of positive vibes and good luck for tomorrow little one :hug:
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Good luck Bambi :hug:
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Thanks for all your support ;D - Il let you know how it all goes tomorrow x
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Being honest though Im so worried about the operation - I know she will be fine and I am being overprotective but the thought of leaving her at the vets is horrible x
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Being honest though Im so worried about the operation - I know she will be fine and I am being overprotective but the thought of leaving her at the vets is horrible x
Just proves how much you love her :hug:
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Wishing Bambi lots of good luck and get better soon vibes and :hug: :hug:
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Take care from the persian gang in Lincoln.
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Bambi is now gone to the vets :(, I was hoping I could pick her up the same day, but they are keeping her until thursday. I am really upset about it and missing her. She was really scared and it was so horrible leaving her...fingers crossed she'll be ok.
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Ah i know it is horrid (my freddie has been in and out recently after an RTA) but bambi is in the best place at the momen while they find out what is wrong with and they will. Then its home to mum for lots of love and tlc for a speedy recovery.
Wishing you both all the best
lisa x
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Ah bless her, is the vets far away from you? if not maybe you could sneak a visit.
Thinking of you and sending lots of love and huggles for little Bambi - get better soon little one xxx
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It must be so upsetting, but they'll be able to sort out little Bambi's problems and she'll feel a lot better :hug:
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Really hope the vets get Bambi sorted out and beter soon -sending lots of get well vibes and :Luv2: :Luv2: to her .
Yes, maybe the vet will let you visit her !?
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Oh I would love to visit her but I cant :(, its over an hour away and I am an epileptic so I cannot drive so I am currently relying on lifts from my Dad, and as he is always on shift work he's finding it hard to find the time to take her and pick her up as it is. Dick White Referrals have promised to ring twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening to let me know how she is getting on, so I will just have to hold onto that till Thursday. I am currently awaiting their call - apparently they usually call after 6.30pm so hopefully I will have an update in the next hour x
Thanks for all the support :hug:
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Thursday is getting closer :hug:
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Vets phoned, she is doing ok, they have run a few tests and cleaned her out 'so to speak' ready for surgery tomorrow, as they said for a more accurate reading they need her insides as free from substances as possible for the endoscopy tomorrow, and then if she is doing ok after that they will carry out a bronchoscopy and then Wednesday night they will monitor her to make sure she is doing ok and then I can pick her up Thursday.
Her surgery will be tomorrow morning so fingers crossed x
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It will be fine :hug: Let us know how she gets on.
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Good luck (i thought it was wednesday already :doh: :doh: )
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Poor little soul having all that done -sending lots of get better vibes and big :hug: :hug: :hug:- roll on Thursday , when she can come home and be spoilt !
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The vets phoned this morning said they would be operating on Bambi this morning between 10.30 and 11.00 and I should get a call at lunch time telling me how the surgery went, its now gone 12.00 cant help but worry...
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Let us know when they've called. When I had an op myself it was supposed to be at 13.00 but an emergency was - quite rightly - given priority and I didn't go to theatre until 15.30. This sort of thing happens a lot and I think they genuinely lose track of time sometimes :hug:
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Thinking of you, the waiting for news is always awful xxx
Huge big huggles, love and positive vibes for litlle Bambi xxx :Luv2: :Luv2: :Luv2:
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The vets got back about 20 mins ago she is doing ok and I can pick her up tomorrow YAY!!! The results will take a few days x
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Brilliant news, I bet you cant wait to get her home today for lots of huggles and snuggles. Fingers crossed for positive test results xxx :Luv2:
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Bambi is home! Just got back she has a couple of shaven paws and is feeling a little sorry for herself but other than that she is doing great :) she is going to get loads of fuss and attention and be spoilt rotten to cheer herself up, all in all she seems pleased to be back home. I will get the test results back mid week so till then she is on some steroids to help her inflammed small intestine. I will let you know how the results go x
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I expect she is as relieved as you are that she is back home. I'm sure she'll settle quickly and yes, please let us know what the test results are.
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Glad Bambi is home and getting lots of cuddles - hope the test results are good for her .
Sending healing and get well vibes and :hug: :hug: :hug: to little Bambi.
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Bambi's results came back today she has been diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease and will be put on steroids for a couple of months and then weaned off and then if the diarrhea comes back then she will be put on steroids for life to control it. If anyone has any tips on IBD please let me know. Other than that Bambi is doing great x
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At least you now know what it is and can be treated.
So glad Bambi is doing well and hope she continues to improve every day - sending healing vibes and lots of :hug: :hug: :hug: to her from us all in Lincoln.
A brave little girl who has been through such a lot already - glad she is home with you and getting lots of tlc.
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I'm just bumping this in case anyone has any pointers about inflammatory bowel disease in cats?
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Glad to hear that at last you know what the problem is and that it is treatable - love and huggles for lttle Bambie xxx
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I have heard of this in cats, I just can't remember anything other than steroids, although I suspect a grain free diet might help - what do you feed her?
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I feed her Royal Canin Sensitivity Control pouches chicken and rice, but the vet is thinking of changing her diet to eukanuba responce lamb and barley x
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pleased to hear that you have finally got a name for the problem and that they can treat.... fingers crossed that things now improve greatly for little Bambi! :hug: to you both