Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat Health & Behaviour => Health & Behaviour General => Topic started by: Michelle (furbabystar) on September 29, 2010, 21:05:45 PM
-
Carrying on a thread I started on the FIV boards .......
Tramp turned up here about 7yrs ago as an un-neutered stray.
Chances are that he is FIV+ but I don't want him tested as I don't see any point.
Anyway....
the last few months he has started to loose weight
Took him for full bloods
Thy/kid/liv all fine. WBC slightly low and Hgb slightly high.
Now all he seems to do is sleep! He eats ok but really doesn't do anything else and he is skinnier than he used to be :(
So not sure what the problem is ....
or what to do next
Any advice ??
-
Whats his estimated age?
It could be he is now an old man and times is catching up with him?
What does vet say?
-
Vet thought she was 5-7 when he first turned up but could have been younger !
So going on that spose he could be 12-14 ....but he hasn't got those speckly old eyes
Vet doesn't know whats wrong with him
-
I've got that totally wrong !
He has actually only been here 4yrs.....He arrived the day after Skaggy Cat died and I just did a search on here and that was 2006 .....but it feels like he has been here so much longer !!
So ....9-11 years old maybe ??
-
Sorry asking questions and dont know answer to this............if he had a tumour somewhere inside would something show up in the bloods? If not how would it be found?
I friend of mine back in London had a cat who lost all his weight and am sure I remember nobody knew why and he sadly passed to the Bridge after a couple of years and think still the vet didnt know why.
This would be about 7 years ago and hope medical knowledge has moved on a bit,
Big cuddles to Tramp :hug: :hug: :hug:
-
diabetes?
-
Sorry asking questions and dont know answer to this............if he had a tumour somewhere inside would something show up in the bloods? If not how would it be found?
I'll ask tomorrow (I'm lucky I work for my vet)
diabetes?
Hadn't thought of that, I'll ask about that too
Thanks Ladies xx
-
Diabetes or Thyroid - Sweetie has just been diagnosed as Diabetic at 18 after loads of tests - she also has something else going on and is on diuretics but we have the diabetes textbook after a month so are just letting her live her life as she wants
Good luck at the vets for you and Tramp :hug:
-
Sounds like the obvious ones have been ruled like kidneys and thyroid etc, don't know enough about diabetes so can't comment on that .
Not sure what to suggest really, hope your boss might have some other ideas :hug:
-
Cancer doesn't always show on bloods unfortunately. I would have thought diabetes would have been checied on the bloods. Maybe as he is getting older and the weather is getting colder he needs more food to survive. He could also be getting a touch of arthritis, which could explain the inactivity, so maybe some glucosamine supplements in his food and/or a heat pad outside (does he have a kennel?). It could also be that he has FIV
-
Cancer doesn't always show on bloods unfortunately. I would have thought diabetes would have been checied on the bloods. Maybe as he is getting older and the weather is getting colder he needs more food to survive. He could also be getting a touch of arthritis, which could explain the inactivity, so maybe some glucosamine supplements in his food and/or a heat pad outside (does he have a kennel?). It could also be that he has FIV
He is a family indoor cat now Desley.
I'm going to ask if Diabetes was checked in the full bloods (haven't seen boss yet)
I'm leaning towards Thyroid to be honest, even though bloods said no
Might ask him to test again for this
-
Tramp see's my Vet tomorrow at 2pm
-
Best of luck for tomorrow's visit, hope the vet can tell you something more :hug: :hug:
-
Good luck for 2moro - hope its not serious... :hug:
-
Good luck! :hug:
-
Good luck for tomorrow...I hope they can find what's causing the problem *hug*
-
Good luck for tomorrow, hope it's nothing untoward :hug:
-
Good luck tomorrow , hope its nothing serious :hug: :hug: :hug:
-
Good luck for today, did you find out about the diabetes?
-
Good luck with the visit we have all paws crossed here for Tramp :hug:
-
Wasn't good news but at least I now know what we are dealing with ......
I gave in and had him tested and sadly he IS FIV+
He also has a large lump under his tongue which vet feels is probably Lymphoma.
He had lost another 1/2kg
My vet says he is starting to crash and all we can do is pallitive care
My poor baby :(
-
so sorry to this news about about poor Tramp x
-
oh Michelle hun I am really sorry to hear this :hug:
-
Oh Michelle, words fail me. So sorry hun :'(
:hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:
-
So sorry to hear this hunnie, but he can be in no better place than with you :hug: :hug:
-
Really sorry to hear this Michelle :hug: Clare is right, he's in the best place possible :hug:
-
:( I'm so sorry to hear this Michelle sending hugs for Tramp and you :hug:
-
Michelle so sorry for the news but in his favour he is a wonderful caring place with you :hug:
Just to add our oldie feral Miss Gracie had the lump and was on steroids and lived another glorious 9 months out living her prognosis so there can be some hope he will be with you for a while longer :hug:
-
He has gone onto a daily dose of steroids which will help to increase his appetite, act as a pain relief and should shrink the lump alittle
-
Sorry Michelle :hug:
Hopefully the steroids will keep him comfortable for a good while. Good that you noticed and got hi the help he needed :hug:
-
:hug: :hug:
-
so sorry to hear about poor tramp and he is in the best place with you :hug: :hug: :hug:
-
Oh no, so sorry to hear this :( Hope the steroids will hold things at bay for a good long time :hug: :hug:
-
So Sorry hun. :hug: :hug: :hug: As others have said he is in the very best place with you :hug: :hug:
Give him a cuggle form me. :hug:
-
:hug: :hug: :hug:
-
**hugs Michelle**
I know its not really what you wanted to hear but at least you know now and are able to make Tramp comfortable and make the most of your time left with him.
Our first family cat Sooty was diagnosed with a tumor behind her eye at the age of 16 with the help of steroids she happily lived to just over 18 xxx
-
Michelle, if the vet is thinking more along oral SCC, Metacam and ab's are a better treatment than steroids, especially with him being FIV (steroids aren't recommended due to the already suppressed immune system). Someone on CC was trying a new treatment, and it has been working wonders so far, can't find the name though - apparently COX inhibitors (which Metacam is) supposedly have a tumour growth retardation effect)
-
Michelle, if the vet is thinking more along oral SCC, Metacam and ab's are a better treatment than steroids, especially with him being FIV (steroids aren't recommended due to the already suppressed immune system). Someone on CC was trying a new treatment, and it has been working wonders so far, can't find the name though - apparently COX inhibitors (which Metacam is) supposedly have a tumour growth retardation effect)
Thanks for that Desley.
I asked about Metacam yesterday as a pain relief but vet said no :tired:
Because I was concerned about steroids as they bring down the WBC which of course are already low because of the FIV
I'll have to find a way of bringing this up with my vet (he did remind me that HE is the vet...whoops)
-
He has gone onto a daily dose of steroids which will help to increase his appetite, act as a pain relief and should shrink the lump alittle
Schui had a suspect nasal tumour and steroids helped him for over a year, hopefully they'll shrink the lump a bit and help Tramp too xx :hug:
-
As others have said, He is in good hands
:hug: :hug: :hug:
-
:hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:
-
:hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:
-
I'm really confused !!
I text my vet to ask about the steroids and he replied saying they should increase his WBC ....
BUT everything I am reading says that FIV cats shouldn't really have steroids
I've also just asked him about Interferon Alpha but its REALLY expensive !
-
It's a shame cats don't come under the NHS
Hugs Michelle :hug:
-
I was just thinking the same Hayley, could have got the Interferon free on the NHS
Sorry just going back to the steroids ....
When Issey had Lymphoma she was on steroids to LOWER her WBC as Lymphoma is a WBC cancer ...
So surely thats what the steroids are going to do to Tramps BC ??
I don't like the question my vet too much, seems rude
-
I am sorry to hear your bad news :hug:
-
So sorry Michelle :hug: