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URGENT Advice please

(288 Posts)
Squiffy Thu 02-Aug-18 09:29:34

Morning all.

Clutching at straws here, but I have a very poorly cat and wondered if any of you have dealt with the same issue.

She has been retching/gagging since Sunday evening and until yesterday was also flicking her tongue in and out.

Monday we went to the vet and she had exploratories done.

Her gut was inflamed so they operated on her abdomen, but found nothing.

She came home last night and drank some water, but not eaten.

She's on two meds - one anti-inflammatory and Ranittidene (sp?) as she is full of wind.

She spends her time hiding quietly in a corner and wants to be on her own (very out of character, but understandable at the moment).

She is still doing mini-retches, almost like an unproductive burp.

I slept downstairs with her last night and she had a few little wanders around and then settled down again.

Any ideas as to what may be causing this or what else to do? The vet's on standby to readmit her, but he doesn't have a clue as to the cause.

Help please!

Squiffy Sat 08-Sept-18 12:41:08

Forgot to mention that she'd 'performed' after six days of bowel inactivity! Hooray for Lactulose!

Isn't it amazing the things in life that can bring you such joy wink grin Must get out more. Must get out more. Must . . .

Scribbles Fri 07-Sept-18 22:53:04

So pleased to read this. I'd been hoping no news was good news. Well done, Fluff on starting to feed yourself once more. And well done, Squiffy for your love and perseverance. ?

phoenix Fri 07-Sept-18 22:45:24

It sounds as though progress has been made!

Sending every good wish that it continues!

xxxxx

Waterloosunset Fri 07-Sept-18 20:03:24

Hello Squiffy and Fluff. I’ve been catching up on all your news. I’ve cried, laughed, held my breath, let go of my breath, despaired, jumped for joy. And throughout, I have always hoped! Sending you both love, strength and wishing you well xxx

Squiffy Fri 07-Sept-18 19:18:03

Evening all!

Sorry I haven’t posted for a while. I’ve had so little sleep that I hardly know what day it is!

It’s been a rollercoaster since I last posted.

Had an emergency trip to Vet this week because the feeding tube had partially come out.

We saw the Vet again on Wednesday and, because of Fluff’s minimal improvement, we decided to give her another two weeks and see whether to continue.

Yesterday, I fed her via a syringe into her mouth, which went well.

Today we went to see the Nurse to check on the feeding tube. All OK, but I was feeling quite despairing about the future.

When we came home I thought I’d try and feed her from a spoon, so that she could lap the food up by herself. To my utter amazement, she polished off the lot as though she hadn’t been fed for a year! So her brain to mouth/tongue connection is back in working order.

So that’s cheered us up!

Still her legs to work on though. They just won’t co-operate sad

Blinko to answer your question - if I ask HQ to change the thread title, it may make it difficult for those who’ ve been following the thread to find it.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend. Thank you for sticking with us smile

Blinko Fri 07-Sept-18 18:41:57

If it's gone on this long, it's no longer urgent, surely....?

Jane10 Fri 07-Sept-18 16:32:38

How are things Squiffy?

petnanny1 Thu 06-Sept-18 13:53:09

Hi there,
I have just seen this thread and I hope that by now your cat is on the road to recovery.
I have worked with animals for the majority of my adult years and would urge you to seek another opinion.
There are even vets who specialise in cats and she may need further exploratory work done.
Best of luck

humptydumpty Fri 31-Aug-18 11:47:13

Very best wishes to you and Fluff for a happy and healthier future - and a lovely weekend smile

Squiffy Fri 31-Aug-18 10:34:02

Thank you again you lovely lot as soop would say!

I read through this whole thread yesterday and two things struck me:

Your kind words and cheering us on have made such a difference and are so appreciated smile

Secondly, I'd almost forgotten just how critically ill Fluff was at the beginning and how much she's improved. Initially, she couldn't even breathe on her own!

On a lighter note, she has made me laugh a couple of times. Her back legs did things on their own volition and, when she was lying down, one would go rigid and fling itself forward with its paw touching her ear. She was obviously aware of it, but couldn't move it herself. However, the last few days when it's been doing that, she's thought to herself that, as it was in a handy position, she may as well groom it!! So she's been giving it a quick wash and brush up grin

I'm collecting her early evening, so will be continuing the regime as before, I think. It wasn't until I was telling DD what was involved that I realised how full on it all is. No wonder I'm knackered!!

Hope you all have a good day, supposed to be good weather I think. sunshine

annodomini Thu 30-Aug-18 17:05:53

Squiffy, I'd been away last week and missed your reports on Fluff's progress. I hardly dared to hope for positive news. I hope she regains her sight, but if she doesn't all is not lost. My late ginger cat, Sandy, lost his sight suddenly and inexplicably but had a good life finding his way easily around the house and garden, streaking up the path and through the cat flap when he heard the tin opener. Cats are remarkably resilient, but I must congratulate Fluff (and you) on thus far managing to pull through what looked like overwhelming odds.

Scribbles Thu 30-Aug-18 16:26:54

I've never even met Fluff and I love her to bits! Another little piece of progress.

Enjoy your own mini-break, Squiffy, and SLEEP with a smile on your face.

Squiffy Thu 30-Aug-18 15:52:26

Thank you all smile

Fluff was cradled in my arms this morning - like a baby - and she looked me squarely in the eye (still not sure what, if anything, she can see, though) and I felt a movement. When I looked, she was stretching out her back legs, parallel with the floor, in a totally controlled way! Her back legs have been doing their own thing and usually end up waving around her ears uncontrollably.

Every time we think it's hopeless, she suddenly surprises us!

Hope she's enjoying her mini-break!

grandtanteJE65 Thu 30-Aug-18 13:54:36

Dear Squiffy, as long as Fluff is enjoying her life, which her purring indicates right now and is eating and drinking normally, well and good.

If the time comes when she isn't enjoying life any more, you will know, so will she, and she may, like my Storm just stop breathing in her sleep. Let's hope her recovery accelerates so fast, that you won't be in any doubt that she has stuck her claws into life and intends to live it for many years yet.

Sparklefizz Wed 29-Aug-18 12:30:29

Hi Squiffy, You must be shattered. Hope you can get some sleep during the respite care.

You have done everything you possibly can ... and more ... and given Fluff all the love in the world to get her through this. I hope you don't have to make that dreadful decision that we pet lovers always dread, but vets usually have the animal's best interests as priority, even when it breaks the family's heart, and so your vet's advice will be paramount although they don't actually like to tell you what to do as the choice has to be the owner's.

When it was my own lovely boy, the vet was so kind and caring and sweet that it took me a few minutes to understand the message she was trying to get across. In the end we were both in tears.

Fingers crossed that your vet will feel that Fluff has turned the corner and that eventually all will be well.

flowers for you and (((hugs)))
xx

Jane10 Wed 29-Aug-18 12:24:12

What a sad situation for you Squiffy. The others are right. You need a good rest in order to consider options.

Squiffy Wed 29-Aug-18 11:26:22

Thank you, too, Scribbles, I think you're right about sleeping, that's partly why I decided to go for the offer of respite.

Fluff does just enough to get our hopes up!

Squiffy Wed 29-Aug-18 11:23:49

Thank you Humpty. I know what you mean, but her purring is appropriate in the sense that it's always when something nice is being done to her or we talk to her.

Hilda The Vet and, especially the Nurses, deserve the credit, they've been wonderful.

Yesterday, I wondered if the Nurses who'd been caring for her would come and visit her during the appointment with the Nurse and, sure enough, they all came in to join us! A proper lump in the throat moment! How lucky we've been smile

HildaW Wed 29-Aug-18 11:16:21

Sqiffy, such a lot for you to cope with. Fluff could not have found anyone more caring than you. All the best and whatever happens you have been magnificent....and your Vets of course.

humptydumpty Wed 29-Aug-18 11:14:42

I'm so sorry to hear about your poor puss, you must feel terrible.

I don't want to make you feel worse, but I'm thinking about how difficult you're finding this because Fluff is purring when cuddled. There is something called 'inappropriate purring' which cats sometimes do when ill - this from Pets at Home:

www.pets4homes.co.uk/pet-advice/inappropriate-purring-in-cats.html

Scribbles Wed 29-Aug-18 10:44:38

Oh, poor you and poor Fluff. If you can get some sleep while she's at the vet hospital, it may help you to feel a little more balanced and able to think clearly but, obviously, a very difficult time as she's come so far and you've together achieved so much. I can only offer (((hugs))) to you and strokes to her as you grapple with impossible choices.

Squiffy Wed 29-Aug-18 10:17:18

Update from visit to Nurse yesterday.

Although Fluff is improving, it looks as though her sight is still affected, which may now be permanent. sad

She's getting stronger, but I really don't know if we're doing the right thing carrying on.

She's still displaying constant signs of nausea, which must be rotten.

It makes it so much harder when she will keep purring whenever you go near her or cuddle and stroke her, it builds our hopes up.

I'm trying desperately hard to separate my emotions from considering her future well-being, and failing miserably.

Fluff's going back to the Vet's tomorrow for a day and night's respite, I'm exhausted. Not having much sleep has caught up with me!

Sorry that this is such a dismal post, I think I just needed to vent.

Even the weather's bloody miserable today!

sunshine sunshine sunshine

seacliff Sat 25-Aug-18 17:19:01

Very happy for you both, hope she continues to improve, she must be so happy to be home. I wonder what on earth happened to her. Good luck and a big stroke and fuss for Fluffy.

ginny Sat 25-Aug-18 17:11:39

??

Sparklefizz Sat 25-Aug-18 16:42:36

What lovely news, Squiffy. You will both feel much better now and I'm sure she will flourish while you are playing nurse. Good luck with those night feeds though! x