My cat is costing a fortune and still don't know what's wrong

[weebarney]

My cat who is a female and neutered out of the blue 4 weeks ago started bringing her food up, we put it down to my daughter being a pest while she was trying to eat so we kept them separate but instead the cat wouldn't eat. We tried all sorts of food but no she wouldn't have it. Went to vets who gave her appetite jabs and antibiotics etc. Cat ate and kept food down but would stop eating again the next day. She had blood tests which apparently gave no cause for concern then x rays on her back end as she started limping. Vet announced it was a fractured pelvis which was causing the limp and making her loose her appetite.
Limp has improved but appetite is still non existent and breathing is now laboured so they then suspected it was a ruptured diaphragm pressing on her lungs. However after a chest x ray they now say it's not her diaphragm it's heart problems. I have to go back today to hear what these problems are. I don't actually believe they definitely know what it is rather just clutching at straws. I have spent over £400 without actually hearing what is wrong, has anyone heard of cats with similar symptoms ?
It's driving me mad I must have made around 10 different visits to the vet.

 

[suestowford]

Not exactly the same but a couple of years ago we had a whole load of blood tests done on our cat who couldn't keep her food down. All tests were negative so the vet said it must be cancer as we'd ruled out everything else. I thought it was stress-related (very stressy cat and easily Upset). Vet said, try these steroid pills, so I did and they worked. I still have the cat

 

[SusieT]

I'd probably get a second opinion which might involve xray, contrast study plus or minus an endosope-vets seem to be clutching at straws.

 

[ester]

hmm, not sure if this helps (and it depends on the limp being separate).

Our chap started to get very bad appetite wise (although he lives outdoors so we didn't notice straight away) and have laboured breathing (initially put down to it being warm).

Chest xrays indicated heart disease and he has been pretty much fine for the last 3/4 years- much more than the usual lifespan post diagnosis on heart meds (forticor maybe) and diuretics (furosemide).

 

[weebarney]

Ok so husband just back from vets again and they say she has holes in her heart that would have been there from birth but are now causing problems. She is on diuretics and has to go back Monday. Her heart is enlarged and being put under strain so we don't know how long she will last.

 

[weebarney]

hmm, not sure if this helps (and it depends on the limp being separate).

Our chap started to get very bad appetite wise (although he lives outdoors so we didn't notice straight away) and have laboured breathing (initially put down to it being warm).

Chest xrays indicated heart disease and he has been pretty much fine for the last 3/4 years- much more than the usual lifespan post diagnosis on heart meds (forticor maybe) and diuretics (furosemide).

Sounds very similar symptoms to yours ester. Does your cat eat and breath ok now ?

 

[ester]

Yes and yes- it did take a couple of weeks to see any significant difference though iirc and we had some dosing problems (had a liquid med to start with that didn't go down well!), he has turned into a right tubber -having always been a bit of a small skinny thing before (inbred farm cat). Has continued to live in the barn through 2 lots of snow winters etc, catches the odd small furry- You really wouldn't know.

Mum does occasionally point out that she was supposed to only be paying for meds for 6 months before he left us and he is still here - she loves him really though and he is still v. good about his tablets.

This would have been a couple of years after diagnosis.

 

[weebarney]

I feel awful because the cat is now on furosemide and still not eating, just drinking loads. She's only been on the meds for 3 days now but she gets really upset about getting the tablets shoved in her mouth. I'm starting to think are we just making her last days even worse?
We are currently debating whether to take her back to vets on an emergency appointment and ask for an appetite stimulant or whether to call it a day

 

[Zero00000]

Very sorry to hear it isnt working, Only you can make that call,

Thoughts are with you

 

[Jnhuk]

Hugs. It is never easy.

Have you tried all the normal tricks with the tablets? My old girl really disliked getting tablets and we had been shown the proper way to do it with towel but it was stressing her out. In the end, a little bit of butter was our saviour.

 

[weebarney]

Thank you, we have been putting it in butter but she's very crafty and even though I hold her mouth shut she managed to push it out between her teeth, we got told to syringe some water in her mouth too to help it go down and she hates that as well.
I feel awful as we haven't gave her any medication today, it feels like we are giving up on her but we seem to be coming to the agreement that tomorrow she won't come home again so don't want her last day to be horrible.
2 minutes later I start to change my mind and think I SHOULD be giving her her tablets as tomorrow she might pick up and start eating.
We have rang 2 vets about an appointment today and they want £200 which is crazy.
I'm in such an awful place today 😥

 

[hackneylass2]

Sorry to hear of your problems with puss. Why do the two vets want £200? If I were you I would go to another vet as to me the initial diagnoses - broken pelvis, ruptured diaphragm sounds lie an RTA injury. I hope you can get puss better with help of a good vet.