@Dr. Christina @Dr. Jean Hofve @Dr. Jeff
My male cat came with the name "Punkin," but we often call him Punk. Lately, he's Punkin because he doesn't have the energy to be a punk...We rescued him from a colleague that died at home. This was a huge trauma because when one dies at home, police come. Punkin hid when the police came and was alone for 2-3 weeks and nobody knows how he survived. He was likley about 6ish or so when we adopted him, and when we took him to the vet discovered he'd never been neutered and he had terrible teeth. So, he was neutered and had some teeth removed. I can't remember, actually, if we were "forced" to vaccinate him or not, I think I refused, but I'm not sure at this point, I'm not home where my records are. Which brings me to possible toxins - I left my apt. 3 years ago because hidden mold was making me sick - I'm still recovering and I did a mycotoxin test on Punk and it was pretty clear.
He has recently been diagnosed with high grade lymphoma, which I know is quite a grave prognosis. This all happened so fast and during a time that was over the top stressful and busy - in court with landlord over the mold, among many other things, so I just took him my a regular vet that I knew before I'd moved - over an hour away though, because he was the only vet that could contain him. He went two rounds of the CHOP protocol and after that I insisted on another ultra sound to see if there was any improvement. In fact, it had spread from the liver to the spleen. He was also on prednisilone, and jjust read that I shouldn't have had him on that during chemo.
Just prior to this diagnosis, he had 2 bladder infections (I have to think all this could be related to stress in my life and sadly, in my marriage in response to all that was going on) Being treated by a regular ol' vet, he was put on antibiotics. In the last year, he also got constipated and for a while would go out of the box. At first I thought it could be some acting out, but after a long relaxed, loving day at home he'd go to the bathroom in another room. He'd often start in the box, but I think he was uncomfortable and he associated the litter box with discomfort. The vet recommended Miralax. I stopped that because lately, as I've been giving him probiotics, it's better and he goes in the box.
Finally, historically, in 2018 he got sick (very shortly after we got him) this was the summary from a vet I took him to -
What the ultrasonographer found was inflammation of the liver (hepatitis) and gallbladder/bile ducts (cholecystitis/choledochitis). There is mineralization accumulation in the bile ducts (cholecystolilthiasis), fortunately no large stones were seen and there was no gallbladder obstruction. They also noted some inflammation in the small intestine, suspicious of inflammatory bowel disease.
The final diagnosis is: cholangiohepatitis and inflammatory bowel disease. Fortunately everything else within the abdomen was normal.
To treat these two diseases in cats, we typically reach for two antibiotics for potential infectious causes of liver and gallbladder inflammation(Amoxicillin/Clavulanic acid and Metronidazole), a steroid to decrease inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract (prednisolone), as well as liver supplements (Ursodeoxycholic acid, aka Ursodiol, which helps to increase bile flow, reduce inflammation, and decrease scar tissue formation AND SAMe, aka Denamarin, which is an antioxidant to support liver healing).
Additionally, IBD can be associated with a food sensitivity to the meat protein (i.e. commonly chicken, beef, pork, and fish), so a diet change is recommended. The gold standard for food sensitivities is to use a hydrolyzed diet, which means that the proteins in the diet are broken down into such small pieces that they do not cause allergic reactions in the gastrointestinal tract to cause inflammation. These diets are made by Hill's (z/d), Royal Canin (HP), and Purina (HA). If Punkin is a picky eater, we can try a novel protein instead, which can be a good alternative in some cases. Novel proteins are protein sources that Punkin has not been exposed to before. This can include rabbit, duck, lamb, even kangaroo. There are prescription diets (also by Hill's and Royal Canin), but there are also over-the-counter diets too. Over-the-counter diets are not as highly recommended because they might contain trace amounts of proteins that cause allergic reactions in some cats. However, they can be as beneficial as prescription diets in some cases. The companies that make limited ingredient diets include: Natural Balance, Merrick, Instinct, Blue, Zignature, Canidae, etc.
I wound up feeding him Royal Canin Rabbit and Danamarin and he did well for years until just recently. Since his diagnosis, I've tried raw beef, lightly steamed beef which he loves for a couple of bites and then he stops.
I'm giving him NHV ES Clear, Animal Essentials Mushroom Defense, BioV Clarity Cancer AM and PM and finally BioV Clarity, Food for liver and kidney. I'd had a consult with a homeopathic vet and he prescribed these things after I told him (much to his dismay, I think) that I was going to go ahead with chemo. He had no idea how much I should give, and he told me to call the company and I didn't get a call back from that company...I've also been chopping up and liquifiying some Vetri Science Senior Mulitvitamins and well as a little vit. B complex (bluebonnet stress B complex) - 1/32 of teaspoon and Jarrow Formula jarrow-dophilus EPS - spread out over his meals during the day.
I really have no idea what I'm doing, and tonight he's not eating and slightly wobbly, but he went through a day like that a couple of weeks ago and I took him to an emergency vet at 6am thinking it could be the end, but he perked up and rallied and has been eating well since and been fairly perky for a cat with lymphoma - I'd also been feeding him Weruva Lamb, but he's lost his taste for that and doesn't eat much of the beef. He seems to like a particular chicken dish, and I always said at the end, he could eat whatever he wanted, food allergies be damned. Tonight he really doesn't feel well, but is still seeking my comfort and not hiding. He stopped being playful about 2 months ago, but still loves his organic catnip and being pet and loved. He loves his caves and going under blankets, so I hung a blanket over the coffee table for a cave like atmosphere...
So, I've sort of been flying blind and could use some guidance regarding any possible treatments, what I should feed him or anything else! I don't have a holistic vet and don't really know how to best help him. I read about Nate the Cat - have you read this? Incurable to Cancer-Free in One Year: How Nate-the-Cat Survived High Grade Lymphoma - Love of a Cat
Also wondering about in home euthanasia as opposed to bringing him in when the time is right.
Sorry for this very long post and thanks for taking the time to read this.
My male cat came with the name "Punkin," but we often call him Punk. Lately, he's Punkin because he doesn't have the energy to be a punk...We rescued him from a colleague that died at home. This was a huge trauma because when one dies at home, police come. Punkin hid when the police came and was alone for 2-3 weeks and nobody knows how he survived. He was likley about 6ish or so when we adopted him, and when we took him to the vet discovered he'd never been neutered and he had terrible teeth. So, he was neutered and had some teeth removed. I can't remember, actually, if we were "forced" to vaccinate him or not, I think I refused, but I'm not sure at this point, I'm not home where my records are. Which brings me to possible toxins - I left my apt. 3 years ago because hidden mold was making me sick - I'm still recovering and I did a mycotoxin test on Punk and it was pretty clear.
He has recently been diagnosed with high grade lymphoma, which I know is quite a grave prognosis. This all happened so fast and during a time that was over the top stressful and busy - in court with landlord over the mold, among many other things, so I just took him my a regular vet that I knew before I'd moved - over an hour away though, because he was the only vet that could contain him. He went two rounds of the CHOP protocol and after that I insisted on another ultra sound to see if there was any improvement. In fact, it had spread from the liver to the spleen. He was also on prednisilone, and jjust read that I shouldn't have had him on that during chemo.
Just prior to this diagnosis, he had 2 bladder infections (I have to think all this could be related to stress in my life and sadly, in my marriage in response to all that was going on) Being treated by a regular ol' vet, he was put on antibiotics. In the last year, he also got constipated and for a while would go out of the box. At first I thought it could be some acting out, but after a long relaxed, loving day at home he'd go to the bathroom in another room. He'd often start in the box, but I think he was uncomfortable and he associated the litter box with discomfort. The vet recommended Miralax. I stopped that because lately, as I've been giving him probiotics, it's better and he goes in the box.
Finally, historically, in 2018 he got sick (very shortly after we got him) this was the summary from a vet I took him to -
What the ultrasonographer found was inflammation of the liver (hepatitis) and gallbladder/bile ducts (cholecystitis/choledochitis). There is mineralization accumulation in the bile ducts (cholecystolilthiasis), fortunately no large stones were seen and there was no gallbladder obstruction. They also noted some inflammation in the small intestine, suspicious of inflammatory bowel disease.
The final diagnosis is: cholangiohepatitis and inflammatory bowel disease. Fortunately everything else within the abdomen was normal.
To treat these two diseases in cats, we typically reach for two antibiotics for potential infectious causes of liver and gallbladder inflammation(Amoxicillin/Clavulanic acid and Metronidazole), a steroid to decrease inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract (prednisolone), as well as liver supplements (Ursodeoxycholic acid, aka Ursodiol, which helps to increase bile flow, reduce inflammation, and decrease scar tissue formation AND SAMe, aka Denamarin, which is an antioxidant to support liver healing).
Additionally, IBD can be associated with a food sensitivity to the meat protein (i.e. commonly chicken, beef, pork, and fish), so a diet change is recommended. The gold standard for food sensitivities is to use a hydrolyzed diet, which means that the proteins in the diet are broken down into such small pieces that they do not cause allergic reactions in the gastrointestinal tract to cause inflammation. These diets are made by Hill's (z/d), Royal Canin (HP), and Purina (HA). If Punkin is a picky eater, we can try a novel protein instead, which can be a good alternative in some cases. Novel proteins are protein sources that Punkin has not been exposed to before. This can include rabbit, duck, lamb, even kangaroo. There are prescription diets (also by Hill's and Royal Canin), but there are also over-the-counter diets too. Over-the-counter diets are not as highly recommended because they might contain trace amounts of proteins that cause allergic reactions in some cats. However, they can be as beneficial as prescription diets in some cases. The companies that make limited ingredient diets include: Natural Balance, Merrick, Instinct, Blue, Zignature, Canidae, etc.
I wound up feeding him Royal Canin Rabbit and Danamarin and he did well for years until just recently. Since his diagnosis, I've tried raw beef, lightly steamed beef which he loves for a couple of bites and then he stops.
I'm giving him NHV ES Clear, Animal Essentials Mushroom Defense, BioV Clarity Cancer AM and PM and finally BioV Clarity, Food for liver and kidney. I'd had a consult with a homeopathic vet and he prescribed these things after I told him (much to his dismay, I think) that I was going to go ahead with chemo. He had no idea how much I should give, and he told me to call the company and I didn't get a call back from that company...I've also been chopping up and liquifiying some Vetri Science Senior Mulitvitamins and well as a little vit. B complex (bluebonnet stress B complex) - 1/32 of teaspoon and Jarrow Formula jarrow-dophilus EPS - spread out over his meals during the day.
I really have no idea what I'm doing, and tonight he's not eating and slightly wobbly, but he went through a day like that a couple of weeks ago and I took him to an emergency vet at 6am thinking it could be the end, but he perked up and rallied and has been eating well since and been fairly perky for a cat with lymphoma - I'd also been feeding him Weruva Lamb, but he's lost his taste for that and doesn't eat much of the beef. He seems to like a particular chicken dish, and I always said at the end, he could eat whatever he wanted, food allergies be damned. Tonight he really doesn't feel well, but is still seeking my comfort and not hiding. He stopped being playful about 2 months ago, but still loves his organic catnip and being pet and loved. He loves his caves and going under blankets, so I hung a blanket over the coffee table for a cave like atmosphere...
So, I've sort of been flying blind and could use some guidance regarding any possible treatments, what I should feed him or anything else! I don't have a holistic vet and don't really know how to best help him. I read about Nate the Cat - have you read this? Incurable to Cancer-Free in One Year: How Nate-the-Cat Survived High Grade Lymphoma - Love of a Cat
Also wondering about in home euthanasia as opposed to bringing him in when the time is right.
Sorry for this very long post and thanks for taking the time to read this.
And while I told him why he really needed to poop, I gently rubbed his belly, which was sure distended and not as soft as it should be. I spent a lot of time with him tonight and he purred a lot. Then I decided to just put him in the litter box. He tried, but nothing. The second time I put him in he stood for a minute, then assumed the position and, voila. Then a bit more in the living room, but hey, I'm not complaining. The then threw up a tiny amount...
