where is the fluid in the abdomen, in the cavity (which would be rather bad)or in the bowels/organs?

could it be a bowel blockage? neeps has this, every time she eats (doesn't matter how much/little she eats) she gets a swollen belly where the food/water sits, this is usually on one side,but i suppose it depends on where the food is stopping (same place each time for her).
She, of course, thinks she's still hungry and wants more, so we have to keep an eye on what she is eating. she's a very thirsty cat.
She was checked out by the vets and given an stool softener and low and behold she was fine for about a week after that. She still gets it but we at least know it's nothing life threatening we just have to monitor her food intake.
might be worth asking the vet if it's that?

also ianthi, would an mri not be better than an xray if it's soft tissue related?

OP get cat insurance, all of this would have been paid for by that. You might still be able to cover this condition if you get it soon, but you'll have to check with the insurer and let them know she has a pre-existing condition which hasn't been diagnosed yet (the sooner you do it the more likely you are to get money back for it).
it's not expensive ours are £13 a month, considering all but two cats (of 5) have needed vet treatment costing a minimum of £700 it's well worth it.

__________________
This is not a game of 'who the fek are you'.

Not a single gram of fek shall be given today.

Unfortunately, I think For Daisy will find it hard to get pet insurance for a cat who's 15+. When I still lived in the UK, the upper age limit was 8, until I really dug deep and found one that had an upper age of 10. It cost loads more to insure my older cat than my younger cat, but was still worth it. 15+ will be pushing it though, methinks

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http://catscanjump.blogspot.com

Wendy, mum to:
Simba von Wurzbachtal, Turkish Van, born Austria, 5/9/10

RIP
Tarka, 1989 - 2008 my gentle Phileas Fogg
Bruno, 2008 - 2010 taken too soon my darling boy
Misi, 1993 - 25/3/2012 My brave, beautiful tabby

Animal Friends insurance did life-time cover for Sooty, at £18.63 a month. They were good, quick to settle and didn't quibble. When he passed away they even sent me a letter offering their condolences, and stopped the direct debit etc for me so I didn't have to do a thing!

Ems x

__________________
Mummy to;

Sooty 9.6.1996 - 28.04.2011 Rest in peace my love!
Storm (Sueragdandy Phantom) 28.02.2010
Benji (Kassaro Benjamin Franklyn) 08.03.2011

That sounds good, but how old was he when he was signed up?

My sister has just got 2 kittens, so I'll pass that info onto her

__________________
http://catscanjump.blogspot.com

Wendy, mum to:
Simba von Wurzbachtal, Turkish Van, born Austria, 5/9/10

RIP
Tarka, 1989 - 2008 my gentle Phileas Fogg
Bruno, 2008 - 2010 taken too soon my darling boy
Misi, 1993 - 25/3/2012 My brave, beautiful tabby

What type of blockage do Neeps have then?

Well, the OP wished to keep costs down so hence the X-ray firstly though I'd recommend analysying the fluid primarily. I wouldn't go as far as an MRI as an ultra-sound would tell the vets anything the X-ray didn't!

i was thinking soft tissue so x-ray wouldn't always show stuff up well enough, didn't think of ultrascan. possibly best to ask for this rather than xray? would be cheaper again, no?

dunno what's up with neeps, she just gets a blockage whenever she eats. docs have investigated but couldn't find anything abnormal. she's just abit unlucky i think as she also has allergies. reckon this and her 'poo-cat' status is why she was abandoned (she often has a smelly bum, linked to her blocked bowel no doubt, so bad it stinks anything her bum touches up for hours and needs washed.. the stuff not her bum obviously).

doesn't stop her eating, but does mean picking her up or stroking her more than 3 times, poking and prodding is a no-no, apparently she did death-rolls when she was in for investigation and ate through her drip tube. i'm surprised there's not a claxon at the vets for when she comes in to warn everyone neeps is in the house!
we pick the best rescue cats!! lol

anyway OP hope you have some luck with kitty. sorry missed the age bit in your post, but hope you manage to get her insured.

__________________
This is not a game of 'who the fek are you'.

Not a single gram of fek shall be given today.

Signed up when he just turned 14!

__________________
Mummy to;

Sooty 9.6.1996 - 28.04.2011 Rest in peace my love!
Storm (Sueragdandy Phantom) 28.02.2010
Benji (Kassaro Benjamin Franklyn) 08.03.2011

Thanks for all your advice...

Unfortunately it may be academic now as she (Daisy is her name BTW) wanted to go out at 6ish, about an hour before I got up and though this isn't unusual she hasn't reappeared since (normally -esp. recently- she doesn't stray far from the backdoor). I returned home after being out for a few hours to hopefully find her waiting but she is still missing.

I don;t know what to think yet, but I suspect (and in an odd way, hope) that if she had taken a turn for the worst, she would go off to find a place to slip away (as cats apparently do).

Of course I could be jumping the gun but she is (was) very fixed in her routine now.

You lucky girlie! How times have changed since Tarka's day. I'm so glad insurance companies are being more realistic these days. I mean 8, past it??? Tarka lived to the ripe old age of 19!

__________________
http://catscanjump.blogspot.com

Wendy, mum to:
Simba von Wurzbachtal, Turkish Van, born Austria, 5/9/10

RIP
Tarka, 1989 - 2008 my gentle Phileas Fogg
Bruno, 2008 - 2010 taken too soon my darling boy
Misi, 1993 - 25/3/2012 My brave, beautiful tabby

i hope Daisy is just stretching her legs and returns soon (miraculously cured).

good luck, hugs.

__________________
This is not a game of 'who the fek are you'.

Not a single gram of fek shall be given today.