- Hi -

NB. I have already spent £130 on vets bills and will struggle to find more this week!

My old female cat has swelling equally on both sides of her abdomen starting just behind the ribcage. She is off her food (but I would say more because she is finding eating/drinking either not easy or feels full with the pressure on her stomach) and appears to be loosing weight, but was quite skinny to start with.

I have had blood-tests done by the the vet and they have come back clear (annoyingly, sort of, as I believe it's serious/chronic). Also, after a week of noticing it she is showing no signs of being unhappy, just lacking energy (didn't have much to start with) and appears to be having trouble getting comfortable and usually looks splayed legged when sitting (I guess due to the weight of her abdomen).

I am aware she is an old cat and as I've already shelled out more than I can really afford on bloods, etc I am reticent to expend more on Xrays, especially (and I've looked at the most likely candidates - Heart disease/Liver disease) if the only treatment (if any) will be long. This is my first cat that has not been a family (ie. my parents) cat and I am certain that they would, coming from a different generation, not have hesitated to put her down in these circumstances - At the end of the day I just want her to have a reasonable standard of life (she's purring right now!) until the time comes. - I will still be heartbroken though!

*I understand advice here will come without any guarantees but I ultimately think it is best to weigh up her odds this way rather than continued visits to the vets that are stressful for her and expensive (and stressy) for me.


Thank you!

it sounds like fluid - but I'm not a vet and I can't diagnose these things. I would recommend an Xray next - and then after that see how it goes. How old is she?

Also cats purr not only when happy but also when in pain, stressed or needing reassurance. If she isn't eating or drinking then she really does need to be seen by the vet again and he/she can discuss the full options with you.

__________________
please look at my website - www.finesthourcats.webs.com - for gorgeous GCCF registered RagaMuffins and Selkirk Rex

The vet estimate was 15+ - she's a rescue cat & I never knew for sure



Interesting about the purring - I felt she was looking for reassurance recently.

Actually she has eaten fairly well today and seems a bit perkier, but obviously I'm not holding my breath.

Mostly I am just looking for educated guesses on her condition - I'm thinking it is most likely to be heart disease, but that's just based on what I read.

Surely any liver problems would show up in a blood test, but only your Vet can give you a proper diagnosis and I'm sure no one here would be able to give a definitive answer.

Could you ask your vet to do an x-ray and agree some sort of payment plan - he knows you have already paid out for other tests so hopefully would see you are genuine. Have you a Blue Cross or PDSA nearby that you could use?

__________________
Kaz

For kittens, joy is for the asking and smiles are for the giving

I have looked at PDSA and there is one pretty near but not being on any benefits it seems they can not help.

Re: Liver issues - I agree that the blood test would seem to rule that out. I'd say there's some sense to suggest that Heart Disease is the culprit and wouldn't necessarily show up in bloods.

is she speyed? I was thinking maybe pyometra if she hasn't been.... Other than that I don't know but will agree that purring when in pain is definitely correct as my girlie purred all the way through labour!

Did the vet tell you what she/he suspects is the cause? They should be able to distinguish between fluid ( it could well even be a fluid filled cyst ) or more solid masses. Given the uniformity my hunch is fluid related. Actually it's a good sign that all the blood results came back as normal-shows that all the other organs are healthy.How is her breathing?

Regarding liver readings - actually liver problems do not show up on blood tests until more extensive damage has occurred. However, if the cause was liver-related I would have expected this to be reflected in the readings.

Given that your poor cat does sound uncomfortable and her condition could well get worse ie put pressure on other vital organs etc without any intervention, I would speak to your vet about a payment plan. An X-ray will tell you more. You never know it may well be something that's easily remedied.

Yes - he identified some fluid in the abdomen with his stethoscope.
Her breathing seems normal as far as I can tell. I thought her heartrate seemed a little elevated when picked her up yesterday, but I was holding in an odd way (1 hand under her ribcage and 1 under her bottom) to avoid placing any pressure on her abdomen.

Thank you - that's of some comfort.

Yes - I think this is the way to go too.
He may be more forthcoming than I expect.

- Thanks -

Free-fluid? Unless her breathing ( or coughing ) was affected with normal activity I would be very surprised to hear it's heart-related. Did the vet offer to draw off any of the fluid for testing as this in itself could help to pinpoint the cause. It's also possible to remove some to relieve the pressure on other organs as well, if necessary or where breathing is compromised.

Some vets are definitely very open to payment plans and it's certainly worth approaching yours.

Good luck with it and let us know how it goes!