Ok this might be a long post but I want to try to get everything down

At present I live in Thailand, with my 2 cats and dog. Over Christmas we were back in the UK for 2 weeks and when we came back one of our cats was very thin. We took him to the vets and he had lost 1.5kg and you can feel all his bones. The vets did a blood test as he didn't have a fever or any external signs of why he might have lost weight. The results came back with abnormal liver results but everything else was within normal levels and as he is an indoor cat he hasn't got heartworm nor blood parasites. So for two weeks I have to syringe feed him something called Petty Gel for his liver and also syringe feed him food 2x a day. I have to take him in to be rehydrated.

So now after 2 weeks the vet has taken more bloods and his liver function results are now much lower but still a little high (134 was the number I think- down from 169) but now his white blood count was through the roof 64,000+ but still no fever. The vet now says I need to take him in for the next 7 days for an antibiotic injection as it is too extreme for tablets.

Now my Thai is non existant and his English is basic so he can't answer some of my questions. So is there anybody here who has any idea what is wrong with my cat and what I might expect. My worry is here the vet treatments are basic so I am unsure what my next move might be.

Thank you for reading this far and any help would be gratefully received

Sorry to hear about your cat. How is he now?

Good to hear the liver enzymes have lowered. Do you know which ones were elevated and what medications he responded to?

Extremely high white cells like this generally point to severe infection or inflammation ( again it depends on which ones are elevated-there are a few ) though in some cases unfortunately, it can also be a sign of cancer or leukaemia as well. Without more info it's very hard to be more specific. Has he had vaccinations for FeLV? Think you need to look for an Eng speaking vet practice.

Incidentally, it is possible for an indoor cat to get heartworm since it's transmitted by mosquitoes.

Well he is responding to the antibiotic injections and seems happier in himself. He is also showing an interest in food although not eating very much.

Unfortunately the results only showed the 'normal' range and Cookie's actual range and they didn't break it down into different enzymes or wbc. He is up to date with all his vaccinations so I am hoping it can't be FeLV in this case?

I did not make myself very clear, he was tested for heartworm and blood parasites, both carried by mosquitoes and he was clear for these. I just think because he is an indoor cat who never leaves the bedrooms which are protected by mosquito killers it would be unlikely for it to be either of these. My dog has heart worm tablets as she is more likely to contract this as she is outside more often.

I am hoping after this week his results will be ok otherwise it will be a long trip to the Vet Uni clinic where hopefully the English will be better.

Thank you for your reply and I am more relaxed having more idea what it could be than being completely clueless with nobody to ask!

I meant what medication for the liver was he responding to. Not familiar with Petty Gel. Was he jaundiced in the beginning? Cats with heartworm can be thought as you say it sounds unlikely. Liver values are only elevated with advanced 'disease'.

If he's responding to the antibiotics then infection sounds likely though must be rather severe given the very high readings-though lab error may also be responsible-again it depends of which cell is elevated as one in particular is indicative or allergy or inflammation. Odd though he had no temperature so maybe just severe inflammation as opposed to infection but where I wonder since the liver readings have improved.

Hope he continues to do well!

They did not give him any medication for the liver problem just Petty Gel which is a food supplement. Basically it says on the tube 'Petty gel formula with advantage for Pets which have liver disorder and protein insufficiency. Petty gel contains several essential vitamins and a group of amino acids which benefit liver function.' But nothing else.

After 4 days of antibiotic injections I did think Cookie would be much better but he isn't. He is more mobile now, walking around and jumping onto the bed but still not eating. I put the food infront of him and he just sniffs it and has a lew licks then leaves it

My thoughts are now cancer- dramatic weight loss and high wbc but will wait to see what the next blood test says. This is driving me mad as I need to get their rabies antibody blood tests done for possible relocation back home but while he is unwell I am putting it off. Trouble is it has to be 3 months before and the bloods have to be sent to Hong Kong.

Thanks for your help!

I'm glad to hear he's more mobile. Actually the relucatance to eat could well be caused by nausea ( this is quite common with liver conditions if this is the case but it's all we can go on for now ) or the antibiotics or a combination of both. Once this is addressed then his appetite should improve. The vet could prescribe an anti-nausea med. Apprearing to want food but refusing is a classic sign.Any vomiting?

It's really important he eats so I would syringe feed him to help kick start his appetite after the nausea has been treated. Otherwise you could risk food aversion.

The next step would be an ultrasound. Did the vet notice anything on physical examination? Obviously the sooner you have a definitive diagnosis the better.Incidentally do you think he could have ingested anything toxic in your absence? I assume his appetite was poor hence the weight loss.

He has also become more vocal, he is quite a noisy cat normally and yesterday he was 'calling' for attention. He has the loudest, weirdest meow I have ever heard and sometimes he will just sit and shout until somebody comes to see him.

He has not vomited at all (although my other cat has ) and nausea sounds about right so I will ask the vet today if they can give him anything. They have never said they have felt anything on examination and have said everything appears normal, gums, eyes, temperature, physical exam and I imagine they would as they try to tell me everything, with varying success rates.

I don't think he has ingested anything whilst we were away, he tends not to leave my bedroom which has definitely got nothing in. But obviously I can't say for sure. The only thing that was different was we rescued a kitten and nursed it back to health and she was living here. She did torment Cookie and he found it very stressful so I kept them seperated as much as possible but I am not sure the pet sitter would have been so vigilant. Could stress have caused any of these symptoms?

Mishka has since been found a loving home and is no longer with us, we only have Cookie and Belle (who we had 1st) but he doesn't like having Belle near him which is not like him at all, poor thing

How was his appetite in your absence? Given the significant weight loss in such a short space of time I'm now wondering about hepatic lipidosis. This can happen in cats who experience rapid weight loss brought on by not eating and overweight ones are more prone. Basically all the fat 'processed' by the liver interferes with it's normal function. Is he eating any better now? Following the anti-nausea med I'd feed him small portions little and often if necessary by syringe. In severe cases of HL ( he does sound as if he's recovering though ) they have to be tube fed.