Pauline saw the vet yesterday...results are in

I took Pauline to the vet yesterday...the best vet at my general-practice clinic in my small town
(not the cat specialist I used to take Smokey to).

Vet thinks she is about 10 years old, but it is hard to tell at this point until she puts on a
little weight. She still walks wobbly...this could be arthritis, or muscle weakness.

Her teeth and ears look good...also no fleas.

One of her eyes is a little runny...but not infected, just watery.
Giving eye ointment anyway just in case.

Verbal report from vet about lab results, briefly:
CBC good...normal blood counts
ALT & AST mildly elevated (liver function)...vet not worried yet.
Thyroid 'good' at 1.3
USG 'good' at 1.040
Negative for FIV, FeLV
Negative for fecal parasites.

Vet aspirated the lump on her neck...results not in yet.
But vet says feels like a cyst.

Vet says she should weigh about 8#.
She weighed 3# 9oz at the vet....up from 3# 3oz three days earlier when
I found her.

Vet gave 60 cc LRS SubQ fluids....must have helped her feel better because
Pauline was giving herself a bath at home 2 hours later.

Vet sent me home with a free 500ml bag of LRS.

Only Problem we have now are Pauline's poopies...which are either very runny
or hard as rocks. She strained over a period of 1-1/2 hours this am to poop a couple
of marble-sized pellets. Surrounded by runny stuff...dark olive green.

If I break one of her poopies open, it is black inside and like pulverized charcoal.

So, will be giving 1/8tsp miralax bid with added water to food. Hope things improve
in a couple of days.

Pauline eats like a horse, likes to lay on my chest when I recline, has found the
pillow on the guest bed (her room).

 

what a wonderful report. you go Pauline

 

oh fantastic report!

does that mean you will be keeping her?

 

Pauline's 'found' ad will appear in the Newspaper on June 9.

She is a keeper, but Sophie Sue, the Princess Terrorist would probably
terrorize Pauline. Pauline is de-clawed, frail, and defenseless against
Sophie, who is a 1-1/2 year old Tasmanian Devil. She already fights with
Tommy, who is twice Sophie's size.

So....we're taking it one step at a time....first trying to find her family.
She has apparently been well taken-care-of so I'm hoping they are looking for
her. I have 'found cat' fliers to pass around the neighborhood.

Next step would be to try to find a home for her. She would probably do best
in a quiet one-cat household. She would make a good cat for an older person,
or even a therapy cat...she loves everybody.

Right now I want to see how this poopie issue resolves...it could be (worst case)
the constipation form of IBD, and perhaps a reason she could have been dumped.

She is having some trouble keeping her poopies in the box. I'm hoping it will resolve
when/if it becomes easier for her to eliminate. She goes to the box, and when
she can't perform, she leaves the box. Then it suddenly comes over her and she squats
to poop wherever she is. Or she leaves little butt-kisses of runny poop all over her blankets
where she sits.

Time will tell.

 

ugh re the butt kisses but rest of report sounds great! you're doing such a nice thing for a poor defenseless little girl, karen. (((HUGS)))

 

LOL! Great terminology for it. Great report on Pauline and amazing she was still functioning at her weight. Any pics coming?

 

Hi Karen

I have seen that type of poo in cats that have starved; they must eat dirt, or something, because that's what it seems like. It takes some time for all of this junk to get cleared out of the intestine (they need to make enough normal poo to push out all of this indigestible material), so hopefully after 4-5 days you'll see completely normal poo.

 

All I can say is that for this kitty you were heaven sent. Thank you for caring.
Jeanne

 

Wow, Jess...thanks for that info (do you know everything ?!?)

The first two days I had her, she passed almost nothing. Third day, the vet
said her colon was mostly empty, still. So I don't think there was dirt in there.

She is getting Miralax + water in her canned food now. Some improvement the last
two days (day 5-6). Bigger poops, a tiny bit softer, but still that weird color...
very dark greenish black....dry & crumbly.