The Vent - Part 2

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

I called the emergency vet clinic and they suggest I bring her to a vet to get checked out. I guess I will be doing that tomorrow. Especially after hearing her scream the way she did.

Good luck tomorrow. I hate to pry but when, exactly, does she scream?

[Malrothien 6]

I called the emergency vet clinic and they suggest I bring her to a vet to get checked out. I guess I will be doing that tomorrow. Especially after hearing her scream the way she did.

Good luck tomorrow. I hate to pry but when, exactly, does she scream?

She's only done it twice - but when she tries to pass feces. She passed some about 20 minutes ago and didn't cry this time. It was a bigger amount, too. She is also cleaning herself now which she hasn't done all day.

I've been massaging her tummy/backside as that seems to help her go to the bathroom.

When she was impaled in 2001 it went through her GI tract. We were never sure if the surgery properly aligned things and she hasn't had any problems until now. I am wondering if it is related or not.

[Autumnchik 6]

Awww Mal, hope your kitty is better soon

My vent is pathetic really, because I should be thrilled that my hubby is back in school and studying like crazy and doing well.

But I just wish the man would learn to PUNCTUATE!!! As a nice wifey, I volunteered to type his chemistry lab reports. When he writes, I know it is the first draft and all and really just the first formulation of his thoughts, but a period here or there or a capital letter would be nice!!!

Maybe he's a fan of e.e. cummings or James Joyce. (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

Hee hee, I could allow that if it was English .... but personally, since chemistry is not my most favorite subject, it really is challenging to try to figure out where his sentences begin and end.

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

I called the emergency vet clinic and they suggest I bring her to a vet to get checked out. I guess I will be doing that tomorrow. Especially after hearing her scream the way she did.

Good luck tomorrow. I hate to pry but when, exactly, does she scream?

She's only done it twice - but when she tries to pass feces. She passed some about 20 minutes ago and didn't cry this time. It was a bigger amount, too. She is also cleaning herself now which she hasn't done all day.

I've been massaging her tummy/backside as that seems to help her go to the bathroom.

When she was impaled in 2001 it went through her GI tract. We were never sure if the surgery properly aligned things and she hasn't had any problems until now. I am wondering if it is related or not.

It sounds like megacolon but I hope I'm wrong. The colon doesn't function properly due to neuropathy (nerve damage) or defect. Colon has a hard time with tranist of feces and it builds up. Build up of feces/toxins leads to lethargy, nausea and vomitting. Kitty did get impaled so it's not out of the question.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Yes. with that information, megacolon could be a possibility. Damage to the intestinal nerves due to scar tissue may also be causing some sort of a blockage. I'm glad you're taking her to the vet and I'm glad she is having an easier time passing stool too. It's tough when our fur babies are hurting.

Ketodiastix do work with cats, btw. I have them here for me but have used them with the cats as well, having had a cat with diabetes a number of years ago. We used to share insulin :-)

[Malrothien 6]

Could this have taken 8 years to build up, though? She's never had any problems before. We took to the vet in May for a general health checkup and she was given the green.

She's laying down on the bed right now, purring away. I'm going to go join her with a book.

Thank you all for your thoughts and responses. She really was the first cat I ever owned and I haven't had to experience health issues with animals very much in my life, so I really do appreciate your insight.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Yes, sometimes things can take a while to show up. I had a cat I took in as a stray years ago. He had been neutered and had been in some sort of an accident because his pelvis had been broken and hadn't healed properly so he walked with a limp. I had had him 6 years when he started having digestive problems and was in a lot of pain. I took him to the vets and x-rays revealed that a piece of bone from the accident years ago had migrated through his body and pierced the mesenteric artery causing part of the intestines to die. He had surgery to remove the damaged part but the damage was too extensive and even though he survived the surgery his body did not retain enough intestines to absorb nutrition even though he was on a pre-digested liquid diet. I had to put him to sleep as he was still in so much pain. While I seriously doubt anything like this is the problem with your kitty, it does show that events years earlier can manifest with problems later on. Scar tissue from the earlier surgical area could be an issue, and as Mumsie said, nerve damage could have happened and become progressive. of course, it may be something totally different as well, but seeing the vet is the absolute best thing.

The fact that she is grooming and having an easier time and purring again are all positive. Good luck.

Edited September 28, 2009 by Kathryn41

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

Yes, sometimes things can take a while to show up. I had a cat I took in as a stray years ago. He had been neutered and had been in some sort of an accident because his pelvis had been broken and hadn't healed properly so he walked with a limp. I had had him 6 years when he started having digestive problems and was in a lot of pain. I took him to the vets and x-rays revealed that a piece of bone from the accident years ago had migrated through his body and pierced the mesenteric artery causing part of the intestines to die. He had surgery to remove the damaged part but the damage was too extensive and even though he survived the surgery his body did not retain enough intestines to absorb nutrition even though he was on a pre-digested liquid diet. I had to put him to sleep as he was still in so much pain. While I seriously doubt anything like this is the problem with your kitty, it does show that events years earlier can manifest with problems later on. Scar tissue from the earlier surgical area could be an issue, and as Mumsie said, nerve damage could have happened and become progressive. of course, it may be something totally different as well, but seeing the vet is the absolute best thing.

The fact that she is grooming and having an easier time and purring again are all positive. Good luck.

Good point Kathryn, cats are are a great deal like people as we get older, intestinal transit times tend to go up. If kitty has a great deal of scarring then that area will be thickened and rough and won't function like the rest of the intestine. I've got my fingers crossed that kitty gets well, at least she's grooming which is always a good sign.

[Krikit 1,163]

Awwww, Mal. I hope your kitty is feeling better soon. That's great that you're all so well informed, though.

OT??? Yeah, I know! GAH!

Yeah.

They were mailed in 3 separate packages. I was told that is what would happen. I did call the Passport Office on the 24th and spoke to a real individual who double checked that yes, they did produce the passport as well as the passport card, and yes, all three of them were mailed on the 18th. They all were mailed from 3 different locations which is why they are separate mailings. It wasn't my Canadian passport either - it is my brand new US passport.

Ahh. It may still be out there, Kathryn. Give it a few more days. There's something up with the USPS these days. Some recent mail, both inbound and outbound, has taken up to 3 weeks to be delivered! They're really letting me down because I'm always going on about how great they are.

there was one person in the VJ OT who would do that all the time.. even if the person posted right after the OP...

There's so many people who do that! It drives me nuts.

Edited September 28, 2009 by Krikit

[Malrothien 6]

Kitty seems to be a ton better this morning. Woke me up at 5:00 for food. She was meowing, running all over the both of us and wanting attention - and purring! Got up, put some food out and she dug in.

[Krikit 1,163]

Yaaaay!!!!

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

Kitty seems to be a ton better this morning. Woke me up at 5:00 for food. She was meowing, running all over the both of us and wanting attention - and purring! Got up, put some food out and she dug in.

Sounds like you headed off a cat-tastrophe. You may have to massage kitty frequently, at least until you go to the vet. Take the cat along, that might help.

[Malrothien 6]

Kitty seems to be a ton better this morning. Woke me up at 5:00 for food. She was meowing, running all over the both of us and wanting attention - and purring! Got up, put some food out and she dug in.

Sounds like you headed off a cat-tastrophe. You may have to massage kitty frequently, at least until you go to the vet. Take the cat along, that might help.

Oh Mumsie.

When we left this morning she was cuddled up on the bed. Kept grooming herself, too.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Well, I checked with the post office this morning and they have no idea where my passport is. They can't track it and it hasn't shown up anywhere since they accepted it from the passport office on September 18th! So, I called the passport office and they are launching an investigation into where it is in the postal system but in the meantime they have had to cancel its validity since it has been missing for 10 days now. I have had to file a DS-86 'non-receipt of passport' form, and when they receive that they will re-issue me another passport. So, more waiting and praying I don't have an emergency back in Canada. And if you go to the VJ passport thread in the citizenship forum there is someone there whose citizenship certificate has also gone missing in the US postal system and they can't find it. The USPS seems to have a serious problem with failure to deliver identity sensitive documents.

Edited September 28, 2009 by Kathryn41

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Oh that is good news! I hope she continues to do well. You might still want to have a vet check her though, to make sure it isn't something that might come back.

Kitty seems to be a ton better this morning. Woke me up at 5:00 for food. She was meowing, running all over the both of us and wanting attention - and purring! Got up, put some food out and she dug in.

Sounds like you headed off a cat-tastrophe. You may have to massage kitty frequently, at least until you go to the vet. Take the cat along, that might help.

Oh Mumsie.

When we left this morning she was cuddled up on the bed. Kept grooming herself, too.