Susan, how is Princeton doing? Is he eating well? Is his stool firming up at all? When is his next vet appt?

I'm sure hoping for good news on that handsome boy!

Laurie

Thanks very much, Ritamay, Suzieque, LF, and Laurie.

I'm hoping to get word about the tuna-flavored pred on Monday. Meanwhile, I think the antibiotic helped Princeton a lot. For one thing, he's become more demanding about requesting attention. For another, much to my relief he's stopped pooping on my bed (knock wood).

I don't think his stools have firmed up, at least not much, but I take the fact that he's producing them in the litter box as a good sign.

A friend brought me a box of Fancy Feast canned food. He seems to like these. I feed this twice a day, usually mixed with a little water. He never actually finishes a meal, but he is eating. The next time I'm at the store I'll look for baby food chicken and canned pumpkin.

The vet wants him on the pred for two weeks before he's seen next. I guess at that time I'll ask him for a prognosis.

Thanks so much for your encouragement and good wishes!

Susan

It sounds like Princeton is improving, and that's a great thing! I do think that the fact that he's using the litterbox again is very encouraging, and of course eating on his own is FANTASTIC!

I would caution you against offering him baby food, though, unless he becomes completely inappetant. Baby food does not contain all of the nutrients a feline diet requires, and you don't want to risk him loving the baby food so much that he refuses to eat balanced cat food.

If he won't eat canned pumpkin, you can give him no more than 1/8 tsp of unflavored Metamucil (psyllium) mixed into his food a day. It'll have the same bulk-forming effect on his stool as pumpkin. Are you still sprinkling a little acidophilus into his food?

If he's eating only small meals, you might want to start feeding him more frequently throughout the day to hopefully put some weight back on him. I feed my CRF and hyperT boy, Billy, between 6-10 times a day trying to maintain his weight with as little as he eats at each meal.

Laurie

That is great news Susan! I hope he continues to get better.

This is discouraging. Princeton appeared to start eating his breakfast this morning (lap, lap, lap), but when I took his dish away to bring him another meal at noon I saw that almost none of it was gone. And then I discovered that he'd pooped on my bed again. And then I discovered that the vet hasn't called the compounding pharmacy about the pred yet.

It's also discouraging from a practical standpoint. I'm without a working dryer for the time being, and we've had rain showers every afternoon. So I've been taking the laundry to the laundromat. The nearest one is 10 miles away.

The antibiotics clearly helped him, but now he appears to be backsliding. Is it likely, or even possible, that the pred will turn things around enough so that he'll go back to improving?

Thanks,
Susan

Why not try the pill pockets? They are relatively expensive (in NYC they are ~8.00 for a bag of 45), but if they work, and you can use regular Prednisone tabs, would be worth it...you wouldn't have to deal with a compounding pharmacy. They are sold at most pet food stores. You can buy a bag and see if he'll accept an empty one. Worst comes to worst, you can seal the bag and have them available if you need them for another animal.

Good idea, LF. I'll be near a pet store on Wednesday. I'm afraid he won't eat either the pill pocket or the tuna compound, but I can't know unless I try.

It sounds like Princeton was improving on the antibiotics. The fact that his appetite has diminished and that he's eliminating on your bed again gives me the impression that he should be on a longer - perhaps much longer - course of antibiotics. Maybe even a different antibiotic.

The pred still may help, but I'd discuss putting him back on antibiotics with your vet ASAP.

It is discouraging, I know, but there was progress being made, and I feel certain there can be again. Hang in there, Susan!

Laurie

Oh, I'm sorry he's backsliding again, and that it is difficult to manage right now.

I agree that he may do better with a longer course of antibiotics. He may have some sort of infection, and that was the cause for his astronomical white cell count, and maybe it isn't leukemia after all. If it is an infection, pred will make it harder for him to fight it, since I'm guessing the vet will prescribing high doses to combat the presumed leukemia. Maybe the vet can do another CBC and find out if the Abx helped lower the WBC count, just do a blood draw without another full PE (maybe a recheck?). Worth asking anyway.

OTOH, I know some cats get diarrhea AFTER antibiotics, especially Clavamox. So it may be just another Abx reaction. But I am worried that he isn't eating again:(

Happy to report that Princeton ate quite a bit of the food I put out for him last night. Granted, it was only a small amount to begin with (half of a small can), but still . . .

He seemed to be eating his breakfast, too.

Waiting to speak with the vet this morning.

Geez, runsnwalken, as a moderator on a feline IBD forum where they talk food all the time, that is an awful attitude to take. And you might be surprised to learn that some cats actually can't tolerate wet foods...Giving guidelines for improving a cats diet are one thing, but putting guilt out there and generalizations are another.

Alisande - are you still waiting on VPA? I typically get mine within 2-3 days but it goes something like this...Vet calls in the order, I call right away back with my credit card and they typically ship next day.

What is it the vet thinks he has? With the diarhea I think of intestinal lymphoma but you mention leukemia? Here is a link that might be helpful, just in case:

If it is lymphoma, then you might want to ask your vet about using leukeren.

Jenny

Here is a link that might be useful: Feline lymphoma caregivers guide

Thanks, Jenny. I ordered the pred and am awaiting its arrival via FedEx. The prescription my vet called in was for a liquid form. That's probably best because I know I can administer it in a dropper to Princeton. They're making it up in a tuna flavor.

I'll check out the link tomorrow. Right now I'm going directly to bed. I'm tired. Goodnight!

Susan, pred will reduce Princeton's ability to fight infection, so I really think you should have another CBC (as Meg recommended) BEFORE starting him on pred. If his white blood cell count has come down with the antibiotics, that might indicate that a better course of continuing treatment would be more antibiotics rather than starting the pred.

Laurie

Thanks for the reminder, Laurie. I put in a call to the vet, who is supposed to get back to me with an answer this morning.

I enjoyed seeing your website. I'm an iris gardener (some photos hereÂclick on Flowers), and we had horses until a few years ago. And I loved what you wrote about community. I bookmarked your site and will return to read more.

Susan

I think clarifying what Princeton has...the way you described 'the other kind of leukemia' makes we wonder if instead the vet means inestinal lymphoma...So, make sure you verify. If it is intestinal lymphoma, then prednisolone and leukeren are frequently BOTH used ...and the addition of leukeren will give a better chance in most cases. Let us know....I've just not heard the vets ever talk about 'the other leukemia' before...i.e. not the viral type.

The leukemia Susan's vet is referring to is a cancer of the bone marrow and not related to intestinal lymphoma. It's not feline leukemia virus, which is why the vet called it "the other kind of leukemia." He suspects it because of the crazy high WBC count without obvious signs of infection, although trying antibiotics first is certainly an excellent decision, in case he's wrong (wouldn't want to immunosuppress a cat with an infection). The high WBC count comes from an unregulated overproduction of megakaryocytes (WBC precursor cells) in the bone marrow.

Now my question is- which type of white cells were high? I have no idea why I didn't think to ask before.

From the post I wouldn't have picked up exactly what type of leukemia she was referring to....I still think it is worth clarifying as it is uuslaly referred to as lymphoma even if it is bone marrow....

From the post I wouldn't have picked up exactly what type of leukemia she was referring to....Here is a good link describing the various types of leukemia and lymphoma.....It would be important to know what type it is to determine the correct treatment. I didn't see you mention bone anyplace in the post, and most of them could cause elevated WBC. Perhaps you can clarify? Either way I hope your kitty feels better soon!
http://maxshouse.com/Oncology/feline_lymphoma_and_leukemias.htm

Oh man, I don't know what to think at this point. The pred (liquid, tuna-flavored) arrived Friday, and I gave Princeton a 1 ml dose. His appetite improved dramatically that evening, and I thought, wow, this is great!

I gave him another dose yesterday. He started acting a little lethargic (just a little), and ate less. I fed him last night, but seemed to eat none of it overnight (unusual for him). He hasn't eaten since. I just offered him a variety that I know he likes, but he didn't touch it.

Also, he looks a little less groomed today.

Also, I went out for a while today, and when I came home I found that he'd pooped several times on my bed.

I don't know whether to give him a third dose or not. My inclination is to skip it and wait to talk to the vet tomorrow.

Silvergold, I looked at the list of leukemias on the page you linked to. None of them sound like what the vet called it. I don't think he used this exact word, but what I remember is an image something like "circulating" leukemia. Of course, whatever he said was a guess on his part.

Susan, pred is NOT a stop-and-start drug. Once you start it, you MUST keep giving it until you are directed otherwise by your vet. When you want to take Princeton off of the pred, you will have to wean him off of it gradually. Your vet will tell you when and how much to give him.

Did you have a repeat CBC run on Princeton before starting the pred?

Laurie

Thanks for the heads up, Laurie. I gave him his dose and hope it does more good than harm. A lot of people react badly to a lot of different drugs. I know I've reacted badly to many. When I was given steroid (cortisone) shots in my knees, I had a horrible reaction. My knees felt like they were on fire. That night the pain moved up to my hips. It really was frightening. I've been thinking that animals could react badly to drugs, too, but they can't tell us. We have no way of knowing what's going on.

I spoke to the vet last week about the CBC and/or more antibiotics (actually I talked to a vet assistant, who then passed along my concerns to the vet and called me back with his reply), and his opinion was that neither was necessary at this point. He said pred could indeed interfere with the body's ability to fight an infection, but only at high doses over a long period of time. He said antibiotics would make the diarrhea worse, and the pred would help it.

Tonight I added a considerable amount of tuna juice to a little canned food, and Princeton was lapping at that a few minutes ago. A welcome sound.

Princeton ate a fair amount during the night last night, and again today. He's back to using his litter box, not my bed, and his fur looks better. I explained the situation to my vet's office and am awaiting his opinion. But it's clear that Princeton feels better, and so do I.

I am the last person I'd expect to say this, but I will shout it from the rooftops: Thank God for prednisolone!

No one has been able to figure out what my 10yo Siamese cat has. She's been poked, prodded, x-rayed, and had every blood test known to man (multiple times). Prednisolone saved her life. Without it, she vomits anywhere from 2 to 10 times a day and coughs and heaves frequently. With it, you'd never know she had a thing wrong with her. No one seems to be able to decide if she has asthma, cancer, IBD, or something else. Her primary vet and I decided not to get her scoped for either a transtracheal wash or an intestinal biopsy (or both). Everyone seems to be of the opinion that, if she had cancer, we'd have seen other symptoms by now, and asthma and IBD are both frequently treated with pred. I hate to say it, but I love the stuff.

I will defer to others with more knowledge when it comes to a diagnosis/prognosis for your cat, but I just wanted to reassure you that pred really can make a huge difference without causing a bunch of other problems. For me, the small risks are worth it.

Thanks, Jen. I hope we have a similar experience, although at the moment it's rather a rollercoaster. Good day . . . bad day . . .

This morning we're in the Bad Day cycle. I'm gonna give it a couple more days before reporting back to the vet, assuming Princeton doesn't take an even worse turn.

I appreciate the encouragement, thanks.

Would intestinal lymphoma produce a wildly high WBC count? I ask because I suspect some sort of intestinal involvement. Princeton is still producing small, unformed stools (usually everwhere but the litter box), and sometimes it's accompanied by a weird sound I think must indicate pain. I spotted him "in position" today and picked him up in an effort to get him to the litter box in time (didn't make it), and that seemed to be painful for him.

Here's the boy we've been talking about all this time. I took the picture yesterday. He's very thin and has that subdued look, but he's still beautiful.

What a handsome boy! I hope his health problem is resolved soon (in a good way!).

Thanks, Cat_mom.

I'm waiting for a call-back from the vet. He had originally ruled out a massive infection as the cause of the high WCB count because he said if an infection were the problem Princeton would have appeared a lot sickerÂat death's door.

But now I'm wondering, or perhaps hoping, that he was wrong. Princeton was, and is, mobile. But he looks significantly sicker than when I first took him to the vet. He eats, but not much, and his stools never really firmed up. He passes small amounts of a drippy paste. He's always been rather vocal, but in the past two days his sounds have changed.

Meghane, I'll ask the vet what type of white cells were high.

Susan

I waited all day for the call-back. We decided that I'll drop Princeton off at the vet tomorrow for x-rays and evaluation, and pick him up later in the day. I'm dreading what the vet might tell me at that point, but maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.

Sorry, I forgot to ask what type of white cells were high.

I hope you'll be pleasantly surprised, too Susan. Give Princeton some extra pets and hugs tonight.

Let us know what the vet says.

Well, it wasn't the worst-case scenario I'd feared. We had a bad night last night--he kept having small amounts of diarrhea, crying out every time. I was afraid the vet would find a tumor on the x-rays, and I wasn't at all sure Princeton would be coming home again.

But the vet found no mass except for what he described as a large amount of feces in his intestine. He feels the crying out might not indicate pain as much as discomfort with the effort of straining.

He also found that the white blood cell count is almost back to where it was. It's at 97,000. (The white cells are neutrophils, BTW.) So Princeton is home with more of the antibiotic (Clavamox) (10 days worth this time) plus a laxative (Enulose). I have to give both every 12 hours, and he's still on the pred liquid once a day. This is going to be a trip! But if it makes him feel better (and go back to pooping in the litter box) it'll be worth it.

However, we didn't get off to the best start tonight, as the Enulose made him vomitÂall over my bed, of course. Fortunately, I hadn't yet changed the bed cover. I assume Enulose was the culprit, as the Clavamox never made him sick to his stomach.

I stopped at Walmart today and bought some cheap fabric of unknown content. It's like iron--heavy and difficult to cut. I'm hoping it will be a good protector for my bed. I've been using fleece blankets and flannel sheets, all of which are permanently stained at this point. I bought enough of the "iron" fabric to make three covers, which should help me keep up with the laundry even on days when I can't hang it out to dry.

I'll be so glad when he starts using the litter box again. Those little dime-sized puddles of diarrhea are all over the upstairs. I'm constantly on the lookout. The guest room is the only hygienic spot left. I don't want to abandon Princeton at night, but I may start sleeping there, at least sometimes.

The vet says if the laxative doesn't have the desired effect by Monday he wants to sedate him and give him an enema. I hate to keep putting Princeton through things, but perhaps that would give him some relief. The Enulose isn't going to have any effect if it keeps making him vomit.

Oh, and his blood work showed a small increase in the percentage of monocytes and granulecytes (sp?).

AFA enulose... I found that giving it in small doses (

First off I'd never feed live mice, only dead. I wouldn't be that cruel Second its not just animals who are affected by the bad foods we sometimes must support.. I'm very very sure some child or homeless person has probably died from eating pet food just as countess pets were in the recalls. Its just covered up by the bad companies who have so much money to throw around they can get away with just about anything, because its 'just a homeless person' or the parents were so 'embearassed' that none would believe them so they never aired what happened. You cannot say that my thoughts (however wild they may seem) couldn't have happened. The amount of lead in some cat food is four times the amount safe for children not to mention the gross enivornmental harm required in raising the food animals in those horrid ways.

Not all of my food types cost that much, Innova EVO I have seen for $1.15 a can though for that shop it was probably due to its remoteness in a northern area you can find it in other areas then burmidji.

runsnwalken, if you want to debate or argue or campaign for some cause or position, you might post on the "Animal Debates" Forum.

Sorry ... Just trying to inform people of why their pet has these issues to begin with.

I don't like that forum mind you, its too controverial.

Hope Princeton's doing better today.

(((Susan & Princeton)))

I don't know how I missed this thread! I am sending you and Princeton furbaby hugs. Please keep us updated on his condition, he is a beautiful kitty. I don't have any advice, I can only offer friendship.

You are getting great advice from some of the best advisers this forum has, ignore the tactless numpty that thinks they know everything.

Thanks, Sylvia, Pranjal, and Michelle!

It's been such a rollercoaster, with relatively good days consistently followed by bad days, that I'm almost reluctant to post good news here, afraid that I'll jinx it.

The vet had told me when he prescribed the pred that we would know in two weeks if Princeton was going to improve on this drug regimen. I find it hard to believe that reaching the two-week mark would cause his condition to dramatically improve, but that seems to be what happened.

We reached the two-week point yesterday. That morning, he woke me up energetically, not letting me go back to sleep. Definitely unusual behavior for these days. I discovered that he did this because he was hungry. Hungry! He had finished all the food I'd given him at bedtime.

He had a good day yesterday, and did the same thing to me this morning, even though I'd left him a larger amount of food last night. This time I offered him some cat treats to tide him over while I walked the dogs (I have to get them out first thing in the morning), and he ate them. Not only that, he ate seconds and thirds. This is really remarkable because he has never liked cat treats. I know the pred will increase appetite, but I wasn't expecting this! It would be wonderful if he puts on some weight.

So that's what's going on here, at least at the moment. "Good day" also means that he's using his litter box instead of my bed, rug, and floor, and I'm very happy about that, too!

BTW, I asked the vet if I could give a small amount of Miralax, but he said OTC laxatives "can become toxic." Not sure what that means, but the assistant added that I could use a laxative ointment for hair balls.

I continue to be deeply appreciative of all the advice and support I've received here.

Susan

I'm glad to hear he's still having good days, and that the pred kicked in with the appetite! I hope the good days outnumber the bad days- oh heck, just eliminate the bad ones. Keep posting good news!

Here we go again.

Princeton was doing pretty well on a second round of Clavamox, with occasional bad days (defined as those when he eats less and poops on my bed and elsewhere). But he finished the 10-day prescription a week ago and has been going downhill ever since. I wonder if he should be on the antibiotic forever.....? Is that an option?

I also wonder if I'm foolish to try to postpone the inevitable. The vet's bottom line is if the cat is getting up in the morning and eating, that cat is doing well enough to live. But what if the cat, who has lost a tremendous amount of weight, gets up and eats very little, then poops little pasty amounts everywhereÂbed, floor, rug, dog bed, attic, etc. I can't imagine a cat who would do this feels very well at all. Plus last night he vomited the food that he ate.

After Princeton pooped on my bed during the night the other night, I started sleeping in the guest roomÂthe last remaining sanitary, fresh smelling, peaceful place in this house. But now I feel bad for abandoning him at night.

Like all of us with our animals, I am so reluctant to let this one go. It's always a rather crazy-making situation, isn't it?

Susan

Susan, it sounds like Princeton is chronically constipated, which can make cats feel REALLY lousy and inappetant. I can't imagine why your vet is opposed to you giving him Miralax unless he is completely unfamiliar with how it works. As far as I know, there is absolutely NO toxicity issue associated with Miralax. Miralax is an osmotic laxative that simply holds water in the gut to help soften the stool. It is a dose-to-effect drug, meaning that you start with a small dose (maybe 1/8 tsp once daily) and increase the dose if necessary to produce stool of normal size and consistency. The only caution is to make sure that Princeton is taking in adequate fluids. Osmotic laxatives should not be given to a dehydrated animal. His constipation indicates that he may, indeed, be somewhat dehydrated, in which case you should consider having your vet teach you how to administer subQ fluids at home. Dehydration can also make a cat feel very sick and inappetant, but it's an issue that's easily addressed at home with subQs.

My Billy, who is both CRF and hyperT, receives subQ fluids every other day and Miralax twice a day, among other drugs and supplements. I expect these to be permanent elements of his care regimen from now on. Caring for a chronically ill animal is labor-intensive, but it's sooo worth it when you see the companion you love feeling and acting better. You've been doing so much for Princeton already, it would be a shame to give up now before trying Miralax and fluids to see if they'll make a significant improvement in his condition.

In respect to the Clavamox, I wonder if switching to another antibiotic might help. Clavamox is good, but it doesn't cover every conceivable infection. Ask your vet if it might be advisable to try a different antibiotic in case Princeton has an infection that is resistant to Clavamox.

Only you will be able to determine when Princeton is done fighting. In the meantime, keep fighting for him.

Laurie

So sorry to hear about Princeton's bad turn. My cat Otis had cancer, and it was a similar see-saw with him. I decided to have him put down when he became almost totally inappetant..he didn't even want canned tuna or salmon...just the juice. My vet could have upped the pred or Winstrol (another steroid that is no longer prescribed), but feared the side effects. I hated to see Otie go, but I could not continue to see him suffer.

There is one other thing you might ask your vet about that will help move things along the digestive trac...a med called Cisapride. It enhances motility, and was very helpful for my chronically constipated CRF cat, Max (who I had adopted along with Otis). But frankly, I think side effects of cancer may not be comparable to those of CRF.

I'm sure you will make the right decision for Princeton.
Best wishes.

Lisa

The problem here is that Susan doesn't have a definitive cancer diagnosis. In fact, she doesn't have any definitive diagnosis at all. That's making it exceptionally difficult to figure out what to do to help Princeton. All she can do under these circumstances is treat the symptoms and hope that doing so will make Princeton feel better and hopefully even manage to treat the underlying cause.

I have been reading this post for awhile. Princeton is a beautiful cat, we have one at the feed store that could be his twin. I don't have advice but I want you to know you and Princeton are in my thoughts as I light my prayer candle.

Okay, I spent 2.5 hours at the vet's today (mostly waiting). Maybe I'm delusional, but I feel somewhat encouraged by this visit.

The regular vet was out, so I saw the replacement. She's kind of a floater, covering for vets who take a day off. I'd never met her before. She seemed stunned to read Princeton's previous white cell counts, and she looked over his test results carefully. She did not agree with the original vet's hunch that Princeton has leukemia. For one thing, she said, his leukocyte count was the opposite of what she would expect to see in leukemia.

She thinks he has an acute infection rather than a chronic condition. As has been suggested here on the forum, she feels he needs a more powerful antibiotic. She ordered subQ fluids, which were done in the office, and she called the compounding pharmacy to order liquid, tuna-flavored doxycycline. She also recommended drawing more blood and having it sent out to be read by a pathologist. I agreed to that, although it means another fat bill. Good thing I sold another short story to Woman's World last week. (Although I thought that money was going directly to the contractor who's working downstairs to replace old, rotting floor as I write this.)

I see this as the second opinion I was thinking might be a good idea if I could afford it.

I'll be interested to hear what everyone thinks of this vet's line of thinking.

Thanks!

Susan

I am VERY glad that the new vet prescribed a different antibiotic AND gave Princeton some fluids, BUT I'm still concerned that his constipation hasn't been adequately addressed. Unless I've misread your recent posts, Princeton was found to have a large mass of stool in his colon at the xray, and he's continuing to eliminate only small, pasty bits of stool which indicates that he has not yet successfully passed the impacted material. I can't imagine that he'll recover his appetite until this problem is cleared up, and I don't understand why neither vet has taken care of it yet.

Did you ask this new vet about the impacted stool and having it removed? Did you ask her about an enema followed by Miralax to keep his future stool soft enough to pass? I can tell you that by the time I addressed my first CRF cat's constipation problem, she had become completely inappetant, and I ended up having to syringe feed her 3 times a day for the last 6 mos of her life. If I had just taken care of the constipation sooner, I'm convinced she would have regained her appetite on her own (sure would have made both of our lives easier and less painful - Pea was NOT an easy cat to force feed).

Anyway, I'm very hopeful that the new antibiotics will finally resolve Princeton's infection. One big problem hopefully on the mend; one to go.

Laurie

Laurie, I didn't mention the constipation, and I realized this morning before I read your post that I also neglected to mention that Princeton occasionally cries out in what I assume is pain. She read his chart, but I don't know if she picked up these things.

The original vet actually didn't see impacted stool on the x-ray. I didn't explain it very well in my previous post. He said he didn't see anything at all on the x-ray, but he felt a large amount of soft stool.

I want to talk to the second vet again and tell her about this. It would be nice if she's covering for the first one again today; if not, I hope I'll be able to find out how to reach her.

By the way, she started to say, ". . . and we should get him on a non-steroidal . . . " and then she saw in the chart that he's on pred. She asked how long he's supposed to be on the pred (I'd been told indefinitely), and she said we'll have to wean him off the pred before starting whatever else it was that she wanted to put him on. This is something else I want to ask her about.

I wonder where this massive infection is, and I wonder if it could be in his bowel.

Meanwhile, he ate a small amount last night. It was tiny, but it was something. And he lapped up some tuna juice. Not all, but again, some.

Well, if the first vet said he felt a large amount of SOFT stool in Princeton's gut, then maybe the problem is low gut motility rather than constipation. HARD stool would indicate impaction, but SOFT stool that's not passing properly might just mean that he's not moving things along as he should. You should clarify with the vet exactly what the problem is presumed to be so that Princeton can be treated effectively.

It sounds like this stand-in vet wants to put Princeton on a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, but of course he'd have to first be weaned off of the steroidal anti-inflammatory (Pred) that he's already on. Again, that's certainly something to discuss with the vet.

I sure hope the new antibiotic helps!

Laurie

Fortunately, the "floating vet" was still covering for my usual vet today, and I was able to get a message to her about the stool. She responded that she would call me when she got the report from the pathologist on Monday, and at that point we should have a better idea of what's going on inside Princeton. She was under the impression that the compounding pharmacy would ship the doxycycline today at the latest, and I'd receive it tomorrow or possibly Monday.

HOWEVER, I learned late this afternoon that they're not shipping the antibiotic until Monday. I'm worried that Princeton can't wait that long. I'll call the vet tomorrow in hopes that I can get some pills to get him started. He's been nearly impossible to pill, but he's so frail now and I'm desperate. The question of whether or not I'll be able to pill him is probably moot, though, because I don't think the vet is in on Saturday.

I feel so bad for my cat. I'm convinced that the doxycycline would make him feel better, and it's so frustrating and upsetting not to be able to get hold of any.

I came across your postings while online looking for something else. It sounds like Princeton has had lots of tests, but has he been tested for diabetes? This sounds exactly like what my cat and I went through before he was diagnosed. He was given clavamox and some sort of steroid (I don't remember what it was.) He finally quit eating and became dehydrated. He had to go to the vet and be put on an IV. It was a vet I didn't know because I had moved about 8 months before this started. When I went to visit on the second day, he was sleeping in a litter box and was covered with feces and urine. Needless to say, I took him out of there and took him somewhere else. The second vet diagnosed diabetes and said that it was possibly caused by the steroids he was given. (The first vet gave him steroid shots along with the IV, which may have made it worse or brought it about more quickly.) The second vet said that it was likely that the steroids caused his blood sugar to spike so high that his body gave up trying to produce enough insulin. His blood sugar level was in the 900's which you would think the first vet would have noticed, but I am not sure if they routinely test for that. I don't really know if the steroids were the cause or not, but the second vet was MAD when he got the records from the first vet. Anyway....we've been doing insulin shots twice a day for almost eight years now and he is the picture of health other than being diabetic and now mildly overweight. Once we got him on insulin, he was better in about two days. I am sure they have probably checked for this, but I wouldn't assume anything....might be worth at least asking about. Chuck (my cat) and I will be thinking of you both.

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge, Kim. Sadly, Princeton died a little over a week ago. My thread about this is linked below.

However, I'll keep your experience in mind should I ever need it in the future. Information is valuable. I have other cats . . . and I'm almost certain there will be more in my future.

Thanks again.

Susan

Here is a link that might be useful: Princeton is Gone