Taro has stumped The Best Vet in Florida -- update, sort of

[Jet Green]

I'm sure by now you've all heard me lament about Taro's troubles too many times to count. Recurrent fever, diarrhea, suspicision of FIP that gets discarded and revived every month or two.

After his illness mystified two different vets at my regular clinic, I wrangled a referral to the University of Florida Uber-Hospital and a doctor who, according to one of my regular vets, is very likely the best veterinary internal medicine specialist in the State of Florida.

The specialist performed some very expensive scans of Taro's internal organs and pronounced them "beautiful," which he said all but rules out FIP. His leading theory has been an infection of Bartonella bacteria, the one that causes Cat Scratch Fever. It typically doesn't cause a fever in cats, but it can in a small percentage of instances. We've never reacted to being scratched by him, but that doesn't rule it out either. And the nice thing about Bartonella is that it can be cured completely by a month's worth of antibiotic.

Well I just got a call from the specialist: Negative on the Bartonella. He is now officially stumped also. He sounded really frustrated, which is rather worrying. He's going to wait until Tuesday, when all of the vets on staff are in the office at once, and hold some kind of roundtable discussion.

Here's the good news: Taro's doing fine right now, a little diarrhea but no apparent fever, eating fine, totally energetic. He seems to do well as long as he's on antibiotics. I'm starting to visualize a future where he's just antibiotics for the rest of his life, period, and we never know what's wrong. I would even be OK with that if he stays as comparatively healthy as he looks now.

Anybody else out there have a mystery cat? Did you ever get a diagnosis?

[Nell]

Thankfully, none of my pets have ever stumped the vet.

It sounds, though, that Taro is in good hands. If the vet is frustrated that he can't find the problem, it sounds to me like he really cares and is going to do everything he can for you and your kitty.

Best wishes, Taro. I hope the vets are able to figure out what wrong soon.

[Jet Green]

Originally Posted by Nell

Best wishes, Taro. I hope the vets are able to figure out what wrong soon.

Thanks Nell!

[TAsunder]

I haven't read the other threads but my cats both had diarrhea for the first 6 months out of the shelter due to tapeworms. I'm assuming that the vets have analyzed the stool?

[coaster]

The lady who put up this website cured chronic diarrhea with a change of diet. FWIW.

[Jet Green]

Originally Posted by TAsunder

I haven't read the other threads but my cats both had diarrhea for the first 6 months out of the shelter due to tapeworms. I'm assuming that the vets have analyzed the stool?

He's had more fecal tests than I can count. The vets keep finding elevated spirochetes, which they tell me are normal intestinal flora run amok in response to an "unknown stressor." The elevated spirochetes are thought to be causing the diarrhea and probably the fever. Antibiotics get rid of the symptoms temporarily, but they keep coming back.

There were a couple of co-instances of tapeworms the first couple of times, and I thought that might be the problem even though the vets said that would be highly unusual. But we got those under control, plus gave all the cats a broad-spectrum antiparasitic just in case, and the symptoms are still there.

Originally Posted by coaster

The lady who put up this website cured chronic diarrhea with a change of diet. FWIW.

That looks like an interesting site. I've heard that some people have been able to do that, and in fact various people have told me that I should go either all-wet, all-dry, or all-raw. But all three vets have said they don't think food issues could be causing it, because of the fever, and also because all of my cats have had these symptoms at least once, suggesting it's something they're passing around (and Taro is just more susceptible to).

[zippy96444]

I coule be way, way off here, but waht about heart worms? No clue here about them in cats, just a thought.

[coaster]

I wonder if they'd show up on any of the scans that were done?

[Jet Green]

Originally Posted by zippy96444

I coule be way, way off here, but waht about heart worms? No clue here about them in cats, just a thought.

HEARTWORMS?! Oh god, I hope not! I know nothing about them. None of the vets have even brought this up. I thought the main symptom was shortness of breath? Must Google...

[coaster]

Heartworms ARE more common in Florida due to year-round risk. And you'd think vets would be on the lookout for it just for that reason. But I don't think any of the symptoms described are consistent with that. Please let us know if you learn anything different.