Exocrine pancreatic imbalance

[Coyote]

So, my poor old man, Sparkles, is STILL poorly.

He's held his weight at about 3 kilos (6 pounds ish) for the last few months, up from 2.8 kilos (5.5 pounds).

I know some cats are small boned, but it's not his ideal weight. He's been much bigger and less bony, but weight's dropped off him. He's eating 6 packets of wet food a day, a bowl of dry kibble, raw chopped rabbit etc.

He has constant runny bowel movements. His skin is flakey, his fur is unkempt. He was shaved for blood tests last year, and that never grew back.

His tests for organ function came back fine, but he had a very high white blood count. He's been on several courses of different anti biotics to no avail.

He's 11 years old now. The vet suspected thyroid disorder, but tests on that have come back negative. He's now being tested for pancreatic imbalance, which is rare in cats, but we're trying to rule out everything.

Has anyone had any experience of this at all? He is under vetinary care, so we're doing everything we can for the poor little man Does't help that his baby brothers are now 18 pound heffalumps....

[westfayetteville]

Hi Coyote
Here is a site you might want to see Cats get EPI too! - EPI * Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency

[laurief]

Ask which thyroid test(s) was/were run. If only a Total T4 was run, and if the result was high normal, he may still be hyperthyroid. If it hasn't already been done, I strongly recommend that you have a full thyroid panel run (Total T4, Free T4, Total T3, Free T3) and/or have a Free T4 by Equilibrium Dialysis run to help clarify his thyroid status. If those tests still show him to have normal thyroid function, then you can rule out thyroid involvement. All of the symptoms you listed EXCEPT the high WBC are consistent with hyperT. Of course, those symptoms can be associated with a number of other conditions, as well.

Laurie