Very sick kitty

[Wicked_Felina10]

(Sorry in advance. This is a bit long) My Miss Stink is a very sick kitty and no one can figure out what's wrong. She is an 8-year-old long hair female (spayed) and is strictly indoor only. The only other pets in the house are a 7-year-old male (neutered) and a chinchilla. There are no children in the house.

On Wednesday, I woke up to her breathing heavily and just acting funny (she was fine the day before). My husband and I rushed her to our local vet where they took x-rays and saw that she had fluid accumulation in her lungs. They tapped the fluid and it was thin and red- it looked like straight blood. They also noticed some bruising along her chest. They suspected trauma, although we couldn't figure out how she could have gotten hurt.

My vet did not have the necessary equipment to help my baby, so they sent me to a 24-hour emergency clinic about 45 minutes away. There they pumped 300 mls (about 10.5 oz) of bloody liquid out of Miss Stink's lungs. They tested the liquid and did x-rays afterwards. They found nothing irregular in the x-rays and the blood seemed normal. They suspected cancer, so they referred me to a veterinary specialist about an hour away.

The specialist wanted to preform a sonogram, so he had to shave her chest and belly. When he did, he found extensive bruising all of the way down her chest and belly. He also suspected cancer. He did the sonogram, but found no tumor. He also did a blood test and found nothing irregular. To be sure, he sent the blood off to a pathologist. The pathologist also found no signs of cancer. The clotting levels were completely normal and everything seemed fine. They decided to keep her over night for observation. The next morning, the vet performed another sonogram and found more fluid in her lungs. He tapped 100 mls out of her lungs. He decided to send her home and have us closely monitor her. He said he felt like he was grasping at straws because he had no idea what's wrong with her.

Yesterday I took Miss Stink back to the emergency clinic (the second place I went) to see if fluid was continuing to accumulate. The vet listened to her chest and didn't hear any fluid! The thing is, now she has stopped eating, drinking, and going to the bathroom. Her last bm was either Tuesday or possibly overnight Wednesday (the specialist didn't tell me).

If anyone has any ideas or advice, please, please help. She is my baby and I love her desperately.

[Wicked_Felina10]

Update: I took her back to the vet this morning and she had a little fluid on her left lung, so they tapped that. The hemorrhaging is slowing down, but she is weak from the blood she lost the past week. They gave her some fluids under the skin and gave me some appetite stimulants to give her. I just got her home and she went over to the water dish and drank some water. At least she is feeling better for a little while.

[laurief]

Poor girl, and poor you for not having a diagnosis. Unfortunately, I don't have any idea what may be wrong with your girl. Her symptoms are completely unfamiliar to me. My first thought would have been leukemia, but that would have shown up in the bloodwork, I assume. The only suggestion I can think to make is to take her to your closest university vet school clinic. Vet school clinics are staffed with all sorts of veterinary specialists and specialized diagnostic equipment. I would think that that's the most likely environment in which to determine a diagnosis for your girl.

I wish you the best possible outcome.

Laurie

[Wicked_Felina10]

Thank you so much for your response. I will definitely look for my closest vet school clinic and give them a call. It just absolutely kills me because she was fine Tuesday and then all the sudden got really bad. I keep hoping for some kind of diagnosis.

[minikin44]

I have no idea but I'm very sorry you and your kitty are going through this *paws crossed and prayers sent for a speedy recovery!*

[Arkona]

I also have no idea, but I'm wishing you the best of luck. That sounds so terrible

[Mom of 4]

Are they positive there wasn't some sort of trauma? A fall from a great height, perhaps?
That would account for the bruising on the chest and the trauma could account for the fluid in the lungs, particularly as it is decreasing in amount (healing).

I would prefer this to cancer, anyway.

[Wicked_Felina10]

Thank you, everyone, for the kind words.

Originally Posted by Mom of 4

Are they positive there wasn't some sort of trauma? A fall from a great height, perhaps?
That would account for the bruising on the chest and the trauma could account for the fluid in the lungs, particularly as it is decreasing in amount (healing).

I would prefer this to cancer, anyway.

I thought the same thing! Plus, the last time they did an x-ray, she had only accumulated fluid in her left lung. If it is cancer, one would think that she would be accumulating it equally. I keep on asking about trauma and the vets say that there is a slight chance, but they all seem to be stuck on cancer, even though they can't find a tumor and nothing comes up in the blood test.

[catloverami]

Does she ever go outside? Is there a possibility that she was hit by a car, or kicked either on purpose or accidentally? It certainly does sound mysterious. I hope she continues to improve and you've been a terrific cat mommy in getting her checked out. All the best for a good outcome.

[Mitts & Tess]

I was wondering FIP. Sometimes with FIP Ive had cats get fluids in the lungs and refuse to eat but that is in the last stages.