Could this be a hairball?

[Sophiesmom]

Hi
I have a sweet 20 yr old calico named Sophie who I am very worried about. She has been doing as fine as a 20 yr old kitty can do for several months now (she sleeps a lot and is a little arthritic and very skinny, and has been for a few years now, but her heart and teeth are good. I had her tested for thyroid about 3 yrs ago when she first lost the weight but it was normal).

About a week and a half ago, she quickly (within part of a day) went from being normal to a lot of pain, hiding in the closet, panting, and looking like she was trying to give birth but couldn't, and was crying. She vomited a lot and passed pretty normal looking stools, with some runny bits here and there and once a pool of what looked like vegetable oil, all over the house. She is normally very good to use the litter box, she was in distress and just assuming the pooh position and trying to go, sometimes successful sometimes not. I made an appointment at the vet but by the time our appointment came, she was acting better. So rather than traumatize her at the vet I cancelled and she was back to normal by evening.

Two days ago, this happened again. This time though she was only able to pooh little drops here and there but kept trying hard to go. Poor baby was miserable. She also did all the vomiting again.

I took her to the vet first thing yesterday morning. I told her beings my poor baby is 20 yrs old, I did not want to traumatize her and would not put her through any major treatments. I just wanted to find out if this could be a furball, or something else that could be fixed and make her as well as she was before this. The vet felt a 3" mass in Sophie's intestine. She said it is possible it could be a fur ball but could also be cancer or a benign tumor. So she took blood and the tests will be back on Monday. I am worried in the meantime so am posting in the hopes someone may have some insight on this.

When they brought her back to me from taking blood and trimming her bum and nails, she was dazed and just lay in the crate on her side and would not even lift her head. I thought she was going. I felt absolutely horrible. She came out of it eventually but it was really hard on her. I don't want her last days, if that is what these are, to be full of pain and fear and all that nastiness.

She only weighs 5 lbs. But like I said she's been skin and bones for about 3 yrs, but has felt pretty good during that time. I free feed her dry kibble and offer her canned food several times a day trying to fatten her up, which she usually will eat. But now she won't eat at all and I haven't seen any sign of stool for about a day and a half. I did just see a pee spot in the litter box though. She is drinking water, I have a dish of water near every favorite spot of hers so she won't have to go far. She won't even eat her favorite treats though. She is sleeping now rather than crying and panting but she will also hide in places she normally doesn't go at times. She is just very weak.

I am giving her amoxycillan twice daily, which she hates, and some laxatone which she also hates. Poor baby girl.

She has always been an indoor kitty. She has been matting up the last couple years though, so I keep cutting the mats off of her and am wondering if that made more loose hair around the part I cut, that she may have ingested and caused a furball blockage? Has anyone experienced this, could this be what it is? I will find out more Monday (hopefully) when the test results come back but am hoping for some more insight in the meantime. Thanks.

[BoscosMum]

I am so sorry....I know that Monday will seem like a lifetime away.
I will be thinking of you.

[coaster]

I'm sorry for you and Sophie. You did the right thing taking her to the vet. This doesn't sound as simple as a hairball, but we'll be hoping that it's something not too serious and that soon Sophie will be feeling better.

Tim

[Lori]

My thoughts are with you and Sophie. I also hope Sophie can feel better soon. It must be so hard to wait for answers.

[Sophiesmom]

Thanks so much for posting, all of you. The vet did just call with the results. Sophie's white blood cell count is 29,000, high normal is 17,000 so she has either a raging infection or it's due to cancer. Her kidney levels are quite elevated and her liver is 5 times higher than it should be. So they still can't tell me for sure what the problem is but, typical vet, tried to talk me into taking her out of town for ultrasounds, etc. I want to do everything possible to keep her with me but I also don't want to make her last days more of a nightmare than they need to be.

Right now she is sitting next to me, she is still very weak and has not eaten or had a BM in three days. But there is no more vomiting or straining and obvious pain like she was having. She just seems to be fading. I guess if I knew for certain this is cancer and she would not bounce back more than she is now, and just faces feeling worse and pain, I would have to make "the" decision right now. But I've had pets where they look horrid and bounce back for quite a long time. Of course none have been as old as she is. I just don't want to let her go too soon, she is my only kitty, (I also have one pupper).

Thanks for the ear, I was just hoping, but not expecting really, to hear someone may have been through a furball impaction and that this could be something we could get thru and buy her some time.

[BoscosMum]

I am glad that you are able to look at this with alot of love and reality at the same time....I know you will do what is best for your kitty and for yourself.

[Sophiesmom]

Thank you so much Dawn. Sophie is refusing all food, even tuna which she usually goes crazy for. She did walk out when she smelled it and cried which had me all excited but then she refused it when I offered it to her. I just wish I knew if it were a furball or something else, it would make the decision a little easier.

[emma_pen]

I am so sorry to hear what you are going through, it must be very hard. I think you know that Sophie's condition must be caused by something more serious than a hairball, to raise her liver and kidney enzymes like that. I know what you mean about making her last days traumatic though, at such an old age she deserves to end her days in peace and dignity. Enjoy the time you have left, and you will make the right decisions for her. Remember we are here to listen to you.

Ems x

[Sophiesmom]

Thank you Emma, what a nice bunch on this forum.

I keep asking myself am I in denial, is a hairball totally out of the question. But I have to be sure so I don't always wonder.

She also got into bed with me during the night for a while and lay on the pillow next to me as always. I was very happy just now when we got up, Sophie had pooped right next to her bed. (not something one is normally happy about, but it was cause for a minor celebration!) It was formed and quite dark, I don't know if dark enough to think blood...? She walked into the kitchen while I was feeding the puppers and acted like she wanted something too. So I happily put some new canned food (I just picked up some food fromt he supermarket, she normally gets a premium food but I just wanted to see if that would stimulate her to eat,) and some baby food into her bowl and heated it up a little, plus some tuna on top which is her all time favorite (all bad foods for her kidney, etc I know but again just trying to get any food into her at all) but she won't even look at it. I had hoped she was taking a turn for the better.

I am still happy she pooped, and she did have a real good drink of water. So we'll stick with the antibiotics, maybe I'll slow down with the laxatone a little, and right now I'm waiting for my own vet to call me back so I can talk to her, she's in surgery right now.

Thanks again for the support here!

[RarePuss]

sounds like you're doing everything a good mommy would. I hope she recovers and continues to bring you more joy, but it seems that these are her last moments after all. I'm not sure one can recover from kidney, liver failure, but i'm sure a cat can live with these problems till her last days.

Good luck, let us know how she's doing