I’m the proud cat mum of a little girl who’ll be 12 at the end of the month – we call her Belette!!!
On Tuesday 25th Jan, we were having a little cuddle and when I put her back down on the floor, I noticed she was losing her balance and then started limping slightly!! At first, I thought she must have just hurt herself while having a mad half-hour... I kept a close eye on my Belette and sure enough, I saw she had a small wound on her back right leg (on the side of the 'knee')!! I cleaned it up a bit with some antiseptic and told myself it was something to watch!!!
The next day, Belette was limping even more than the day before... to me, it’s not normal for a tiny wound to make her limp that much... so I decided to book an appointment with her vet!!!
On Thursday we went to the appointment... and the news was a shock... that little wound was actually a tumour that had created a lump in her thigh!!
The vet strongly recommended surgery as soon as possible to remove the mass, as it’s clearly bothering her terribly, and to have it analysed to find out if it’s a benign tumour or not!
My Belette is on anti-inflammatories while we wait for her surgery!
The following Monday was surgery day... I picked her up in the afternoon... the operation went well and we should have the results for the tumour within 15 days max!!!
She’s on antibiotics and anti-inflammatories for 5 days post-op!!!
On Tuesday and Wednesday, she was slowly recovering... she ate a tiny bit... drank some water and a few drops of milk as a well-deserved treat, as she’s been so brave these last two weeks!!!
On Thursday, she tried to use her litter tray... she was scratching at the litter... arching her back... straining, but nothing was happening!!
Oh no, she looks constipated... she’s vomited bile 5 times... I called the clinic straight away, but they can’t see her until tomorrow!! On the vet's advice, the receptionist told me not to give her the antibiotics or anti-inflammatories until our appointment (it could be those that are upsetting her little tummy) and to give her some sugar water in the meantime to help keep her going!!
Translated from French
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Hi everyone!!
Just a little update on my girl...
She went back to the vet on Friday because she still wasn't eating... the vet kept her in overnight on a drip as she was starting to get dehydrated... he gave her a steroid injection to try and boost her appetite (one that's supposed to last for 5 days)!!
I brought her home on Saturday... her appetite was definitely back... she ate half a portion of minced beef during the day!!
Then on Sunday morning, I was woken up by her meowing... she'd had diarrhoea in every single corner of the house... she's clearly got a sore tummy... she's refusing to eat again, though she is drinking a lot!!
She's had several more bouts of diarrhoea all day long!! I had to give her a wash... she absolutely loved that, as you can imagine!!
We're back at the vet tomorrow afternoon to have her stitches out and for them to explain what happens next... because the results are in... the tumour is indeed cancerous... and the two tumours they removed are actually metastases!!
Hi everyone!!!
I wanted to give you all an update on my little Belette... this morning when I got back from work she was still trying to use her litter tray, but she still couldn't manage anything!!
Her vet couldn't see us today... he told me to keep syringe-feeding her and said that if I felt she was getting too weak, I should bring her in to be put on a drip!! According to him, the liquid paraffin is enough, no need for Microlax!!!
So I syringe-fed her a bit and went to bed!!!
When we woke up, it was lovely and sunny outside and she wanted to go out... I couldn't help myself, I put a towel down on the patio and we both sat out there for 5-10 minutes!!! She was so happy!!!
When we came back in, she did a tiny, very hard poo right next to her tray - HOORAY!!!
It's true that she usually always wants to have a wander outside before using her litter tray (but at the moment she's not allowed out)!!
I gave her a little wipe-down with a warm flannel and then offered her all sorts of food, but she didn't want any!! So I gave her a bit more by syringe!!!
And then just now, while I was eating... she came and begged for MY plate!! So I cut up some tiny bits of red meat which she ate like a big girl (about an inch square of meat in total)!!!
I'm so happy with this progress!!!
We're moving slowly but there's definitely an improvement... it's great!!!
A little nibble here, a little poo there, and we’re absolutely over the moon! 😁 This is all really positive; we just had to give it some time, even if it always feels like ages when we’re waiting. Plus, if she’s asking to go out, that’s a great sign – little Belette is getting her spark back and is definitely on the mend.
If you really notice she’s struggling to go to the toilet, you could try a bit of infant Microlax; it really helps them, provided she lets you do it, which is often easier said than done! Give your vet a quick ring first to get their advice, though, just to be on the safe side.
We’ve had a little breakthrough!!! She’s eating a few bits of tuna all on her own... she’s made me so happy... just before I head off to work!!! My little Belette is so lovely, she’s putting my mind at rest and showing me that I can leave her on her own tonight... I love her so much!!
It just goes to show that it’s better to have an overweight cat than the other way around, because when they have a health scare, the weight drops off so quickly. But at least she had some reserves to fall back on, which is a really good thing. Maybe she’s just feeling a bit rough after the surgery and her appetite will pick up bit by bit. Right now, the painkillers will still be in her system; it’s usually after a few days that they struggle more as the pain starts to kick in. As for her throat, perhaps it's some irritation from being intubated? Give the vet a ring tomorrow morning and they'll tell you if you need to bring her back in or not—that'll save you a wasted trip if they think everything is normal. It’s never easy leaving them on their own at times like this, but she’ll sleep. Leave an item of clothing you've worn in her bed; she’ll be able to smell you better and it’ll soothe her.
The vet said at the time (September 2021) that she had a fatty liver... which was already causing her some really painful constipation!! That’s why he strongly advised a diet!!! But I completely agree that I’d rather see her carrying a bit of extra weight than being just skin and bone!!!
I forgot to mention as well that her blood test results were good (according to the vet); her kidneys are functioning well!!
I was actually wondering if they intubate cats for this kind of surgery... that might explain why she doesn't want to eat!!!
She’s just got up to go to the litter tray... but she still can’t manage to go! And she’s asking to go outside for a bit... I hope that’s a sign she’s not doing too badly!!!
As for the clothing in her bed, I’ve already been doing that since her op!! And I change it for her frequently!!!
I can't wait for tomorrow morning so I can call her vet!!
Thank you so much for your help and support!!!
I’ll be back soon to give you an update...
