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The paw isn't looking much better, despite the ABs and iodine - hoping it is just because she keeps licking it. The poo results came back yesterday and she has an overgrowth of Clostridium Difficile. The vet says it is a controversial subjects, as some experts don't think it is a major issue and others do. She told me to start giving Kylie Probiotics - but I already do.

Anyway, they said they are going to sedate her tomorrow to check the paw and biopsy if necessary. Also they are going to have a good feel around her intestine for lumps and measure to see if there is any thickening + a 'possible' ultrasound.

Just hoping for the best. She came inside a while ago after being in her bed in the garden all day. She had laid down just inside the back door and seemed quite spaced out. She was holding her paw awkwardly, so I gave her an extra 1/2 dose of Metacam (she is on 1/2 dose a day anyway)

Wishing Kylie all the best for tomorrow, hope all goes well xx

Thinking about you and hoping all goes well for Kylie tomorrow.

Thanks all. Well withholding food wasn't a problem as she isn't eating tonight. Just wishing tonight and tomorrow out of the way. I have put some food upstairs, hopefully inaccessible to Kylie, but so that the others can find it.

Thinking of you and your wee pet today Mark, It's horrible when they are sick, you feel helpless don't you and just want to take the pain away from them. All fingers and toes crossed, virtual positive vibes heading your way.

Issi
xx

Just caught this, poor Kylie. All paws here crossed for her. xx

Thanks all. Ultrasound is showing nothing untoward,although not 100% - the vet said given how long she has had the diarrhea, if it had been cancer, she would have expected to see at least thickening of the bowel wall. She said there was a lot of gas in there and some formed poo - she thinks to high-meat, grain-free food is helping.

As for the paw, she called earlier and said there is a hard lump. One of her toes is misshapen and was probably what was causing the lameness. The infection was also showing in her bloods (raised white cells) she said even if they get rid of the infection, the toe is still likely to cause her pain,so asked if it was OK to remove it.

She called back a while ago to tell me Kylie was awake. She is quite anxious, so Jane said she will be better off at home with me than in a pen overnight. She wants to send the toe off to the lab to be sure.

So all in all, it all seems a lot better than it could have been.

She has been given an AB injection and will also have ABs for her gut and more for the paw.

Fingers crossed - even IBD shows as thickening of the intestine. Hope the toe is nothing serious

Hi mark, hope kylie improves, she will be much better settled at home
Sharon

Aww best wishes for everything and that poorly paw, good luck Kylie! x

Gad that the news isn’t too bad so far and I hope that the toe heals well. Good that Kylie was able to come home too, lots of love in your own home always helps. Give her a gentle get well snuggle from me xx

You must be so pleased to be able to bring her home!

I'm glad thinsg don't seem as bad as they might have been and wish her a speedy recovery. xx

The vet think it was a soft-tissue tumour, but it hasn't spread to the bone. She x-rayed Kylie's chest and she can't see any tumours ther either.

http://i.imgur.com/fEMlO0w.jpg

Oh bless her with her big green paw and shaved bits! I hope she has a peaceful night to sleep it off. xx

MarkB wrote:The vet think it was a soft-tissue tumour, but it hasn't spread to the bone. She x-rayed Kylie's chest and she can't see any tumours ther either.

http://i.imgur.com/fEMlO0w.jpg

That's good news

That's good news Mark. I hope she is feeling better today.

She does seem a lot better today, although she falls over every time she attempts to walk. I was concerned earlier, as she hadn't used the tray. Ieven phoned the vets (they said not to worry at this stage) but she managed both 1/2 hour ago. She is eating well, which I guess is a good sign. The cast comes off tomorrow (bandage, but really thick, so like a cast) and the cone goes on - I have ordered a Comfy Collar and and E-fit cone - hopefully one of those will work for her

Hope the 'unwrapping' goes well today. xx

It went well thanks Helen. The nurse was planning to check, clean and redress as previous. I told her that Jane had told me she would be able to have a collar instead. She phoned Jane to confirm - she said that she would do it, but under no circumstances was she to as much as lick it - especially if I was going to use an alternative collar. She said if she does, bring her straight back and she will go back to a full dressing.

Not for the faint of heart - but will help healing

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipO ... dGSHlGRHhB

If you click on the photo when it opens, it will enlarge.

I will post some of her modelling the lampshade and the comfy collar later

Well, not exactly pretty, you're right, but it does look nice and clean and healthy. I hope she's a good girl and leaves it alone. xx

She was miserable with any type of cone on. The vet assured me that she would 'mutilate' because of the pain, but I had to do something. Around 4am (and slightly squiffy after a bottle of red) I was fashioning her a sock made out of a trainer sock and held on with plasters. Result, one happy Kylie who was finally able to put her head down. She hasn't bothered it at all. I slept on the sofa again, but she is a happy, purry girl, eating well etc. She had the squits this morning, but may have been because I allowed her a treat meal of gourmet gold last night.

I know they say that cats do get used to cones, but one of the many things the vet showed me was that there are signs of arthritis in Kylie's spine, which didn't surprise me. I think lying awkwardly wasn't easy for her.

I have been out today buying conformable bandages and more plasters for a dressing change, She is back on Monday morning for a check up anyway. No doubt I will be told off

Probably, but I would have done the same as you have. Vets can get tunnel vision sometimes, and often don't realise that there is more than one way to .... erm ........ never mind ......

Fusses to Madame Kylie. xx

Ha Ha Helen

She is an excellent vet, but has some funny quirks. So different to the way Fran handles Kylie. I held her and when she swore at Fran, she just said 'Oh stop your complaining we're having a look, like it or not' - The vet seems terrified of being bitten and wants to knock cats out to handle them. Naturally if there was any chance of Kylie 'mutilating' her paw, I would have done it differently, but I always maintain we all know our own cats better than anyone. There can't be a 'one size fits all' way of treating them.

So comfortable now http://i.imgur.com/aODIr2i.jpg

She wasn't happy like this http://i.imgur.com/9haYtqi.jpg or this http://i.imgur.com/UyKWZoT.jpg

Even less so with a cone.

I totally agree with you, and I'm glad she's comfortable.

My apologies to Mme but I laughed at the second pic - the very image of a disgruntled cat!

Yes, rather

Well the sock was hanging off last night. I bandaged, but that was also unravelled this morning, so I went and bought some decent plasters and reapplied the sock - it will do until tomorrow.

We are back to serious diarrhea - One possiblily is that I read about the new ABs she is on for her paw, Zodon, can allowfor proliferation of clostridia, which she already has an overgrowth of. I will speak to the vet tomorrow about it.

PS - £800 and counting - ouch. Gastro is excluded, but paw will be covered, although bulk is gastro - however, there is £75 excess + 20%, so I doubt Petplan will be paying out much of it. Great vet though, they said we must let them know if there is a problem paying (thankfully we are OK, although there are other things that are being pushed back)

how much of the gastro issue is due to the AB's though Mark, because you could then put that down to the meds for the paw and have that claimed?

Good point, Ria, I like your thinking.

Hope the sock lasted and good luck at the vets. xx

The trouble is, as she has a history of gastro problems, they are completely excluded. Anyway, Claire will sort out what she can or can't claim for - hopefully in our favour.

OK, so the vet called with results of the biospy - not good news, although there is a chance it hasn't spread.

It has been confirmed that the tumour is Adenocarcinoma, which is malignant

She said that she is confident that she removed a good margin, but this type of cancer spreads from lungs to paws, or vice versa. Although there was nothing she could see on Kylie's chest x-ray, it doesn't mean that there is nothing there. The lab have given a 'guarded prognosis' - she said all I can do is keep an eye on her and measure her resting respiration rate once a week. If it starts to increase, the kindest thing would be to PTS

However, there is a chance that it hasn't spread, but she can't make any promises. She said she is concerned that the diarrhea might be down to intestinal tumours, but as we can't biopsy... (I'm not so sure,as she has had problems with it for a couple of years)

Jane has offered for me to go down so she can go through the technical terms on the report line by line and explain them all, but I'm not sure that would achieve anything.

As for paw healing, I took her for check up this morning and it is healing well. All being well, she can have the stitches out next Monday.

I am trying to be realistic, but at the same time, they said Alice's cancer could return and it never did

Fingers crossed for her Mark

That's a tough one. I think I'd take the same line as you - no point in worrying yourself sick over something that may or may not happen. Seems that, at the moment, she's getting better so if you can, enjoy that, keep an eye on her and leave the worrying to if or when she presents you with something to worry about.

Easy for me to say, I know. (((hugs)))