It's been awhile.

[charade539]

Hey guys. It's Alyssa. I dunno if any of you remember me. Years ago I was on here with my shepherd Vito. A lot has happened since then and I'm sorry I kinda faded out of existence.

I'm not here for myself this time, but for a friend who has a cat that may or may not have EPI. While I'm super familiar with EPI in dogs I'm uncertain if the symptoms are different in cats, so I was hoping there might be someone here to point us in the right direction.

I really missed all of you, I hope everyone is doing well. <3 Again, I'm sorry I vanished. I don't wanna get all dramatic so I'll just leave it at that. Thanks ahead of time for the help!

[Jean]

Oh my word

Alyssa, I certainly do remember you, did you have another dog, Lizzie

was it you that made this song up

(To the tune of "I've Got No Strings" from Pinnoccio)



I’ve got no ribs


They don't stick out


To make mom sad


Or make me pout!


I did have ribs


But now you see,


There are no ribs on me!







I’ve got no ribs so I have fun


I’m not hungry, I've got a bum!


I'll wag my tail, and dance with glee,


There ain't no ribs on me! Whee!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

i kept this and loved it

what are the symptoms of the cat and yes we can help, I had an EPI cat and one of our members has a current EPI cat

jeanx

--

[charade539]

Yeah, unfortunately I don't have her anymore either. She had kidney failure about 6 months after I lost Vito. After that I...kinda went insane for a bit. I have a mastiff mix now, he's perfectly healthy save his seasonal allergies but benadryl clears that up just fine.

Right now from what I've been told the weirdest part of it is half the time his poops are perfectly fine and half the time they're pure liquid. They're testing for EPI and I told him I'd ask you guys and if it is EPI I'd put him in touch with EnzymeDiane and get him on here for support because I remember how amazing you all were with me and Vito.

And yeah! I remember making that song. =) I'm glad you're still enjoying it!

EDIT: Atlas, the kitty in question, just got news that he's not eating right and just vomited, too.

[Barb]

Hello, Allysa. It is good to hear from you. I'm so sorry to hear of your loss of Vito and Lizzie. It is so hard letting them go. I'm glad to hear you have brought a new pup into your family. It is also very kind of you to help someone else who might be dealing with EPI. Keep us posted on the results of the test.

Barb

[charade539]

So I've got another update. Atlas does not have EPI, and the current guess is possibly IBS. His other cat is also experiencing issues, he's been to the vet and xrayed and all but he's not pooping and neither of them wanna eat. I'm finding it really strange that both would get gut problems at the same time but as far as I know he takes extremely good care of them and they're not exposed to anything that could be bad for them.

[jilbert57]

Just a thought did they rule out pancreatitis?

[Sparkle Tangerine]

I've got the EPI moggy, and have dealt with pancreatitis in other cats. There is a blood test available for that, and its easily treatable. Its not caused by the same thing that causes it in dogs, but it does about the same thing. The main thing is to keep the cats hydrated (do you know how to do the pinch test?) and fed. If it is pancreatitis, your friend's veterinarian my prescribe a pain-killer and something to settle the stomach, and a bland diet. It is very painful and left untreated, it can begin to cause other damage.

[Madelon]

I too was wondering about IBD, Pancreatitis or food sensitivities. I hope you're able to get things figured out quickly.

[charade539]

Sorry for taking so long to reply, been getting updates and trying to help him out as best I can and my brain is all over the place!

Okay, updates:
Atlas, the one we're concerned about who might have IBD, fluxuates with the quality of his poops. Some will be fine, then pure liquid, then fine again. He's on meds now and seems to at least be feeling better. For awhile after the vet visit both cats didn't want to eat but they seem to finally have an appetite again. And of course the vet is recommending Royal Canin, which is insanely expensive...if anyone has any alternatives in mind let me know and I'll pass it on.

Grimmy, the constipated one, seems to be over his constipation. He's acting normal, pooping normal, so concern is low.

[Madelon]

Is the vet saying it's IBD? Are they recommending Royal Canin hydrozed food? If it is IBD then unfortunately it will require a prescription hydrolyzed food. I'm not sure about with cats, but I know with dogs there are only a few truly hydrolyzed foods, Royal Canin being one of them.