If you're inclined to pray for a sick cat...

[Catwoman]

Please say a little prayer for our cat, The Saint. (Yes, that's really her name. She was a stray kitten who was very sweet to her brothers and sisters, so we jokingly started calling "him" by the name, Saint Francis of Assisi. Until one day when I noticed that "he" was a "she" :001_rolleyes: and then she was just "Saint.")

 

Anyway, Saint is in the hospital, and we're really worried about her. I won't go into a lot of boring details, but we're waiting for some test results and hoping that the vet will be able to save her life. We have already spent almost $3,000.00 on her care, but will do whatever it takes if her condition is curable. There is a possibility that she will be ok, but there are also several ominous diagnoses, so I'm a nervous wreck, and will be until tomorrow or Wednesday when we get the needle biopsy results back. Right now, the best news we can get is that she has lipidosis (which I probably just spelled wrong,) which is a fatty liver that has up to an 80% cure rate with a special diet. So that's what we're praying for.

 

We're also praying that she's calm and not scared at the veterinary hospital. They are fully staffed 24 hours a day and I can call any time for updates, so at least that is comforting. They seem very nice there, and the vets are supposed to be the very best, so I feel like we're doing everything we can for Saint, but I just hope she will be ok. She is such a great cat -- I'm pretty sure she thinks she's a dog because she always comes when I call her, and she follows me around the house all the time.

 

If you don't mind saying a little prayer for her, I'd really appreciate it. Ds was heartbroken when he heard that she had to stay at the vet's for at least a few days, so I am desperately hoping we'll get good news about Saint. Ds has already lost several pets, because all of our animals were fully grown before ds was born and some were quite old, but Saint is only 11, and has always been such a healthy cat, that her illness was unexpected.

 

Thanks, everyone. I know that so many people are posting with more important prayer requests, but I just had to ask for your help.

 

Cat

[RoughCollie]

Of course I will. Lots of people here prayed for my dog and his condition went from paralysis to being able to stand, sit, and walk. He is improving and I think the prayers and good wishes of the people here helped a lot.

 

:grouphug: and prayers.

[Jean in Newcastle]

:grouphug: and prayers here too.

[Catwoman]

Of course I will. Lots of people here prayed for my dog and his condition went from paralysis to being able to stand, sit, and walk. He is improving and I think the prayers and good wishes of the people here helped a lot.

 

:grouphug: and prayers.

 

Thank you so much!

 

I am so happy to hear that Teddy is doing so well. I hope he continues to improve, and is able to go back to being his happy old self!

 

Cat

[Unicorn.]

:grouphug: and prayers for your kitty!

[Catwoman]

Thank you, Jean and Unicorn. I really appreciate the prayers for Saint!

 

Cat

[Denisemomof4]

aaaw, poor Saint! I pray that she has something that is easily treatable and that she continues on being a wonderful member of the family, enjoying many years of a happy, healthy and full life!!!

 

Keep us posted!

[TravelingChris]

Praying for your cat and for your son.:grouphug:

[Catwoman]

Thank you, Denise and Christina!

 

I'm going to call the hospital soon to see how Saint is doing -- I have a phone appointment with the vet in a little while, so I'm hopeful that he'll have some good news for me, yet I'm worried that he won't.

 

I called the hospital at around 1am last night, and Saint was resting comfortably and was on IV fluids and medications. The medicines they gave her to stimulate her appetite seem to have worked, because they were able to get her to eat two little meals, and the anti-nausea meds seem to be working, as well, so I'm very encouraged (yet still scared to get my hopes up too high.)

 

Please pray that she's getting stronger, and that her needle biopsy results come back indicating nothing worse than a fatty liver. I'm so worried about cancer.

 

Cat

[2cents]

Keeping you and Saint in our thoughts. :grouphug:

[JudoMom]

Thank you, Denise and Christina!

 

I'm going to call the hospital soon to see how Saint is doing -- I have a phone appointment with the vet in a little while, so I'm hopeful that he'll have some good news for me, yet I'm worried that he won't.

 

I called the hospital at around 1am last night, and Saint was resting comfortably and was on IV fluids and medications. The medicines they gave her to stimulate her appetite seem to have worked, because they were able to get her to eat two little meals, and the anti-nausea meds seem to be working, as well, so I'm very encouraged (yet still scared to get my hopes up too high.)

 

Please pray that she's getting stronger, and that her needle biopsy results come back indicating nothing worse than a fatty liver. I'm so worried about cancer.

 

Cat

 

:grouphug:

[MBM]

Praying for little Saint to get well soon.

 

Our kitty was sick twice this summer with a cold. It was awful, but she pulled through and is doing well now. I hope yours will heal quickly, too.

[Jennifer in MI]

Awww. I pray you get good news!!!

[gingersmom]

:grouphug:

[Jenny Piaaree]

:grouphug: Hoping for a happy outcome for your Saint!

[Catwoman]

Thank you so much, everyone!

 

I spoke with the vet and he said that Saint is doing pretty well, but until we have the biopsy results, he won't know for sure that she has lipidosis (fatty liver,) and it's possible that she would be showing improvement no matter how severe her illness, just because they've been providing her with intensive supportive care.

 

I have another phone appointment with him late this afternoon. He said the biopsy results probably won't be in until tomorrow morning, but that there's a chance he'll have them by the time we talk this afternoon. I know Saint will be in the hospital for at least another night, but I'm actually glad about that, because they can provide care for her there that I can't give her at home, like the IV fluids, and if she takes a turn for the worse, they have specialists on duty 24 hours a day.

 

I was thinking of visiting Saint in the hospital later today, but I'm torn about it. I really want to see her, but I know she'll be upset when I have to leave, and she needs to be there tonight. The vet says she's very friendly with everyone and that she seems comfortable there, so it might be less selfish of me not to visit her and potentially upset her. I'm not sure what to do. I keep thinking that if she was really traumatized, she wouldn't be eating well -- and she is eating exceptionally well for them.

 

Saint is a little toughie, and is completely fearless, so I think she'll be fine there. One of our other cats is different -- the last time we had to take him to the vet, he got so scared at the thought of leaving the house that he fainted. Really. Scared me half to death, but he was none the worse for wear afterward. And this cat is huge and fierce-looking. He's over 25 pounds of muscle -- not an ounce of fat on him -- and everyone who comes into the house is scared of him. If they only knew the truth... ;)

 

Anyway, thanks again for the continued prayers for Saint. I am so nervous about what the biopsy results might show.

 

Cat

[lisabees]

Cat lover here. BIG HUGS to you and Saint. She will be in my thoughts. :grouphug::grouphug:

[Catwoman]

Thanks, Lisa! :)

 

Cat

[Mama2Many4]

Praying for your cat. We finally get to pick ours up today, so I know how badly you want her home.

[Catwoman]

Thank you!

 

Cat

[Catwoman]

Just posting an update: I spoke with the vet earlier this evening, and he said that the biopsy results should be in by tomorrow morning, so I have another night to worry.

 

I hate waiting for test results. I always keep picturing the worst possible outcome in my mind. I wish I could be more of an optimist!

 

Cat

[Jean in Newcastle]

Just posting an update: I spoke with the vet earlier this evening, and he said that the biopsy results should be in by tomorrow morning, so I have another night to worry.

 

I hate waiting for test results. I always keep picturing the worst possible outcome in my mind. I wish I could be more of an optimist!

 

Cat

 

:grouphug: Waiting is hard.

[Catwoman]

Thanks, Jean. I'm the worst at waiting.

 

Cat

[Catwoman]

Quick update: Saint stopped eating again, and the appetite stimulants aren't working, so she is having surgery today to have a feeding tube inserted into her stomach.

 

Her biopsy results showed no indication of cancer, for which I am so thankful! She has a very severe case of lipidosis, which is fatty liver disease. Although it's very serious, it's still the best possible diagnosis we could have received, given her symptoms and blood work results. If everything goes well with the feeding tube, she has up to a 75% chance of a complete recovery. Apparently, with lipidosis, there are no partial recoveries. She will either recover completely or she will die. Fortunately, I'll be able to be home all day to do the frequent feedings and make sure she doesn't rip the tube out -- and also that the other cats don't bother her.

 

Of course, as usual, even though the diagnosis was what we'd hoped, I'm still in a panic about Saint going under anesthesia today and having the tube inserted. I'm also really worried that she might be among the 25% that don't get well, but as I've said before, I'm always afraid to assume that things will turn out well. It's like I'm always preparing myself for the worst, and I wish I wasn't like that!

 

I've got another phone appointment with the vet late this afternoon, so I'll know by then how she did during the procedure and if it looks like she'll be able to come home tomorrow.

 

Please pray that she's ok.

 

Cat

[RoughCollie]

:grouphug: and prayers.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I'm glad that there is no cancer. I hope that she gets better.:grouphug:

[Unicorn.]

I'm glad that there is no cancer. I hope that she gets better.:grouphug:

 

Me too. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

[Catwoman]

Thanks!

 

Yesterday, they inserted a feeding tube into Saint's stomach, and she seems to be doing ok with it so far. She's still somewhat anemic, but they're treating her for it, as well as giving her calcium because apparently she has a deficiency. She's also still getting other medications and IV fluids. The only after-effect of the surgery seems to be that she's not seeing as well as she should be. The vet said that in a critically ill cat, that can happen, and that her vision should normalize over time. He said he had her out walking around this morning, and she could see well enough that she's not bumping into things or anything like that, but he wanted me to know about it in case it seemed like she wasn't seeing me very well.

 

She is supposed to come home tomorrow, as long as her morning lab results come back ok. We still don't have any guarantees that she will recover, but at least we are doing everything possible to save her, and the vet says she's doing as well as can be expected and nothing unusual has happened. We're going to visit her tonight because we haven't seen her since she was admitted on Monday, and I can't wait to see her!

 

Please pray that she's well enough to come home tomorrow, and that her condition keeps improving.

 

Cat

[gingersmom]

:grouphug:

[Hedgehog]

Please say a little prayer for our cat, The Saint. (Yes, that's really her name. She was a stray kitten who was very sweet to her brothers and sisters, so we jokingly started calling "him" by the name, Saint Francis of Assisi. Until one day when I noticed that "he" was a "she" :001_rolleyes: and then she was just "Saint.")

 

Anyway, Saint is in the hospital, and we're really worried about her. I won't go into a lot of boring details, but we're waiting for some test results and hoping that the vet will be able to save her life. We have already spent almost $3,000.00 on her care, but will do whatever it takes if her condition is curable. There is a possibility that she will be ok, but there are also several ominous diagnoses, so I'm a nervous wreck, and will be until tomorrow or Wednesday when we get the needle biopsy results back. Right now, the best news we can get is that she has lipidosis (which I probably just spelled wrong,) which is a fatty liver that has up to an 80% cure rate with a special diet. So that's what we're praying for.

 

We're also praying that she's calm and not scared at the veterinary hospital. They are fully staffed 24 hours a day and I can call any time for updates, so at least that is comforting. They seem very nice there, and the vets are supposed to be the very best, so I feel like we're doing everything we can for Saint, but I just hope she will be ok. She is such a great cat -- I'm pretty sure she thinks she's a dog because she always comes when I call her, and she follows me around the house all the time.

 

If you don't mind saying a little prayer for her, I'd really appreciate it. Ds was heartbroken when he heard that she had to stay at the vet's for at least a few days, so I am desperately hoping we'll get good news about Saint. Ds has already lost several pets, because all of our animals were fully grown before ds was born and some were quite old, but Saint is only 11, and has always been such a healthy cat, that her illness was unexpected.

 

Thanks, everyone. I know that so many people are posting with more important prayer requests, but I just had to ask for your help.

 

Cat

 

I surely will pray for your little kitty. Our dog was recently diagnosed with the onset of hip dyslasia, and I've been a basket case all week. Pets are precious, aren't they. :grouphug:

[3lilreds in NC]

I will be praying too. I'm so glad it was a "good" diagnosis! I hope she gets better. :grouphug:

[RoughCollie]

Please pray that she's well enough to come home tomorrow, and that her condition keeps improving. Cat

 

Will do. :grouphug:

[Stacia]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

[ereks mom]

Please say a little prayer for our cat, The Saint. (Yes, that's really her name. She was a stray kitten who was very sweet to her brothers and sisters, so we jokingly started calling "him" by the name, Saint Francis of Assisi. Until one day when I noticed that "he" was a "she" :001_rolleyes: and then she was just "Saint.")

 

Anyway, Saint is in the hospital, and we're really worried about her. I won't go into a lot of boring details, but we're waiting for some test results and hoping that the vet will be able to save her life. We have already spent almost $3,000.00 on her care, but will do whatever it takes if her condition is curable. There is a possibility that she will be ok, but there are also several ominous diagnoses, so I'm a nervous wreck, and will be until tomorrow or Wednesday when we get the needle biopsy results back. Right now, the best news we can get is that she has lipidosis (which I probably just spelled wrong,) which is a fatty liver that has up to an 80% cure rate with a special diet. So that's what we're praying for.

 

We're also praying that she's calm and not scared at the veterinary hospital. They are fully staffed 24 hours a day and I can call any time for updates, so at least that is comforting. They seem very nice there, and the vets are supposed to be the very best, so I feel like we're doing everything we can for Saint, but I just hope she will be ok. She is such a great cat -- I'm pretty sure she thinks she's a dog because she always comes when I call her, and she follows me around the house all the time.

 

If you don't mind saying a little prayer for her, I'd really appreciate it. Ds was heartbroken when he heard that she had to stay at the vet's for at least a few days, so I am desperately hoping we'll get good news about Saint. Ds has already lost several pets, because all of our animals were fully grown before ds was born and some were quite old, but Saint is only 11, and has always been such a healthy cat, that her illness was unexpected.

 

Thanks, everyone. I know that so many people are posting with more important prayer requests, but I just had to ask for your help.

 

Cat

 

May God give you and Saint peace and comfort.

[Catwoman]

Thank you so much for all of the support -- I really appreciate it!

 

We went to visit Saint last night, and she seemed happy to see us, but still very sick. One look at her face told us that she felt awful, and it was so hard to see that.

 

Today's update from the vet is that Saint is a little bit better, but still not out of the woods by any means. Her blood results have improved, which is a good thing, but so far, she is unable to tolerate the tube feedings and has been vomiting everything back up. They have another anti-nausea medicine that they're trying today, and it sounds like they'll be giving her even less food at each feeding, but increasing the number of feedings per day.

 

The vet said that she will need to be in the hospital until at least next Monday, and I have to admit that I wasn't entirely surprised to hear him say that, given the way she looked last night. Because the hospital is open 24 hours a day, we'll be able to visit her again tonight and over the weekend as well, so at least she'll know we haven't abandoned her.

 

Please pray that they're able to get the tube feedings to work, because if she can't tolerate any food, she won't be able to survive this. The vet said it isn't uncommon for it to take a while to determine exactly how much food a cat can tolerate through the tube at first, and that there's no reason to fear for the worst right now. (So of course, I am in a complete panic. I wish I was the kind of person who didn't worry about everything. I hate being like this.)

 

Thanks again.

 

Cat

[Unicorn.]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Keeping you and Saint in thoughts and prayers. Thanks for updating.

[Jean in Newcastle]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Keeping you and Saint in thoughts and prayers. Thanks for updating.

 

:iagree::grouphug::grouphug:

[RoughCollie]

:grouphug: and prayers.

[Jaxmum]

Prayers for your dear little cat, and your family too, from a family of cat lovers.

[Remudamom]

Prayers for your kitty.

[kalphs]

:grouphug:

[Catwoman]

Sad update:

 

Saint passed away on Friday night. The vets did everything they could to save her, but to no avail. We had just gotten home from visiting her and the phone rang. The vet said that she had taken a sudden turn for the worse, and we tried to get back there in time, but the phone rang again just as we were pulling in to the hospital parking lot and the vet told us she had died. Her ultrasound and bloodwork were ok a few hours before she died, and they were monitoring her very carefully.

 

I'd been very worried when we left the hospital, because when I looked at Saint, all the fight seemed to be gone from her eyes. I know some people will think it's really stupid, but I sat there hugging her and whispering to her that if she couldn't fight any more, it was ok. I kept hoping I was wrong, though, and that she'd be all right

 

We are heartbroken.

 

Saint was cremated, so we will be able to keep her ashes here at home with us.

 

Thank you all for your prayers and good wishes. Although we didn't get the miracle we'd hoped for, it was very comforting to be able to post here when I was scared and worried.

 

Cat

[2cents]

I'm so sorry. I was hoping she would hang in there. :( :grouphug::grouphug:

[Remudamom]

Oh I'm so sorry. I know you are heartbroken. It's so sad to lose a dear friend.

 

Our border collie, Boone was hit and killed in our yard last week, by a complete stranger who saw one of our boys needed assistance and pulled in to help. It was awful.

[Tree House Academy]

I lost my precious 13 year old cat this summer to cancer. I still miss her so much! :( I am so very sorry for your loss. *hugs*

Edited November 22, 2010 by Tree House Academy

[Jean in Newcastle]

I am so sorry for your loss.

[laundrycrisis]

I am very sorry for you loss.

[Catwoman]

I'm so sorry. I was hoping she would hang in there. :( :grouphug::grouphug:

 

Thanks. We really thought she would pull through, too, but when days kept passing and she still wasn't strong enough to come home, I started to fear that the worst would happen.

 

Cat

[Catwoman]

Oh I'm so sorry. I know you are heartbroken. It's so sad to lose a dear friend.

 

Our border collie, Boone was hit and killed in our yard last week, by a complete stranger who saw one of our boys needed assistance and pulled in to help. It was awful.

 

I'm so sorry to hear about Boone! What an awful thing to happen! I just love border collies, and I don't even want to imagine how you must have felt when he was hit in your own yard. :(

 

Cat

[Catwoman]

I am very sorry for you loss.

 

Thank you very much.

 

Cat