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A repeat rhinoscopy on my 11 year old cat revealed new tissue growth in the nasopharyngeal space with a very small polyp that has not changed in size since last year. The new tissue growth and polyp was biopsied again (last year it was negative) for cancer which is what the vet suspects. Her labs are all normal. I will have a definitive diagnosis in 3-5 days. If it comes back negative again, it would be highly indicative of Nasopharyngeal Stenosis according to the vet. Has anyone out there had any experiences with this possible diagnosis? In the meantime my kitty continues to have very noisy and difficulty breathing with trouble swallowing her food. The nasopharyngeal flush did nothing to improve her symptoms this. I am doing my best to keep her calm and adding water to her pate food to assist with eating as she still has a very good appetite. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
We have a new puppy, a 9wk doxipoo, he seems extremely lazy and doesn’t ever really want to move unless we make him. Even when he goes to the bathroom, he goes while laying down and it doesn’t seem to phase him? He doesn’t cry or whimper.. just lays there. His eating schedule has been quite unpredictable as well. At first I thought that he just needed an adjustment period to get used to his new people and place but now I’m getting worried. Shouldn’t he be playing more than this? Or at least have some interest in exploring? Should I be worried about Parvo or another sickness?
He came from an in-home breeder and I haven’t been able to get ahold of her since I became worried.
I would get to the vet immediately! Puppies should not be lethargic like that. And the fact that the person you got the puppy from is not getting back to you is concerning. Let your vet know your suspicions when you make the appointment so that they can be prepared. Best of luck. I hope things turn out ok.
Yes. I would be worried. Any abnormal behavior, especially in puppies this young , makes me very very worried. It’s time for a visit to the vet ASAP. I hope they check a parvo test and fecal. Along with physical exam and temp. Please go today. Let us know what the vet says.
Vet said could be PARVO, anemia from fleas, parasite or a congenital defect since he was so much smaller than the rest of the litter.
We’re hoping just anemia from fleas since that’d be easiest to treat
My 11 year old cat was diagnosed with a nasopharyngeal polyp via CT scan and rhinoscopy last year. A biopsy was taken and found not to be cancerous. A nasal flush was the only intervention taken (which improved her symptoms) as I was told it was too small to remove. 3 weeks ago she was taken back with the same symptoms (noisy and difficulty breathing, quacking noises, and problems swallowing food) and another nasal flush was done under anesthesia and an antibiotic injection given with steroids also. Since then she has gotten progressively worse in her symptoms. The same vet wants to do another rhinoscopy and flush and cannot guarantee any results. I am not a rich person and so far between last year and now I have spent over $4,000 to help her. I was hoping you or someone in the Brooklyn area can recommend a reputable veterinarian for at least a second opinion as I am beginning to feel that I am being taken advantage of monetarily because of my dedication to getting help for my cat. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hello-
I’m sorry you are finding yourself in this situation. I would make a few phone calls to see about finding a second opinion. Your local humane society or scpa may be able to recommend another vet. I would also have a candid discussion with your current vet about your financial situation and your concern for your cat. Perhaps together, you can come up with a good plan that works for the both of you and more importantly, benefits your cat. Hope this helps- best of luck!!!
Thank you for your reply.
So Stella just pooped a red gelatinous blob and I have no idea what this is. Could it be anal glands or diarrhea from maybe finding our fruit snacks on the floor? She’s been pooping a bit more than usual.. Maybe 4-5 times per day. She seems totally fine otherwise except for wiping her butt on the floor (sorry so gross). Her poop just before this happened seemed like diarrhea.. PS Stella is a Morkie (yorkshire terrier mixed with maltese) and 3 years old.
Here’s Stella for reference
So I just took her to the groomer and she confirmed it was not anal glands needing drained.. Also was confused by the picture… Could it have been renegade fruit snacks on the floor?? Lol..
She’s acting normal with tail wagging and running around..
I have to say I have never heard fruit snacks come out just like they went in? Is there a human out there to confirm. And why is she eating fruit snacks?
My bet is it is from the colon. Dogs with large bowel diarrhea often get red gelatinous feces (we call it “raspberry jam” because we relate everything to food (gross!)). My recommendation (as your vet which I am) is to check her gum color, make sure they are pink and not red or pale, check her gums for tackiness (indicating dehydration) and then stop feeding for about 12 hours if the above is normal. Then go to a bland boiled skinless chicken and rice meals for a few days. I also add a probiotic like fortiflora. If it persists, she is straining, or she seems dehydrated see a vet for fluids and a fecal exam. Let us know what happens.
My 14 year old cat is having trouble breathing. After seeing her vet, we suspect she has a polyp. The examination was brief and the vet suggested X-rays or better yet, an MRI ($2,000).
I am a teacher and am on a very tight budget. What I would like to know is what kind of tests/examination should be required for the vet to complete the diagnosis? It seems from your youtube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCRwkQXd3Qs), that the vet could have found this by examining the inside of the cat’s mouth.
I’m trying to keep my costs down. How do I approach my vet regarding this matter?
Thanks
Al
Hello,
I start all of the exams that I do with a long discussion about the patient. History and environment as well as parent observations all help. After that discussion and the exam I give a list of possible causes. Essentially the list of what the possible diagnosis might be. From this i discuss the diagnostics needed to confirm. This includes their cost. I also discuss what the results will help us to do. How it will help your pet and how it will affect your options moving forward.
For these cases I alway offer a sedated exam to look. BUT I want to be able to do something from that exam so I intubate and prepare to remove the poly if I find one. That allows me to hopefully cure the cat at a reasonable price. (About $200). It’s not a perfect plan and there are reasons others want $2000, but in every case I have helped a cat with a polyp from suffocating. I have had two regrow. Both were removed again and have never come back.
I think what this question comes down to is finding a vet you trust to help your kitty and help you make this affordable. Please let us know what happens. I want to hear about how this goes please.
Krista
My almost 6 month old puppy is having diarrhea. We changed his food about 2 weeks from Purina pro plan puppy to the purina pro plan large breed food. He is a lab/mastiff mix. Do you think it’s the food causing the diarrhea? Should I switched him back to the old stuff? Or give him more time? He is acting fine other then the diarrhea. Thanks!
Hello,
At that age I would be most worried about intestinal parasites. Has your vet done a fecal exam for parasites? This is done by sending a fresh fecal sample to lab to be examined under the microscope for parasites eggs. Please ask your vet.
Dr.Magnifco he sees Dr.Graf. I will call and see what I need to do.
Rectal prolapse…
I’ve taken in a little kitten that kept on visiting us about two weeks ago.. He’s about 15 weeks old. Took him to vet for first visit on July 5. He’s always has a slightly protruding rectum. Vet said probably from straining because of parasites. Gave him Profender – purge dewormer- and Revolution Plus. Could still see tapeworm segments even two/three days ago. Rectum looks good in the morning and then once he has a bowel movement his rectum prolapses – looks like a red Cheerio (for size visualization). He has a vet appointment next Friday. Should he go sooner to the vet? What can I do in the meantime? Saline rinse? Sugar water soak? Vaseline? Or nothing? Thanks!!!
Hello,
As long as it is going back into the rectum I would just keep monitoring. It usually prolapses a little after a bowel movement. If it comes out and stays out, like long and tubular versus donut or cheerio, then hopefully it will resolve with time and appropriate diet and anthelmintic (anti parasite) treatment. I recommend a very good age appropriate diet and recheck fecal exams. If it comes out keep it lubricated and we your vet ASAP.
Thanks for the response! He had a bowel movement a bit ago…and there was another tapeworm? segment on his anus 🙁 And it seems that his prolapse is looking redder, but not sure. My other concern is that I’m supposed to go out of town tomorrow and wonder if he should possibly go to after hours clinic.
Hello! I have a 14.5 year old japaenese splitz who had disc surgery 2 years ago. This year he developed new weakness in his lower extremities and had a 2.5 kg weight loss so he had a full body ct with contrast and ct brain.
Findings included a chronic herniated disc explaining his weakness and an incidental finding of a splenic mass with some splenomegaly and no evidence of metastasis. Ultrasound findings were non significant. The nature of the mass remains unknown. His blood tests were good and he has no anemia. My veterinary doctor recommends a splenectomy. But i am worried of putting him through general anesthesia given that he has a heart murmur (on no medical Tx). I want to maximize his quality of life. I dont know if i should put him through major surgery given that he is asymptomatic but i am also worried abt internal bleeding and the suffering of metastatic disease if i dont operate. What should i do?
Good morning-
The first thing that I would do is sit down with the vet and have a heart to heart about your thoughts and concerns. Hopefully you have a good relationship with them, and you are able to have an open discussion regarding whether or not surgery is the best option. I would mention your concerns (anesthesia, etc.) about quality of life and surgery risks for sure. I would also recommend having a “family” meeting with the household of applicable, regarding the pros and cons, the vets advice, and the recovery process (if you go through with surgery) or any other day to day changes that will be necessary in the near future for your pet. But again, my first step would be with my vet to weigh the options for my pet. Best of luck.
Hello,
I had the same situation a few weeks ago. I am asking that patients mom to contribute to this question too.
My first piece of advice is to ask for an echocardiogram exam. You don’t mention the degree or severity of the heart murmur (usually graded on a scale of 1-6) and it is important to say that a low grade doesn’t always indicate it is safe or irrelevant.
From here you can better assess anesthetic risk.
In general I tell clients to take out the spleen before it becomes a problem. A bleeding spleen can kill a dog quickly. So quickly you may not even have time for successful surgical intervention.
You have done an amazing job with diagnostics and treatment options. Don’t stop here.
Please let us know what happens.
Best of luck
Wow, what you are going through sounds quite sillier to what I just experienced with my oldest dog, who is almost 12. He is a Lab mix weighing about 54 lbs. A few months back he had is senior checkup, including a full blood panel and all looked good except trace amounts of blood in his urine and he has had a heart murmur his whole life and had never been on heart medication. He ate carpet a few weeks ago and while doing X-rays and ultrasounds to be sure it wasn’t causing a bowel obstruction, we found he had an enlarged heart and two masses on his spleen, with no indication of metastasis. He was acting himself, except for the belly issues from eating the carpet. Once we knew the carpet issue was under control, I got a second opinion about the spleen and had long talks with my vet about the situation. Both veterinarians suggested a splenectomy, and also to consider a cardiology evaluation to be sure his heart was strong enough for surgery. I was so nervous about what to do, he is older, acting fine and his quality of life is great. The thought of putting him through what I felt was major surgery was so frightening, especially since he is older, but I was also getting nervous about internal bleeding and ending up in emergency surgery and that being life threatening. I made the decision to see a cardiologist and they cleared him for surgery, and started him on heart medication; he then had the splenectomy the next day. The recovery was quick and he actually wasn’t much bothered by the surgery, maybe a day or two of lethargy. By the end of the first week I was having to keep him from playing and running, he was back to himself. Now, a few weeks later, I am so thankful I made the decision I did, he is just so happy, playful and back to being his energetic (in the old man style) self and even starting play sessions with his siblings. It was a roller coater ride for the few weeks after getting the diagnosis, getting a second opinion and making the decision to go forward with the surgery, but it was all worth it to have him back and not sit here and worry if he might be bleeding internally. I learned your mind can play those games with you when you know there is a potential unseen problem with your dog. One thing that made the decision a little easier was my vet telling me the surgery wasn’t much more on him then say a spay for a girl, it really wasn’t as major as I thought it would be, and based on the experience I went through, I’d agree it really didn’t take much out of him at all. I wish you all the best in making your decision, and I’d be happy to help answer any other questions you may have.
Trish
this is the answer from my client, Trish, who’s dog had a very similar issue (heart murmur and incidental splenic mass found via ultrasound).
“Wow, what you are going through sounds quite sillier to what I just experienced with my oldest dog, who is almost 12. He is a Lab mix weighing about 54 lbs. A few months back he had is senior checkup, including a full blood panel and all looked good except trace amounts of blood in his urine and he has had a heart murmur his whole life and had never been on heart medication. He ate carpet a few weeks ago and while doing X-rays and ultrasounds to be sure it wasn’t causing a bowel obstruction, we found he had an enlarged heart and two masses on his spleen, with no indication of metastasis. He was acting himself, except for the belly issues from eating the carpet. Once we knew the carpet issue was under control, I got a second opinion about the spleen and had long talks with my vet about the situation. Both veterinarians suggested a splenectomy, and also to consider a cardiology evaluation to be sure his heart was strong enough for surgery. I was so nervous about what to do, he is older, acting fine and his quality of life is great. The thought of putting him through what I felt was major surgery was so frightening, especially since he is older, but I was also getting nervous about internal bleeding and ending up in emergency surgery and that being life threatening. I made the decision to see a cardiologist and they cleared him for surgery, and started him on heart medication; he then had the splenectomy the next day. The recovery was quick and he actually wasn’t much bothered by the surgery, maybe a day or two of lethargy. By the end of the first week I was having to keep him from playing and running, he was back to himself. Now, a few weeks later, I am so thankful I made the decision I did, he is just so happy, playful and back to being his energetic (in the old man style) self and even starting play sessions with his siblings. It was a roller coater ride for the few weeks after getting the diagnosis, getting a second opinion and making the decision to go forward with the surgery, but it was all worth it to have him back and not sit here and worry if he might be bleeding internally. I learned your mind can play those games with you when you know there is a potential unseen problem with your dog. One thing that made the decision a little easier was my vet telling me the surgery wasn’t much more on him then say a spay for a girl, it really wasn’t as major as I thought it would be, and based on the experience I went through, I’d agree it really didn’t take much out of him at all. I wish you all the best in making your decision, and I’d be happy to help answer any other questions you may have.
Trish”
hope this helps.. i am going to ask Trish to add Reggie’s story to our storylines section asap!
I have an 18 month old male cat, Chubbs 🙂 – he was a stray that we took in from the neighborhood as a kitten, vaccinated and neutered and we just adore him. On Monday this week, I noticed he was having urinary issues – lots of in and out of box and no action. Our vet was full so we drove about 30 minutes to another town to take him to an emergency vet. Vet told me that he did not have a urinary blockage, but his urinalysis showed evidence of infection and crystals. A chicken and the egg situation he said. They gave him subQ fluids, antinausea med, anti-inflammatory med and send us home with a supply of pain meds and antibiotics. He was low key the next day, but seems back to normal as of yesterday. However, still lots of urinary urgency and frequency attempts with dribbles here and there, but is producing actual normal appearing size voids 3-5 times a day. No blood, no howling. Bowel movements seem a little looser, assuming from antibiotics but no diarrhea. Is this expected behavior? Can male cats have partial blockages that wax and wane like this? Will this continue on for 1-2 weeks while treating the UTI component? Emergency vet told me to follow-up with our vet in ~2 weeks for repeat urine.
I would call your vet and see if you can schedule an appointment before the two weeks just to get your own vet up to speed and see if there are any changes in diagnosis. Err on the side of caution. I can tell you from experience- getting these things taken care of sooner rather than later and staying ahead of the game, is a LOT less expensive in the long run. Best of luck.
I have a 12 year old cat who vomits almost every day since I adopted her 5 months ago. She has been to the vet several times and a sonogram revealed she has chronic pancreatitis. They didn’t see any other issues. She was eating canned Fancy Feast with water, but now I have her on NomNomNow because I thought fresh food would help her. But she is still vomiting. It’s usually food at first but then she moves spots and vomits bile or saliva/foam. Once or twice the saliva looked bloody (took her to the vet right after). The vet had her on vitamin E, pepcid, and a round of antibiotics. Nothing helped. She has never been very playful but she is behaving relatively normally, eats, grooms, poops, etc. I don’t know what else to do! Thanks for any advice!
Hi-
I’m so sorry you’re having such a time trying to help this cat. Has your vet ruled out everything else as far as a diagnosis? Perhaps there is something else that is worsening her initial issue? Have you tried feeding more meals throughout the day, but smaller portions? (A little at a time)
Hello,
I would suggest you talk about a few things with your vet like a sensitive stomach diet like i/d or even try a stomach protectant like sulcralfate or even maripotent or metoclopramide. I often try medications with a diet change. Ideally a wet food diet fed in small amounts with increased frequency. Or ask about an ultrasound or even upper gi endoscopy. My point is that there are lots of options to discuss and try. I would first start with a fecal exam for intestinal parasites. Hope this helps. Let us know what happens.
Hello,
I have to say this is a very rare condition in cats for me. I am not sure who you are using for this but my recommendation would be to find a feline specialist who is also focused on internal medicine. If possible. If not go with one or the other. But get a second opinion. Also I am not sure if they offered any possible treatment options but a surgeon might be able to help. The Veterinary colleges are also excellent resources to utilize. Please keep me posted on what happens. And also make sure your cat is on a good diet and not overweight. That helps too! Good luck.