An Atypical Life

Ecchi the cat has fallen ill. She had not been eating for well over a week. She had lost a lot of weight, and was very sluggish. She seemed to be sleeping more than usual, and had no interest in her favourite toys or moist food.

She was admitted to the animal hospital last Friday.

The veterinarian and technicians there performed some blood tests and x-rays. They found her skin, underneath her thick black coat, was very yellow (jaundice), pointing to liver problems. After ruling out more serious disorders, they decided she probably had fatty liver syndrome (feline hepatic lipidosis) brought on by a lack of eating. To regain her strength, Ecchi would have to start eating the same amount as she used to, on her own.

For the weekend, they prescribed her appetite stimulants and put her on an IV drip. While she did return to normal hydration, she didn’t start to eat enough on her own to counteract the fatty liver syndrome. So today, after calling me to get approval, they performed surgery.

During the surgery, the veterinarian placed a feeding tube in her stomach using a special instrument called an endoscope. The feeding tube passes through a hole in her now shaved side, and ends in her stomach. By attaching a syringe full of pureed, soaked dry cat food or a special liquid diet to the end of the tube, the animal hospital workers can place food directly into her stomach.

The technicians hope to “jump start” her digestive system this way. If they can feed Ecchi enough food through the tube, her liver will become less fatty, her system will return to normal, and she’ll start to feel much better. Once she’s feeling better, she should start to eat on her own again. Once she’s eating completely on her own again, they can remove the tube and close the hole.

I went to visit Ecchi right after her surgery was done today. She looked like this. Clicking on the photo will take you to 2 more images followed by a short 11 second video.

She was very sleepy, and when I’d pet her, she’d often wake up, then fall asleep again right away. A few moments later, she would wake up again. Eventually she stayed awake long enough to enjoy the petting, and started pushing back against my finger, asking for more. As a well-trained owner, I let her be the guide; when she finally fell asleep again, I left to let her rest.

At a minimum, she will be in the hospital another week. If she stabilizes, she’ll come home (with the tube and cone in place) and I’ll take care of her until the tube can come out. If she doesn’t stabilize, more tests may be ordered. She will remain on antibiotics for 10-14 days, and will continue to receive appetite stimulants and anti-nausea medicine, plus the IV drip.

This was all very sudden. She had been fine, and then just faded away. Racking my brain I have been unable to come up with reasons why she stopped eating, but that doesn’t stop me from blaming myself. I hope she gets better. I love her very much.