Not long ago, Rosie the cat came to see one of our doctors because she just wasn ™t feeling well. Her energy level was low and she was not eating well. After doing a physical exam and talking to Rosie ™s owners, Dr. Evans knew this could be something very serious or a simple case of indigestion. Rosie ™s owner ™s wisely decided to run a few tests to rule out some of the more worrisome possibilities. A full blood panel and abdominal x-rays were normal. We knew Rosie wasn ™t in kidney failure and felt better about her prognosis. The next day Rosie vomited and she seemed painful when Dr. Greenberg palpated her abdomen. She had completely stopped eating and obviously felt worse. Again, the owners were very wise in allowing another set of x-rays. This time there were some minor changes noted that were consistent with something stuck in the intestines. Surgery was performed that day and Dr. Evans found a wad of ribbon in her intestinal tract that was completely blocking the passage of food. The ribbon was removed and Rosie feels fantastic again.
Sometimes determining the cause of illness in a patient who can ™t talk is difficult. Cats can be particularly challenging. Hang in there and follow your veterinarian ™s lead in these situations. Come meet the veterinarians of Animal Care Clinic.
by Bonnie Markoff, DVM, ABVP
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