Hi there, I wanted to ask if polyps in the throat can be felt. My kitten that can’t meow I suspect of having polyps. The vet tested for Leukemia and FIV negative, xrays negative, and lung worm negative. Now I notice both sides of her neck has lump, one side bigger. My other kittens do not have these lumps. My vet said she doesn’t think it’s polyps because that’s uncommon in kittens, so $500 in tests later and I have no answers. Shouldn’t they have noticed these lumps? They are the size of a small marble.

I work front desk at a vet and a client brought in a stray. No chip and shelters wouldn’t take her. She was going to be released outside since no one would home her and it’s so cold in VA.. so I took her in. I got her shots and tested for FIV, FeLuk, etc to know if she’s safe around my 10 yr neutered male cat. Then the vet said she seems to be pregnant but the ultrasound was inconclusive. But she definitely matches the description of “pinking” and has no hair around her nipples. But I have no idea how far along she is! Last week we didn’t see kittens on ultrasound but now they think she looks pregnant for sure. How do I know? Vet doesn’t want to stress her with more imaging. Also, what do I do when she goes into labor?? Will my male cat be okay around her? They’ve been ok the few times I’ve let them interact but will she change personality when she has kittens? Is she’s likely nicer now than she’ll be after just since she’s “nesting”? Is the stress too much to introduce her to my cat? She’s scratching through the door to get to the rest of the house so I’d like not to keep her cooped up 24/7. Also, when do I know labor is starting? Will she pick a place? How can I make that not be the bed or couch? Or can I cover them? And she eats like she’s STARVING! She looks so tiny to be pregnant.. I read you feed them all they want at a certain point; when is that? How much should I give her each stage? I have Hills ultimate care adult. I went ahead and got some Iams kitten food but when do I start mixing it in? I’m even more lost not knowing how far along she is. I’ve had her 1 week so at least that far along but I could use as much help as possible. Especially regarding labor. I know she’ll most likely do it all on her own but I see so much of what can go wrong working at a vet and I’d like to be prepared. I’ve attached pictures of her. Please help me help her.

Teddy, male castrated DSH, almost 10 years old. We are in the UK. Teddy was hand reared from a week old. He has always presented with loose stools &/or diarrhoea which no one has even been able to attribute a specific cause to. Over the years, we have tried antibiotics including metronidazole, probiotics, prednisolone, drontal & panacur (as part of a worming programme), prescription diets, a raw diet, B12 injections, peridale granules & pancreatic enzymes. The only things which seemed to have some success were the metronizadole & the raw diet. All this time despite having a sore rectum & greasy coat, Teddy has never really acted sick until this week, when he went from having a good appetite to not wanting to eat & hiding. Teddy was very dehydrated. He was placed on iv fluids, had a convenia & B12 injection, had panacur & a gastro-protectant. Teddy has been hospitalised for 5 days. He is still on a drip. They have ruled out FIV & FelV, doesn’t have kidney or liver damage, WBC is very high, does not have a fever, isn’t anaemic. Taken a stool sample. The diarrhoea has stopped but is barely eating & having to be syringe fed. Teddy as Today they said Teddy appears to want to eat but is struggling to do so but doesn’t have any dental issues. They mentioned possibly pancreatitis as a cause for Teddy’s symptoms but can’t rule out parasites or an infection at this stage. Teddy has always been a small cat but he is now just 2.2kg. I asked the vet about a feeding tube but they said no as it would require an anaesthetic & Teddy isn’t well enough for that. The crux of this is that if Teddy doesn’t get adequate nutrition into him, he is going to die. How can I persuade my vet to change their mind?

Hi the neighborhood stray cat was hit by a car, it has femur and pelvic fractures and is FIV positive, what do you recommend? he’s been also recently coughing, has a long unhealed belly blister, and is generally thin i guess because of FIV. Doctor say option is a long uncertain surgeries and heeling tthat would cost over 5000$ or just put it to sleep! is there hope for heeling with FIV or it will be useless pain? thanks

Hi Dr. Magnifico. You are our vet to our indoor cats. Last week, we brought in a feral cat that was roaming our neighborhood. Turns out, he is pretty friendly, allows petting and belly rubs. On Monday June 19th, I took him to Animal Rescue, Inc., to be neutered, a rabies shot, and flea control. They also checked for a microchip (none), and I paid to have blood work done to have him tested for feline leukemia. Unfortunately, he tested positive for FIV. I would like to find him a home. I have two questions. Do you know anyone willing to give a home to a big orange friendly male tabby cat, or is there anything you can do to help? Maybe doing a courtesy post on your facebook page? I asked Animal Rescue and was told to put him back outside since he is now neutered. I was shocked they said that, as he could infect other ferals. We are currently keeping him in our basement and I just noticed a tapeworm coming out of his anus. My second question is, can you prescribe a tapeworm medication, without me having to bring him in, since he is FIV feral, and just went thru so much at Animal Rescue? My husband can pick it up after work. If not, can you recommend an over the counter medication to treat tapeworms? I am hoping whatever it is, that it will be something easy to give, maybe something I can put in his food that is tasteless. Thank you. Terri

In January of this year, my 4-year-old cat was diagnosed with FIV. Initial blood tests showed that he had high WBCs, anemia (low RBCs, low platelets, low hemoglobin), and very high BUN and creatinine levels.

He was given doxycycline, multivitamins (B-complex with iron and lysine), Nefrotec, and prescription kidney food. A month later, his WBC count returned to normal. However, RBC and kidney values were still abnormal. Ultrasonography revealed hydronephrosis and slight kidney enlargement.

I was told to continue the multivitamins, Nefrotec, and kidney food. A third blood test showed that RBC was improved but still below normal values. BUN and creatinine were still very high. Liver values were increased, so they told me to give a supplement containing milk thistle, L-carnitine, and DHA.

As of now, my cat is only being given the liver supplement, multivitamins, and kidney food. I have yet to have his blood checked again. The problem is, we no longer have the money to keep giving the prescribed kidney food.

His appetite is still okay, but he is thin. His teeth are also very dirty (greenish-to-black discoloration) with mild gingivitis. His breath smells horrible.

I was wondering if my cat’s kidneys can still recover, or if the FIV infection means that there is no hope? And what are my options?

Thank you.