Dear Dr. Forsythe: My 10-year-old cat has been diagnosed with pancreatitis, and the situation is chronic and somewhat serious. We only get to have the pet home for a few weeks and he gets sick again and has to go back to the hospital. We are very worried about this disease and how it’s taking its toll on our cat. We still aren’t sure why they can’t cure him and it is becoming more and more frustrating.
Mr. T, Sonoma
Dear Mr. T: Pancreatitis in the cat can be a very difficult and frustrating illness to diagnose and treat. Both the acute and chronic forms can be mild or severe. From your description, it appears as though your pet has a severe chronic form, which can be associated with a poor prognosis.
Over 90 percent of affected kitties show lethargy, anorexia and dehydration. Despite this, because signs are sometimes subtle, establishing a diagnosis in cats requires considerable clinical acumen! Most diagnoses are made using a history and complete physical exam followed by extensive laboratory and imaging tests. It is important to remember that cats with pancreatitis often have subtle or absent clinical signs; exploratory surgeries have been required for definitive diagnosis in many cases.
Treatment is directed at reversing the causative agent, when known, but exposure to unnecessary drugs should be avoided. The mainstay of therapy is aggressive fluids given supportively. In some cases, the use of plasma, pain medications, anti-inflammatory medications, and antibiotics may also prove helpful. A low fat diet is often prescribed by the veterinarian. It is not unusual for chronically ill pets to have to be readmitted cyclically for treatments by the veterinarian when they have a serious chronic condition such as your cat’s.
Please try not to be too discouraged by your cat’s condition. If his health is good in between “bouts,” it is important to consider his quality of life and discuss with the veterinarian. While pancreatitis is a difficult and at times overwhelming problem, it is still a condition that is treatable and one that many cats can cope with and still maintain a good quality of life. It may be that the real question here is whether you are able to cope with a pet who suffers with a chronic condition, and perhaps you and your veterinarian can discuss this and ways to adjust the therapy he is getting in order to make his relapses less frequent. Good luck.
Dr. F
Dear Dr. Forsythe: My cat has a rash on his chin. It looks like little black spots, almost like blackheads. What is it? It is gross.
Melanie, Sonoma
Dear Melanie: Your cat has chin acne, which is very common in cats. This is a very mild disease most of the time, and the follicles get distended with keratin and become all plugged up. The “blackheads” appear and the follicles can rupture, which can lead to a more severe “furunculosis,” which is a bloody puss-filled cyst.
The best way to treat this is to start the pet on a systemic antibiotic, available from your veterinarian. Amoxicillin is often used successfully to treat this common skin condition. You can also shampoo the chin once or twice a week with a deep-cleansing sulfur shampoo. In addition, mupirocin cream, which is similar to a “penicillin” cream, will help fight the infection topically. In no time at all, I’ll bet your cat will have skin as good as new! Good luck, and please do not try to pop your cat’s zits, this would make him very mad and possibly get you bitten!
Dr. F
We welcome your feedback. For general feedback or to contact one of our columnists, please visit the Columns page at www.sonomasun.com.
