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1356964 tn?1302087435

13 year old cat abnormal blood test results

Try to make this brief as possible..
Took my cat to vet a few weeks back due to her drinking excessive amounts of water and noticed her urine smelled stronger of ammonia.. UA showed no bacteria, and no, a culture was not sent in.Vet then suggested a thyroid profile and called the next day to say it was "normal", as was her blood glucose level of 101.
Vet then suggested a 10 day round of Amoxi-drops as she thought perhaps my cat may be trying to fight off a bladder infection.
After the antibiotics were about finished she developed constipation and was taken back in for an abdominal x ray and a complete blood panel. Xray showed she was backed up and she had to have an enema.

Bun and creatine levls are elevated, which this has been an ongoing thing for over a year and the results were bun 56 and creatine 2.8 , only a minimal increase from 6 months ago.
However, this is the rest of the test results that are elevated :
WBC 21.8, Neutrophils 18748 (high) 86, Eosinophils 1526 (high).
Low test results : RBC 5.7 and Platelet count 168..

Now, my cat was still on antibiotics when this blood panel was performed, she had stopped drinking excessively and was acting "fine", eating well(she has a great appetite), weighed 12 lbs (lost 1 1/2 lbs from 6 months ago.
Food, she eats strictly canned food, no dry, I have been feeding her Merricks and Newman's Own Organic, all have been in either chicken or turkey..
She is also an inside cat although i have let her sit outside in our fenced in back yard, on occassion.

When last taking her to the vet and getting the blood test results vet wanted to extend her amoxi drops and upped it from 1 ml twice a day to 1 1/2 mls twice a day for 10 more days.
We are scheduled to go back to retest some of her blood work tomorrow, Wednesday, June 24.

My questions: Could being on amoxi drops affect any blood work , as with humans I have read it can affect wbc, rbc ?
Can Amoxi drops cause constipation ? It seems like when my cat was on it before in the past she had elimination problems..
My vet told me that she could have a bacterial infection which could be parasitic, or it could be an infection from her kidneys, bladder..

I have been giving her a good probiotic since she has been on this lengthly round of antibiotics and she also gets "miralax" 1/4 tsp twice a day for constipation issues..The vet also just added on in the past week Aluminum Hydroxide which I had compounded into a capsule..

Any suggestions, opinions, anything I can question the vet about when I go would most appreciated..

BTW, her potassium was 4.9, sodium 155, magnesium 2.1, phosphorus 5.1, chloride 127, HGB 10.4, HCT 33, MCV 57, MCH 18.2, MCHC 32..
15 Responses
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1356964 tn?1302087435
Taking my cat this morning for a second opinion to another vet. Perhaps she can give me more answers to the questions that the other vet could not..I do believe that sub Q fluids should be added on for her treatment at least once to twice a week, perhaps  this will help with her bowel issues.Never did get an answer as to what caused her wbc and neutrophils, eosinophils to be elevated and why her kidneys are circular shaped instead of the usual bean shape, need a fresh opinion , suggestions, wish us luck !
Helpful - 0
874521 tn?1424116797
sorry Donna I can't load that website for some reason? add I know nothing abt the products you mentioned.

the only knowledge I have on B12 supplement in the purest form 'methylcobalamin'
I posted under the thread 'Methylimazo and side effects' above.
The one quoted in the holistic book I follow is from Thorne Research Labs. B#12 complex. this is avail from www.iherb.com
I just ordered some to add to Nemo's food haven't used as yet.
Helpful - 0
1356964 tn?1302087435
opus,
I have asked my vet about the b12 and they said it was fine to give..I always make sure I ask before giving anything to my cat..I have only started to use it again recently as before my cat had some blood sugar issues(which resolved with losing weight and switching to strictly canned food) and the b12 was given solely then for prevention of neuropathy but am giving now for constipation. I only give it to her evry other day and it is in the purer form, methylcobalamin..
I am very interested in a supplement called Vitamineral green by Healthforce, also Green Mush, since my cat loves to eat grass this may be beneficial for her..I read it is non toxic, safe and beneficial for animals with CRF, autoimmune diseases, constipation, over all health..You can find some information on it at www.askarial.com..
Helpful - 0
874521 tn?1424116797
well I am so glad everything turned out to be normal....and I hope kitty will stay healthy for you.
Vitamin B6 deficiency can lead to anemia, however I would be careful supplementing without a Veterinarians guidance.
Since kitty is on a poultry diet she could be needing some red meat, fish or liver that would boost the red blood cell count, again check with your Vet since diet must be still ok with the renal problems.
Interesting I did read, iron deficiencies can lead to the development of constipation!! may be her problem??
keep us posted okay
Helpful - 0
1356964 tn?1302087435
test results back, everything is
back in normal range now, except for RBC which vet said is due to her renal problems but not low enough to start treating her for anemia.
FLV, FIV, Heartworm testing , all normal, stool sample, no parasites detected..

Just wish I could get her bowels regular though. She had a normal stool last night but nothing yet as of this evening...

Anemia, this is where I am lacking in knowledge, I don't suppose b vitamins would help ?
Helpful - 0
874521 tn?1424116797
thx for letting us know Donna, and I sure do hope the anal gland cleansing does indeed help her!
Oh I sure hope for her and for you that blood panel comes back with good results...its so darn hard to have one of our babies ill and searching out just what the problem is can be like finding a needle in the haystack!...they can't tell us what hurts we have to rely on tests.
please post when you know more...have my fingers crossed.
Helpful - 0
1356964 tn?1302087435
Back from the vet..Complete blood panel was retested, results tomorrow..I requested testing also for Feline Leukemia and Heartworms, took in a stool sample and it will be tested for parasites. Vet did ask if anal gland had ever been checked since i mentioned that she had been licking in that generally vicinity often and she found it was indeed full. She showed me what she drew out of her and it was not the usual stinky, yellow fluid but instead looked like paste ! This may be one of the reasons my girl was having some difficulties passing a stool (let's hope)..I also hope she got it all as I read that sometimes they have to put the animal out in order to get it all.
She also felt her abdomen, since I mentioned that her stools have not been great for the past two days and she said she could feel some in there but it did not feel like she was backed up or required an enema at this time.
She also gave my cat some Sub Q fluids as to add some lubrication to help her bowels.

Will post with test results as I get them..
Helpful - 0
1356964 tn?1302087435
well , off to the vet this am at 8:40. Got a small stool sample, mainly because that is all she went this morning..beating my head up against the wall as to what will help keep her regular.
I still have suspicions about the Amoxicillin that could have contributed to her constipation issues as she was going fine till we started the Amoxi drops.
All the foods you mentioned are good ones also but Evo is way too high in protein for a cat with kidney issues ..I disregard the old standard information that low protein is what you are suppose to give cats with any kind of kidney impairments as too low of protein can actually cause muscle wasting and shorten life span of renal cats.
It almost appears as she has a fluid imbalance, contributing to her constipation issues although she eats canned food and I also add a little water to it..I guess i am going to have to bite the bullet and ask about giving her sub Q fluids at home a couple days a week to see if that helps.
Vet had prescribed Cisapride for her and I have it on hand for when she does not go but I only want to use it for emergency situations..I feel the less her kidneys have to filter out the better...Cisapride is used for mega colon kitties.
Don't understand it but she is an eating machine, wants to eat all the time, which I am glad she has a good appetite but there has to be a reason why she will want to eat almost hourly...
Well, blood work today, got the stool sample, probably will try to get a urine specimen if she will go before we leave and ask to have it cultured..Will kep you informed as I receive any results..
Helpful - 0
874521 tn?1424116797
shoot had a long posting typed out and my computer shut down and I lost it, so will have to make this briefer.
don't change the diet with the other health problems it would be to risky.
I know of a few of the better diets I'm not familiar with all that you mentioned tho. that doesn't make them not as good, as long as they are grain free they are among the best.
Wysongs, Wellness, Innova EVO, Natural Balance are some I'm familiar with.

my Sami is on canned fish which isn't good long term, thus I am switching him to venison and so far he is eating(EVO)
Nemo I have on a homemade diet.(pork)....he has FLUTD and refuses any canned food, he was always a dry food cat(thus the problem with crystals)
Sami will eat the homemade in small amounts only.

all the best with the search!!!
Helpful - 0
1356964 tn?1302087435
Thank you for all your help..I only give fish canned cat food (Is that what you feed or fresh fish?) only once in a great while because most of the fish canned cat food is too high in Phosphorus and sodium for my cat's kidneys.
That is why I have generally stuck with chicken, turkey, because it is suppose to be lower in those two and once again, I read that for kidney impairment you are suppose to stay away from any animal with hoofs and go with "feathers"...
Right now i just picked up from my local pet store a case of Merricks Turduckin", I had them order it, it is Turkey & Duck.. I also have used Newman's Own Organic canned cat food mainly in Turkey and Chicken with Salmon..
Organix is another cat food that seems to be pretty good quality cat food as some of Wysongs..
My cat was a Fancy feast junkie but I stopped giving it to her because I do not like the fact that it has "by products", additives, etc..Less of that stuff the less taxing on her kidneys.

I guess she could have an allergy to something like chicken, how would you know, except maybe to stop feeding it to her for awhile..Fleas, i have not seen any on her and she is an inside cat with no other animals around her..
Dust mites, who knows, you can clean and clean and there still is dust ..

Best regards..
Helpful - 0
874521 tn?1424116797
sure does get frustrating doesn't it!!

my boy with the eosinphilic plaque, like I said its an allergy response that with him shows up on his skin, this can be dx'd with a culture of the area on the skin(if there is a scab)
allergies with people show up as sneezing and general congestion but with animals it shows as this plaque.
The allergy responses are due to 1. food 2. dust/mites 3. flea bites..........the most common being an allergy to food and chicken is the biggest culprit. I have had him on a fish diet for 6 months now with fair results and I am now in the process of changing him over to venison.....
I am also recently using Colliadial Sliver as a topical treatment....can also be used internally.

You can do some research on 'blood cell and complete blood cell counts' on this website.
www.peteducation.com/article

or on the drs foster and smith website, I believe that is all one word and .com if I'm wrong just google drs fosters and smith and this will lead you to the site.
both have alot of good info.

again all the best
Helpful - 0
1356964 tn?1302087435
If I can get a sample of her feces I will take it to the vet..
Slippery elm bark is in loose powder form, I give 1/4 tsp once daily and mix it in her canned food...
I give it to her 2 hours before any other medications or two hours after as I read it can interfere with the absorption of other meds...

I do believe she does have some sort of allergies, on occasion  repeated sneezing, plus she has always had an asthma like breathing at times, especially when the weather changes. She also rubs her face against things and has at times rubbed the fur off. She also has been scratching at her ears but vet has checked them out and I also have cleaned them out..

It is so hard to even guess what the problem may be as I know her kidney values have been elevated for over a year and I lost my calico to a 4 year battle with CRF about 14 months ago.

I try to feed her quality food, she gets purified Artesian water, regular wellness check ups and plenty of love..

Yes there is controversy  about fiber and megacolon cats, diet is tricky. I have read stay about 1.5 or less for fiber, less is best but I am not positive she has megacolon as the vet recently said she saw no indications on her last x ray, go figure..

Vet said there were more blood tests to check for "other" things so I know that is one thing that will be done tomorrow along with the retesting of her elevated levels.

She had some issues with frequent urination about 6 months ago and her UA was sent off for a culture and it came back with no bacterial growth, thyroid testing, normal, Blood glucose, normal, last UA showed no infection, blood panel, with the exception of her bun, creatine, WBC, Eosinophils and rbc, everything else was in normal range.
Will let you know when I get the results and what the vet suggests..
Helpful - 0
874521 tn?1424116797
hi again, I did a bit more reading too, the WBC eosinophils is a bit high normal range 0-1500?ul and this does indicate either a parasite or allergic reaction to something. I would insist on a fecal analysis.


neutophils also a tad high normal range 2500-12,500. and normally indicates a bacterial infection.
therefore I see why the Vet is pursuing antibiotic treatment.

I wouldn't stop the miralax until you see good results from canned pumpkin, or until bowel movements return to normal. if the cause is mega colon she will need to no doubt be continually on something that works or combo of.

Slippery elm bark is also a very good choice, how are you giving the 1/4 teaspoon?
I use it also but for bladder inflamation in  one of my guys. it is also reportedly good for either constipation or diarrhea, it soothes the mucous lining of the bladder/bowel. YOu are well read in the subject I can see.

the recipe should be
1/2 teas powder from capsules
or 1/4 teas for powder (loose powder) total of 350-400mg.
2 tbsp boiling water
mix and let sit 1/2 hour than shake jar, by this time the mix should be cool enough to use.
dosage: 3-5cc 2-3x a day with a syringe or dropper, make sure its at least 30-mins to 1 hour between the administration of mixture and meals and medications.
It is safe for cats and apparently no side effects.

See how your Vet proceeds and answers your questions than decide if another opinion is necessary(never hurts does it)

again best of luck and let us know ok

Helpful - 0
1356964 tn?1302087435
Thank you for your reply. I am tempted to take my cat for another opinion since sometimes I do not  feel that they are knowledgeable enough for the specific problems that my cat is having.
I have never heard of and vet has never indicated that she has Eosinophic disease and yes, she has a sore on her back that has been there for years and at one time had a discharge which the vets said was some kind of wart...

Constipation, it has been a problem now since starting the Amoxi drops.
She had problems with constipation about 9 months ago and had to have a few enemas.
That is when vet suggested mineral oil, no good, metimucil, no good, ..I also tried the canned pumpkin and perhaps at that time she was already too constipated for it to work.
I also at that time had her on a very good canned cat food, Wellness, no grain and she had been on it for several months..
I guess the vet is treating her with antibiotic because of her high white blood cell count, which usually indicates an infection..
The Miralax was the choice because after extensive research I found that many cat owners were using this with success for their mega colon cats, which the vet about 9 months said this could be a possibility with her from looking at her x ray but that was after she had an enema and miralax has worked very well up till she started this antibiotic for some reason..
I will give the canned pumpkin another try after I know that she is not backed up again and forgo the Miralax for a couple of days to see if the canned pumpkin works..

She had a normal bowel movement yesterday but today there wasn't a whole lot (what i would call normal) in the litter box. We go tomorrow for retesting on her blood work.

I have tried for the past two days Slippery elm, 1/4 teaspoon as I have read that it is safe for cats with no side effects and for cats with kidney disorders as long as their potassium levels are not low and their calcium levels are not high as hers are not..
Thank you.
Helpful - 0
874521 tn?1424116797
I'm sorry I can't be of alot of help to you, I hope your Vet can get to the bottom of kitties problems this can be so frustrating to pin point.
You have her on a very good diet....except perhaps you could try changing it from chicken/turkey to something other than poultry. Eosinophic is an auto immune disease. You can research this under Eosinophlic Complex, its a hard issue to resolve, I have a cat with this also. does your cat also have skin/sores that are a manifestation of EGC?

I would wonder why you Vet is treating her with antibiotics when the UA test was normal, this indicates there should be no bladder infection.
However a high Urea/bun does indicate Kidney disease...this to my knowledge is usually not treated with antibiotics...and I don't believe antib's should alter the blood tests results no.
If your Vet questions parasites a stool sample should be done to confirm this and not just treat something he/she is unsure of.
for constipation I do urge you add a little canned pure pumpkin to the diet rather than miralax, its natural and causes no side effects.

I want to welcome you to our cat forum, I hope you will stay with us and keep us updated on all results. Perhaps try our 'ask a Vet' forum for a $10.00 fee you should get much better answers than what I can give you.

best of luck at the appointment today
Helpful - 0
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