What do you think is wrong with my cat?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I live in Jakarta, Indonesia. The vets here are good people - the profession seems to attract individuals with good hearts - but realistically, they don’t have the training, or access to technology/drugs, that a vet in the US would have. So I turn to the wise minds of the Dope to help in the diagnosis of my cat.

A few months ago my 10-year-old spayed, hefty, female cat, who is one of those cats that NEVER shuts up - meow, meow, MEOW!!! - started to lose her voice. She also had a very small, insignificant scab on her throat, which healed within a few days.

When the reduced sound of her meow continued, I took her to the vet, who thought she had some sort of throat infection. I mentioned the scab and said I thought perhaps she had been bitten in the throat by the other cat (they occasionally fight a little, though nothing serious). The vet then postulated that if the other cat chomped on her throat, there had been a little damage to the inside of the throat as well as the outside, and this internal damaged spot had gotten infected.

I had my doubts, but administered the antibiotics I was given, and voila, the cat’s voice returned to full volume.

But a few weeks later it started to weaken again. (No external wound this time.) I returned to the vet and was given antibiotics again. Since they worked before, I gave them to the cat again as instructed.

This time, it didn’t work. But the cat seemed to feel okay, she just had a weaker voice.

Then we were away at Christmas time for about 2 and half weeks, during which the cat was cared for by household staff. When I returned, poor kitty had TOTALLY lost her voice. Plus, every now and then, she wheezes in that I’m-going-to-barf-a-hairball sort of way that we’ve all heard cats do, but she doesn’t barf - it is more as if she’s having trouble breathing around an obstruction in her throat.

She still purrs, in fact her purr seems to be louder than ever. Her appetite is fine. It’s difficult to say if her behavior has changed, as she has always been a supremely affectionate cat. Now she’s even more loving than ever, and snuggles under the covers with me at night, purring a lot - I can’t help but think she’s asking for help.

Today I returned to the vet and they took a series of x-rays. She has not lost weight and she did not have a fever. They did not know how to interpret the x-rays but said they could see a narrowing of her airway around her throat. Then they took a second set of x-rays and it is clear even to a layperson that there is an area of her airway, right around her throat, that is cloudy/blocked. (According to the vet, heart and lungs look normal.)

The vet says she doesn’t know what is going on and she is going to consult with colleagues, then get back to me. (There is a semi-decent animal hospital nearby; I assume she is going to show the x-rays to them.) At first, she prescribed a vasodilator, which I thought was weird, but before I had a chance to fill the prescription, she called and said “don’t do it - I’m really not sure what’s going on, and perhaps that medicine is not a good idea.”

Poor kitty. Any thoughts, Dopers?

2

Allergies causing excess mucus? Asthma? Physical obstruction (like a half-choked too-small toy)? The scab could have been because *something *was in her throat, bothering her, and she started scratching at it.

Sounds like your vet is doing everything in her power, bless her.

3

Please bear in mind that apparently purring isn’t just a sign of affection. Cats purr when they are in discomfort or sick - supposedly purring is self-soothing.

Best of luck with your kitty.

4

I she were bitten could it been that her airway is partially crushed?

My daughter had cat which was hit by a car and which developed these symptoms. Eventually it lead to serious difficulty in breathing.

In your case I hope that isn’t the problem and that you get the help you need pronto.

5

I wonder if scar tissue has developed? Hope you can get some answers soon.

6

Update, sort of: the vet called after consulting with colleagues and they are not especially confident they know what’s going on, but are guessing scar tissue, maybe over a tumor.

I am supposed to give her two medicines (one an antibiotic - they LURVE antibiotics in this country - which they said was to prevent a lung infection since she’s having trouble breathing) and a second medicine that I’m not sure of yet (I have to pick up the prescriptions from the vet and get them filled today, so I’ll have a better idea later).

Then, in 10 days I’m supposed to bring her back.

I know what half-elf said about the purring, and that’s kind of worrying.

7

Hi, was wondering did you ever find out what was wrong with your cat? By the way which vet did you go to as I also live in Jakarta and looking for a good vet. Any information would be great. Thanks.

8

Ask about collapsed trachea. One of my dogs has this. Cats can get it too.

9

Hi ice-ti. There are a number of good vets in Jakarta - as you know it depends a lot on where you live as to what will be the best for you logistically. But unless you live in Bekasi or something like that, I would start with these people:

They are on Jl. Kemang Timur near the border of Kemang and Pejaten Barat. They are the ones who are very closely associated with JAAN (Jakarta Animal Aid Network).

If you need more assistance, on this or other things related to life in Jakarta, feel free to send me a PM (I have nearly 14 years of experience living in the Big Durian).

As to the cat from the OP: sadly, she passed away. It was quite a shock as she seemed to be doing alright, but was back at the vet for treatment as her voice, after getting back to normal, had started to fade again. According to the vet, her voice got better but then she didn’t eat, went into convulsions, and died. We will miss her terribly.

By coincidence, we had just adopted another cat (thread here) and so there is still plenty of feline love in our household. The new cat, Reggie, is doing fantastically well and is very loving.

BTW, a shout-out to Drunky Smurf for bringing this query to my attention. I might have missed it otherwise.

10

Thanks so much for the info. I’ve heard good things about animal clinic. I will give them a try. As for your cat. I’m so sorry she passed away. It’s always hard to lose a pet but I’m sure everyone did their best and she knew you loved her. Glad to hear you have a new feline friend. Cats bring so much happiness. Hope you have a long and happy relationship. Cheers.