The Mud Cat Is Starting to Feel Better

The Mud Cat, my seven-year-old Bengal, aka Pi, has been battling a fever and loss of appetite caused by a liver infection. This morning, for the first time in a week, he ate a few bites of canned cat food and lapped up a tiny bit of milk. Also the vet measured his temperature at just below 102 degrees F, almost normal for a cat. Previously it was 104.

The disease appeared to hit him overnight. A week ago he seemed normal, eating, playing, wanting out at first light, and generally enjoying life. Since then he’s stayed inside, ignored food and water, and mostly slept or stared into space. He’s been noisy when I sit with him, but not in a contented way. When you have one cat and live alone, you get attuned to the cat’s vocabulary.

Last Monday I took him to Bayview Veterinary Hospital. Based on an examination, extreme dehydration, and a blood test that showed an elevated level of liver enzymes, the vet put him on daily antibiotic shots and hydration therapy. The latter means he gets an injection of around 150 cc of liquid that makes a big bulge around his neck until it spreads throughout his system. The vet also gave me the name of a disease to research on the Internet: Cholangiohepatitis. After I read about it, I was a lot more worried than the vet is.

Cholangiohepatitis is an inflammation of the biliary structures (the system that carries bile) and the surrounding liver tissue. Despite looking at several web sites, I wasn’t clear on how Pi got the disease. One possible cause is a bacterial infection from the intestinal tract. He’s an outdoor cat so maybe he ate something that caused the infection. The scary thing about cholangiohepatitis is that the bile ducts carry a fluid that is involved in digestion. Plus the liver helps rid the body of toxins. Not a disease you want to linger. There are also the serious side effects of fever and loss of appetite (no appetite in Pi’s case).

The vet, Dr. Young, has been upbeat. “I’ve seen this in lots of cats and the way we’re treating it almost always works,” he said. Even with the therapy I have been concerned most by the Mud Cat’s zero intake of food and water. And lack of progress until this morning. I’m still worried, but not as much. Dr. Young is an experienced vet.

If the Mud Cat beats the disease, I hope with better health he regains his personality. No one likes a cranky pet even if I should be cutting him some slack. Normally he’s affectionate and playful for a middle-aged cat. He likes to head out early to explore and keep a close eye on the waterfowl on Mud Bay. After that he returns for breakfast and a morning nap. If only things would get back to normal.