Spud’s Liver Disease

Hi there, on Friday 7/21 I took my kitty Spud to the emergency vet for loss of appetite, lethargy, and most concerning there were signs of jaundice in his ears and gums. After about 6 hours of sedation, monitoring, and blood testing the doctors came back with results that showed hepatic lipidosis which is likely telling of a liver disease or failure. His bilirubin levels were about 10x the normal amount that he should have and the vet was quite shocked that he has even been eating still. Fatty liver disease causes a lack of appetite and left untreated has a 80-90% mortality rate due to malnutrition. She told me that his chances of survival are around 50/50.

The vet came up with an outpatient game plan to medicate him with a liver support and antibiotic. However, if these numbers do not improve over the weekend, he will require hospitalization to have full biopsy’s done and likely insert a feeding tube to continue at home care. The emergency vet recommended they do this immediately but heartbreakingly it was to the tune of an additional $8-9K on top of what we are already doing. This would also require getting his blood tested regularly for 2-3 months until he is showing signs of improvement. Beyond the initial costs, there would be a lot of follow up care.

If you know Spud, he is quite the fighter and truly the hungriest boy I have ever met. He’s got enough personality for the both of us and deserves the most from this world. I believe in his ability to fight through this and have a king and fulfilling life. If you know me, you’ve probably heard stories or how deeply I care for and love this giant puddle of fuzz. Spud was born underneath my bed on my 21st birthday in 2016 and we have been tied at the hip ever since. As someone who doesn’t want children, he has been the most important living thing in my life. I was devastated by this news and have a lot of fear and love in my heart about what comes next.

We do have insurance that will cover to a certain extent, but if you can contribute anything financially or even by just sharing this it would mean the world to us. I will keep his progress updates here. Love you all and thank you for reading.

Xoxo - Conner and Spud