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***Update: 4/20/22 The consult** Any one have experience with an oronasal fistula?

So sorry to read this … Amoxicillin has always worked within a few days (3) to offer improvement for my cats with any nasal issues. It has not caused upset stomach, rather the ‘clearing out’ has allowed my cats to smell the food and thus increased their appetites.
This ^ stated, Smudge’s condition is different and this ^ was given as my cats’ experience with Amoxicillin. * I keep this antibiotic (unmixed of course = dry) on hand to be mixed and used whenever needed.
Good Luck - Jingles for Smudge !

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Fingers crossed for you and Smudge. I hope she’ll eat something tomorrow. :heart:

Jingles for Smudge and hugs for you.

Last night I fed her and got a whole package of Tiki Cat into her. This morning - ugh. I got a small portion of food into her and just ad I got the last bite in, she barfed it all up. She was in the sink and managed to get it all over her. Needless to say what a mess. I was nearly in tears I was so frustrated. She has lost a ton of weight and is little more than bones and skin. I am starting to wonder about the possibility of her having calicivirus because it’s all been so drastic. A simple URI and a hole she’s had in her head since ??? can’t be the ENTIRE cause. I am calling the vet today and hope she can get back to me tonight before she leaves.

Were you able to talk to the vet? Sending good, healing vibes for Smudge. I’m so sorry for all you have been through. It has been way too much! :cry:

No. But I have hope she does not leave office routinely until 7p so am crossing my fingers. If I don’t hear from her I will call tomorrow before she gets in.

Maybe the fistula was created when the tooth was extracted. This happened to my husband. Long story short, he went through several rounds of antibiotics that did not eradicate the infection. Then he had surgery to repair the fistula and flush out the sinuses. He was in the hospital several days with his sinuses packed and hooked up to IV antibiotics. The surgeon thought it was inexcusable malpractice that the dentist didn’t notice the hole and close it when it happened.

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I do start to wonder. She had tooth extractions in April and the vet never said a word. Can’t ask him now - he passed away recently. Just from the look of this thing it appears to have been there awhile. Whatever, it still needs to be dealt with.

Your poor husband - that sounds awful. I’d be pissed.

Well, crap. Just got off the phone with the vet (bless her for calling me at 8p) and she is waving cancer at me. wtf

I don’t know what to say but I’m sure it’s all bad words. This sh** sucks.

Why does the vet think this is cancer? Was a biopsy done? Several years ago I lost a cat to squamous cell carcinoma of the jaw. Like your cat, she had had a dental cleaning and tooth extractions. A hard lump (not a hole) grew where one of the teeth was extracted, and this was biopsied so there was no doubt of the diagnosis. Several years before the cancer diagnosis this cat had a really nasty infection where a tooth had been extracted that the vet at first thought was cancer because it had eaten away so much of her gum and almost into her sinus. This cleared up with aggressive antibiotic therapy.

The only way to know for sure whether your cat has cancer is to do a biopsy. It’s important, because squamous cell carcinoma is painful and incurable, but a benign oro-nasal fistula probably can be fixed. Although, you may need to take your cat to a specialist to get the best treatment for a fistula, if that’s what this is.

I think she thinks cancer because of the failure to thrive or improve.

And I had a cat pass not long ago with that same cancer of the jaw that your kitty had. Everything was fine until she got a lump on her jaw that progressed very rapidly. Finally it got so she could not open her mouth. The vet that saw her when lump first was small told me what it was and that it was inoperable and that if she had that, she probably had other tumours elsewhere in her body. RIP Diva.

I picked up new meds today - Orabax, cerenia, and some mirtazapine gel. Please let these work. I just can’t lose a cat over what boils down to “just” a snotty nose. Worst case scenario I am going to try to get her a work in appt sometime next week.

Keep jingling. Please.

Jingles !!! Keep up your good monitoring. More Jingles !!!

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Huge jingles for you and Smudge. I currently have one who is on the special meds, the endless appointments and well, let’s try this and it’s so exhausting and frustrating.

I hope yours is doing better. Sometimes I think they are just throwing things at whatever-it-is just to see what sticks. I get it because animals can’t talk, but still…c’mon!

SOMEone decided to eat today. Granted, it was not a lot but it was forward progress and I haven’t eve given the first dose of Mirtazapine. Was going to do that if she did not eat her breakfast. I’ll take it.
And is way more cheerful. Again, I’ll take it.

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Good ! Very glad to read this "ate’ today ! Jingles !

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Yay!!! :crossed_fingers: Hope it continues!

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So just an update -

Smudge was started on yet another medication. This time it’s doxycicline. And in raspberry flavor. And Barney purple. Dear lord. It smells so sicky sweet like grape Dimetapp and the poor cat runs every time she sees me with the box or the syringe and i don’t blame her. The first time I had to give it to her - yikes. I didn’t get it all the way down her throat and she clenched her teeth and had all this purple foam coming out of her mouth all while giving me the absolute death ray eyes. Yeah, the effect was pretty much minimized by the clouds of lurid purple foam. And don’t let that stuff sit for more than a second because it will stain like nobody’s business.

So the left side of the head has cleared up but now the right side is draining clear to white stuff and she is snarfling with what looks and sounds like a typical URI. Have to call vet tomorrow and see what she wants to do. Clearly keep taking the doxy but maybe add something else because it’s having zero effect on the URI. I also started giving her the mirtazapine and that worked. She is really eating and other than a few bouts of hyperactivity all is well. (Knock on wood.)

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This is great news … was just thinking about Smudge and meaning to look for an update.

Jingles !

I have a helluva hard time dosing my cat Irish. I don’t envy you.