cryptococcosis in cat

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pixiedulce - 22 Jan 2007 22:10 GMT

Hi. I have a 6 year old Gray Domestic Short Hair cat that has always
been an indoor cat. He was diagnosed with cancer (lymphoma) and after
going through surgery twice to remove it, I found out he has
cryptococcosis. I have been treating him for this for almost 3 months,

without any improvement.

After going to another vet last week, I found out he has an ulcer in
his eye as well. He has been on a ton of different medicine. This
past weekend, he will not eat anything! I have tried to put water from

tuna in a syringe to feed him. He walks away from his favorite treat
(Tuna Flake) and has no interest in food at all. I did see him drink a

lot of water.

His symptoms are runny eyes (both of them now), the inside of his
nostril is puffy, which is making it hard for him to breathe through
his mouth.

Has anybody had a cat that had crypto? I would love to hear any advice

on how to get him better or at the very least, make him more
comfortable.

He is an indoor cat and has never been outside since we adopted him 6
years ago, so I am unsure as to how he caught this. It could have been

because of a low immune system when he had the cancer.

Thank you so much for any suggestions or support.

Jen

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buglady - 26 Jan 2007 13:23 GMT

> Hi. I have a 6 year old Gray Domestic Short Hair cat

diagnosed with cancer (lymphoma) and after

> going through surgery twice to remove it, I found out he has
> cryptococcosis. I have been treating him for this for almost 3 months,
> without any improvement.
> His symptoms are runny eyes (both of them now), the inside of his
> nostril is puffy, which is making it hard for him to breathe through
> his mouth.

.......What are they treating him with? Sometimes the meds can kill the
appetitie,but if your cat's nose is involved it probably explains why he
won't eat. If they can't smell they don't eat.

Here's a site with abstracts you might find informative. You'll get
redirected to a disclaimer page, after you agree you'll get the main page,
click on animals.
http://www.doctorfungus.org/mycoses/veteri/cryptococcosis_cats.htm
One more informative site:
http://www.vet.uga.edu/vpp/clerk/reynolds/index.htm

> After going to another vet last week, I found out he has an ulcer in
> his eye as well.

........this is apparently from the fungus. I really don't know about the
prognosis. Fungal infections are fairly common in critters (people
included) with impaired immune systems. Fungal spores are everywhere, but
most of the time they do nothing. I don't know if you'll be able to beat
it, but the cat should be on the proper antifungal to even have a chance.

>This past weekend, he will not eat anything! I have tried to put water

from

> tuna in a syringe to feed him. He walks away from his favorite treat
> (Tuna Flake) and has no interest in food at all.

......How is your kitty doing now? If your cat is not eating, you'll have
to force feed him. They can't go that long without food or they get hepatic
lipidosis. Can you get Hills a/d? It's high in fat and protein. It's not
balanced and is not meant to be fed forever, but small frequent feedings (at
least 4 times a day), force feeding if necessary will go a long way to
sustaining your kitty.

....Please check out the meds, make sure your cat eats, and maybe get a CBC
done to see what the RBC and WBC are. I'm hoping your kitty can get through
this, but if you can't get him to eat without a huge struggle it may be time
to think about sending him over the bridge. It's a tough decision, but most
cats just won't put up with much manhandling, and after a certain point you
can't make them stay here.

....hoping for the best
buglady
take out the dog before replying

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Pet Forum / Miscellaneous / Animal Health / January 2007

cryptococcosis in cat