08/03/2025
๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
I want to share my cat's, Mango, medical journey with youโnot just to tell her story, but to urge you to trust your instincts and be an advocate for your pet. If something feels off, donโt ignore that gut feeling. Ask questions, seek answers, and donโt be afraid to push for what your pet needs. Mangoโs trials are a reminder that we have to stay alert and proactive when it comes to veterinary care.
For seven years, Mango has suffered from severe, chronic asthma. Sheโs seen many vets both in Michigan and Ohioโ including an internal medicine specialist. Iโve spent thousands of dollars, sheโs been hospitalized multiple times during major attacks, and sheโs been on daily Prednisolone for years (and we all know how harmful long-term steroid use can be). Iโve done everything they recommended. Even a vet tech once told me, โYouโre doing more than I would.โ
Frustrated after years of watching her suffer to breath (see video) and the everyday medication not improving symptoms, I started researching and asking questions. Thatโs when I heard of cats having lungworm and you know who told me this? The owner of the Pet Bistro, a specialty pet store in Warren, not a vet. So, I dug deeper and thatโs when I learned that lungworm โ a parasitic infection โ can cause or mimic asthma in cats. And guess how you diagnose it? A simple f***l exam.
I insisted on this test with her vet; I wanted it done. However, they wouldnโt even test a sample without a full vet visit โ despite Mango being a regular patient. So back to vet we went, Mangoโs become such a pro at the vet, bless her little soul. And what do you think they found?!
Her f***l test came back suspicious for lungworm. Pictures right there in black and white of the worms under the microscope. After all these years, her โasthmaโ couldโve been significantly reduced or possibly even cured with just five days of deworming medication specific for lungworm! However, now that she has had these worms and suffered attacks all these years, she has scarring in her lungs so she could always be affected by this illness, but hopefully going forward attacks will be way less severe. Sheโs taken all 5 doses of the deworming medication, and sheโs only had one attack during this time, when usually she has daily attacks, only one!!! Pure joy and relief for us both ๐
But hereโs what really infuriates me, everywhere I researched this same clear message kept coming up:
โItโs crucial to rule out lungworm before diagnosing asthma. Lungworm can cause or mimic asthma, and in some cases may trigger chronic asthma. Testing and treating for parasites is an essential step in any cat with new or worsening respiratory symptoms.โ
๐ก๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐๐ด๐ด๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฒ๐
๐ฎ๐บ. ๐ก๐ผ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ!! ๐คฏ๐
Sheโs had asthma for 7 years!! Seven years of listening to her struggle to breath at times, listening to her cough, being woken in the middle of night to attacks, being frustrated because the coughing is annoying and I couldnโt make her better, thinking it was me who triggered her attacks and sheโd be better off living with someone else. How did none of the professionals not know or do a f***l test? Why was it not standard to rule this out first? And why do we treat f***l and urine tests in cats like afterthoughts compared to bloodwork โ when they can be just as critical? When trying to figure out an illness why arenโt all avenues that can provide answers tested? Why isnโt a f***l and urine test part of a catโs normal check-up like it is for dogs? I mean sure, you can elect not to have any procedure done when asked but why isnโt it asked? ๐ค
Andโฆ after this episode, I want to also share her experience on Solensia where yet again the vets dropped the ball and caused unnecessary suffering and money loss. ๐ข Iโve debated on publicly raising awareness of Solensia (the new arthritis injection that vets are praising) for months now and after this diagnosis I am speaking out. I know many clients whose cats are currently on this medication, and it is 100% your prerogative but I am no longer blind nor can remain quiet about this medication. Her story on these injections is also in relation to researching, questioning and advocating. In the beginning, I too was on this miracle drug train and recommended it to many clients. I canโt even begin to express the guilt I now feel since Iโve seen and realized the awful side effects, it shames me if I had any part in the catโs I suggested it to whoโve shown side effects. It was recommended by the vet to start Mango on these injections because she also suffers from having Luxating Patellas in both back knees (meaning they constantly pop in/out) which is very painful. She was getting these injections once a month over the course of the year and I saw minimal improvement and the vets just kept administering the injection every month. However, about 3 months into the injections she started throwing up and itching a lot, I thought it was due to the pain (in her lifetime I can only recall a handful of times sheโs thrown up but with these injections it was a few times a week), I just didn't put the two together. I took her to the vet twice over the year she was on injections to discuss these symptoms, and they wanted to treat her for IBS, but how could that be the diagnosis with so much itching? Not once did they bring up or question her being on these injections and the side effects. Well, this past December she had surgery to repair one of her knees and that is when we stopped the injections. While on her road to recovery from her surgery, she started having insane itching that she was pulling her hair out from scratching and gnawing so bad on herself, she basically was hairless from her mid-region back and she developed rash-like sores on her body, although she did quit vomiting. Thatโs when I started researching and getting angry to find out the known side effects of these injections. It was right there in the prescribing information leaflet and on the manufacturerโs website (see photos) and again the vets said nothing about side effects!! When I discussed these symptoms with her orthopedic surgeon he stated, โhe wonโt even prescribe Solensia to his patientsโ and that is all he deals with, bones and arthritis! Her symptoms became more severe once we stopped the injections because she also had to stop the Prednisolone for the surgery and that is the medication prescribed to try to reverse any side effects from Solensia, her body was detoxing from these injections, so the symptoms came out in full force. Iโve noticed side effects in client cats too and have spoken to each client because I simply want to share with you even if itโs not my place to. I wasnโt warned or informed about any risks, and it broke my heart to watch what she went through. Do you know Solensia has only been available in U.S. veterinary clinics since early 2022, just over 3 years and already a class-action effort is in development because so many cats have had such severe side effects that they are wanting it off the market until more research can be done!!! You may have heard, read or seen the news reports of the sister drug for canines called Liberla, that drug is already in the midst of a class action lawsuit against the manufacture due to so many terrible side effects and deaths of dogs. Why are these drugs on the market if they are causing so much harm and why are vets still prescribing them??!?!
I am certainly not a doctor, Iโm just a groomer who cares, who cares about her own catโs wellbeing and clientโs cats that I love as my own. By speaking up, talking and informing is sometimes the only way others discover information. You can do what you want with this story and trust who you choose. But let me tell you, it pi**es me off how often pet parents are not given full information about veterinary drugs. With human meds, we get leaflets, warnings, interactions โ why donโt we get this for our pets, whereโs our information? We just trust and pay the bill; it makes me angry because thatโs what Iโve been doing for years.
Look โ I know some people think Iโm too much, too emotional, too dramatic, or too sensitive. Maybe even โcrazyโ for caring about animals so much. Thatโs fine. Youโre entitled to your opinion, and I canโt change it. However, if I can share Mangoโs medical trials in hopes of making even one person pause, question, or push for more answers โ then Iโve helped.
So let me say this as loud as I can: ๐ฃ๐ฃ
๐ ๐๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก. ๐๐ฌ๐ค ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ. ๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ญ. ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ฌ. ๐๐๐ฏ๐จ๐๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฒ!!!
๐๐ค๐ช ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐ฃ๐๐ข๐๐ก, ๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ค๐ฃ๐ก๐ฎ ๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐ก๐ค๐ค๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐ก๐๐๐, ๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐ฃ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐ก๐๐๐!!! โค๏ธ๐ป Angie
