Sky, a nine-week-old kitten was an emergency medical surrender. She was vomiting bile, had diarrhea, and was lethargic. 

Our medical staff ran tests and found Sky positive for Coccidia, which are tiny single-cell parasites that live in the walls of the intestines. She was given medication to treat this infection and within a couple of days the diarrhea had resolved. 

As she was significantly underweight for her age, she was sent to a foster home where the foster parent noted that Sky vocalized excessively and seemed agitated. Sky began to experience episodes where she was dull, drooling, and breathing rapidly.  

Testing was done and the results were consistent with hepatic dysfunction, meaning her liver wasn’t doing the work of filtering out toxins. In a young kitten, this is often consistent with a congenital portosystemic shunt – but further imaging and perhaps a biopsy would be needed to confirm. 

As Sky is still young, she has been prescribed medication and conservative treatment until she is old enough for surgical intervention. 

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