PLEASE HELP - FLS/Force feeding experience

lmunsie

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If anyone has been following my cat got diagnosed with FLS earlier in the week. (smalle 7 year old female -- kismet) After a lengthy and very costly vet stay they told me she was eating, gave me some prescription dry food (for kidneys?? even though they said her kidney function is fine) and some antibiotics, didn't give me any appetite stimulants or liquid food (even though I asked for it) and told me she'd be fine.

That was yesterday, she hasn't eaten or drank a thing on her own since I brought her home (almost 24 hours ago) and she has gone back to hiding, I also think she still looks yellow/jaundice. I am beside myself with worry so on the advice of a friend with lots of animal experience I went out and bought chicken livers, cooked them, mixed them with some warm water and a little olive oil and made a slurry and have been force feeding her ~ 3mL every couple hours, along with force feeding her some water (as the problem with FLS is not getting food)

She has now started vomiting (not a problem before the vets) and is hiding where I can't get her. I don't know what else to do, I've called every emergency vet in the GTA and they won't talk to me unless I bring her in. I am a graduate student and literally spent all my rent money and maxed out my credit card at the vets in the last 2 weeks, they don't have payment plans so I am completely sunk right now, so until Monday when I can talk to a vet I am completely high and dry. I also don't trust the vets at all that I've been seeing, they did things like test her for feL/FIV when she was there without asking me (~100$) and she had already been tested before I got her and they knew she was indoor only.

I need to know what to do, what I should be mixing to force feed her, how often, and if there is anything else I can do. I have completely lost faith in animal medicine. I have been so worried lately that I've actually dropped a lot of weight (don't have a lot to lose) and am getting sick from trying to deal with this. Please.......any advice or help.
 

xocats

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First let me say that I am so sorry that you and Kismet are having such a difficult time.
Money is an issue but, in my opinion, this is a life threatening emergency.
You must get her to a vet right away.
If you have an emergency vet in your area do that...
She might be in pain and suffering.
 

mzjazz2u

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She may be vomiting because the chicken livers are too rich for her. Or you gave her too much at one time and her little stomach can't handle it yet. That could be why the vet gave you a kidney diet. Maybe he knew your cat wouldn't be able to handle as much protein as is in regular food. That also would explain the vomitting. Chicken livers are very rich and maybe not the best choice for a sick cat. You need to call the vet back and tell them what is going on. Did the vet give you wet food or dry? If dry, go back and buy some wet food from him. Add a little water and blend it and try feeding that through a syringe. Just do small frequent feedings. But please, call the vet!
 
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lmunsie

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I can't call the vet!! that's the problem!! They are closed until tomorrow morning (i of course will call then) but I don't know what to do in the interm because every emergency vet I've called won't talk to me without bringing her in!!! I asked the vet to give me liquid diet but they told me she didn't need it and was fine on dry. I think they must have been talking about the wrong cat or something, honestly, I have no idea how they could have sent her home like this.
 

mzjazz2u

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Originally Posted by lmunsie

I can't call the vet!! that's the problem!! They are closed until tomorrow morning (i of course will call then) but I don't know what to do in the interm because every emergency vet I've called won't talk to me without bringing her in!!! I asked the vet to give me liquid diet but they told me she didn't need it and was fine on dry. I think they must have been talking about the wrong cat or something, honestly, I have no idea how they could have sent her home like this.
She probably was doing fine there. I think it's the livers that mader her sicker. Stop feeding those. Get some canned food with the lowest protein and blend that and give it to her. Then call your vet in the morning.
 
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lmunsie

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OK I will. I still don't understand why she would eat dry food there but has stopped completely at home and is in the same state she was before i brought her there and gave them my rent money. I can see her skin is still yellow, I know i"m being brash but the emotional and financial strain is getting to be too much.
I've spent all my savings and a whole months pay on vet bills, nobody tells you, you need to be rich and a nutritonal/cat health expert in order to adopt cats. I've been trying everything I can and exhausting every resource I can think of, I'm going to try to go to the bank on monday to get a loan, but even that is next to impossible, because I have a job........during buisness hours and no assets. I just need help and I don't know where to find it.
 

xocats

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You are your cat's caregiver and only advocate.
It's critical that you set your frustrations aside and think clearly.

Please, call your vet and leave a message.
If they don't respond then call early Monday morning.
That won't cost you any money.

Here are some calming vibes and a hug just for you.

In the mean time, try what mzjazz2u suggested.
 

mzjazz2u

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Originally Posted by lmunsie

OK I will. I still don't understand why she would eat dry food there but has stopped completely at home and is in the same state she was before i brought her there and gave them my rent money. I can see her skin is still yellow, I know i"m being brash but the emotional and financial strain is getting to be too much.
I've spent all my savings and a whole months pay on vet bills, nobody tells you, you need to be rich and a nutritonal/cat health expert in order to adopt cats. I've been trying everything I can and exhausting every resource I can think of, I'm going to try to go to the bank on monday to get a loan, but even that is next to impossible, because I have a job........during buisness hours and no assets. I just need help and I don't know where to find it.
I know you're frustrated but please try to take a deep breath and relax a bit for your sake as well as your cat's sake. Our kitties can tell when we're stressed and that makes them more stressed. You'll be ok. When my cat, Jake got sick the first couple times and was very yellow, it took a long time for the yellow to go away. Jake was eating fine at the vet too but when I got him home he didn't. I think it's just the stress of being at a vet and then coming home etc. It took a few days for him to start eating on his own. In the meantime, I did supplement with small (10-15cc) feedings at least 6-8 times a day by syringe. I had used regular canned food and diluted it with a bit of water. He started eating his dry food within a few days. At first just a few bites. I had to get on the floor in front of him and coax him to eat. That's about all I did for a week was coax my kitty to eat. But he did! Hang in there. Go get a can of nutro and feed that until you can talk to the vet tomorrow. I'm very sorry you're going through this. But it's a good thing your cat has someone like you that really cares too!
 
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lmunsie

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Thank you. I will try that. I am using wellness wet right now because it's all i have until the pet store opens a couple hours from now.

I am calming down.

How much is 10-15 cc in mL's?
 

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The vomiting could be stress. If you are stressed, then your kitty is going to pick that up and she will be stressed to. This is also true to you being worried. You need to be calm around her, that is imperative. Any sudden food change is going to be difficult for her, and again she feels full, so why should she eat? Look at it as if you have a teenage daughter with anorexia. She looks in the mirror and though she may be pencil thin, she looks fat in her mind. In your kitty's mind because her body has been essentially feeding on itself, she's stuffed and unwilling to eat. Breaking that cycle is how you gain ground.

The liver is the most important organ for the cat's body. It handles the manufacturing of all things that are in the system, provides energies, dumps toxins, and performs so many other functions. You should be feeding frequently and only small amounts and only what the vet tells you to feed. If you are unhappy with that vet then request another at the clinic to pick up the case. Ask if they have a feline nutritionist vet there- sometimes you get lucky and they will. The olive oil isn't a good idea for right now. Your kitty is still in the critical stage and she needs food right now that will be gentle on her system and get her back into the cycle of eating normally.

If you have a holistic vet in the area, call that clinic and ask what holistic measures you can add to the diet to help support the liver.

Also check out this link http://www.netcat.org/links.html#F
 

pat

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Hey there...glad you found us. I hope we can ease your mind a bit until tomorrow.

I'm currently having to assist-feed one of my cats completely - and highly, highly recommend a support group I initially belonged to re this (will pm you the url to read about the group and to join if you wish). They have a ton of info in their info files.

First...here is a site that helps you calculate how many calories your cat needs (obviously if underweight, will need more - consider putting in the weight your cat should be and feed that number of calories to get her to gain): http://www.petdiets.com/default.asp?...culate/der.asp

Second - to feed, I use a 12 cc syringe and in this case, cc's of liquid material equals mls of liquid material (think of it, syringes are marked as x number of cc's).

third (sorry, very much not awake and working on first cup of coffee): assist-feeding can become a fairly quick routine (though messy!! Tyler is excellent at flinging food on both of us) - where you know exactly the target amount you want to feed, have your towels set up (we have a "we're done now lets wash the whiskers routine).

key tips: syringe from the side (corner) of the mouth --- NOT straight in toward the throat which can cause choking and aspiration into the lungs. Syringe 1cc (ml) or less, then rest a few seconds to give the cat time to swallow it (don't worry if your cat spits some out), syringe another cc or less, rest, repeat, etc.

your goal is small amounts fed frequently. It's advised to try to syringe 15-20cc (ml) every two or three hours at first, during waking hours. If you work all day and cannot feed then, reverse the schedule and feed during the night. Then, in a day or two, slowly work up to larger amounts, increasing in 5cc increments every few feedings. As you progress, you can decrease the overall number of feedings.

baby food meat (gerber second foods - always check label to be sure there is no onion listed in the ingredients list) such as chicken or turkey, ham or beef can be used just to help get you through today.

do make sure whatever you are feeding is at room temp or slightly warmed.

fwiw, I have been feeding Tyler for about a year now (yep, he eats a bit on his own, but not much)...I feed him 3x a day, 48 ccs at a meal. It's a snuggle time for us, he gets am and pm meds at which time I feed him plus one other. We have our routine and it's not a big deal.

You can do this! Off to pm you.
 

mzjazz2u

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Originally Posted by lmunsie

Thank you. I will try that. I am using wellness wet right now because it's all i have until the pet store opens a couple hours from now.

I am calming down.

How much is 10-15 cc in mL's?
I think Pat already answered this but I'll help anyway, just in case you didn't see it!
1cc= 1 mL. Easy! Hang in there and stay strong for your cat. Hissy is right. Your cat could be responding to your stress. I also think the livers are too rich right now and the cat's liver can't handle it correctly.
 
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lmunsie

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I've been online at the feline-assisted-feeding forum all day and got some wonderful help and I'm calming down, trying to relax. Still overwhelmed but managing. I have her at 70 cc blended wet food right now, but apparently I need to double that, which is going to be quite a task. people have reccomended getting her a feeding tube, but I don't think I can afford surgery right now so I'm going to push through and try to get some kind of schedule around mine. I am new to this town so I don't even know anyone that can help me
so I'm going to try to come home at lunch and do 2 feedings, maybe leave work an hour or two early for some feedings and go back to work for a couple hours in the late evening if I'm not at my other job.

Kismet is still very good about letting me feed her, but it's still very hard. She hasn't thrown up and is using the litter box, but she isn't moving around hardly at all which makes me really sad, but I guess it's like a person that doesn't feel good. Tomorrow I am going to go buy a sensitive (maybe cooking) scale so I can weigh her accuratly as that seems to be the only way to really judge how she is doing.

I am also calling the vet ASAP tomorrow, going to try to exchange the k/d dry for a/d wet, get a copy of her bloodwork to post on the forum,and I'll update after I talk to them

Thank you so much for your concern and help.........
 

xocats

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You are doing exactly what should be done for Kismet.
You are researching for info...
you have joined support sites and will be in contact with your vet.
She is a lucky kitty that you care so much.


I have a pet scale that I use to stay on top of my kitties weights.
Some people use baby scales that work well too.
I got mine from a pet supply catalog store.
It was about $50.
If you would like that info....
just send a PM.
I know of another member who used e-bay to buy a rather inexpensive baby scale that work well for pets.

I will be watching for your updates.
 

catcaregiver

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I am so relieved to hear that you found the help you need. Please keep us posted on Kismet's progress. You know we're all here pulling for you!
 
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lmunsie

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New update on Kismet. After a rather harsh conversation with my vet (who was very apologetic and I do believe thought she was doing what was best) she agreed to see me and Kismet for free tonight. So I brought her back and we have a plan!!

She did eat at the vets so it must have been due to the appetite stimulants/fluids. So she allowed me to adminsiter her subQ fluids, and gave me 1 litre with appropriate equiptment to take home (I have lot's of other animal experience) and I am going to give her 100mL/day as well as appetite stimulants,

I also got wet a/d food, and we made a diet for her based on half a can a day force feeding (~85 cc reconsituted in water...she is a small cat) and providing her with the dry food incase the stimulants kick in, as they likely did at the vets.
The vet also said she wants and expects me to call her daily with updates. I am leaving now to go to shoppers drugmart to see if I can find a baby scale with which to track her weight to make sure she atleast isn't losing, preferably gaining.

Maybe I am being too optimistic, but atleast we have a plan......she is only 7, she can beat this........we can beat this.......
 

mzjazz2u

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Sounds like a great plan to me! I figured it was just that Kismet was eating at the vets so she went with it. That happened when Jake first got sick too. I'm so happy you got in and are feeling better about things!
 
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