My sweetheart Buddy is having problems, and I'm trying to hold it together. Last wednesday I brought him in. The doctor gave him 300cc's of sub-q fluids and clindamycin. He said Bud had a sore throat, his lungs sounded "rough", and his tonsils were inflamed. He has had respiratory troubles all summer, he has a stricture behind his li'l nosey. But he had never stopped eating till last week.
Thursday and Friday he drank 2/3 to 3/4 cup of "tuna-water soup" each day, and a bit of wet food. He was also given 3 1" ribbons of Nutrical each day. Then Saturday afternoon he stopped eating again. Tuna wouldn't even entice him.
Emergency vet call yesterday, different vet, but gave him 150 cc's of sub-q fluids, changed the antibiotic to clavamox, and gave me a prednisone step-down treatment. From my understanding the steroid should help with pain. I do not understand this treatment and what exactly it is for, but the doctor answered plainly that he did not expect there were underlying problems, unless things got worse in the next few days, in which case blood testing and radiographs would be necessary.
Buddy has had a tough year. He is 11 now, and in January I took him in to the animal hospital for ultrasound, rhinoscopy and x-rays. His pancreas showed scars from a past bout of pancreatitis. His spleen was "odd" and they did needle biopsies and thankfully did not find any cancer. The rhinoscopy revealed he had a stenosis (stricture) in the bones behind his nose. He's been a noisy kitty all his life, and also one who threw up a lot. My ignorant vet never thought this was a problem. This is the vet involved in the death of Buddy's big sister, the love of my life. Anyway, he had a ketamine reaction and nearly died. A new kitten came to live with us last September and the assumption is that she brought in a herpes virus or something that slipped past Buddy's up-to-date vaccinations. He had a terrible cold, which is what brought about the events in this paragraph... but back on topic-
Yesterday his lungs were clear, his throat was better, and tonsils were fine. However as the vet thoroughly checked Buddy's mouth he found a small sore on the roof of his mouth, toward the rear. This would make it painful for him to use his tongue. A knowledgeable friend said he may not want his tuna water now because he associates it with the pain of his throat, and that I need to find a variety of foods so he will keep eating. I'm not supposed to give him Nutrical unless he is drinking (something about kidney damage, I believe). He has not drank any water in over a week, only what's put on his food.
I cut up a small piece of steak very finely last night and heated it with water to create "au jus" and he licked it rather eagerly. I actually put water on it twice more. At 2 a.m. he ate a tsp or so of a watered down canned beef food, and again at 9:30 or so - about 3 tsp. I tried chicken & liver before and that he wasn't very eager to eat, took a few licks and changed his mind.
I have a list of things to get at the store: deli meat, chicken breast, steak or hamburger, cottage cheese, kitten milk, some cheap "gourmet" food... does anyone have any other advice or foods they have found that work. I don't have any idea what other "beverages" he might drink. I hope his canker sore goes away soon. he's lost 1.5 pounds in about a month.
I'm trying very hard to hold it together, but it's hard.
22 months ago I lost his big sister from an incompetent vet doing a routine test. I must admit that I am far from over it. She and Buddy were my life, we lived alone together for 9 years. I just can't lose my little boy.
Thank you for any help.
Gina
Thursday and Friday he drank 2/3 to 3/4 cup of "tuna-water soup" each day, and a bit of wet food. He was also given 3 1" ribbons of Nutrical each day. Then Saturday afternoon he stopped eating again. Tuna wouldn't even entice him.
Emergency vet call yesterday, different vet, but gave him 150 cc's of sub-q fluids, changed the antibiotic to clavamox, and gave me a prednisone step-down treatment. From my understanding the steroid should help with pain. I do not understand this treatment and what exactly it is for, but the doctor answered plainly that he did not expect there were underlying problems, unless things got worse in the next few days, in which case blood testing and radiographs would be necessary.
Buddy has had a tough year. He is 11 now, and in January I took him in to the animal hospital for ultrasound, rhinoscopy and x-rays. His pancreas showed scars from a past bout of pancreatitis. His spleen was "odd" and they did needle biopsies and thankfully did not find any cancer. The rhinoscopy revealed he had a stenosis (stricture) in the bones behind his nose. He's been a noisy kitty all his life, and also one who threw up a lot. My ignorant vet never thought this was a problem. This is the vet involved in the death of Buddy's big sister, the love of my life. Anyway, he had a ketamine reaction and nearly died. A new kitten came to live with us last September and the assumption is that she brought in a herpes virus or something that slipped past Buddy's up-to-date vaccinations. He had a terrible cold, which is what brought about the events in this paragraph... but back on topic-
Yesterday his lungs were clear, his throat was better, and tonsils were fine. However as the vet thoroughly checked Buddy's mouth he found a small sore on the roof of his mouth, toward the rear. This would make it painful for him to use his tongue. A knowledgeable friend said he may not want his tuna water now because he associates it with the pain of his throat, and that I need to find a variety of foods so he will keep eating. I'm not supposed to give him Nutrical unless he is drinking (something about kidney damage, I believe). He has not drank any water in over a week, only what's put on his food.
I cut up a small piece of steak very finely last night and heated it with water to create "au jus" and he licked it rather eagerly. I actually put water on it twice more. At 2 a.m. he ate a tsp or so of a watered down canned beef food, and again at 9:30 or so - about 3 tsp. I tried chicken & liver before and that he wasn't very eager to eat, took a few licks and changed his mind.
I have a list of things to get at the store: deli meat, chicken breast, steak or hamburger, cottage cheese, kitten milk, some cheap "gourmet" food... does anyone have any other advice or foods they have found that work. I don't have any idea what other "beverages" he might drink. I hope his canker sore goes away soon. he's lost 1.5 pounds in about a month.
I'm trying very hard to hold it together, but it's hard.
Thank you for any help.
Gina
