I have a rescued cat named Festus that I have taken care of for a little over a year. He is fixed with shots and has the works.
He quit eating last week. Not totally but his intake decreased by about 3/4 from his normal eating habits.
I figured he was being picky and maybe it was a stage of some sort so I fed him special food and he still wouldn't eat. I started separating him for meals so I could document how much he was actually consuming.
He hadn't lost much weight and he was already wormed so I just continued to monitor him and meal time.
I was, at that point, last week able to pick him up and place him in a large crate for his meals. My husband cannot touch him. He is not crazy about me picking him up but he does let me.
I tried enticing him with all sorts of things......... I tried baked chicken, steak, soft food, canned mush and all varieties of everything. He would dash to his bowl and smell it and sit there.
A few more days passed with him nibbling and I then noticed he started screaming at meal time as though he were in pain.
I thought something was caught in his throat so promptly took him to the vet.
Festus has gingivitis. He has an appointment next week to get his teach cleaned. But in the meantime he has to take antibiotics. He was running a temp when we got to the vet because his gums hurt and were inflamed. That was why he was yelling at mealtime and that was why he was not eating well.
This week I have ground his food up in the food processor and made a mush that he can lap up and he is eating.
However, the dumb med is killing me giving it to him. He hates it.
the first day at the vet he got a shot so I only had to give it to him that evening. It's a dropper type medicine called Antirobe Aquadrops. He has to take it twice a day until his procedure at the vets on the 7th.
The second day I got it down him twice with me getting numerous bite marks. That was yesterday. But it was so difficult my husband called the vet to see if there was another med he could take that tasted better. The answer was no. They said this was strong and he HAD to take it.
I got it down him this morning by wrapping him totally in my housecoat while husband administered the med. It was horrible. It terrified the cat and freaked us out.
This evening he had got wise to the deal and fought us. he got away from us before I could get him wrapped in the housecoat. So now he is hiding in the enclosure ...
I don't know what to do. He has to have his meds or he could lose his teeth... or the infection from them could spread or any number of things.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can give a feral cat liquid antibiotics without terrifying him...... I am at my wits end.
Right now he is already eating better and since being on antibiotics I know he feels better because he is eating again.....even if it is mush. He gets with it and is enjoying his food. I have to medicate him AFTER he eats so I physically get him out of the crate.
I would also like to point out that at the vet, he did great. He sat on the table and actually let the vet open his mouth and look inside it with a scope. Festus bit me when I tried to look in his mouth.
help help help.....
I am not sure I can do anything more than what I am doing which is forcing my hand with the medicine. If I don't he will not get better. And if he doesn't take his meds, he won't be able to have his teeth cleaned which will lead to a chronic infection and with serious consequences...
I guess I am just sounding off and nurturing my cat bits on my arms and hands...
jenn
p.s. the vet also advised that we absolutely cannot mix this with food. He has to have it full strength. By the way, I tasted it and it tastes worse than anything you could possibly imagine.
Anyone remember quinine??? It is worse than that. I just tasted a drop and the after flavor made me sick. It was hideous and gross............ ugh... Poor Festus.
He quit eating last week. Not totally but his intake decreased by about 3/4 from his normal eating habits.
I figured he was being picky and maybe it was a stage of some sort so I fed him special food and he still wouldn't eat. I started separating him for meals so I could document how much he was actually consuming.
He hadn't lost much weight and he was already wormed so I just continued to monitor him and meal time.
I was, at that point, last week able to pick him up and place him in a large crate for his meals. My husband cannot touch him. He is not crazy about me picking him up but he does let me.
I tried enticing him with all sorts of things......... I tried baked chicken, steak, soft food, canned mush and all varieties of everything. He would dash to his bowl and smell it and sit there.
A few more days passed with him nibbling and I then noticed he started screaming at meal time as though he were in pain.
I thought something was caught in his throat so promptly took him to the vet.
Festus has gingivitis. He has an appointment next week to get his teach cleaned. But in the meantime he has to take antibiotics. He was running a temp when we got to the vet because his gums hurt and were inflamed. That was why he was yelling at mealtime and that was why he was not eating well.
This week I have ground his food up in the food processor and made a mush that he can lap up and he is eating.
However, the dumb med is killing me giving it to him. He hates it.
the first day at the vet he got a shot so I only had to give it to him that evening. It's a dropper type medicine called Antirobe Aquadrops. He has to take it twice a day until his procedure at the vets on the 7th.
The second day I got it down him twice with me getting numerous bite marks. That was yesterday. But it was so difficult my husband called the vet to see if there was another med he could take that tasted better. The answer was no. They said this was strong and he HAD to take it.
I got it down him this morning by wrapping him totally in my housecoat while husband administered the med. It was horrible. It terrified the cat and freaked us out.
This evening he had got wise to the deal and fought us. he got away from us before I could get him wrapped in the housecoat. So now he is hiding in the enclosure ...
I don't know what to do. He has to have his meds or he could lose his teeth... or the infection from them could spread or any number of things.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can give a feral cat liquid antibiotics without terrifying him...... I am at my wits end.
Right now he is already eating better and since being on antibiotics I know he feels better because he is eating again.....even if it is mush. He gets with it and is enjoying his food. I have to medicate him AFTER he eats so I physically get him out of the crate.
I would also like to point out that at the vet, he did great. He sat on the table and actually let the vet open his mouth and look inside it with a scope. Festus bit me when I tried to look in his mouth.
help help help.....
I am not sure I can do anything more than what I am doing which is forcing my hand with the medicine. If I don't he will not get better. And if he doesn't take his meds, he won't be able to have his teeth cleaned which will lead to a chronic infection and with serious consequences...
I guess I am just sounding off and nurturing my cat bits on my arms and hands...
jenn
p.s. the vet also advised that we absolutely cannot mix this with food. He has to have it full strength. By the way, I tasted it and it tastes worse than anything you could possibly imagine.
Anyone remember quinine??? It is worse than that. I just tasted a drop and the after flavor made me sick. It was hideous and gross............ ugh... Poor Festus.