Cat sick after eating tuna

rivi

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I'm new to the forum Hello everyone


Our 8 year old male domestic cat suddenly got ill after feeding him tuna over the past few weeks.We didn't know it was bad for him.The 1st symptoms were one eye pupil larger than the other about 1 week ago.We really didn't think too much about it at 1st.I noticed it but he was eatting and acting normal.

I know this will sound stupid but we were feeding him a can everyday.The vet tech said it was fine and wouldn't hurt him.We have a appointment tomorrow at a NEW VET.

After a few days he started acting scared and started hiding.Now he refuses to eat,is trembling,hiding,purring loudly and drooling at times.He is also very scared.He can walk ok and he seems to hear and see ok.Could this be mercury poisoning or something else? Anyone recognize these symtoms?
Thank You
 

mrblanche

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What kind of tuna? The canned type that we usually eat is not a significant mercury problem, but that doesn't mean that particular brand isn't.

Were you feeding the cat anything else? There is at least one essential element, taurine, that a cat cannot get from tuna.
 

laurag

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I know that straight tuna can cause "yellow fat disease". I think it causes painful abdomen. It can be treated, but stop with the tuna.
 
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rivi

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Light tuna in water,its supposed to be low in mercury.Much lower than the other types.He is also scaed of us,he looks at us like he doesn't know who we are.I turned the heat up high in the house and now he got up.He walked to the kitchen but still won't eat.He is sitting under the table looking at us like he is terrified of something.His normal food is fancy feast,he used to eat dry foods but refuses any type we try lately.

He was eatting at least two cans of Fancy Feast a day along with the can of tuna.
 
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rivi

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We found another symptom,he feels very cold to the touch.His feet and legs are ice cold.
 
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rivi

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We found another symptom,he feels very cold to the touch.Also recently we fed him raw hamburger.
 
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rivi

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He doesn't have symptoms of steatitis,he ate a balanced diet of cat food PLUS the tuna.Since i turned up the heat he is starting to act normal again and knows who we are again.He is laying in his fav spot too.This just doesn't make sence to me.
 

bijou's mom

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Please get your kitty to an emergency vet NOW. Don't waste time asking about symptoms on the net. I really think your kitty might be in trouble! Please keep us updated.
 

cloud_shade

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If he was eating a can of tuna everyday, then he wasn't eating a balanced diet--that quantity of tuna could not have been offset by a normal meal instead. If he continues to display any symptoms, please call the vet immediately. Definitely take him in tomorrow regardless.
 
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rivi

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There is no vet i trust open on a sunday night.He seems much better now that he is warm.Hes not sore to touch,he moves just fine,hes not sick to his stomach.

The last time i rushed to a vet in a an emergency the cat died.The vet milked me for over 400 dollars repeating tests just to tell me the cat was too sick to save.She milked me good...not gonna happen again.

The cat has been eatting tuna and fancy feast for at least 5 years.I can't see how he could just suddenly get sick over night from this.I'm starting to think he is scared of something or has some kind of virus.
 

blaise

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...The cat has been eatting tuna and fancy feast for at least 5 years.I can't see how he could just suddenly get sick over night from this.I'm starting to think he is scared of something or has some kind of virus.
The symptoms you've described - to me - are not symptoms of fear, nor a virus. If he were mine, I would, at the very least, have him seen by a competent Vet tomorrow.

I really hope you stop using the tuna fish....and, raw hamburger can also be really, really dangerous. Are you experimenting? If you want to give him some raw food, hamburger is a no-no.

Still want to use raw food? If you want to hear from a competent Veterinarian, have a read here
 
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rivi

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He is going tomorrow to a vet i feel is honest and competent.He seemed ok for a few hours and now he is acting funny again,scared and looking like he doesn't know me.I was feeding him tuna and hamburger because our OLD vet said it was good for him!After doing some reading i'm not very happy about all this.My trust in vets is fading fast.I called two days ago and asked if tuna could hurt him and they told me ABSOLUTELY NOT!
This is a major vet hospital in the area too,not some guy in a shack.So much for trusting professionals.
 

cloud_shade

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Small amounts of tuna are probably okay, but tuna as a daily meal or a large proportion of the cat's food could cause problems. It almost sounds like he could be having some sort of seizure or stroke that is leading to his fear and confusion.

Please keep in mind that we are not vets and we can only give suggestions based on the information you tell us.
We had no way of knowing how long you have been feeding the kitty tuna or in what quantity until you mentioned it. There could be other factors contributing to your cat's condition that we don't know about--we could be jumping to the conclusion that this is related to the tuna because that's what you mentioned in the original post.

Here are some articles about seizures in cats. You may want to look through them to see if they match your kitty's symptoms. Is your kitty indoor only or does he go outside? Is there a possibility he could have eaten something toxic, like a plant, rat poison or a cleaning chemical? Could he have fallen from a high place? Is one eye still dialated?

http://www.peteducation.com/article....&articleid=224
http://www.petplace.com/cats/seizure...ats/page1.aspx
 
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rivi

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No he is a indoor cat only,his eyes are normal now,But seem to get funny then go back to normal.I think he is having some type of brain problem that causes confusion.He is not having sezures but he does feel cold.It seems like he is totally lost and doesn't know where he is then comes back.I'm betting some type of brain virus or problem.We do have a feral cat that visits everyday for the past few years.I tamed her and got her fixed.She is not sick but maybe she passed some type of virus to him?Now that i think about these problems alsoi started up after i started playing with both of them with ribbons.They chase and bite at the ribbons.Their saliva gets on them,maybe the feral cat has something that doesn't effect her but does my indoor cat?Geez this is frustrating.I hope the new vet has some ideas.
 

yosemite

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A vet visit is definitely recommended. Are both your cat and the stray cat up to date on shots?

Fancy Feast is not a very good quality food either so between the tuna, FF and the raw hamburger your kitty could be very sick.

Please keep us informed on how he is doing after the vet visit.
 
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