Three Sick Kitties

All three of my cats are 'under the weather' and I'm not sure why. They started with one (or two) throwing up and one with diarrhea, and all three generally acting low-key, and now two of the three seem to have trouble eating while the third is eating far less than usual.

They seem hungry, but they won't even sniff the dry food and after a bite or a lick or two of the wet, they lose interest. I've put down fresh kibble (the Van Patten Natural brand, forget the name), and opened four different brands of wet food, and it's made no difference.

I had just bought a bunch of food, the dry food was a fresh bag, the cans (Wellness Turkey and maybe a Science Diet or a Fancy Feast) were also newly purchased when this started.

I initially thought there was something wrong with the dry food, then the Wellness, but now I'm thinking I used a Swiffer Wet Mop on the floor and while I know the 'urban legend' is usually debunked, I really think that -- or something -- may have caused discomfort in the mouth or esophagus or something when they licked it off their paws. The cat that's the least sick is the one with partial hind end paralysis so she has more difficulty licking her paws. (She's the one that had diarrhea, though, so not sure if that part fits the bill).

The other two cats are very old -- 18 and 19 -- and one is already blind and extremely skninny. I'm syringe feeding her Nutrical, all she'll consume on her own is diluted evaporated milk which I know isn't good for her. The other is (or was) obese and allergic to a lot of cat food, especially fish (I think) so my food options are always limited. None seem to be drinking water.

Any clues?

sas

I would call the vet.
They can get very sick fast if they do not drink water and liver problems from not eating.

My computer is 'hanging', it reposted, sorry.

I'm a firm believer in vet care, but also in doing prior research. I haven't been able to find a good vet since mine moved to a clinic too far away to get to.

The vets are going to ask what they may have gotten into. And at this point I'm on the verge of having the old blind and mostly deaf one put to sleep, her quality of life isn't that great, so not sure about heroic measures.

They are also getting better. The little one is almost back to normal, the obese one is eating a bit. Nobody's deteriorating, although if they're not drinking tonight they'll at least get a SubQ infusion and tests tomorrow.

At this stage it seems like they have discomfort in their mouth and/or throats seeing as they're starting to eat and then stopping.

Has anybody had experience with this?

sas

They need to see a vet, and especially the obese one, as if their food reduction is more than 10%, there is a serious risk of serious liver issues. And if they aren't drinking and dehydrated, tehy are less likely to eat.

I'm just asking what experiences others have had with multiple cats getting ill at the same time and what turned out to be the cause, and/or with cats showing an interest in food but not eating (after trying multiple brands and flavours). Nobody has had this this happen?

The vet is needed to intercept any damage to their health and internal organs NO MATTER the cause. It could be the food, could be a chemical, could be an infection that all caught about the same time, and so on. The cause can be figured out along the way. Most important is to stop any further problems to their liver, kidney, heart, or the dehydration.

From my understanding, any time a cat is not taking in water or ample food there is a chance it will cause damage. Not worth the risk to wait and try to figure out what happened. The vet will be your best help whether they are the one you decide to stay with or not.

Those that have had a similar situation may post at some point. You can let us know things go with the vet and that may help others. Best wishes for your cats getting back to feeling better.

When my cats were at my dads I got a call Stripe was very sick.
I was at work so sent my husband to take her to er.
He gets there and Patches is very sick also.
Patches died and Stripe lived but they both had kidney failure.
My brother swore they got into nothing but both got very sick at the same time.
After that Stripe had Crf and I lost her to it in 1998.

Originally Posted by sasnpipp

I had just bought a bunch of food, the dry food was a fresh bag, the cans (Wellness Turkey and maybe a Science Diet or a Fancy Feast) were also newly purchased when this started.


sas

Click to expand...

Did you change the food abruptly? When you change a cat's food you usually need to do it gradually over a period of 7-10 days by adding a little of the new food to the old food and gradually increase the amount of new food. If you change quickly they can get diarrhea. Diarrhea can cause dehydration so they need to replenish their liquids.

Science Diet and Fancy Feast are not very good quality foods. They may also have allergies to the Wellness turkey. Change them back to the old food that they were eating before.