Older male cat, very sick. Please help.

sketchpadsrus

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My oldest cat, who is only 8, is very sick. Last night he started 'open-mouth breathing', sticking his tongue out, drooling ALOT, and began coughing (gagging) occasionally. There was also a slight wheeze to his breathing. Also, he just LOOKED sick, in his face and eyes.

This morning we took him to the Veterinarian. He checked his mouth, saw what might be a sore/abscess in his mouth, but didn't seem to concerned with it. He checked down his throat the best he could, felt around his chest alittle, and took his temperature.

He said my cat had a slight fever. He said most likely the cat ate something bad for him. I explained that he was an indoor cat, and that we don't use poisons around the house. My mother does have a Philodendron in the kitchen (hanging), but the cats generally leave it alone. He gave him two shots, and antibiotic and vitamin K. He gave me pills of each as well.

Now its very early the next morning (Sunday, Veterinarian visit was Sat morning) and my cat is still doing terrible. He's gagging more, almost constantly. Still drooling with an open mouth. He has not eaten or drank anything, I do not think he has gone to the bathroom. He took one pill each Saturday night. It still kills me to look at him, he looks so miserable.

He does seem to move around a bit more, even went to his favorite spot by the window, but he shows no interest in us, the other cats, or food/water/treats/bathroom.

Also, we had recently what seemed like a cold/flu hit our cats the last couple weeks. A cat would sneeze alot for a few days, then stop. By then another cat was sneezing. Each lasted a few days and we weren't too concerned. However, it did not seem to affect my oldest, but then out of nowhere all these symptoms started.

I could ask questions forever, but the main things I want to know are:

What is wrong with my cat?
Does the Veterinarian seem to be doing the right thing?
Is there anything I can do to help my cat?
When do I start worrying about him not eating or drinking?
Any chance something foreign is inside him and then Veterinarian just missed it?

Please, I'm going nuts. If you have any thoughts at all, please reply. Thank you so very much for your time.

--- Steve, concerned immensely about Kitty
 

russiankitten

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I'm no expert when it comes to cat health but my first thoughts were is he up-to-date with his vaccinations? Cat flu springs to mind the sneezing, shortness of breath but your vet would have most likely picked up on that. Sorry I can't be much help, heres hoping and praying your beautiful boy gets better soon!
 
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sketchpadsrus

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Thank you.

I just went and checked on him (8:00 am Sunday) and while the drooling has lessened, the wheezing seems to be worse. This poor cat hasn't ate/drank/slept in a day and a half now.

Anyone out there, please comment if you can. I'm going to be checking this page alot, I can't sleep either.
 

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Welcome to TheCatSite...

All of your questions are valid, but we just cannot diagnose over the internet, I am sure that you understand why.

From your description, it sounds like your cat needs immediate further evaluation, either by your current vet, or because it's Sunday, an emergency vet.
I would hope that the vet would want to do a blood panel to check liver and kidney function, check your sweeties heart and possibly other tests to find out what is causing this.

I hope that you can get this resolved quickly...

please keep us updated.
 
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sketchpadsrus

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2 pm, Sunday afternoon. Kitty is still very sick. Wheezing, droolings, open mouth, won't eat/drink/poop or interact much at all.

We currently have 12 cats. 9 strays (including Kitty, but he hasn't been a stray for 7+ yrs), one saved from a terrible owner, and 2 kittens adopted who were supposedly going to be 'put down'.

Honestly, money is alittle tight right now for emergency services. The only place I know near us (Philadelphia, PA) is the University of Penn Veterinary Hospital, and they are notorious for pushing long stays and exploratory surgeries. They run every test imaginable, and he costs lots of money. We have no problem paying for the 75 dollar vet visit, but do have serious trouble paying the 500-1000 dollars it would cost at U-Penn.

I can take him to a new vet or the same vet first thing Monday morning, but I obviously need to be more educated in what he should check and what I should ask. Anyone that can help with that would be a godsend.
 

jcat

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The sore/abscess, resultant drooling, wheezing and lethargy make me think cat flu, but I'm not a vet, and obviously can't make any sort of diagnosis. There are some emergency vets around Philly other than U of P. Would any of these be close? Emergency vet Philadelphia, PA
The only ones I'm familiar with are U of P and Springfield Animal Hospital, and it's been a very long time since I lived in Philly.
 

dusty's mom

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Was he a healthy weight before this problem started? If so, I wouldn't worry too much about the not eating. But I would be concerned about dehydration.

I am not a vet or a vet tech, but if you can't see a vet or talk to one, I would try to get some water down him, even if you had to use a syringe. I believe there is somewhere online that you can ask a vet for a fee.

Did your vet do any tests? Blood test, urine test? If he hasn't peed at all, I'd be worried about kidney/UTI issues.

ETA: This site may be able to help you.
http://www.televets.com/faq.html
 

momofmany

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Is he stuffed up or just breathing hard? 8 year old males are actually at their prime years for heart issues, and one symptom is heaving breathing. Did the vet listen very closely to his heart?

If its respiratory related, steam him, either by taking him in the bathroom and running the shower, or use a vaporizer. Give him wet food and the stinkier the better to entice him to eat.

If he is overweight and not eating, that can be a dangerous condition, as cats can get fatty liver problems (hepatic lipidosis).

I'm giving you worse case scenarios here only because you asked for ideas on what to challenge your vet with. I'm hoping it is something very simple as a summer UTI.
 

blast-off-girl

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I honestly think you should take your cat to an emergency vet despite the high cost. Your cat seems very uncomfortable and is suffering. Lack of nutrition can cause irreversible organ damage. My former roommate's cat was breathing with her mouth open and drooled. She was suffering from a heart attack. I don't think you should wait until Monday.
 

mews2much

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Can you get care credit?
I would go to er because he can die.
I had a cat that was drooling and it was hard to breathe.
We rushed to teh vet and her kidneys were gone.
She was only 5.
Thy should have taken a xray since your cat is wheezing.
 
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sketchpadsrus

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"The sore/abscess, resultant drooling, wheezing and lethargy make me think cat flu, but I'm not a vet, and obviously can't make any sort of diagnosis. There are some emergency vets around Philly other than U of P. Would any of these be close? Emergency vet Philadelphia, PA
The only ones I'm familiar with are U of P and Springfield Animal Hospital, and it's been a very long time since I lived in Philly"

Took down alot of numbers, will start calling, Thank you. Do cats with flu not move/eat/drink for days, wheeze constantly, mouth open, jaw movings, drool oozing down? I'm asking because cat flu makes sense (something WAS/IS going around and then this happens). I've never experienced cat flu before.
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"Was he a healthy weight before this problem started? If so, I wouldn't worry too much about the not eating. But I would be concerned about dehydration.
I am not a vet or a vet tech, but if you can't see a vet or talk to one, I would try to get some water down him, even if you had to use a syringe. I believe there is somewhere online that you can ask a vet for a fee.
Did your vet do any tests? Blood test, urine test? If he hasn't peed at all, I'd be worried about kidney/UTI issues.
ETA: This site may be able to help you."

Cat was VERY healthy, his weight was fine, big, but not fat. I'm very interested in forcing water into him, but my only experience is with giving them pills (and Kitty is really hard to give pills to right now). I do not believe we have a syringe.
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"Is he stuffed up or just breathing hard? 8 year old males are actually at their prime years for heart issues, and one symptom is heaving breathing. Did the vet listen very closely to his heart?
If its respiratory related, steam him, either by taking him in the bathroom and running the shower, or use a vaporizer. Give him wet food and the stinkier the better to entice him to eat.
If he is overweight and not eating, that can be a dangerous condition, as cats can get fatty liver problems (hepatic lipidosis).
I'm giving you worse case scenarios here only because you asked for ideas on what to challenge your vet with. I'm hoping it is something very simple as a summer UTI."

We did try the steamed bathroom thing, before we took him to the Vet, but he freaked out and we decided to let him out. Also, I'm obviously scared to do anything that might dehydrate him further. Everything sounds like its coming from the lung, deep in his mouth. How do you tell if you're cats congested? Would UTI have symptoms like he's displaying?

Does anyone know why he was not given tests and prescribed antibiotics and vitamin K only?

Again, I'm calling Pet Care and the emergency vets now. Most likely calling off work tonight if we feel he cannot go back to his Vet/new Vet monday.
 

Asteria

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I'm so very glad you're taking him.
Keep us updated. Sending lots of
 

nance

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He sounds like he is in bad shape....Makes me wonder why the first vet didn't do a blood test in the first place to see whats wrong...I hope he is ok....
 
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sketchpadsrus

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Kitty is currently at The Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center (VSEC) in Langhorne, PA... let me tell you they are great there.

We walk in, they ask his symptoms, I only have a chance to say "open mouth breathing" and the receptionist immediately picks up the phone, states they have a cat with respiratory arrest, and within 10 seconds two orderlies come out and take him. We were off to a great start.

Kitty has two huge areas on inflammation deep in his mouth/throat. Most likely cause at this point is the same flu bug that has/is going around with all my cats. While we could have just had them give him fluids and anti-inflammatory and took him home, we were advised to allow them to keep him overnight, so that he could receive constant fluids and supervision. He should be fine in a few days, unless they find out the cause is actually cancer or a kidney issue, however that seems unlikely at this point.

They even waived the 'walk-in' fee and used the money for additional tests and some pain medicine. The place is just wonderful.

Thank you all for the help. I'll give another update when he gets home. This site is great, and I appreciate all you have done.
 
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