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roby22

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I am new to this forum, so please forgive if I make any errors of protocol. I have a 4 year-old Ragdoll who was in what seemed to be perfect health until a few days ago and then suddenly stopped eating and going to the bathroom. I took him in Sunday nite to the emergency room and the doctor gave him hairball treatment, saying his bladder didn't seem overly full. Today (Monday), I had another vet appointment and my cat (Pikey) did have a small bowel movement and coughed up a big hairball just before I took him to the vet.
The doc examined him again and said give him until Weds (2 days) and then we'll make a move if he's still not eating. He is totally uninterested in food or drink. I'm afraid he's going to die. He's a moving a little slow, but not totally lethargic. I'm devastated. Anyone have any ideas?
Johnny
 

carolina

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Yes, get another vet immediately who will take an x-ray to see if he has a blockage, or what else could be causing this, instead of simply waiting until wednesday to put her to sleep... This is not normal, might be a simple, fixable thing if you act soon, or deadly if you weight... I am sorry, but this makes me mad... The cat is perfectly fine one day, and the doctor without giving a diagnosis just say wait for a couple of days, and if she doesn't poop she dies? WTH??
IMO, RUN from that vet, and go to a serious one. An x-ray is in order here...
How is she eating? Have you tried giving her only wet food? What are the other symptoms? Fever? Anything else at all?
IMO it makes sense she is a little lethargic; she is not eating or pooping...
 
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roby22

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Hi Carolina!
Thanks for your response. The doctor did take his temperature and pulse, etc. He felt all around and put a rod up him to relieve some urine, but said he felt no blockage at all. Male cat's do get urinary blockage, but the doc said he felt none at all. He said his bladder didn't contain an excessive amount of urine and I said that could be because he's not eating or drinking. The doc said cats don't really need to drink that much water and that they get liquid from many sources.
Its late evening here in Kauai and if nothing changes by morning, I'm taking Pikey back in. I'm so bummed.
Johnny
 
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roby22

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PS There are not really a lot of vet choices on this island
 

ebrillblaiddes

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Originally Posted by roby22

The doc said cats don't really need to drink that much water and that they get liquid from many sources.
Wow...that's probably true for a cat in the wild that eats the fluids found in their prey...or a raw-fed cat, or a mostly-canned-food fed cat. For a kibble-fed cat, that would be complete and total BS. Sounds like your vet got his degree by collecting cereal box tops or something.

You could try smearing mushy food on your cat's paws to see if he'll clean it off. At least it'd be something in him.
 
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roby22

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Thanks for your response. I didn't buy that too much either. We don't have a lot of choices for vets here on Kauai. As for smearing food on his paws, I'll try that now. Thanks.
Johnny
 

dragulescugirl

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Hi roby22,

My cat was having the same issue. She's jut begun to eat on her own though only little bites here and there. Not the appetite she use to have. I've switched to feeding her two hours before I give her the antibiotics. She didn't do too well with things smeared on her paws and made a huge mess with her belly fur (lets just say neither one of us enjoyed the sponge bath, combing, and scissors). I've managed to get some Pedialyte into her (1/4 cup) and baby food (no onions just meat and broth and about 1 tbsp). For the Pedialyte I took a turkey Bastet and hold just tilted to the side of her mouth and let a little dribble in stop it and then dribble again until it is gone. Then I have a plastic baby spoon which I can get into her mouth and rub a little bit off food on the roof of her mouth. I spread the last little bit on her chin. Now my cat is super trusting and will even take a toothbrush from me so I don't know how amiable yours will be to this method. Also, I tried every cat food to entice her to eat and in the end all she wanted were bits of super expensive ham. Just so you know, mine coughed up hairballs for 3 days before she began to show interest in eating.

Good luckand keep us updated
 

carolina

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Originally Posted by roby22

Hi Carolina!
Thanks for your response. The doctor did take his temperature and pulse, etc. He felt all around and put a rod up him to relieve some urine, but said he felt no blockage at all. Male cat's do get urinary blockage, but the doc said he felt none at all. He said his bladder didn't contain an excessive amount of urine and I said that could be because he's not eating or drinking. The doc said cats don't really need to drink that much water and that they get liquid from many sources.

Its late evening here in Kauai and if nothing changes by morning, I'm taking Pikey back in. I'm so bummed.
Johnny
Roby, I am talking about an intestinal blockage, or a stuck hairball... A GI tract blockage - that is why the X-ray would be beneficial.
They do not get water from so many sources - that would be true for a all wet diet, which I believe it is not the case here? Can you give him pedyalite or water with a syringe? Coconut water (fresh) is great too, IMO as good or better than pedyalite. With your fingers, place some wet food i=on the roof of his mouth, and let him lick it off... You are going to need to do this several times a day... every couple/few hours. You need to make him eat and drink.
Butter is an excellent hairball medicine - put some on his paw and let him lick it off - you want all of that stuff out of him.
Don't give up on him...
 

darlili

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I hope things are going better today - I wonder if you can get a little plain baby turkey or chicken baby food (like Gerber's - with no onion or garlic in it)....lots of cats really like that, and you can smear it on the paws or your finger, if need be.

Best wishes for you and your kitty.
 

skimble

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Originally Posted by DragulescuGirl

get some Pedialyte into her (1/4 cup) and baby food (no onions just meat and broth and about 1 tbsp). For the Pedialyte I took a turkey Bastet and hold just tilted to the side of her mouth and let a little dribble in stop it and then dribble again until it is gone. Then I have a plastic baby spoon which I can get into her mouth and rub a little bit off food on the roof of her mouth. I spread the last little bit on her chin.
I have done this same thing with mine. It may take getting some kind of food into their mouth to taste to help jump start the appetite. Clear Pedialyte found in the baby section at the grocery and all meat baby food (no onions/garlic added). Mix them up and you can use a syringe (get at drugstore or grocery) to get some in the side of the mouth so as not to get any in their lungs. Just to get a taste will help. An older vet told me to rub a tiny bit of corn syrup on the gums. (Karo syrup is a brand name) The sugar from the corn syrup will sometimes help.

I put a pat of butter next to the food bowls to help with hairballs.

I too question what the vet said. Not anything I have ever heard from vets.
I hope things get better fast.
 

alleygirl

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I agree to try the baby food. Just plain chicken or turkey stage 1 food. You might rub a tiny bit on his mouth or tongue so he can taste it.

I also agree that the vet should do x-rays to rule out an intestinal blockage, sooner rather than later. A blockage can be deadly, fast.

Please keep us updated!
 
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roby22

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Hi Everyone!
Can't thank all of you enough for all your concerns and suggestions. Its late and I just got home from work and Pikey still hasn't eaten, drunk anything or gone to the bathroom.
When I gave him his Laxatone, he immediately threw up as he has done before, but (one positive thing) there was a bit of a hairball in the mess. A small one. I am taking the poor little guy back to the vet first thing tomorrow morning.
On a side note, I had a car accident today which sent my bumper into my tire, so now I'm driving a rental. When it rains, it pours I guess. Please keep Pikey in your thoughts tomorrow (Weds).
Your Friend,
Johnny
 

carolina

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Jonny - you NEED to get food into him. He can get a very serious disease if he doesn't eat.
Try anything - tuna, boiled chicken, baby food... try syringe feeding him... At this point you can not leave it up to him to eat - you need to feed him. This is VERY VERY important....
Ask the vet tomorrow if you can tube feed him for a while... Also please ask the vet to give him some SubQ fluids... Please please get some food into him, no matter what you need to do... Try butter instead of laxatone. Don't give up on him...
I am sorry you had a car crash...
 

carolina

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Jonny -

Get some wet food you have in there, blend, or some baby food, put some on you finger, and put it on the roof of his mouth, or in his cheek - little by little,m and let him lick it in... Please, I am here begging you, feed him...
 
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roby22

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Hi! I took the last can of wet food I have and tried to push it down his throat like you do when you give cats pills. Most of it he spit right up, but I think some got swallowed. I'm gonna insist they put him on an IV tomorrow.
Johnny
 

carolina

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Jonny -
Don't shove it on his throat... just put some on the roof of his mouth... if he spit it off, do it again... keep going until you see that he is eating some. I hope you didn't throw the rest of the can away? do it gently...
Tomorrow when you go to the vet, don't give up on him... ask for an x-ray...
I know things are tough right now, but can you call your work sick for a couple of days? Then you can feed him every couple/few hours...
 
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roby22

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If I put food on the roof of his mouth, he spits it right out. He finds food repulsive. I don't think there is much of a chance he will think, "this stuff is great" and start eating. Otherwise, he would be eating in the first place. When I force it down his throat, like a pill, at least I know the food is going into and remaining in his stomach. I've been told by several vets that cats don't really chew they food very much anyway. I'll try your suggestion again, but I'm honestly not very optimistic.
I will, however, make sure he gets an X-Ray tomorrow, which hopefully will tell what's up inside him. Also, perhaps some blood work done. All the best.
Johnny
 
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