Worried about Mississippi

mom2paisley

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Hi all, I do more reading then posting but needed some reassurance and your thoughts. Our Mississippi is a very talkative, food motivated girl. Last Thursday evening she turned her back on canned food and was very quiet. I took her into the vets on Thursday and they did blood-work and x-rays. No masses showed up on the x-rays and her lungs are clear. Her WBC was off the charts and her temp was very low (97.3). The top possibilities are intestinal infection or IBD with intestinal cancer being mentioned if we rule out the other 2. She was sent home on and appetite stimulate and antibiotics. She got fluids at the vet and seemed to be a little more her talkative self. She didn't really want to eat much over the weekend but she was eating a little. I went and got an ear thermometer so I could check her temp. When I got up Monday morning she was back to being very quiet and now had a temperature of 103.7. I got her meds in her and called my vet. They had me bring her in. The appetite stimulate kicked in after we got there and she ate really well for them
They gave her fluids and something to settle her stomach. Her temp came down close to normal and they sent her home with fluids for me to give daily to help keep her hydrated. She's been more herself but still not completely better. She goes in tomorrow for blood work to check the WBC. My biggest issue is I don't think she's eating enough. They gave me a syringe to force feed her if needed but she feels just well enough to really fight me on it. She seems to want to eat but doesn't eat very much. I'm going to ask about something to settle her stomach to give her at home tomorrow since she ate a lot better after she got that on Monday at the vet. I also know I'm watching her so close that I'm probably over reacting to every little thing. (Hi,
I the over worried cat mom) Is there anything else you can think to do to get her to eat or that I should ask the vet? I know she's playing me a little. She'll eat a little more if I let her lick it off my fingers but still not as much as I'd like.

Oh and basic info, Mississippi is 11 and has never been sick since she came to us in 2001. She does have a heart murmur but she's had that her whole life. She weighs around 7 lbs.

Thanks
 

bunnelina

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Oh, I think most of us here know how it feels to worry! I'm sorry you and Mississippi are going through this. The sudden onset makes me hopeful it's option A or B, not option C.

To get her to eat:

Have you tried all-meat baby food? Gerber makes all-meat chicken and turkey, for example, and I have had luck with those with sick cats, especially if they can lick it from a baby spoon. (Don't buy anything but the all-meat flavors: no veggies, etc.) Plain roasted or boiled/poached chicken breast can sometimes get a cat eating, too. And if she'll lick food off your fingers (or your nose!), by all means keep feeding her that way!

You can warm the food by setting it in some hot water (don't microwave it, you'll get hot spots, risky). You can also add some water to make more of a slurry. There are 100 calories in one jar, and while it's not a balanced diet, it's fine while the cat isn't feeling well.

There's also Hill's canned AD, which is what your vet would probably want you to force-feed. We've done a lot of force-feeding around here and while it isn't fun, it's surprising how well some cats tolerate it. I would swear that one of ours was occasionally too lazy to eat and preferred to be force-fed. So if you have to do it, try not to dread it.

These are just a few tips; I know that others here have a lot of experience on getting cats to eat, too, and I hope you hear from all of them. Let us know Mississippi's diagnosis; I'm sending you major vibes in the meantime:
 
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