What do yu think?

Abbey has been lethargic all day and her third eyelid is showing. She's usually very playful and sweet. She hasn't eaten or drank anything today. I noticed that she's shaking, like quivering. I called my emergency vet and he asked me a bunch of questions and he said try and give her some wet food and if she ate it then it could probably wait until tomorrow. She acted interested, but then she didn't eat it. She just went into the litter box and looked like she was trying to use it, but then there was nothing in there. She has never in her whole kitty life since I've had her, slept all day. So now I'm waiting for the vet to call me back.

Sounds to me like she needs a vet visit ASAP. If she is in the litterbox trying to go and nothing comes out, she could have a serious urinary tract infection or maybe she is constipated. I have never had a female get a blockage with crystals, so I can't give any advice there, but I have a male that blocked completely and couldn't pee a drop because of struvite crystals. I would get her to a vet ASAP.

She does sound sick. Did your vet ever show you how to check if a kitty's bladder is full?

Originally Posted by strange_wings

She does sound sick. Did your vet ever show you how to check if a kitty's bladder is full?

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Nope, never.

You should have your vet show you sometime. Basically you gently feel the lower abdomen - back under the cat's legs. I'm terrible at explaining it.. but I know you've had to have seen a vet do this before. You can also sometimes tell if there's a full belly or if the cat's constipated - you'll feel a fullness that isn't usually there.

My vet ask me if I knew how to check on Sherman when he partially blocked, and I showed him that I did. It does help to pay attention during vet exams.


So is this completely out of the blue for Abbey? No stool changes? No gassy kitty? No other random accidents around the house? Could she have played rough with another cat and have an abscess somewhere?

Originally Posted by strange_wings

You should have your vet show you sometime. Basically you gently feel the lower abdomen - back under the cat's legs. I'm terrible at explaining it.. but I know you've had to have seen a vet do this before. You can also sometimes tell if there's a full belly or if the cat's constipated - you'll feel a fullness that isn't usually there.

My vet ask me if I knew how to check on Sherman when he partially blocked, and I showed him that I did.

It does help to pay attention during vet exams.


So is this completely out of the blue for Abbey? No stool changes? No gassy kitty? No other random accidents around the house?

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Completely out of the blue. I don't change the litter box anymore because I'm pregnant...but I think I need to start to again. I was just using that as an excuse, since I know I just have to make sure to wash my hands after (which I do anyway). Jon said there wasn't any diarherra or anything. She hasn't been gassy and they never have accidents. There was vomit, but that was over a week ago and I'm pretty sure it was Cams.

But you didn't witness who did it, so it could have been Abbey. Make sure to mention that to the vet.
If you'd rather not change the litter box, you could always supervise.

I had Tomas randomly get sick when he was around seven months old. I had one of my overnight cleaning sprees and had at first thought he had gotten into something - I was using the bathroom and heard a kitty vomit outside the door.
All the vet could find was an increase in bad bacteria in his stool and a fever - though admittedly he had some issues with food back then that I was still trying to straighten out.

Ok, well good news, Jon got her to eat the canned stuff and she's chowing down! I'm gonna feel her tummy when she's done eating. Maybe this can wait until tomorrow. I still trying to pay off Wil's $500 visit from March, so not paying the emergency fee would be a good thing. But I'll see what the vet says and mention the vomiting and litter box thing.

Oh, best wishes for it to be nothing but an off day, but bless you for contacting the e-vet and being ready to go, and I'd probably still get her into the regular vet first thing Monday, if the e-vet thinks it can wait that long.

I picked her up and felt her belly and she cried! I freaked, but then tried it when she was standing, so I think she was just mad at being restrained. Her belly doesn't feel full or hard, and it didn't hurt her. She didn't eat as much as I thought she was going to, so I'll just wait and see what the vet says. My poor little baby.

Is she still shaking? Did she pee or poo yet? Has the doctor called back yet? I know it's not fun paying the ER vet fee, but I'm wondering whether it's better to go now, rather than wait til really late this evening or the middle of the night?

How are you doing? Sometimes I think we get more stressed out than the babies do when they're sick.

Originally Posted by darlili

Is she still shaking? Did she pee or poo yet? Has the doctor called back yet? I know it's not fun paying the ER vet fee, but I'm wondering whether it's better to go now, rather than wait til really late this evening or the middle of the night?

How are you doing? Sometimes I think we get more stressed out than the babies do when they're sick.

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She stopped shaking but didn't use the litter box. He called and I told him what was going on he told me to go ahead and bring her in because he had to meet another patient anyway (a poor old dog he said was dying of heat stroke). She had a 103 temp, but he said he'd keep her and get her started on antibiotics and if she was eating, then she could go home tomorrow. If not then they would run some tests. So we're Abbey-less tonight.

And that poor dog!! I almost started bawling the second I saw him! I wondered if he belonged to the people that brought him in, if so how on earth could they let him get that bad?

lots of good wishes and your family and Abbey have a good night tonight and that you're soon back together, all well and healthy.

I've only had to go to the ER vet twice, but I've cried too - I've been so relieved that mine were relatively minor emergencies (but why do cats never get sick other than on weekends and holidays?), but I feel so badly for the pets that never do go home. Thank goodness Abbey has a good family who pay such close attention to her.

Originally Posted by darlili

lots of good wishes and your family and Abbey have a good night tonight and that you're soon back together, all well and healthy.

I've only had to go to the ER vet twice, but I've cried too - I've been so relieved that mine were relatively minor emergencies (but why do cats never get sick other than on weekends and holidays?), but I feel so badly for the pets that never do go home. Thank goodness Abbey has a good family who pay such close attention to her.

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My DH is so sweet. He gets more upset then me when we have to leave a kitty at the vet. He said he can't imagine when we have to leave Dylan for a while.

I'm glad you got Abbey in where she is getting the treatment she needs, though it must be lonely without her. Were you given a diagnosis?

The poor dog you saw was probably left in a car. I saw a dog left in a car today, without even a window open. Saddest looking dog I ever saw.

The very air around the car smelled of old cigarettes, even though all the windows were shut. Normally I would call the police (and have done) but it's cold today anyway. I left a note on the window though. "I feel sorry for your dog. Does s/he ever get any fresh air at all? If it was hot I would have called the police. Think about it."

Originally Posted by otto

I'm glad you got Abbey in where she is getting the treatment she needs, though it must be lonely without her. Were you given a diagnosis?

The poor dog you saw was probably left in a car. I saw a dog left in a car today, without even a window open. Saddest looking dog I ever saw.

The very air around the car smelled of old cigarettes, even though all the windows were shut. Normally I would call the police (and have done) but it's cold today anyway. I left a note on the window though. "I feel sorry for your dog. Does s/he ever get any fresh air at all? If it was hot I would have called the police. Think about it."

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No, they didn't give me a diagnosis. He said her belly didn't feel full so not constipated or full of urine.

I am so glad you took her to the vet and that she's getting some attention and fluids. You must have a great vet if he was meeting someone at his office.

Originally Posted by stephanietx

I am so glad you took her to the vet and that she's getting some attention and fluids. You must have a great vet if he was meeting someone at his office.

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They are! I usually bring my outside kitties to El Paso and my indoor kitties to the one here in town. I like to support local businesses when I can, but when I called the one here in town about the orphaned kittens and they don't have an emergency vet anymore! They tell you to go all the way to wichita! So I tried El Paso, and they were awesome, as usual, so I decided they would be my exclusive vet. They are always wonderful, they treat my ferals and they take payments. So they have my business from now on.

Originally Posted by kscatlady

They are! I usually bring my outside kitties to El Paso and my indoor kitties to the one here in town. I like to support local businesses when I can, but when I called the one here in town about the orphaned kittens and they don't have an emergency vet anymore! They tell you to go all the way to wichita! So I tried El Paso, and they were awesome, as usual, so I decided they would be my exclusive vet. They are always wonderful, they treat my ferals and they take payments. So they have my business from now on.

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That's so great, thank you for sharing that! I love my vet too. And the practice in it's entirety. Hmmm...I feel a new thread coming on!