I don't know what to do

Attitude has got worse again. The antibiotic isn't working.

I don't even know if it's fair to her to keep trying to fix this, but all she has is a URI and that isn't even remotely fatal if you can find the right antibiotic.

Anyways, I have a question- Would Convenia be an option or does it not work for URIs? I'm running out of options on antibiotics we haven't tried yet. I might also ask about the antibiotic that seemed to wipe it out last time.

I think she has enough 'crap' coming out of her for a culture, normally she doesn't.

She doesn't have anything fatal but I can't find a cure for her, I just want the URI gone.

She is still eating, drinking using the litter box. She has also taken to door dashing, I can't get out without her running out the door. She is good outside without a harness but she will sometimes find places to hide that make it hard for me to get her out. She stays here and doesn't run off and if I decide it's time for her to go back in she lets me pick her up and take her inside even though she'll cry and protest the entire time, like a human child who doesn't want to go back inside. Of course she starts doing it now that it's getting cold. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing for how she is doing.

Paul had to drag her out of the closet since she has decided to hide in there all day.

Guess it's off to the vet tomorrow and I'll see if I still have a cat at the end of it.

I just don't know what's fair to her anymore.

I love this stupid furball and I'm not ready to have anything happen to her.

Taryn

I don't have any answers - or thoughts for you. You sure it's a URI and not like a herpes flare-up? Do you already have her on L-Lysine? Maybe focus on things that will boost her immune system while you work to find an antibiotic that works?

Have the discharge cultured to rule out a secondary infection and to find out which antibiotic will effectively treat it. Are you feeding grain free? If you're not, you might want to start, especially if she has herpes.

Yes she's on lysine and she is fed Solid Gold Indigo Moon which is grain free.

I'm just at a loss. I mean I am doing everything right and Nuts is healthy even the outside ones are healthy yet Attitude seems to be never ending sick.

It's just hard. I want a healthy Attitude(I know that is what everyone wants all their cats to be healthy.) It just bites and this is all because a stupid woman didn't take care of her cat, didn't spay it, or feed it and let it run the neighborhood wild. It gave FeLV to everyone. It died last summer after giving birth to it's 3rd litter of kittens that year(none of them from any of the litters lived.) One of the very few times an animal dying was a good thing, it ended the misery that was her life, not being fed or taken care of, popping out litters of kittens that never lived one after another. My cats hated her so she might have got a few bites of food before mine chased her off. I fed her on the side of the trailer so the others couldn't see her but they knew she was there and chased her off when they figured it out. Nuts as a 4 week old kitten would go total Halloween cat on her it was funny to see a tiny 4 week old kitten all puffed up back arched and hissing at an adult cat. She just looked at him like he was stupid and went about eating until the adults found out and chased her off.

The worst part is her house was foreclosed but now she's back. I thought we had finally got rid of her. I've had it with her and her not taken care of animals. I'm just calling animal control for any starving cats of hers and the cops for her dogs running loose.

Taryn

I'm sorry to read of your struggles with Attitude. A culture should be done, I'm surprised your vet has not already had a culture done to find the best antibiotic.

I recommend you get her in today, and get a sample of her mucus sent to the lab right away.

Attitude

$190 later and we still have no more info than before. She did get a Convenia shot, vet refused to do a culture(all they would get from culturing her nose would be blood since she had a bloody nose), but instead drew blood to test for a fungus(and by that I mean A, as in one, fungus.) The results for the fungus should be back in 3-4 days. 2 cans of A/D since she is once again refusing to eat but if I felt half as bad as she looks I wouldn't eat either. They gave her fluids and some B-vitamins.

If the fungus is negative then the next step would be a skull x-rays to see if there is any noticeable masses in her head since it is now on her right side as well as her left, and her right nostril is all bloody and the other is full of snot. I'm shocked she can even breathe through it, which could be why she won't eat.

I had to smear the A/D on her face to get her to try some and I guess she decided it was good since she ate a tiny amount of it off the plate(and of course, Nuts, who was sound asleep, came running to the bathroom door the second he heard the can open) I have her alone in the bathroom with the door closed so she can eat without Nuts vacuuming it up or knocking her out of the way, he doesn't need it, he eats just fine.

If any masses are found or we run out of antibiotics to try, or I think it's useless or she seems to be suffering she'll be crossing the bridge with the vet's assistance. I don't want to put her down but it's getting to the point where it is the only option. I just wish I had got one of the normal male vets she sees instead of the older woman. The only 2 people who have mentioned putting her down are that stupid vet we saw for the second opinion and a vet who hasn't seen her since June(eons when it comes to Attitude, especially considering what has transpired since then, including another unilateral bloody nose(in her left nostril)that lasted for 2-3 months before clearing up when we finally found the right antibiotic.

If she has to go back(and who am I kidding, I'll end up back there in less than 2 weeks with a still sick Attitude) I'm demanding either Dr. J or Dr. B, they have both seen Attitude during her never ending summer illness and I just trust them more. If they say it then I'll know it's time. It's my denial and I'm not hurting Attitude or forcing her to live, it's just I'd prefer to hear it from one of the 2(technically 3, but Dr. B Senior is semi retired so he is never there) vets I trust.

I'm about to the point of giving up.

Taryn

Oh. I didn't realize no x ray has been done yet. I thought I had read about x rays of her sinus quite a while back, I must be thinking of something else. Well for goodness sake, an x ray should have been done by now!


Attitude. And for you too. If it becomes time to let her go, Taryn, at least you know you've done all you could for her. No one could have tried harder or cared more. She's a lucky girl, to be with you.

One the vet who will NOT culture... You need to RUN from... Personally If you paid by CC or check put a hold or stop on it .... While you get her to either a vet WHO has Never seen her and has some FELV experience or on that you trust... OH and I would NOT leave the vets names up ( never know who reads the forums)

Originally Posted by sharky

One the vet who will NOT culture... You need to RUN from... Personally If you paid by CC or check put a hold or stop on it .... While you get her to either a vet WHO has Never seen her and has some FELV experience or on that you trust... OH and I would NOT leave the vets names up ( never know who reads the forums)

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I agree, what kind of a vet refuses to do a culture? Why haven't x rays been done? I know you did take her to a different vet a week or two ago, and were very unhappy with the experience (vet said to put her down) but isn't there anyone else?

Like I said I trust Dr J and Dr B, I'm not fond of the female vet she saw today, I'll take the kid(really young, very new vet) over her. I just needed to get her in. Like I said next time I know I need to request one of the 2 vets I trust. For some reason neither one of the female vets impress me, the older one has just never ever been overly helpful(it's almost like she hates her job, or at least the dealing with humans part, I also do not like being dismissed with a simple we don't need to do a culture, uh yes we do need to) and the very young one I would be fine with if I was dealing with normal cats and not FeLV+ ones, she's a good vet. They have just got to suggesting the x-rays as it has just gone from one side to the other to both so it looks like there might be something there now.

Taryn

She still sounds horrid. Her nose looks less clogged up today but her paw had blood on it and I know it was from her nose. It looked like a lot but I know it only looked that way because she's white. Her paw is more pink than it is red so I know it only looked like a lot. I don't think she's grooming herself and she's still not eating.

I'm going to have to force feed her if she refuses to eat when I offer her the A/D. If the fungal comes back negative in a few days and she is still this bad I'll take her again to the vet, one of the ones I trust, most likely for the last time.

FeLV!!! I feel like killing the woman who caused this. I'm not going to, but I'd love to starve her to death while making her pop out babies non-stop and make her try to nurse the child with her immune system compromised to let her know how all the animals she has starved and neglected have felt. Mitzi rescued 2 of her dogs and it took the rescue over a year to get them well enough to go up for adoption, this is her pattern she gets animals, never takes them to the vet, never gets them fixed, eventually quits feeding them and they go down hill from there.

If I see any cat that isn't one of 'mine' I'm taking them to animal control after talking to Mickey and verifying it isn't 'hers.' No one else has cats, I'll also check with the people in the concrete house if there is anyone living there, if it were to be the people who live in the concrete house I'll warn them about having an outside cat here and tell them at the very very least the cat needs to be vaccinated if it isn't already too late and/or they refuse to let the cat inside. If I see any starving cats(or dogs for that matter) they'll just go to animal control or I'll call the cops for the dogs.

Taryn

I know your pain! My parents had neighbors that moved in...left their unspayed female cat outside the whole time they lived there. She is STILL having litters around the neighborhood but many of the kittens are not surviving. I'm certain she has FeLV as well. These people moved and left her behind. She gets handouts from people, but its still sad. We tried to find a way to have her spayed and let back out, but couldn't find anyone to do it for free and we do not yet have a low cost S/N clinic around here.
I can't stand people like that!

She has started eating. Not much(I think it hurts to swallow) but she is eating and she is drinking and has started coming out of the closet and being a little more social. So at the moment she seems to be feeling better.

Taryn

I just read this post, Taryn; I am so sorry you and Attitude are going through this! Major <<<hugs>>> to you both.

I know that kitties depend on their sense of smell when judging food and often lose their appetite if they can't smell... maybe her lack of appetite isn't so much because she feels that poorly as it is simply that she can't smell her food? There are tricks to getting her to eat if that's the case.

On the URI, has there been any talk of it potentially being MRSA-related? MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) is a nasty staph bacteria that's resistant to almost all standard antibiotics. It usually manifests as a skin infection, but the bacteria can also cause other infections, including that of the respiratory tract.

In humans, the "..mycin" (such as clindamycin) antibiotics are usually prescribed, but I think there may be a different one that is more effective for MRSA issues in cats and dogs. Although having a definitive diagnosis is better than none at all, I surely do hope you're not dealing with MRSA - it's an incredibly difficult bacteria to battle.

Like so many others have commented, I, too, am shocked you were told a culture would do no good. When an antibiotic has to be prescribed, the best case scenario is, naturally, to prescribe the most efficacious antibiotic for the problem.... and the best way to do that is by identifying the underlying cause with a culture. *shakes head* With a culture, you'd already know if you had a MRSA-related case on your hands and there would have been no time wasted on (potentially) ineffective antibiotics.

In any case - I'm very glad your last post shows an improvement in Attitude. I hope she continues to get well and is back on her feet super quick!!!!

Many, many vibes to you both!

AC

Sorry for editing quote but


I know that kitties depend on their sense of smell when judging food and often lose their appetite if they can't smell... maybe her lack of appetite isn't so much because she feels that poorly as it is simply that she can't smell her food? There are tricks to getting her to eat if that's the case.

On the URI, has there been any talk of it potentially being MRSA-related? MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) is a nasty staph bacteria that's resistant to almost all standard antibiotics. It usually manifests as a skin infection, but the bacteria can also cause other infections, including that of the respiratory tract. Auntie that is a scary but very interesting thought

In humans, the "..mycin" (such as clindamycin) antibiotics are usually prescribed, but I think there may be a different one that is more effective for MRSA issues in cats and dogs. Although having a definitive diagnosis is better than none at all, I surely do hope you're not dealing with MRSA - it's an incredibly difficult bacteria to battle.

Thanks for the update on Attitude! I hope the other vet will do the culture.

Attitude

She just isn't eating enough. How do I force feed a cat? I mixed some A/D with water(and mixed it well) and used the big syringe and got some in her. She drooled out a lot of what I gave her but she did eat some. Like I said it seems like it hurts her to swallow since she still seems hungry but I'm not going to bother her right now. I'll try again at around 9. I want to get everything I have into her within the next day so I'll be trying to get some into her every few hours. She is 8.8 lbs 10.5 is her ideal so I am starting to feel her spine.

She has been on clindamycin didn't do anything except cost me money. I'm hoping the convenia is helping since her nose no longer seems to be as stuffed up. She still sounds horrid with her congestion but she isn't hiding in her box in the closet as much. I'll find out hopefully today about the fungal, I hope it's positive, if it's fungal antifungals will help that out. If I find something that works I'm going to ask if she can be given it on a regular basis at a low maintenance level to try and prevent her from being non-stop sick. The benefit outweighs the risk, or I will at least discuss it with the vet. I don't know how many more times she can survive being sick like this.

Taryn

OMG that is awful! Poor Attitude and poor you! I am so glad I have never met that evil woman - I understand your fury. Some people just don't deserve to be treated well.

Originally Posted by Taryn

S....I don't know how many more times she can survive being sick like this.

Taryn

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I can feel your pain coming through the screen. I'm so sorry, Taryn.

I just did a quick search here and pulled together what I could find on encouraging sick cats to eat. Some of these recommendations are short-term only - and there are some that I don't particularly support - but the goal today is to get Attitude to eat something, so I'm giving you everything:

- Canned Fancy Feast, especially seafood flavors.
- The smellier a food is, the more encouraged Attitude will likely be to eat, so warm canned foods, or anything you're offering really, in a bowl of hot water before opening.
- Offer Nutri-Cal dietary supplement. It's a high calorie paste that can give a cat a lot of energy without making her eat a whole lot. You could use a syringe, fill it with Nutri-Cal and either run it under hot water to thin it a little, or add a bit of hot water to the syringe.
- Meat baby food (no additives).
- Feed from your fingers.

The following are tips I've collected for enticing healthy cats to eat something they're only marginally interested in. I don't know if any of them would be effective with a cat that can't smell, but just in case, you could try sprinkling or drizzling the following over whatever you're offering:

- Freeze-dried 100% meat treats (Whole Life makes several flavors that never fail to entice my cats to eat)
- Parmesan cheese
- Juice from cans of water-packed, no-salt-added tuna and sardines
- Catnip
- Flaked fish food

Hang in there, Taryn!

She is interested in food and seems to want to eat it but she won't like I said it seems like it hurts for her to swallow.

I had Paul go to the vet for appetite stimulants and more A/D. We start the appetite stimulants tomorrow and they told Paul to only give her food a tablespoon at a time(that I believe.) I also know he had to mishear them because I know they didn't say that Attitude would be fine only eat 3 tbsp a day. They also apparently said I shouldn't force feed her because I'm going to hurt her(personally I think he's full of you know what on this, he just doesn't like the idea of her being force fed.) I take 15cc in a syringe and slowly feed it to her, most ends up everywhere but in her. I have been able to get her to eat a very very little by putting a little of the A/D on my finger and having her lick it off and then offering her the plate, she hasn't voluntarily ate even a tablespoon all day.

Attitude is currently in the bathroom alone because we suddenly realized that neither of us has any clue if she is using the litter box at all and when she last went. In other words we have no idea if she is going to the bathroom or not.

I am so sick of this roller coaster. Stop the coaster, I want off.

Taryn