CRUSTY EYES and DEHYDRATION PLZ HELP!!!

hayshayshay

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My cat Jynx 2.5 year old female we found hiding a couple days ago in our chair, we noticed that neither my partner or I had seen her in a couple days we finially got her out and she is dehydrated and had a brown crust completely covering her eyes.  Upon calling the vet in the middle of the night he told us that we were to use warm water and cotton balls or kleenex and soak it and slowly to clean her eyes out.  After awhile it started coming off in brown chunks and now her eyes can open. They are running more clear now with a little brown but not much I think its just her eyes getting rid of the rest of it..she usually has brown crust in the corner of her eyes that I wipe off every day anyways...could it be just a build up of that just the normal eye gunk that cats get? Should I continue to clean them? I have been nursing her now for over 48 hours..both my partner and I even take shifts sleeping small amounts so that someone is with her at all times.  The vet also asked if she was eating or drinking anything.  She is drinking but we need to help her with an eye dropper or spoon..the eye dropper works best.  We started with just water, and wet food gravy as she tried to chew some chunks up but they were way to big.  We have cans of tuna, we opened a can and used the juice from the tuna which she seems like.  Givng her water and or tuna juice every hour for over 48 hours. My partner went out to pick up a few things as I REFUSE TO LEAVE HER SIDE!!!! Pedilyte unflavoured, bottled spring water, wet food patte.  We mixed the pedilyte with water about half and half and have been giving her that for past 18 hours now.  First hour every 10 to 15 miins we gave her about 3-4 eye droppers full they hold 1.0ml.  As the pedilyte will help to replenish her electrolytes.  After the hour or so we have been giving her the pedilyte water mix every hour unless she needs more sooner she has been meowing when she is thirsty.  She has now gotten her head movement back able to pick her own head up and her legs are starting to move a bit again, and she seems to have a bit more energry opening her eyes more vs just sleeping and she purrs the od time when being pet, her fur on her head and neck look better too and her demeanour is better..as soon as we got her eyes cleaned up and she could see her spirits seems to lift  But I think she is just exhausted from being woken up every hour.  We have also had her wrapped in a nice warm soft blanket the whole time she seems to like it..her legs were cold at first but now she is warmed up.  We are just about to mix up some wet food patte with water and pedilyte into an almost soupy mixture so that the eye dropper can pick it up and we can use it to help her eat.  We were also going to try some chicken broth as well.  I am Type 1 Diabetic myself and have glucose shots incase I have low sugar, it's a saline bottle with sugar in a seperate bottle that you have to mix.  Would it help her to give her a shot of the saline between her shoulders to help with fluids?  Obviously, I would never do something like this unless it was verified by a vet but I was just wondering if I should even ask the vet.  Can anyone give me there input on this PLEASE. Thanks you.  I love my little girl so much and will do anything to help her!!
 
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ritz

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I'm sorry Jynx and you are going through this.  I can tell you and your partner really care about Jinx, and are doing everything to help her.

I think you know that she really needs to go to the vets; sounds like she has a URI (cold), possibly Herpes.  (URIs are contagious; keep other animals away from Jynx.)  Because you seem to have a good relationship with the vet, maybe he could prescribe an antibiotic for her.  Lysine would also help her build her immunity.

I don't think sugar water would help; I think what you are syringe feeding her is good.  Can you get some KMR (kitten milk replacement)?  Try baby food too (read ingredients carefully:  no sugar, cornstarch, lemon; ONLY water and meat.)

And I'd let her sleep; she needs sleep to regain her strength, to heal.  Watch her like a hawk if you'd like; but do quietly so she won't wake up until she wants to.

Let us know how she--and you--are doing.
 

white shadow

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Hi hayshayshay and welcome to TCS!

By my calculation, it,s now 4-5 days since she was extracted from the chair. Cats simply cannot go for days without food: unlike we humans, their systems cannot metabolize body fat very well (the liver tries but only absorbs the fat, becomes fatty itself - and, this can be fatal).

So - your focus must be on feeding her meat protein and meat fats. The best, by far, is something you can get from the Vet: http://www.hillspet.com/products/pd-feline-ad-caninefeline-critical-care-canned.html   It comes "liquidy" enough to flow smoothly through a syringe. Second best is quality (meat and meat fat) canned cat food - use a blender and puree it so it will flow through the syringe. Third best, the meat-only baby food.

But, whatever you have at hand now: use that and keep it as your focus. She will get hydration from the wet food. You should be assist-feeding every couple of hours at least.

Here's some how-to's about assist-feeding:
BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL that she doesn't choke and breathe in (aspirate) the liquid - squeeze small amounts into the side of her mouth, NEVER straight down the throat. (she won't simply gag, she can easily develop aspiration pneumonia - often fatal).

L-lysine is an amino acid, well known as an immune booster. It's available at pharmacies/healthfood dealers - best is 500mg capsules w/no other ingredients....generally 500mg twice a day while the trouble is brewing, half of that as a daily preventative. More here if you need it: http://www.harpsie.com/cat_flu.htm#l-lysine

You know, she really does need to see the Vet - while the virus won't respond to antibiotics, the colour of the discharge you've described suggests there's probably a secondary infection going on.

Keep us posted!
 
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hayshayshay

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Thanks, for the reply it really means alot that you took the time to help us. Yes we really do she is one of our children!  Yes we have called and left a msg at the vet in hopes we can get an appointment for tomorrow.  At first we thought a trip to the vet would take way to much out of her..as she isn't moving to much..like she cant walk, well couldn't move really when we got her out which we had to cut our chair into pieces to do so because of where she was, but now she has head movement and her legs are starting to move a bit..but she is opening her eyes more now looking at us and staying awake longer amounts.  What are other signs of a cold? and how would she get it?  I didn't think people and pets could pass illness and also how would she get herpes?  We have 3 other cats and none of them are sick.  But yes we have been trying to keep them away and quiet as much as we can.  ,I forgot to mention her nose is pretty dry as well.  And are we doing the right thing?  Keeping her hydrated with the pedilyte?  And what about tuna itsels blended up would that help..or something more like chicken?  We are waking her up roughly every hour to be fed..also if it's an infection would it be the same symptoms?  Should we keep up with feeding and giving her the water pedilyte mixture every hour?  Or let her sleep longer?
 
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ritz

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URIs are very contagious among cats, not humans though.  Don't know at cat to dog transmission.

Cold/viruses can crop up under stressful conditions or simply being outside; the virus is airborne I believe.

Here is an article about herpes and URIs in general, note "shoudl be under vet's care".  Lethargie is one of the symtoms.

I wouldn't wake her up every hour, though that's just my opinion; sometimes the body needs rest more than food.  But do continue force feeding her.  She needs the calories, so if you can get wet kitten food and mix it with KMR and water, that would be good.

Also depending on how much she struggled while in the chair, she may have pulled a muscle or something, inhibiting her ability to walk.

And do get her to the vets and let us know how she is.
 
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