a little worried...I figured I'd see if some of you have experienced this before

I will have to mash up this food and try the syringe that I have, with warm water?

I agree!  You've got to get some food in him now!   Oh...I see where you DID force feed him some.  Did you water it down some?  I'm concerned that he hasn't peed at all in 2 days as well.  You're keeping him separated from your other cat, correct?  So you should know if he as had ANY litter box action.  Nothing in 2 days? Did you mention this to the ER  Vet?   He's probably very dehydrated too, even though he's been drinking water.  Do you know how to test by pulling up on his skin on his back and seeing if it stays tented or falls back in place?  If it doesn't go back down quickly, then he's dehydrated.  I'm guessing he is. 

It's very possible the antibiotics are making him feel sick to his stomach, which is why he isn't wanting to eat, but you've still got to keep force feeding AND watering him.  Have you ever given sub-q fluids at home?  (Many of us have, therefore have what we need and can do them in cases like this)  If not, you might call around and see if an ER VET near you could do them for you, if he does seem dehydrated. 

I am really worried about your cat. We don't know what's wrong with him, but we know he needs to eat. Check out the link that Franksmom posted above. It will take you to another thread where a TCS member goes into details about how to syringe feed.

If you don't have the Hill's A/D canned food, you can pick up any canned food with a fine pate. A few that come to mind are Natural Balance Duck & Green Pea, Natural Balance Chicken & Green Pea, and Wellness Grain Free Chicken, although I'm sure the Fancy Feast Classic pates would work, too. You may need to add a little water, and it works better to spoon the food into the top of the syringe before putting the plunger on it.

The vet may say it's just something minor, but if the cat is not eating and develops fatty liver, then you now have something very serious.

Is Howie your only cat? If so, you would notice all his litter box habits, right? It concerns me that you say he is drinking but you haven't seen him pee in two days. If you are scooping the litter box daily, that would tell you how often he is peeing. Have you noticed if he is trying to go, but then doesn't? If so, he could have a urinary blockage, which is also very serious.

When you get blood work done on Howie, I would also highly recommend a urinalysis.
 

So, before I did anything I decided to check his throat, I opened up his mouth which was an absolute struggle and found nothing.....Okay, did the force feeding bit with the syringe, I put some of that laixare stuff in it as well and I watered it down with soft mashed food. He wasn't happy about it, doing that almost made him throw up which didn't seem too good--since this entire time he hasn't thrown up at all. 

I have done the back of the neck pull test to see if he's hydrated and it retracts just as much as my older cat. Also, I have kept them both separated since this sickness of his began. He keeps licking his lips and his third eye lid in both eyes are exposed...he has a little twist in his walk--but no bowel movements at all and he peed twice the day after the vet and that was three days ago. At this point all I can do is wait until tomorrow.

Also, I have felt around to see if I could feel any hard stool (if possible) and nothing, I have also felt around for anything swollen and have felt nothing. Last night however he was sleeping up at the head of my bed and I was petting the side of his body and on the left side of his body (below his ribcage) I felt this large circle mass--I didn't know what it was so I felt around and it is just a circle, I figured I was touching his kidney maybe? But I don't know how large those can be...so I turned him over on the other side and felt around and felt nothing...so I don't know if I am touching his stomach or whatever that is...any insight?

What is laixare?  No pee in 3 days is NOT GOOD, especially if he is drinking.  This could be critical situation.  Please call the ER Vet again and mention this to them.  He could have a blockage.

The licking of his lips is a clear indication that he is sick to his stomach.  That may be from the antibiotics (likely). 

As far as what you were feeling, I don't know what that might have been.  I suppose you could google "cat anatomy" and see if you can tell from looking at the pictures.  I've tried to feel different things on my cats and can never feel anything

UPDATE:

So, Moss used the litter box, he left quite a smelly surprise. So I thought to myself, I will put Howie in the box to see if that might help. So I did, and he started to cover up Moss' mess (as Moss doesn't ever do it) and then he turned around and started making a spot for himself and he peed! So...I gave him his second pill for the day and then I gave him two shots of 6ml (from the syringe, not the same as the food one I used, I've got lots of 6ml size syringes). I found a recipe for homemade electrolyte for cats and thankfully I had all the ingredients so I made some and gave him two 6ml shots of it---he wasn't happy about it again and kept making a choking noise as I was inserting it in his mouth, but he accepted it after the second time because that time was MUCH easier. 

THEN, I walked out into the living room and he's laying by the title near the front door and I see this brown bean like thing, I picked it up and see these weird ridges on it so I'm like "*** is that" so I take it to the kitchen and it pops and theres puss inside so I get on the computer and start googling, I'm thinking it's a beetle egg sac but in fact it's a cockroach egg sac. So then that made me start thinking about Howie--normally he will bat at the cockroaches and even on occasion he will eat them--a few months ago the exterminator guy came to spray down my apartment. I asked him if it will affect my cats and he said it wouldn't harm them--HOWEVER, it does harm and kill the bugs and there has been some stink bugs and cockroaches I have found in my kitchen dead on their backs and I'm thinking it's the poison---so this is making me think that this is why Howie is sick, he could have possible ate a poisoned cockroach or bug.

So, I call the ER vet again and told them everything about his symptoms and all the like and they told me if he is drinking water he is okay--that cats can go a few days without eating and the last meal I remember he ate was a few bites of soft food the day after the vet visit so on Friday--and she informed me that he should be okay until tomorrow, and that I need to make an appointment for him to get checked out because if the amoxitabs (he's on the 50mg) aren't working then blood work and all the like needs to be next.

So...I am thinking he might have ingested a bug with poison or something and I have been ringing the ER clinic but cannot get through. I left a message stating all I've said about the bug and all the like, then they called me back but I missed it and the message just tells me that either way I need to get him in tomorrow that all they can do for him tonight is put him on IV fluids but since he is already taking in fluids he should be fine until then. They also said that since he used the litter box without any signs of pain (because I watched him, he wasn't straining or meowing or anything he was just doing his thing) they said that it will still be best to bring him by tomorrow and call in the morning.


I went out and saw him again he is walking about lying in different spots--he isn't back in hiding mode again which is nice (and this is since giving him the electrolytes) also his third eye lids aren't exposed anymore and he's just laying about. He looks a little more "fluffy" if that makes sense...but still... not in the best of moods of course just in that blah state. But even though I am thinking he ate a bug that was poison these bugs are very tiny, but still, tiny or not, do you think they could have enough poison to harm him?

Thanks again all of you...I have greatly appreciated your input and the ability to type these long paragraphs to vent...I will let you all know what happens next !!!

I hope he's okay! Keep us updated.
 

How is he this morning? 

Yes, ANY bug spray is dangerous! Even if they say it's not, usually, only until after it's dried is it o.k. (they usually say after 12 hrs.) I wouldn't trust anyone, I'd find out the name of it & Google it myself!!

  He could have gotten some on his paw & licked it.  I think blood work should be done ASAP.

I'd be leery of any spray & find something natural to use instead.  That's also the reason I only use natural cleaning products. Think about how sensitive we can be to things like that, & they are much smaller than we are, with smaller systems to fight things.

I hope Howie is o.k. & gets better soon!!

the exterminator guy came in May...so it's been a long while since then.

UPDATE though!

Called his vet this morning and they told me to come by around 4:15pm so after work I went home to get him, I had him up in my bedroom away from my other cat and when I opened the door he meowed at me (first he's done in such a long time--or so it feels).  I was thinking that he might not need to go to the vet because he seemed kind of active and vocal...but thought no I'm not risking anything.

So I took him and the first thing the vet starts bringing up is leukemia THATS how bad he looks...so I told him about how I last weighed him he was 7.5lbs and how now he's around the 6lb mark, the vet said he lost muscle and was dehydrated, not badly though but not all that great. Basically I told him everything then one of the nurses took blood and Howie was so good, sadly he is very sick so he just laid there---they thought it was cute how he watched as they got blood from him, I had to leave the room though coz it was too much--when they couldn't get enough out of his arm they took it from the jugular, so yeah... that would've made me pass out so I left--but what I'm told he was well behaved and obedient and so easy to do it that it was the first for any of them because all of them (three women were in the room) are so used to cats reacting badly but he just laid there  

ANYWAYS

NEGATIVE on the leukemia and aids test !!!! I was upset thinking it could be that, but it wasn't!!! Vet said he is anemic, and his blood results showed his sodium (I believe he said) are low, he had a lot of low results and he was saying that he could possibly have like a blood infection or a virus which is making him sick--but that him being on IV fluids to help hydrate him should help fight the infection faster. They also took a lot of blood to run some more test to see if it has to do with kidneys or anything else. He is also going to check him for fatty liver since he hasn't eaten in a few days and he said he was going to make sure that he hasn't gotten that or anything so catch it early and all that. Told him about the swallowing strain and how my older cat plays rough and bit him, so he checked his throat and everything and his teeth for any tooth problems, but vet said it looked fine--just that he is anemic and is dehyrdated.

So he is there now overnight though I am so grateful and just so over the moon happy that he tested negative for leukemia and aids...I was so devastated when I was told that by the looks of him the leukemia was more common because he had all the symptoms that cats get...so the vet was really worried it might be that, but thankfully it wasn't. 

JUST 

SO

HAPPY.

Thank you all for reading my posts and for giving your input and everything, I do greatly appreciate it. So now he is at the vet hooked on IV fluids and I gave them his blanket so he can sleep comfortable with a scent of home. Though it seems like there is a piece missing in my house I am just happy he is going to be okay. I don't even care what my vet bill is going to be, it can be in the thousands for all it matters, my Howie is worth more than any amount I'd have to pay. :')

I will update soon when I get word about bringing him home tomorrow and how he is doing! 

I'm glad to hear Howie is being cared for at the vet overnight. He really needs those IV fluids and maybe they'll try to feed him. It seems like the doc knows what to look for.

Poor Howie sounds like he's in bad shade, but I hope it's nothing too serious.

Please do update. Sending good your way.

yes...more vibes coming Howie's way

That's good news. I will continue to pray for Howie!!!  I know how it feels to have to leave your baby at the Vet's.   

So very, very sadly, Howie didn't win the battle against whatever illness this was.

But my understanding is this thread is being left open so mandypinetown can update with the results of the autopsy.



for mandypinetown

Howie's Bridge thread is here: Absolutely Devastated

I got the autopsy report today. His liver was yellow she said and not the color that it was suppose to be, his kidneys were another story. She said she couldn't find the words to describe how they were, but all that she could sum it up as was cancer. She remembered when I brought him in for his first shots and she knew what a sweet kitty he was and she couldn't understand how he was so healthy and then just fell so soon. She said it was strange to see a one year old kitten have cancer the way he did but she said that there was nothing else that could have been done to save what damage was already done...she said all that I had done up to that point was all I could do to help him. I am set to go in on Friday to pick up his blanket, hopefully the vet will be there to let me know what it was that killed him--if his kidneys shut down or what. She said they took photographs to send off to see what it was because they are still very unsure what it was--but she thinks so far it is cancer.

Sunday, August 4th he was fine, he ate his bowl of Purina One--the entire bowl and drank. I had noticed he was sleeping a lot but ignored it because of Texas heat. Monday he had slept all day, ate a little and drank as normal and was still cuddling up by me. Tuesday he was off and on sleeping and playing around, still drinking. Wednesday I had noticed he gagged at his food and I got concerned because he never gagged before...he was still drinking water so I figured he must of not been in the mood. Thursday I noticed he still hadn't eaten anything and stopped drinking and slept more, so I took him in. Four days later the amoxitabs weren't being effective, Monday, August 12 we do blood test and he is negative for all major concerns, I left him overnight for IV fluids to help hydrate him. Tuesday, August 13 at 3:00PM I spoke to his vet and he had passed away in the late morning hours. It took 9 days to make him decline so fast--I asked if this was something he's always had and she said it could have been thus why it deteriorated him so fast...so that is all I am told now, but by Friday I am hoping I will see some reports of some kind and talk a little more about what other factors could have been.

Oh, man.

I suspect the discolored liver was from hepatic lipidosis.

But the kidneys...can cancers target just the kidneys? Could it have been a toxin? Would a blood test have picked it up?

I'm not asking you specifically, but I'm asking these questions in my head. He deteriorated so fast and I'm just so heartbroken.

mandypinetown said:

I got the autopsy report today. His liver was yellow she said and not the color that it was suppose to be, his kidneys were another story. She said she couldn't find the words to describe how they were, but all that she could sum it up as was cancer. She remembered when I brought him in for his first shots and she knew what a sweet kitty he was and she couldn't understand how he was so healthy and then just fell so soon. She said it was strange to see a one year old kitten have cancer the way he did but she said that there was nothing else that could have been done to save what damage was already done...she said all that I had done up to that point was all I could do to help him. I am set to go in on Friday to pick up his blanket, hopefully the vet will be there to let me know what it was that killed him--if his kidneys shut down or what. She said they took photographs to send off to see what it was because they are still very unsure what it was--but she thinks so far it is cancer.

Sunday, August 4th he was fine, he ate his bowl of Purina One--the entire bowl and drank. I had noticed he was sleeping a lot but ignored it because of Texas heat. Monday he had slept all day, ate a little and drank as normal and was still cuddling up by me. Tuesday he was off and on sleeping and playing around, still drinking. Wednesday I had noticed he gagged at his food and I got concerned because he never gagged before...he was still drinking water so I figured he must of not been in the mood. Thursday I noticed he still hadn't eaten anything and stopped drinking and slept more, so I took him in. Four days later the amoxitabs weren't being effective, Monday, August 12 we do blood test and he is negative for all major concerns, I left him overnight for IV fluids to help hydrate him. Tuesday, August 13 at 3:00PM I spoke to his vet and he had passed away in the late morning hours. It took 9 days to make him decline so fast--I asked if this was something he's always had and she said it could have been thus why it deteriorated him so fast...so that is all I am told now, but by Friday I am hoping I will see some reports of some kind and talk a little more about what other factors could have been.

Click to expand...

Thanks you so much for posting the results, and let us know what the vet says. It is clear you did your best and I am very sorry this happened! 

I don't know about cancer just being directed towards the kidneys, but I'm going to ask if that is what he had in the end, kidney failure? I don't know about the toxin, she said he tested negative for pretty much everything--so that is why they did the autopsy. There was something not right with his blood, possibly a virus or infection I was told, that's why it was best to put him on iv fluids to get him hydrated and then we could figure out what else was going wrong...but he died the next day

I told them about feeding him raw chicken on Saturday August 3--he ate it right up too, and so did Moss. But they said it had nothing to do with anything he ate, whether it was a bug he ate, they said it had nothing to do with anything he ate--that their main concern was his kidneys and the discoloration of his liver---could that hepatic have caused him to be lethargic with upper resp symptoms? He had what would be like a cold/upper resp infection-- I don't know, part of me keeps thinking if I would have not gone to the vet and just stayed with the amoxitabs if he'd still be here--or if he would have died at home. It's hard to wrap my brain around it because he was no more than 14 months old...still a kitten

The moderating team of The Cat Site expresses sincere sympathy to you in the loss of Howie. I am now closing this thread and sympathies can be expressed here at this link for Howie in The Crossing the Bridge Forum
http://www.thecatsite.com/t/263160/absolutely-devastated. .