My kitty's throwing up--what can I do to help?

What form of Baytril do you have? Tablet, etc?

I can't find a safety range on it, all I can find is 5 mg/kg is the upper limit.

If it's just the half a pill for six days, no need to worry about tapering it down. (The pred).

And at the vet he wasn't given liquid nutrition via the IV? I would start assist-feeding him now then, actually. I'd start with a little bit, just a few ML total, make sure he keeps it down. But if fatty liver has started, he won't have an appetite. See if the pred helps, but I wouldn't wait for it.

Do you need links to info on syringe feeding? Carolina has a video up in a thread here. She is syringe feeding a kitty in a cat bag. But there are videos on YouTube. I also found written instructions, I just posted to another thread: http://www.mv.com/users/louise/thoughts/post8_syringe_feeding_cat.html

All the written instructions I've seen on it say to squirt the food onto the tongue towards the back of the mouth. I never did this, because you run the risk of the cat aspirating the food into their lungs. When I syringe fed Lazlo, I squirted it into the back of his cheek at the back of his mouth. It can take a couple of tries to get the hang of it, but just remind yourself nutrition is essential for healing. :heart2:

LDG said:

If it's just the half a pill for six days, no need to worry about tapering it down. (The pred).

And at the vet he wasn't given liquid nutrition via the IV? I would start assist-feeding him now then, actually. I'd start with a little bit, just a few ML total, make sure he keeps it down. But if fatty liver has started, he won't have an appetite. See if the pred helps, but I wouldn't wait for it.

Do you need links to info on syringe feeding? Carolina has a video up in a thread here. She is syringe feeding a kitty in a cat bag. But there are videos on YouTube. I also found written instructions, I just posted to another thread: http://www.mv.com/users/louise/thoughts/post8_syringe_feeding_cat.html

All the written instructions I've seen on it say to squirt the food onto the tongue towards the back of the mouth. I never did this, because you run the risk of the cat aspirating the food into their lungs. When I syringe fed Lazlo, I squirted it into the back of his cheek at the back of his mouth. It can take a couple of tries to get the hang of it, but just remind yourself nutrition is essential for healing.

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Yes, the vet did put something extra in the IV to give him something nutritious, so at least he wasn't getting only saline solution. Might that have helped to prevent fatty liver? And tonight I've already given HP about 20 ml of chicken water. He didn't really like the process, but he seemed a little perkier afterwards. I Googled a couple of videos about how to do it, and ended up simply poking the tip of the syringe in the corner of his mouth and tried to aim toward his cheek rather than down his throat,  gently feeding him a few drops at a time until the syringe was empty. I think I'll give him another 10 ml now that an hour has passed, and again in an hour. Should I think about getting up during the night to feed him too?

peaches08 said:

What form of Baytril do you have? Tablet, etc?

I can't find a safety range on it, all I can find is 5 mg/kg is the upper limit.

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I haven't bought the Baytril yet since I was on the fence about it, but will do so first thing in the morning. The vet wrote the prescription for tablets of 50 mg, and I'm thinking of giving him a tiny bit less than half a tablet--I know it doesn't sound like there's a big difference between 18.5 mg/day and 25 mg/day, but (if my math is correct, it was never my forte) it's actually a 35% difference... now that I think about it, maybe I'll ask at the pharmacy if they have Baytril in smaller tablets so dividing the pills will be easier.

I'm just crazy enough to give less, but I am also not a vet.

Feeling like garbage is a well known side effect of fluoroquinolines, by the way. Took me over 2 weeks after a 10 day cipro course to feel right again.

peaches08 said:

I'm just crazy enough to give less, but I am also not a vet.

Feeling like garbage is a well known side effect of fluoroquinolines, by the way. Took me over 2 weeks after a 10 day cipro course to feel right again.

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Ooof, that sounds awful! It didn't occur to me that the antibiotic might be making him seem so "off".

Just gave him another 10 ml of chicken water. He struggled more this time, but sick kitties don't get a say in their treatment! :-)

Anorexia, fatigue, and joint pain are also side effects.

Can you puree food for him?

We do have a blender and would be able to puree a little food. I also thought of getting a little baby food for him, but he still hasn't pooped and I'm wary of giving him solids right now. Maybe that's being overly cautious?

What did the vet say about food? I'm sorry if you're repeating yourself; I'm a bit fried from studying all day.

That's OK, I'm just glad you're willing to lend a hand!

The vet said to give him chicken and rice and keep a close eye on him... so maybe a little pureed chicken would be OK...

Well, he's got to have nutrition at some point. And giving it at pill time would help with nausea. Then watch him like a hawk.

Yes, you are right. I'll try some pureed chicken in the syringe for breakfast.

Some good news this morning...he ate some dry food on his own! I didn't want to let him overdo it, so he didn't get as much as he could eat. I think in another hour I'll give him a little more.

But he's still not pooping! It's been at least 3 days, possibly four. Any ideas on what I should do about that? I'm thinking that, at this point, getting an x-ray would be more trouble than it's worth (if we could even find a place to take one!) considering that whatever is in him might not even show up. Would a little more laxatives help? Any ideas??

I can't remember if an obstruction was found or not...maybe some baby food (meat)? Or just meat if he can chew it up?

Glad to hear he wants to eat some!

What about trying the method used to help cats pass hairballs, when it's really bad? Vaseline? Plain, white petroleum jelly? The amount to use would be about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon. I'd probably use 1/2 a teaspoon 2x a day given the situation. :nod:

I'm SO glad he ate!

No obstruction was actually "found", just highly suspected. And the vet said he felt a soft lump that wasn't there at first, and then wasn't there later.

Tried to give him a little dry food again, but he wasn't interested in that or in the cooked chicken. Yes, I think I will pick up some baby food (probably chicken) so he can have in in the syringe if necessary. He has been drinking water on his own. In fact, he'll go over to his water bowl and just "hover" over it for a while. Not sure what's up with that...

But, for now, he's sitting in my lap, purring and nuzzling my face. I hope it's a sign of things to come!

When he's hungry again, what about moistened dry food? Obviously don't leave moistened dry food out long but it may help get food in him and keep him hydrated.

LDG said:

What about trying the method used to help cats pass hairballs, when it's really bad? Vaseline? Plain, white petroleum jelly? The amount to use would be about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon. I'd probably use 1/2 a teaspoon 2x a day given the situation.

I'm SO glad he ate!

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I would be willing to try that... the vet actually gave him a little mineral oil on Tuesday, but it didn't work. I still have most of the bottle, could I try with that? (I don't have petroleum jelly on hand right now.)

Mineral oil would work!

He ate some raw beef! He wouldn't touch the dry food or cooked chicken any more, so I decided to give the beef a go. He ate two chunks! So I think his appetite is improving. But it does seem a little strange how much water he's drinking. He's been at it about 3 times this morning; usually he only drinks once a day.

Is he urinating? Maybe he drank because of the dry food? Or because of the meds?