Hi, everyone - I just left my vet, visiting Petey who is hospitalized there, and sat in the parking lot in tears. Then I found this site when I Googled the disease on my phone, and read through a thread from a few years ago. I'm hoping to get some advice (and comfort) from other cat lovers here. NOTE: I apologize in advance for the long post, but I am really upset right now!
Petey (and his brother Pedro) are both 9 years old. I adopted them as kittens from my sister after she found that her daughter was allergic to cats. They are both neutered, and got all their immunizations as kittens. Then (and please don't judge me) they never went to the vet again - because they were never sick, other than the occasional nasal allergies that would only last a day or two. Until 2 weeks ago, they have both been wonderful, playful, sometimes annoying, but always the little loves of my lives (which also speaks to the sad current state of my love life, but that's another story). Petey has always been the alpha cat, chasing Pedro around and pretty much running the house.
Two weeks ago, I noticed Petey wasn't as active. He was also staying back in the guest room, sometimes hiding under the bed. He wasn't eating as much as usual, and he was sneezing a bit and his eyes were watery, so I thought it was just the allergies. After two days of that I took him to the vet. This was traumatic on its own, since he hadn't left my house in 9 years. The vet examined him and said she thought he had an upper respiratory infection, and gave him an antibiotic shot. She also gave him a rabies shot, since he was overdue for that. She said he should start feeling perkier over the weekend (this was a Thursday). I told her I was leaving for a business trip and would be out the following week, but that I have a pet sitter that could bring him in if necessary.
Over the weekend, Petey did seem a little better...although when I first brought Petey home from the vet, Pedro hissed at him and wouldn't come near him. I did some research and found that that is common when one cat goes to the vet; the other cat doesn't recognize his scent, and also the well cat may be hostile toward the sick cat. By Sunday, it seemed that Petey was better, and Pedro stopped hissing at him (although they weren't snuggling up together like they always did before).
I had to leave town Monday morning; the pet sitter came every day to feed them, clean the litter box, etc. She was also aware that Petey had been sick, but that he had been doing better. When I came back on Friday night, I found Petey huddled under the bed in the guest room. He wouldn't come out. He was meowing softly at me, and kept sticking his tongue out a bit. I put a cup of water near the edge of the bed, and he crept out and drank about half of it, then threw some of it up. I could tell he had lost weight in the 5 days I had been gone; I tried to get him to eat something - tried lots of things - but he was not interested. I was up all night trying.
Saturday morning we were at the vet when they opened. He saw a different vet this time (same clinic), who did blood work and told me Petey had hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease). They admitted him to the hospital, and put him on an IV to get him hydrated and get some vitamins in him. They are also giving him an antibiotic and something for his liver. That day I did hours of research online, which is so scary.
They were closed on Sunday; yesterday I went to visit him, and it was so sad. He was curled up in the back of his cage under a towel; they said he seemed to feel better that way because he was stressed by all the activity in there. I reached in and petted him, talked to him for a long time, and he just meowed really softly. I tried to get him to eat (putting some canned food on my finger), but he wouldn't, so they were going to feed him with a syringe after I left. I came home and cried so hard - I feel so terrible for him. This morning I went back, and they said they had gotten 40 cc's of food in him last night, and he seemed a little better, so I was encouraged. Then tonight I went back, and he seemed worse. They said he didn't do well with the syringe feeding today, so they put a dish of food in his cage. He seemed to wheeze a little after each meow, and his mouth is slightly open. I asked about that, and they said the vet had listened to his lungs and didn't hear congestion. I just don't know what to do - I guess I want someont to tell me they went through this, and it all turned out okay. I feel SO TERRIBLE for him, and - please help!!! I love him so much, and I feel like I am letting him down!!
Petey (and his brother Pedro) are both 9 years old. I adopted them as kittens from my sister after she found that her daughter was allergic to cats. They are both neutered, and got all their immunizations as kittens. Then (and please don't judge me) they never went to the vet again - because they were never sick, other than the occasional nasal allergies that would only last a day or two. Until 2 weeks ago, they have both been wonderful, playful, sometimes annoying, but always the little loves of my lives (which also speaks to the sad current state of my love life, but that's another story). Petey has always been the alpha cat, chasing Pedro around and pretty much running the house.
Two weeks ago, I noticed Petey wasn't as active. He was also staying back in the guest room, sometimes hiding under the bed. He wasn't eating as much as usual, and he was sneezing a bit and his eyes were watery, so I thought it was just the allergies. After two days of that I took him to the vet. This was traumatic on its own, since he hadn't left my house in 9 years. The vet examined him and said she thought he had an upper respiratory infection, and gave him an antibiotic shot. She also gave him a rabies shot, since he was overdue for that. She said he should start feeling perkier over the weekend (this was a Thursday). I told her I was leaving for a business trip and would be out the following week, but that I have a pet sitter that could bring him in if necessary.
Over the weekend, Petey did seem a little better...although when I first brought Petey home from the vet, Pedro hissed at him and wouldn't come near him. I did some research and found that that is common when one cat goes to the vet; the other cat doesn't recognize his scent, and also the well cat may be hostile toward the sick cat. By Sunday, it seemed that Petey was better, and Pedro stopped hissing at him (although they weren't snuggling up together like they always did before).
I had to leave town Monday morning; the pet sitter came every day to feed them, clean the litter box, etc. She was also aware that Petey had been sick, but that he had been doing better. When I came back on Friday night, I found Petey huddled under the bed in the guest room. He wouldn't come out. He was meowing softly at me, and kept sticking his tongue out a bit. I put a cup of water near the edge of the bed, and he crept out and drank about half of it, then threw some of it up. I could tell he had lost weight in the 5 days I had been gone; I tried to get him to eat something - tried lots of things - but he was not interested. I was up all night trying.
Saturday morning we were at the vet when they opened. He saw a different vet this time (same clinic), who did blood work and told me Petey had hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease). They admitted him to the hospital, and put him on an IV to get him hydrated and get some vitamins in him. They are also giving him an antibiotic and something for his liver. That day I did hours of research online, which is so scary.
They were closed on Sunday; yesterday I went to visit him, and it was so sad. He was curled up in the back of his cage under a towel; they said he seemed to feel better that way because he was stressed by all the activity in there. I reached in and petted him, talked to him for a long time, and he just meowed really softly. I tried to get him to eat (putting some canned food on my finger), but he wouldn't, so they were going to feed him with a syringe after I left. I came home and cried so hard - I feel so terrible for him. This morning I went back, and they said they had gotten 40 cc's of food in him last night, and he seemed a little better, so I was encouraged. Then tonight I went back, and he seemed worse. They said he didn't do well with the syringe feeding today, so they put a dish of food in his cage. He seemed to wheeze a little after each meow, and his mouth is slightly open. I asked about that, and they said the vet had listened to his lungs and didn't hear congestion. I just don't know what to do - I guess I want someont to tell me they went through this, and it all turned out okay. I feel SO TERRIBLE for him, and - please help!!! I love him so much, and I feel like I am letting him down!!
