NEED ADVICE - Rescue cat diagnosed with pyelonephritis and now on feeding tube

Hello. I am new to this site and gave been using it to research some answers.

My husband and I adopted Gibson, a male castrated orange tabby, about six weeks ago. He was left at our vet in a cardboard box with a big abscess on his face and not spayed. A note said he was 12 years old. He does not look it at all. The vet took him in and castrated him and gave him antibiotics and he was there for 6 weeks. We adopted him and brought him home about 5-6 weeks ago. We have two big rescue dogs. For the first couple of weeks he was fine with the dogs and was getting use to the house. Then I noticed he was drinking a large amount of water, eating less and hovering over the water bowl. We went back to the vet we got him from and they put him on Baytril for a UTI. His kidneys were inflamed and they said if he does not improve after a week take him to a specialized vet for an ultrasound. We did and he underwent an ultrasound and kidney biopsy. Pathology results showed pyelonephritis. His appetite started to dramatically decrease. He was then given covenia and marbofloxacin. His appetite continued to decrease and we gave him two appetite stimulants. He was impossible to pill and stopped eating.

On Wednesday this week he went on a e-feeding tube and had a slight beginning of jaundice. He has been on the tube for three days now. He tolerates it very well. He has no vomiting but he is very anti social and lethargic. We are waiting for the results of a urine culture next week to see if the antibiotics are appropriate. Since the e tube has been in place he is stable. He continues to urinate a fair amount as he is also on prednisone but he has had one small stool in three days. I guess it is normal as he had no food in him but he seems a bit constipated.

My question are:

1) When can we expect some improvement?

2) is it normal that he sleeps right away after feelings on the tube?

3) He seems so tired and anti-social...his back legs are atrophied and he hardly walks. We are trying to massage and get him to walk around as he builds back his strength. Any advice would be appreciated on how to get him stronger...

4) for the tube feeding we are giving a liquid diet of renal lp with 10ml of water...is this enough water for him in addition to what is mixed with his liquid food as he seems to be constipated...has only gone once in three days....

Tx.

I don't have the answers to your questions but wanted to thank you SO MUCH for helping Gibson and sed lots of   your way.

Have you tried calling your vet or specialist and asking some of these questions? They would probably be more than willing to talk these things out with you.

Please keep us updated on his progress!!

Hi..Yes my vet has been very helpful and available...I was just wondering if anyone had any experience they could share when their cat got home...tx.

I am sorry Gibson is having a rough time.

My Mortie has hyperthyroid and at one point ended up very ill and kidney enzymes were out of wack. We treated him with subcutaneous fluids at home and that pulled him out of the kidney problems. The dr. diagnosed him with chronic renal failure at that time and put him on a canned prescription renal diet. Fast forward a year and a half later, Mortie becomes very ill again and his enzymes and symptoms are showing kidney failure... no longer peeing at this point. He stops eating. Bowels not moving.

He was hospitalized and given IV fluids and seemed to bounce back, and showed interest in eating, but that was short lived, but renal labs come back normal after the IV fluids. Long story short, I took him to NCState University Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

Their determination after ultrasound and labs is that he does not have chronic renal failure and that labs were abnormal becaue he was dehydrated, because his intake for eating and drinking went way down. Ultrasound showed pancreatitis, cholangitis and Inflammatory Bowel. He is now home on antibiotics and receiving feedings and fluids by an E-Tube. They have a nutrition department there that has figured out his calorie and nutrient needs. He is also permitted to eat by mouth if wants, and I decrease his tube feeding amount accordingly.

From what you have posted, I thinking he is not getting enough fluid. Mortie does much better when his fluid intake is high. I give extra water via the tube (15 ml) at a time throughout the day (4-5 times) aside from the liquid in his diet and the pre-and post  feeding tube flushes.

Mortie has been home now a week and a half and his interest in eating is gone again and I  have a call in to the vet now regarding this.

I am new at the tube feeding thing and frankly I am getting overwhelmed with it and his meds and worrying.

Please let me know how Gibson is doing and how the tube feedings are going!

I hope Gibson is doing better by now. 

Thanks for your note...it was very nice of you to write...the e-tube was going well until we changed to canned food and had to blend it...then things starting getting stuck. We have gone back to the Rebound liquid from Virabec and we have to eventually go up to 500ml...we are presently at 260cc and he tolerates it very well...we are also giving more water since I last posted so that was helpful advice.

Yesterday we received the results that the urine culture was negative so the vet was pleased as she said the antibiotics are working...he is to continue on the antibiotics (Marbofloxacin) and Prednisone and I need to go Monday for a check-up...she told me it will be a long haul to get his strength back - specifically the atrophy in his back legs. We will do some more bloodwork Monday as well. He loves his feedings but he still hides once in a while...we are staying positive and hope to see a recovery...

I hope Mortie gets better...for the e-tube...this Rebound liquid is the easiest...more expensive but you do not have to water the food down and you know it will not clog the tube...something to think about...

Mortie is getting blended canned Hills/ZD mixed with liquid Peractive from Abbott. The canned food I have been allowed to offer him is all prescription food and he will not eat. Even with pancreatitis, from what I've had read that you need to limit proteins and rest the digestive system, they are still wanting him to eat by mouth and expectiing him to eat way larger amounts than he will even attempt to eat. I think it is way too soon and he should just have tube feedings for a while. This is where my frustration is coming in...I have purchased several different Rx canned foods at great expense that he will not touch and all for nothing.

When he first came home he was doing well on tube feedings alone. They have changed his feeding amounts and liquids for the tube feeding as well a couple of times.

Mortie is down 4lbs from where he should be and has muscle wasting in the hindquarters bad. Now he wants nothing by mouth. It seems to me with all the inflammation he has they are pushing him too soom and increasing amounts too fast. He gets very agitated toward the end of the tube feeding which seems to me the amount is making him uncomfortable. I am still waitning for a call back from the nutritionist.

Is your vet wanting Gibson to also eat by mouth at this time?

Mortie is going back into hiding again, but the strangest thing is that he will show up at the door and shoot out when I let the dog out. He has been an indoor only cat and has never done that before. He can run fast when he wants to. He spends about 22 hrs. a day sleeping now.

Orange male tabbys are the lovebugs of the world!  

May be you should just blend the food you bought and feed it through the tube. That way you will be able to use it.

For Gibson, he is only on tube feelings and it has been about a week. We need to really increase the amounts so I guess it will be a while before he eats. They say that they can get lazy though and just wait for the tube feedings...on Monday we will take him and discuss next steps and see if he has gained weight.

What I learned from all this is how fast the situation can deteriorate if they do not eat...

Yes you gave to live orange tabbies!