Unknown illness: drooling, lethargy, diarrhea, sneezing, pain while using litterbox

ty3535

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I adopted an 8 month old male kitten on Tuesday night, the day he was neutered. He arrived in my home healthy (so I thought) happy, energetic. He ate that night and drank water. The next day he began sneezing. He didn't eat much, maybe a few licks of wet food. Thursday he had nasal discharge with the sneezing and didn't eat at all. Friday he began drooling and we took him to the vet. She diagnosed him with a URI but couldn't explain the drooling. He has no ulcers or sores in his mouth or any other dental or mouth problems. We force fed him last night which didn't go well. We had him back at the vet today and she was still puzzled by the drooling. She took a white blood cell count which was on the low side of normal. She was concerned about distemper, but he has his vaccine in the shelter. While at the vet he had diarrhea for the first time since all this started. She gave him medicine for that and told us to rub karo syrup on his gums if we couldn't get any food into him. When he attempts to use the litter box he does eliminate but he cries. I have not heard of diarrhea or issues using the litter box with a URI. Could someone please shed some light on what this may be? I'm going to give the little guy one more night (he had an injection of antibiotics Friday) but I don't want to see him suffer. However I will always ask myself what went wrong if I don't find some answers as to what it may be. Thank you for any help and advice!
 

margd

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What do you mean you're going to give him one more night? He's just started treatment. Is he not eating at all? I don't know what could be causing the drooling but wonder if the diarrhea might be a side effect of the antibiotic.

What kind of bloodwork did your vet do? Has your kitten been tested for all the common diseases?
 

nora1

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Stress can also cause diarrhea. Sounds like he may be stressed enough to have loose stools. I would keep force feeding, and continue meds for a few more days before thinking about bringing him back again.
 

kittens mom

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The diarrhea could be a from any new foods he's had, stress and the antibiotics. You need to give a few days for the antibiotics to work. URI's are so common. Jars of baby meat, the smooth kind with no added seasoning like chicken or turkey can be fed via syringe. Just bits at a time , same with water. I know a sick pet is no fun but it just comes with the territory.
 

winatdelmr

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My son is a vet tech for over 15 years. Has this kitten been tested for diarrhea? fecal tests for parasites? >> For coccidia or giardia? any worms? DiarrEah could be from any of those diseases. Blood panel done? Ultrasound? X-rays? All these need to be done before considering any euthanasia. It could be something simple. Please get the tests done for parasites I have listed above.
 
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ty3535

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It's good to know the diarrhea might be caused by the antibiotics. My vet advised me that if the force feeding had to continue for 3 days or more to consider euthanization. The poor guy just looks so sickly and appears to be in discomfort. I don't want him to suffer. I planned on taking him to the emergency vet by tomorrow but it will be really expensive. If I can get him through til Monday when he can go back to my vet I'll be happy. She did a white blood cell count, he doesn't have feline leukemia or aids. She didn't think it was distemper but couldn't completely rule that out. I'm hoping it's just a URI with the diarrhea as a side effect of the antibiotic and the injection of antibiotics she gave him on Friday start to work. Any ideas on how long they usually take to show some sign of improvement?
 
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ty3535

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No, he isn't eating or drink at all. He had to have subcutaneous fluids yesterday and today and we've had to force feed him. Baby food and hills c/d which is high calorie.
 

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Drooling can also be from an upset tummy or heartburn as we experience.  That could be from the medication used for the surgery.  I would ask the vet for something to settle his tummy.  A Cerenia injection usually works.  Also ask for an appetite stimulant.

The other thing with URIs is that if he's congested, he won't be able to smell his food to eat.  Try warming it up a little bit so that the aroma of the food is enhanced.  Also, try some really stinky food such as Fancy Feast with a little bit of plain Pedialyte added in to help keep him hydrated.
 
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ty3535

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We've tried the warming process with food, it doesn't work. As soon as you put food near his nose or mouth he starts drooling. I'll give pedialyte a try instead of plain water. As far as drooling from the surgery medication, I don't think it's still in his system. His surgery was Tuesday morning.
 

stephanietx

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I would try to find another good vet for a second opinion.  Not that your vet isn't good or you don't trust him, but sometimes other vets have experiences that can help you.  This is how we found a cure for one of my cats.  It took 3 vets until that 3rd one ran a specific test and found out what was going on. 
 
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ty3535

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We went to the emergency vet today. He was pretty useless as he didn't give any opinions as to what it could be. He prescribed an antihistamine which does no good because we can't get him to take it, and more subcutaneous fluids. He did mention something about liver disease. I'll be going to my normal vet hospital tomorrow and although my normal vet won't be there I hope to get another opinion. He vomited once this morning and now has a yellow discharge from his nose. I'm so worried.
 

kittens mom

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Our ER vet visit was treated like a regular vet visit but available in the middle of the night. I don't understand. We were told to follow up with our regular vet or a specialist.
 

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What is the name of the antihistamine?  Tablet form?  Liquid form? 
 
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ty3535

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It's called chlorpheneramine and it's a pill.
 

mewtantmommy

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Put a dose into an oral dosing syringe.  Chop it if you must, to make it fit within.  Push the plunger far down as you can against the pill at the dispensing end.  Draw up water until the syringe is filled to capacity.  There should be a bubble within the syringe then.  Tip the syringe over and over, letting the bubble rise after each turn.  Tap it sometimes, and keep tipping it until it is dissolved (or dissolved enough to get through the syringe).  Then, with the tip up, squeeze out the (risen) bubble, leaving just that solution.  If there is sedimentation in the solution, let it settle at the dispensing end (tip) with the water over it, dispensing end downward, plunger end upward.

Now get some more hands to help restrain your kitty.  Hold your kitty like a baby, flat -- with kitty's back down and face up, and tightly wedge the kitty's head between your chest and the crook of your elbow,  face up. Get some more hands, especially to hold down the kitty's upper chest, and  to help keep the kitty's face facing up (not to the side).  Empty the syringe way down into the back of the kitty's mouth.  Keep the kitty's mouth facing straight up and hold the kitty's mouth shut until the medicine is swallowed.
 
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