Treated for Upper Respiratory Infection, still won't eat/drink

We just adopted our 1 year old kitty from a shelter about 14 days ago. Within days of bringing her home, she was put on Clavamox for URI.  She was hospitalized for two days with IV fluids and IV antibiotics. They had to force feed her in the hospital. She's been out of the hospital for 4 days. We noticed she had gone another 2 days without eating or drinking. Her personality is starting to come back and we don't hear nearly as much congestion, but she's refusing to eat or drink. We'll shake her food dish and she'll bolt for it and appear interested in the food, will take a couple of whiffs, and walk away. Tried Tuna, sardines, salmon, chicken broth, Friskies, baby food, and even the prescription wet food the vet gave us. We've warmed it up to intensify the smell.  I've brought her in a steamy bathroom in hopes to clear any congestion. I've put some food on her nose to introduce her to it. At our vet's confirmation, we started force feeding her last night. We got a couple doses of her prescription wet food in her (high calorie/protein). However, she's still not initiating eating on her own. Is it possible she developed an aversion to food? We just adopted her so we don't know her mannerisms quite yet. Vet said if she's not initiating eating or drinking in another two days, she needs to go back to see if she has a possible tooth infection. Our prior bill was almost $1500, Anything we can do? Please help our rescue kitty!

Hamthecat said:

 
We just adopted our 1 year old kitty from a shelter about 14 days ago. Within days of bringing her home, she was put on Clavamox for URI.  She was hospitalized for two days with IV fluids and IV antibiotics. They had to force feed her in the hospital. She's been out of the hospital for 4 days. We noticed she had gone another 2 days without eating or drinking. Her personality is starting to come back and we don't hear nearly as much congestion, but she's refusing to eat or drink. We'll shake her food dish and she'll bolt for it and appear interested in the food, will take a couple of whiffs, and walk away. Tried Tuna, sardines, salmon, chicken broth, Friskies, baby food, and even the prescription wet food the vet gave us. We've warmed it up to intensify the smell.  I've brought her in a steamy bathroom in hopes to clear any congestion. I've put some food on her nose to introduce her to it. At our vet's confirmation, we started force feeding her last night. We got a couple doses of her prescription wet food in her (high calorie/protein). However, she's still not initiating eating on her own. Is it possible she developed an aversion to food? We just adopted her so we don't know her mannerisms quite yet. Vet said if she's not initiating eating or drinking in another two days, she needs to go back to see if she has a possible tooth infection. Our prior bill was almost $1500, Anything we can do? Please help our rescue kitty!

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Most cats get their appetite back naturally as they recover, but after 2 days of not eating cat's are at risk of hepatic lipidosis, a liver condition that among other things, ruins the cat's appetite that they can't get out of without intervention.  I would discuss this possibility with your vet, and consider a blood test for liver values, and if it suggests H.L., then your cat may need to go on a feeding tube (at home) which is actually much easier to deal with than syringe feeding.

I would keep up the steam baths, and you could also get saline drops (non medication) like Little Noses and give a squirt or two up each nostril a couple of times a day.

Does she seem to still be congested?  You said you are steaming her, but didn't actually say if she IS congested.  How about nauseated?  When she runs for her food and then doesn't eat, does she lick her lips while near her food?  If so, that's sometimes a sign of nausea.  I know with one of our cats, Clavamox made him really sick to his stomach, and completely killed his appetite. 

Do you know what she was eating prior to adopting her?  Maybe try giving her some of whatever that was and see if she'll eat it.  She's had quite a few things happen to her in just a short while, and maybe she just doesn't want the particular foods she is being presented with.  I know we have a sickly cat here at our house, and even though she is very hungry, I can give her many different foods, and until I hit upon the right one, she just won't eat, no matter how hungry she is .  

If you don't think she is nauseated, then you could try using toppers like parmesan cheese (from the green can), or crushed treats.  (maybe she doesn't like fish....one of my cats absolutely refuses any food with fish in it)

Our vet did X-rays and blood tests before she was hospitalized and said everything looked great (and she hadn't eaten for a few days when he did these tests). We're aware of H.P which is my main concern.  The vet said force feed right now, and if in 2 days she's not initiating it on her own, we need to bring her back in for further exams (dental in particular). I will absolutely try to the nasal drops! Thanks Stephen.

Mrsgreenjeans, thank you for your response. She doesn't sound nearly as congested as she was when she was hospitalized. That has definitely improved, but there may be a slight congestion still. What's odd is when we shake her food dish, she runs straight to it like she's starving. Then she takes a whiff and walks away. This was the same food she was eating for a handful of days just fine before she got sick. It's also the same food they were feeding her at the shelter. She does lick her lips when she's near her food and sometimes drools (which I know is a sign of nausea) and will occasionally sneeze. I know clavamox is very potent and hard on her stomach, so perhaps once her antibiotics are done (friday evening) she'll start to gain her appetite back? She did start drinking water today luckily. I will try the parmesean sprinkled on top of her dry food that she was eating prior to getting sick. I will also try the nasal drops that Stephen suggested. Her personality seems to be back - playful and not isolating herself at all. Just need my poor kitty to eat something!

I appreciate both of your feedback, as we are new cat parents in a very difficult situation! 

If she's nauseated, the parm cheese may make it worse .  (it would ME ).  I'm guessing it IS the Clavamox and once she's done with it, she'll be back eating like a champ. 

They say having pets relieves stress.  Hah!  Only when they aren't sick, right ?  But when they're in tip top form, they ARE wonderful.  You'll find out soon enough

I forgot to mention she's also had two doses of an appetite stimulant. I'm truly hoping that once her antibiotics are done tomorrow night, she'll have that appetite back on Saturday. She's not lethargic, but I keep hearing about this HP and it's really worrying me. I've also read that cats may become anorexic, is it possible? Her appetite was fine before she got sick, but again, we just adopted her 2 weeks ago so she's had a LOT of changes to deal with. Another thing to pile onto the plate, when we picked her up from the hospital, her rear end was a mess (I didn't notice either until lifting her tail). I think the antibiotics have given her a bit of diarrhea. It's pretty encrusted back there. I was able to snip some of the larger bits, but there's a spot that's dried and I imagine painful. I tried bathing her in a very mild cat shampoo and she obviously didn't like that and it really didn't do anything to the "encrustment." Any advice on the best way to go about this too? I'm trying to keep her stress as low as possible. I'm pretty sure we've had to deal with just about everything in just the first few weeks of having her! Hopefully it's easier once we get past this! We love her so much though so we're willing to go to whatever lengths to ensure she's happy and healthy.

Mrsgreenjeens, if clavamox made your sweet kitty lose his appetite, what did you do in the meantime? Did his appetite return when he was done with the pills, and if so, how soon after? 

Hamthecat said:

 
I forgot to mention she's also had two doses of an appetite stimulant. I'm truly hoping that once her antibiotics are done tomorrow night, she'll have that appetite back on Saturday. She's not lethargic, but I keep hearing about this HP and it's really worrying me. I've also read that cats may become anorexic, is it possible? Her appetite was fine before she got sick, but again, we just adopted her 2 weeks ago so she's had a LOT of changes to deal with. Another thing to pile onto the plate, when we picked her up from the hospital, her rear end was a mess (I didn't notice either until lifting her tail). I think the antibiotics have given her a bit of diarrhea. It's pretty encrusted back there. I was able to snip some of the larger bits, but there's a spot that's dried and I imagine painful. I tried bathing her in a very mild cat shampoo and she obviously didn't like that and it really didn't do anything to the "encrustment." Any advice on the best way to go about this too? I'm trying to keep her stress as low as possible. I'm pretty sure we've had to deal with just about everything in just the first few weeks of having her! Hopefully it's easier once we get past this! We love her so much though so we're willing to go to whatever lengths to ensure she's happy and healthy.

Mrsgreenjeens, if clavamox made your sweet kitty lose his appetite, what did you do in the meantime? Did his appetite return when he was done with the pills, and if so, how soon after? 

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I meant HL, not HP 

Call the vet and ask them for the dosing for Pepcid to help settle her tummy, if you think she's nauseous.  Clavamox usually causes kitties the either throw up or have diarrhea.  I'd stop the medication and ask the vet for a different med if you think she needs it.  She may have enough in her system to have knocked the URI.

i am THRILLED to announce that Ham ate on her own for the first time since last Tuesday! All the fancy food, all the warming, all the syringe feeding, all the research... know what it took? Us putting her food and water next to her litter box, the very thing that all the advice told us NOT to do! She didn't eat all of it, but definitely nibbled. We'll see how much she eats throughout the night. Possibly do another force feed tomorrow morning, just because we know how little food she's been getting. Hopefully by tomorrow night (and also conveniently her last dose of antibiotic) she'll be happily munching away on her own. Should we stick with just her regular food, or throw a little treat in there? We're worried that any little change will cause her to not want to eat (probably paranoia but given all this, can you blame us?  )  THANK YOU to everyone who wrote in. It's encouraging to know there are other cat parents on here who love their precious kitties as much as we do. Also extremely helpful that everyone is so knowledgable. Thank you!!!

So glad she's starting to eat again.  Maybe it's just because she wasn't feeling well, and now she's feeling better....had to tell.  But whatever it is,, just be thankful.

I would definitely throw in little treats here and there.  Whatever to try to keep her eating.  Then once she starts feeling "at home", I would gradually move her food and water away from the litter box area.  You can just move them slowly, and she should be ok with it. 

With my boy, when Clavamox made him so sick, we just took him off it, with the Vet's blessing.