Cat Bad Reaction Metronidazole Beside Myself

[Furballsmom]

Can you contain him to a room until things are squared away, so you don't have to clean as much?

 

[treeclimber]

Their dry food is a mix of Biome and cheaper stuff bc the Biome is 50 bucks a small bag. That does have some good stuff in it to help tummies. I just don't think he's been eating it.

Once he’s eating reliably you might try dropping the dry food entirely and going 100% wet.

In some cats (mine included) dry food can cause diarrhea.

 

[lesliel76]

Once he’s eating reliably you might try dropping the dry food entirely and going 100% wet.

In some cats (mine included) dry food can cause diarrhea.

I have other cats and that would be impossible plus he never had a problem before. But makes sense what your saying.

 

[lesliel76]

Can you contain him to a room until things are squared away, so you don't have to clean as much?

That's a good idea and I've thought of that and tried it but He's such a skittish cat that so many variables stress him out. When I shut the door he got anxious but maybe I just do it bc I'm worn out. It would be so much easier to contain in one room. I started to layer blankets and stuff where he likes to go and lay so I can just wash them.

But yeah a room dedicated to him would be better and maybe I just do that. He will eventually calm down.

 

[treeclimber]

His tummy is upset and I'm now back to the diarrhea which was one of the original reasons I went to the vet. No way can I use antibiotics after all of that. So I'm trying probiatics.

At some point in the diagnostic/treatment process your vet may recommend trying a steroid. If they do, that one is probably worth trying, even if you are understandably gun-shy about meds right now. Some cats with gut issues are really helped by steroids.

There is a steroid called budesidone that is mostly broken down by the liver as soon as it’s absorbed from the digestive tract. This avoids most of the potential side effects that could happen with other steroids like prednisolone, since there is very little budesidone active anywhere outside of the digestive tract. My boy usually reacts badly to steroids due to the immunosuppression (herpesvirus flare-up - respiratory symptoms, gooey eyes, etc.) but has zero problems with budesidone.

Thank you I might grab a few cans of chicken limited ingredients today.

If you’re going to do it, it’s best to do limited ingredient with something that’s also a novel protein (duck, rabbit, venison, lamb). Chicken is a fairly common food sensitivity in cats, so limited-ingredient chicken may just be expensive without helping anything. If he’s a fan of chicken, duck might be the easiest novel protein for him to accept.

 

[lesliel76]

I would be so scared to do a steroid. Just because he reacted so bad to such a common anitiobiotic. I don't think I could do that. He isn't a cat that has had diarrhea problems. It seemed like just a flare up that has gotten worse now with meds and days with eating a liquid diet.

But thank you I will keep in mind if they mention but I don't think I could do that right now. It's too scary after what I saw and went through watching him fall over and not being able to walk. He was in such critical condition I am nervous to ever use any antibiotic or shot or pill with him.

I also had a cat that died from a steroid shot. He went into heart failure so yeah I wish I wasn't afraid but I am.[/QUOTE]

 

[treeclimber]

I would be so scared to do a steroid. Just because he reacted so bad to such a common anitiobiotic. I don't think I could do that. He isn't a cat that has had diarrhea problems. It seemed like just a flare up that has gotten worse now with meds and days with eating a liquid diet.

But thank you I will keep in mind if they mention but I don't think I could do that right now. It's too scary after what I saw and went through watching him fall over and not being able to walk. He was in such critical condition I am nervous to ever use any antibiotic or shot or pill with him.

I also had a cat that died from a steroid shot. He went into heart failure so yeah I wish I wasn't afraid but I am.

Understandable to be worried!

You don’t need to do anything like that right now, and your vet may never even suggest steroids. I just wanted to make sure that if you ever reach a point where steroids are being considered, you’ll know Budesidone exists and be able to ask your vet if it might be a safer/gentler option for him than other steroids.

 

[Furballsmom]

He will eventually calm down.

He will, you could even try some Cat Music

 

[lesliel76]

I think we turned a corner its been a rough few days again. One where he stopped eating entirely again but as of today things look much better.

Hes moving around a lot more. Resting comfortably eating pretty good. Even went into the kitchen to eat which he hasn't done in a week. I've just been keeping the food and stuff by him. So seeing him go into the kitchen to the crunchy bowl made me happy.

Diarrhea seems to be good too. This is day 3 of the probiotic with S. Boulardi in it and it seems to be working.

Hes hopping up on the couch and chairs so it seems like his mobility is so much better. Got some purrs going on. I'm trying to engage him in a little play but we are not there yet.

He sees the vet tomorrow for followup to do blood again but I think we turned a big corner. What a crazy ordeal hes been through.

 

[brookesvwilson]

I think we turned a corner its been a rough few days again. One where he stopped eating entirely again but as of today things look much better.















Hes moving around a lot more. Resting comfortably eating pretty good. Even went into the kitchen to eat which he hasn't done in a week. I've just been keeping the food and stuff by him. So seeing him go into the kitchen to the crunchy bowl made me happy.















Diarrhea seems to be good too. This is day 3 of the probiotic with S. Boulardi in it and it seems to be working.















Hes hopping up on the couch and chairs so it seems like his mobility is so much better. Got some purrs going on. I'm trying to engage him in a little play but we are not there yet.















He sees the vet tomorrow for followup to do blood again but I think we turned a big corner. What a crazy ordeal hes been through.

Oh my. I cannot imagine how tough this must have been for you. I'm so happy he's starting to come around. I remember when my ragdoll was really sick. I'm still traumatized. Praying for his long lasting recovery

 

[lesliel76]

Even though Casper has made big strides he still seems to be struggling and I'm am worrying.

When I took him for his vet appointment he had low potassium in his blood. Everything else in the bloodwork came back good. They attributed this to lack of appetite and eating more treat foods than regular cat food.

They gave me some potassium pills to crush and put in his food. He ate like a champ the first few days and they did seem to help but we are in a slump again. Where he isn't eating as much and I can't get the whole pill in him 2 times a day.

Has anyone ever had low Potassium in their cat? What other reasons could this be? His kidneys look good they said in the bloodwork. He seems just weak. Walks and then crouches a lot like he cant take another step till he rest. It feels like he is wanting to do more but can't. Maybe some nausea and drinking lots of water.

I should note I did try to stop the appetite stimulate again and havnt given for 3 or 4 days. But I think I'm going to restart tomorrow. I don't mind giving it to him he just hates it and it's causing more stress and I want to reduce the stress for him so he can heal. And I mean like stress where he hides from me and I have to tear apart a room just to get to him and when I do he's freaking out to a level of panting. All just to rub a little stuff in his ear. Anyways I'm still worried and just want to see him back to himself. The more days that go by that in don't see more improvement the more I start to panic.

 

[treeclimber]

And I mean like stress where he hides from me and I have to tear apart a room just to get to him and when I do he's freaking out to a level of panting.

Was he already doing this before the metronidazole, or is this a new behavior?

Does he freak out like this only when you’re coming to give medication, or any time you approach?

 

[lesliel76]

He is a skittish cat that used to live on the streets so yes this type of behavior when I try to force handle him is common. He is ok with petting but b he seems to know when you have meds or are going to take him somewhere. So I'm not concerned that he flips out but the stress it causes a cat who is trying to heal from this ordeal.

The other behavior like weakness etc he never did before all of this. Which I'm guessing is related to this low potassium now. Curious if there are underlying causes to low Potassium and if people have had? Kidneys are ok this what seems to be common cause.

 

[Furballsmom]

This is a date-ordered list of threads where members are discussing potassium levels, so hopefully it's helpful for you;

Search Results for Query: potassium

 

[lesliel76]

Thank you I started reading these last night. This morning I found him licking concrete in the basement with throw up all around it.

I gave him his potassium pill way earlier this morning and it looks like he threw it up. I'm super frustrated and scared and sad. The vet is closed today bc of the holiday so I just have to hang tight.

I got his appetite stimulate in him after dismantling my bed and mattress so he's hiding from from now. I kind of just don't know what to do anymore. I need to kind of regroup emotionally and physically and figure out.

 

[Furballsmom]

How much of the pill was left that he threw up? Do you have another potassium pill you can give him?

Hang in there with this! Maybe there's something here that might help entice him;

Any Good Tips To Get Your Cats To Eat? Share Them Here!

Tips To Increase Your Cat’s Water Intake – TheCatSite Articles
along with this from todaysveterinarynurse .com ;
making sure all water bowls are cleaned daily may encourage water consumption. Circulating water fountains can be provided for cats that like to drink running or dripping water, and multiple water bowls should be offered throughout the home. Also, the size and depth of water bowls may need to be considered, and different types of water (e.g., distilled, warm, cold) may need to be tried.

 

[lesliel76]

I don't know what was left of the pill bc I crush them and then mix with food.

I am trying to give him another one but I can't get him to eat at the moment.

I have him set up in a room with the door closed and he is resting. With the holiday I have family obligations that I'm late for already. But I'm scared to leave. He looks ok and is resting.

The appetite stimulate will take a bit to work and he did eat just at 6am this morning some lockable treats and last night around 11 pm some fancy feast. So I'm not going to freak.

Thank you for the support. I will read what you sent. He is drinking a ton of water which is not normal for him but also a sign of low potassium if that's what is really going on. But my question is why low potassium? It looks like this is usually related to kidney stuff and from his last blood there was no signs of this. I'm concerned what is depleting the potassium especially since he's been getting a pill for like a week now.

 

[daftcat75]

So I don’t know what causes low potassium. And certainly this shouldn’t replace the potassium pills if your vet deemed them necessary. But I do remember that Hills A/D has higher potassium levels. If he has no dietary restrictions, I recommend asking your vet for a can or two to see if he likes it. If he does (and he should because it’s formulated to be highly palatable for sick kitties to get them to eat), I recommend mixing it with another food. You can keep the A/D mix rich if that’s what it takes to keep him eating. But at some point, I would try to make the mix leaner as A/D is quite rich and many cats won’t eat enough of it on its own. It’s a good thing it’s high in calories for this very reason though. In any case, exceptional times require exceptional measures. You can use A/D in the short term in whatever mix is needed to keep him eating enough. But it is not meant to be a forever food and eventually I recommend a leaner mix or a transition off of it entirely.

The other reason I recommend getting him off the pure A/D as soon as he’ll allow it is so that you can reserve the pure A/D for making meds easier. I spend about 30 minutes each Sunday (right after this post) cutting up Betty’s pills and packing them into capsules for the week. Then it’s simply a matter of dipping the capsule into A/D and dropping it on the carpet for her. She shows up on her own for meds twice a day and eats four capsules in the morning and three at night without any stress or arguments.

 

[Furballsmom]

Have you considered adding a mild probiotic? Fortiflora isn't as strong as some of them, and might be helpful.

 

[lesliel76]

Have you considered adding a mild probiotic? Fortiflora isn't as strong as some of them, and might be helpful.

Yes he's on a probiotic. He wouldn't eat Fortaflora but I have a different one he's on. He didn't get it today though bc I can't get him to eat today.