Cat with URI won’t eat or drink, help!

[Lulux]

Our cat who is 1 year old started sneezing a week ago, we took him to the vet a day after and they said it’s URI. We came back home with some doxycycline and try to feed him with a syringe given by the doctor directly into his mouth but he hated it and just spit it out and ran around spitting saliva, we tried again the next day and he did the same thing and started to show little interest in food. I tried to feed him with my hand and he would still eat food from my hand and ate some wet food from his bowl (but did not eat the portion where we put the doxycycline in). That was his last eating. And after a day or so we took him back to the vet b/c he hasn’t eaten for almost 2 days and I don’t want him to get fatty liver. The vet referred us to an overnight animal hospital and they hospitalized him because he wasn’t drinking water either. The PCR results showed he has herpes virus and mycoplasma but they can’t give him doxycycline thru IV so they have him Baytril which is stronger. He stayed at the hospital overnight but still not eating so they put him on a feeding tube yesterday afternoon (after 4 days not eating). I’m going back tomorrow to the hospital this morning but afraid that he still won’t eat on his own. At this point, the hospital bill is almost $10k and I don’t know what the next steps are if he is still not eating today. Anyone had a similar experience? I love my baby so much and would spend as much as I could but I just don’t know if there could be any other issues triggering this or is it just congested nose. Why would they not even drinking water if it’s congested nose? The doctor said the x ray and blood results look normal. Also I tried everything at home, put him in a steam room (with shower running) and he has been in a nebulizer room at the hospital. They also rubbed apprentice stimulants onto his ear and gave him anti nausea medication thru IV. What else can we do? Any suggestion is appreciated!!!

 

[Alldara]

It sounds like you've done all the right things.

My experience with baytril was in pet rats but that it works well on URIs.

I expect he's not drinking or eating because the act of bending down to do so causes more pressure in his sinuses. Try raising his food and water. You might have to hand feed him so that he doesn't have to bend at all.

Does he sneeze for anything to come out? Ask you vet about doing this: it's what I had to do with Lily.

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. I am sorry your cat is so ill. Is he at a specialty hospital with board certified internal medicine specialists? I would imagine he is with the cost.
Ask about steroids.
Ask about an esophageal feeding tube.
Ask about Famclovir antiviral.

You can’t give doxycycline in food. It not only tastes horrible but it just can’t be done

Ask about nebulizing with saline dexamethasone and acetylysteine

 

[stephanietx]

I had a herpes kitty and successfully managed it for 12 years. He isn't eating because he can't smell the food. Try steaming him in the bathroom to break up nasal congestion. Ask the vet for prescription nose drops, either gentamycin or tobramycin, to help clear congestion. You can also try plain saline baby nose drops, nothing with any kind of decongestant in it, just saline. If you add warm water to wet food or heat a shallow bowl of water and then set the food bowl in it with the food, it will enhance the aroma. Also, try feeding classic Fancy Feast pate or ask the vet for cans of Science Diet a/d. That stuff is irresistible to kitties.