First time cat parents, constant diarrhea, overwhelmed.

[Astragal14]

She seems to be regressing again...

The last few days she is barely eating a quarter of a can.

What is weird is she doesn't seem to have an appetite... She definitely seems more lethargic the last few days. She's been sleeping a lot and isn't showing an interest in playing.

The stumbling thing is still happening too... She just went to the litter box a little while ago and she literally fell when she stepped inside... She also has some trouble jumping down from heights... half jumping half falling.

I'm so sorry to hear this! Definitely call your vet first thing in the morning and tell them everything you mentioned here, especially about how little she is eat and her falling. And if they can't see you in a timely fashion, you may want to ask if there is an emergency vet that could see her sooner and if they would recommend that route instead of waiting.

Is she only eating about one quarter of a 5.5 oz can per day? If so, that's less than 1.4 oz which is not enough on a daily basis and it is worrisome. Do you have any other food for her to eat? Her old food or any other cat food, even if it's dry food? She's already not feeling well and really needs to eat something, so it's worth trying other foods to see if you can get her to eat.

 

[Astragal14]

Actually, F FishPhoenix , do you have an emergency or 24 hour vet that offers advice over the phone? I don't mean for this to sound alarming, but this is what I would do in your situation: try to get her to eat something else and, if she doesn't eat any or only very little, I would call the emergency vet and ask them if you think it would be okay to wait for your regular vet's office to open and scheduling the next available appointment, or if she should be seen much sooner.

I really hope this doesn't sound too alarming, I thought I'd suggest this because the emergency vets in our area will generally spend a few minutes answering questions on the phone (unless they are extremely busy). It may be a faster route to someone who can give advice about how soon she should be seen.

 

[FishPhoenix]

I'm so sorry to hear this! Definitely call your vet first thing in the morning and tell them everything you mentioned here, especially about how little she is eat and her falling. And if they can't see you in a timely fashion, you may want to ask if there is an emergency vet that could see her sooner and if they would recommend that route instead of waiting.

Is she only eating about one quarter of a 5.5 oz can per day? If so, that's less than 1.4 oz which is not enough on a daily basis and it is worrisome. Do you have any other food for her to eat? Her old food or any other cat food, even if it's dry food? She's already not feeling well and really needs to eat something, so it's worth trying other foods to see if you can get her to eat.

Thanks for the suggestion! Yes it is one quarter of a 5.5oz can. She should be eating an entire can a day for her weight. Next time she wants to eat today we will try mixing in her old food again like we were when she was transitioning to the Koha and see how that goes.

 

[Sarthur2]

It sounds like she feels terrible. I wonder if she has fever? She may need sub-q fluids to hydrate. It may also be that the constant diarrhea has depleted her electrolytes. This could be causing her weakness and stumbling.

 

[FishPhoenix]

Luckily our vet has an opening later today so we will be taking her late afternoon.

We tried giving her the mix of the Koha and her old food last night and this morning but it's the same; she eats a little bit then decides she doesn't want anymore.

 

[Astragal14]

we will be taking her late afternoon

Great news! Good luck!! Please send an update later if you have a chance to do so.

 

[FishPhoenix]

Bad news all. Vet strongly believes she has FIP dry form. 104 fever, loss of appetite, coordination issues, she's extremely weak now, she can barely stand up properly. At the vet she kept falling over. Blood sugar levels are good. Heart and lungs seem fine. Gums are fine. They also did an ultrasound and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. She said the only way to verify it is FIP is to do a biopsy, but she thinks we're at a point where we just skip that and start treatment asap. There is another vet in our area who knows more about FIP. Our vet recommends we call them as soon as they open in the morning and try to get an appointment tomorrow if at all possible.

In the meantime our vet gave her liquids, medicine, and also an appetite stimulant. She did eat a little bit when I came home. Not nearly enough but better than nothing. The vet gave me more of the stimulant and said to give it to her in the morning as well. She said if she gets any worse anytime soon to take her to ER.

I am also in contact with the FIP Warriors group. An admin thinks we could be in a bad situation given the symptoms and already managed to get us a dose via some kind hearted person who lives nearby. My relative who also has an FIP positive cat (he's cured now) is coming by soon to help us with the first dose. It sounds like the FIP Warriors group also knows the specialist we will try to see tomorrow. They are just concerned if we wait to start treatment that she could end up in ER or worse overnight.

 

[Sarthur2]

A dose of what? And has she been given any cerenia to treat the nausea that is causing loss of appetite? Also, has she been given any Onsior or Metacam to treat the fever? It sounds like she may need both for a few days.

I may be wrong, of course, but I’m not convinced that she has dry FIP. I’ll explain why.

I took in a neighborhood stray a couple of years ago who went through almost all of this. Yes, including high fever and could not stand. Bowel problems, etc. She appeared normal during the two years prior that I had fed her nearby when her owners did not take care of her, and was normal when I took her in, but within 2 weeks she became like your cat.

However, 2 weeks before I took her in for good, she had been suddenly attacked by dogs on the porch two doors down where she resided but was fed by only me. She was mauled and traumatized and roamed the block for a couple of weeks until I was able to nab her when she finally came into my yard. She knew me and was relieved to be brought inside, but slowly became sicker and sicker.

I was perplexed, but immediately got her to the vet. Luckily, I was working from home and she was right next to me while sick. I spent a fortune at the vet, had tests run, and many things were tried. Her fever was treated with Onsior, her nausea was abated with Cerenia, she was on a protocol of Zeniquin for infection, and she received sub-q fluids. She was so sick and exhausted, and slept so much, there were times I wondered if she was dying.

But I kept the vigil, syringed unflavored Pedialyte, fed Gerber turkey baby food, gave her the Cerenia, the Onsior, and later the appetite meds, and slowly but surely she recovered. It took a couple weeks before she had the strength to stand or jump down from the couch (I carried her to the litter box in the meantime), but eventually she recovered and regained her strength and appetite.

I’ve had her living indoors only with me for 2.5 years now and she’s never been sick since. She sleeps on my pillow with me every night and is incredibly sweet and grateful. She is one of now 8 cats, but was originally one of 11.

I tell you this story to give you hope, because when I look back, I see a cat who was on her own except for me feeding her, was traumatized by a dog attack, roamed the neighborhood, and then felt both stress and relief by being brought into a new household. Once safe, she fell apart. Love and care saved her.

Your cat, at only one year old, was in foster care with babies, then separated from them, spayed, and adopted quickly. Her food has changed and her life has changed and she apparently had worms, parasites, and whatever else. She has been asked to adapt quickly, but her system is not cooperating. She may just need time, love, a routine, and patience. It’s not always a bad diagnosis. She may be picking up on your anxiety as well.

My point is mainly to give you perspective and to not assume the worst. Give her time, and see that her fever and nausea are treated, and try Gerber meat baby food. It’s easy to lap and digest. Let her rest.

I sincerely hope she will begin to recuperate in her new and now permanent and safe environment, and will become a contented and healthy cat.

I’m rooting for her, and I would not assume she has FIP.

Keep us posted! F FishPhoenix

 

[FishPhoenix]

Thank you for the detailed post and positive vibes! We would love for it not to be FIP, and from what we understand from talking with our vet as well as a few others familiar with FIP, giving her FIP medicine shouldn't be bad for her if it turns out it is not FIP.

The reason they want to start her on FIP treatment is that they have seen FIP cats go fatal in a very short amount of time. I know you are saying she needs time, love, and care, but my point is and what the vet and others are concerned about is that unless we go this route she may not have time. The vet said the liquids and medicines she gave her today are just a stop gap solution and not long term.

We gave her a dose of FIP treatment. We are trying to see another vet tomorrow who knows more about FIP.

They did give her liquids at the vet today via injection, as well as medications to help her fever and nausea. They also gave an appetite stimulant topical. The names are escaping me right now but I will update later.

The appetite stimulant kicked in a few hours ago and she was eating. Unfortunately after a while she became very confused/disoriented. After eating a bit of her food she keeps trying to eat litter. We had to keep her away from the litter boxes because she keeps trying to go to them to eat her litter. I went out to a grocery store and bought some thick/fat litter. We will try to see how she does with that. If she still tries to eat it then I will just fill the litter box with crumpled paper.

 

[Sarthur2]

She sounds confused. What is the FIP med that you gave her? I am perplexed. I am not aware of an FIP med, though I agree that it surely will not hurt.

 

[Sarthur2]

Also, if she is unstable and cannot walk well, she should not be near the litter. She is clearly confused. I would keep her away from the litter and encourage her to rest, unless she needs to go.

Also, since she recently weaned, she may have hypocalcemia and need calcium. Give her a dish or two a day of kitten formula to drink. She may need the calcium to normalize. Lack of calcium in a nursing mother can cause problems. That may be why she is trying to eat litter. Lack of calcium can cause shakes, disorientation, seizures, or wobbles. Additional calcium will not hurt. You can get her calcium levels checked.

I hope you don’t discount the fact that your new cat may just need time to adjust. Sometimes it’s not as complicated as it may seem. I’m not discounting real problems, but encouraging you to look outside the box.

I hope things improve soon!

 

[Astragal14]

Bad news all. Vet strongly believes she has FIP dry form. 104 fever, loss of appetite, coordination issues, she's extremely weak now, she can barely stand up properly. At the vet she kept falling over. Blood sugar levels are good. Heart and lungs seem fine. Gums are fine. They also did an ultrasound and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. She said the only way to verify it is FIP is to do a biopsy, but she thinks we're at a point where we just skip that and start treatment asap. There is another vet in our area who knows more about FIP. Our vet recommends we call them as soon as they open in the morning and try to get an appointment tomorrow if at all possible.

In the meantime our vet gave her liquids, medicine, and also an appetite stimulant. She did eat a little bit when I came home. Not nearly enough but better than nothing. The vet gave me more of the stimulant and said to give it to her in the morning as well. She said if she gets any worse anytime soon to take her to ER.

I am also in contact with the FIP Warriors group. An admin thinks we could be in a bad situation given the symptoms and already managed to get us a dose via some kind hearted person who lives nearby. My relative who also has an FIP positive cat (he's cured now) is coming by soon to help us with the first dose. It sounds like the FIP Warriors group also knows the specialist we will try to see tomorrow. They are just concerned if we wait to start treatment that she could end up in ER or worse overnight.

I'm so glad you've been able to act quickly. I really hope it's not FIP but you're definitely doing the right thing by treating her right away.

One additional thing I recommend is a B12 injection. I realize it seems like such a minor thing, and it isn't a miracle worker, but right now her body needs all the proper nourishment it can get and B12 will help that happen. What it will do is decrease nausea and ensure her GI system is able to absorb nutrients from food and certain medications (I don't know how FIP meds work in the body, they may not travel through the GI tract). It's easy to give, inexpensive, and doesn't have negative interactions. So if your vet thinks B12 falls into the "can't hurt" category then I think you should go ahead and do it.

 

[FishPhoenix]

So the vet gave her SubQ fluids, Cerenia, Cefazolin, and Mirataz. Also since I haven't yet, here is a picture of little Yuna below! This was from a few weeks ago.