Help! Cat won't eat, took him to vet but still scared

[littlelouie]

This morning I found my 4yr old cat in the same place he was when I went to bed which is unusual because he usually wakes me up. Then I realized that I haven't seen him eat in three days (I have a kitten so I can't monitor his food bowl because they occasionally switch). I tried to bribe him with treats but he was having none of it. He seemed lethargic (even for a cat) and was walking very stiffly and slowly. The kitten attacked him to play and he didn't do anything to put her in her place and just meowed to make her stop.

I called the vet and they said to take him in. He had a 104 fever and ear mites. They wanted to do X-rays and blood work but I couldn't afford it so they just gave him a saline IV, an antibiotic shot, and medicine for the mites, saying to take him back in if he isn't eating.

I just got home from work and the food is untouched. He tried to pee but nothing came out. I heated chicken broth to body temp but he would have none of it...what do I do? I don't know how long it's been since he's eaten and he won't ever eat wet food...I'm worried

 

[stephanietx]

I'd get him back to the vet and ask them to do a urinalysis and urine culture.  If you need to, get him to an ER vet now.  Sounds like he's got a blockage.

 

[hexiesfriend]

Yes please get him to the vet ASAP. Do you know if he's peed at all lately?

 

[littlelouie]

He peed this morning and they checked at the vet and there was no blockage. I got him to lick an egg white but not actually eat it.

 

[hexiesfriend]

That's good he's not blocked then. My cat had similar symptoms and he had a bacterial infection. This is what the blood work showed in him. The fluids and antibiotic handled it. It took my baby maybe a day to bounce back after treatment. He got the IV fluids so he should be ok until tomorrow. If he's not eating tomorrow I would call the vet.

 

[littlelouie]

Ok thank you so much. It just came on so suddenly I was at a loss. I locked him in the bedroom with egg whites mixed with chicken broth, water, and a litter box...mostly to give him a break from the kitten lol

 

[margarida]

I've given my cats some amoxicillin (1.0 dropper) & usually that helps them. I've also had to force feed them & give them water with a dropper.

 

[manemelissa]

Some people have better luck with offering their sick cat plain cooked chicken or baby food that's plain turkey/chicken. Just another option you can try if needed! Hopefully you won't need to try anything and your cat will feel good enough to eat tomorrow. Just don't forget to try and get some rest yourself! Good luck with your little one.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

JUST went through something very like this with my beloved Hekitty.  Took her in, scared to death.  It was pancreatitis, which I'm told is, thank God, far less painful in cats than in humans.  The medications were not too expensive, it was that blood work that cost over half my (admittedly very small) monthly income.  However, she made an uneventful recovery, barring two sub-cutaneous fluid treatments, pain meds, and an appetite enhancer to jumpstart her eating again.  She hadn't eaten for almost a week when I took her in, and I was terrified.

Best of luck with your sick baby.  I know the blood work is horribly expensive, but if you can beg, borrow, or...well...don't steal it...get it done.  It's the only way to be sure what is going on and how to fix it.

My next step, after repaying the kind neighbor who put the vet visit on his credit card, is to invest in pet health insurance.