New and need advice

[roxie]

If the vet was giving him fluids, he may be plenty hydrated for now and not have the desire to drink, especially since he's eating wet food also. But definitely keep tabs on that as the fluids get absorbed and start to wear off. I'm glad to hear he's eating so enthusiastically! It's my understanding that steroids may cause a bit of excitability/restlessness.

 

He has started drinking some water. I'm just not sure the clavamox is the antibiotic he needs to be taking. That's not the one they normally treat FIA with. Do you know of anything that he could eat that might help build his red blood cells up? There's so many things that are harmful to cats. I've been reading up on foods for people that help fight cancer, etc. I had a round with cancer in November so I want to do everything I can to keep it from coming back! I'm not sure if cats can eat vegetables. I know some cat foods have seaweed and garden greens in them. I don't want him to get down again. I don't think he would survive. He looks so skinny now. It's amazing how fast the weight can drop off when they get sick. Thanks for caring. He's such a sweet kitty.

 

[ldg]

I'm so glad he's home and feeling better! Having an appetite is great!!

A very healthy, calorie-packed treat is egg yolks. High protein, good fats for his health in them. To build up his blood, feed him chicken livers (which most cats love), or beef (or calves) liver. You can sear it lightly in unsalted butter for him. Serve it cut up into bite sized pieces, cooked less than you would cook it for a person. :nod: You can feed him a little bit as a treat every day.

An alternative is freeze dried liver treats. Most pet stores will carry this, though often in the dog section. Make sure they are just liver, nothing else. Just break them up into smaller pieces.

Cats are not just carnivores, they are obligate carnivores, so skip any veggies or fruits, their systems aren't designed to use them very well.

 

[dan32]

The vet can sell you Science Diet A/D which is a canned cat food for very ill kitties which is high calorie and very high in liver content.  My Kinney has decided he loves this stuff and even when the dish is placed on the floor, I can smell the liver content in it.  It smells like liver in wine sauce (LOL).  Of course there are a lot of cat foods with liver in them.  I am finding Kinney is gaining back about an ounce per day - so it takes some time to put that weight back on once lost.

 

[roxie]

Thank you. I didn't think about liver. It must have been because I've never tried to eat it! I can't get past the way it looks raw. I'll get some chicken livers tomorrow. Can I scramble the egg yolks? He would probably eat them that way. He's getting some of his old energy back. He was chasing his sister earlier and even played with a couple of toys. He didn't play very long and then he had to rest. That's understandable considering how sick he was.

 

[roxie]

Dan32
l bet that wet food is what the vet gave Oreo a few days before he died. He had quit eating anything. He had a lump that came up on his throat overnight. It grew so fast. The vet thought it was lymphoma, but said she had never saw it grow overnight. He was in the hospital for two or three days. It grew while he was there. I found the lump on a Thursday night and he was dead by the following Thursday. It was horrible. That was last September. I fed the wet food to the other cats. I wish it took me as long to put on weight as it's taking him! Thanks.

 

[roxie]

Thank you. I didn't think about liver. It must have been because I've never tried to eat it! I can't get past the way it looks raw. I'll get some chicken livers tomorrow. Can I scramble the egg yolks? He would probably eat them that way. He's getting some of his old energy back. He was chasing his sister earlier and even played with a couple of toys. He didn't play very long and then he had to rest. That's understandable considering how sick he was.

I'm so glad he's home and feeling better! Having an appetite is great!!

A very healthy, calorie-packed treat is egg yolks. High protein, good fats for his health in them. To build up his blood, feed him chicken livers (which most cats love), or beef (or calves) liver. You can sear it lightly in unsalted butter for him. Serve it cut up into bite sized pieces, cooked less than you would cook it for a person. :nod: You can feed him a little bit as a treat every day.

An alternative is freeze dried liver treats. Most pet stores will carry this, though often in the dog section. Make sure they are just liver, nothing else. Just break them up into smaller pieces.

Cats are not just carnivores, they are obligate carnivores, so skip any veggies or fruits, their systems aren't designed to use them very well.

I replied to you, it just didn't show your name. It's the post on the liver. Do I hit the quote and reply when I want to answer a post, or is there another way?

 

[roxie]

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• roxie
• Aug 12, 2013

This is Oreo. He's been gone almost a year now. I still miss him.

 

[dan32]

I've had my two brothers gone for four years and still miss them, but not as painfully now as at first.  They all have a special place in our hearts.

 

[ldg]

Basically you hit the quote and reply, but you have to start writing after the quote, or what you write gets included as part of the quote. :lol3: Some people reply inside the quote anyway, they just make what they typed bold or a different color so it's easier to see.

And yes, you can scramble the eggs. Or boil them. It doesn't matter - however he likes them and you're comfortable feeding him. Cats are fine with butter, though better if it's unsalted.

Same goes for the liver, if you can't find freeze dried liver treats (they're just like feeding smelly, dry cookies :lol3: ). It can be fried in unsalted butter. :nod: (It does stink as bad as it looks. ). He would only need a little bit a day of fresh (seared) liver. Too much will give him the runs or make him throw up. And when I say "little bit," I mean 1/4 ounce or so if you're going to give to him every day. Otherwise maybe half an ounce every 2 - 3 days.

I'm so glad he's chasing his sister and playing again! But yeah, he needs that rest. :heart2:

And I'm so sorry about Oreo. :heart2: Of course you miss him. They always hold a special place in our hearts.

 

[roxie]

Basically you hit the quote and reply, but you have to start writing after the quote, or what you write gets included as part of the quote. :lol3: Some people reply inside the quote anyway, they just make what they typed bold or a different color so it's easier to see.

And yes, you can scramble the eggs. Or boil them. It doesn't matter - however he likes them and you're comfortable feeding him. Cats are fine with butter, though better if it's unsalted.

Same goes for the liver, if you can't find freeze dried liver treats (they're just like feeding smelly, dry cookies :lol3: ). It can be fried in unsalted butter. :nod: (It does stink as bad as it looks. ). He would only need a little bit a day of fresh (seared) liver. Too much will give him the runs or make him throw up. And when I say "little bit," I mean 1/4 ounce or so if you're going to give to him every day. Otherwise maybe half an ounce every 2 - 3 days.

I'm so glad he's chasing his sister and playing again! But yeah, he needs that rest. :heart2:

And I'm so sorry about Oreo. :heart2: Of course you miss him. They always hold a special place in our hearts.

Thank you. I can't wait to smell that liver cooking! Lol Now I know why I never cared for it. The look of it kept me from trying it. Bubba is doing so much better. He's running, jumping and playing with his toys. I'm still paranoid and check him every few hours. I have six cats. I've been checking their gums on a daily basis for any sign of anemia. Four of them are easy to check because their gums are pink. My two oldest cats have black gums. Any idea how to tell if they get anemic? I really want to keep an eye on all of them. Maybe after Bubba has been healthy for a while I won't check them as often.

 

[ldg]

Do they have any pink on their paw pads? And I assume their noses are black, too? Those are really the only options: paws, noses, gums. And noses and paws aren't reliable, really, as when they nap, they have a kind of vasoconstriction that can make them look really pale. You have to check them after they've been playing or something. I remember freaking out about Tuxedo once because his nose was SO pale. We rushed to the vet, only to find his nose looking like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by the time we got there (from his heart pumping due to the car ride).

Running, playing, and jumping are GREAT!

Are you going to be taking him back to have his PCV (hematocrit) checked at any point? Just to see?

 

[roxie]

Do they have any pink on their paw pads? And I assume their noses are black, too? Those are really the only options: paws, noses, gums. And noses and paws aren't reliable, really, as when they nap, they have a kind of vasoconstriction that can make them look really pale. You have to check them after they've been playing or something. I remember freaking out about Tuxedo once because his nose was SO pale. We rushed to the vet, only to find his nose looking like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by the time we got there (from his heart pumping due to the car ride).

Running, playing, and jumping are GREAT!

Are you going to be taking him back to have his PCV (hematocrit) checked at any point? Just to see?

Rascal and Munchkin both have black paw pads and black gums. Rascal has a tiny spot of pink on his nose, but not enough to really tell if he's anemic. Maybe I'm just being paranoid because Bubba was so sick. I am going to take Bubba in this week and make sure his red cells are back where they're supposed to be. He seems to be doing great. Eating, drinking, running and playing. If he's stable enough I'm going to get his shots and get him neutered. He tested negative for feline leukemia so I definitely want to get that shot! My other cats were exposed when a stray (Oreo) came here and I adopted him. He got sick about a month later. I took him to the vet and he tested positive for it. Got the other cats vaccinated but the vet said if they already had it the shots wouldn't help. Oreo lived a little over 3 years here. He was in the hospital a couple of times with anemia and upper respiratory problems. Other than that he was fat and happy. He died of lymphoma most likely brought on by the leukemia. He had a knot come up on his neck and was dead exactly a week later. Vet couldn't save him. I had to have another one, Callie, put to sleep in march 2012. She had something going on with her brain. Started falling down a lot when she was walking. After she lost control of her bowels and bladder I knew it was time. Broke my heart but she didn't have much quality life. She also tested positive for leukemia. She would fight Oreo when he first showed up here. Sorry, I didn't mean to tell you my life story! I'm watching Rascal. If he shows even the tiniest sign of being sick we're going to the vet.

 

[susank521]

Wonderful news about Bubba! If he's indoors only take a little time with the neutering and vaccinations. They're important, but very stressful on his system. What fortunate kitties they are that their mom found you! I am so sorry about Oreo and Callie. 

 

[roxie]

Wonderful news about Bubba! If he's indoors only take a little time with the neutering and vaccinations. They're important, but very stressful on his system. What fortunate kitties they are that their mom found you! I am so sorry about Oreo and Callie. 

Thank you. Right now Bubba is indoors. He used to stay out a lot but I want to make sure he's totally well before I let him go back out. They have 45 acres to play on and we're nowhere near the road. Munchkin and Jasmine stay in about 95% of the time. The rest of them come in when they want to and go out when they want. Rascal will come in the front door and go out the back! Maybe I should get Bubba's shots first and wait a little longer on the neutering. You're right, it would be pretty stressful to do both at the same time.

 

[susank521]

Thank you. Right now Bubba is indoors. He used to stay out a lot but I want to make sure he's totally well before I let him go back out. They have 45 acres to play on and we're nowhere near the road. Munchkin and Jasmine stay in about 95% of the time. The rest of them come in when they want to and go out when they want. Rascal will come in the front door and go out the back! Maybe I should get Bubba's shots first and wait a little longer on the neutering. You're right, it would be pretty stressful to do both at the same time.

That's so funny, in one door and out the other! Probably just making sure that you still remember who is in charge and respond appropriately. 

 

[roxie]

That's so funny, in one door and out the other! Probably just making sure that you still remember who is in charge and respond appropriately. 

I think Rascal just likes to watch me get up. He doesn't want me to relax any. If I sit down on the couch he will jump up on the storage chest and look in the window. He scratches on the screen too. I'll get up and go to the door and open it. He just sits there and looks at me! Thank goodness the other five aren't like that.

 

[roxie]

That's so funny, in one door and out the other! Probably just making sure that you still remember who is in charge and respond appropriately. 

This is Rascal:

 

[roxie]

This is Rascal:

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• roxie
• Aug 20, 2013

 

[roxie]

Bubba is still doing well. The only problem is he's trying to mate with his sister. She's already been spayed. I don't know if something isn't right or what. Sometimes when she's sitting on the floor there will be a drop or two of blood. He doesn't bother my other two spayed females.

 

[roxie]

Bubba is doing great. No more problems. Hopefully there won't be anymore. Thank you all for the support.