On shaky ground after hospital stay

[njg55]

My 14-year-old female was admitted to an emergency/specialty clinic for several days after my regular vet found that she had anemia and that her red blood cells weren't regenerating. She had also lost her appetite (and lost several pounds in the last few months or longer). She was discharged from the clinic earlier today because a red blood cell transfusion yesterday apparently got her system functioning more normally again, and she had resumed eating. We were sent home with several medications: metronidazole (antibiotic), prednisolone, Mirataz (appetite stimulant) and Cerenia (anti-vomiting), the last two only as-needed. While she has shown interest in dishes of dry and canned food, I'm not sure she's actually eating that much. I haven't isolated her, and I have two other cats, so I don't know exactly who's eating what, but I have repeatedly seen her approach a food dish then walk away without apparently eating any. She can't have another dose of the Mirataz until tomorrow morning (it's evening as I write). I have tried at least two varieties of canned food of one brand, which is what all three cats normally eat, and have two kinds of food in other brands (Science Diet and Royal Canin) that I've been occasionally offering to all the cats, since they were (surprise) being finicky. I can get to the store and buy something I wouldn't usually feed them just to see if the sick cat will eat it, but I'm concerned that she is already relapsing. There is an emergency clinic every close by that I could call or even take her to (it's the same vet chain as the facility where was hospitalized; she wan't at the nearby one because on the day she urgently needed medical care they didn't have a specialist on hand who could treat her (it's a small clinic). Am I overreacting? Should I wait until tomorrow morning, when she can have the appetite stimulant, and see how she's doing? I almost think they let her go home too early, since she had only eaten once before they decided to discharge her. I'm happy she's home, but less than 12 hours later I'm already on the verge of panic. She had a dose of the antibiotic and steroid a short time ago, as directed, since those are given twice a day. Any thoughts?

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

When was the last time she had the Cerenia? She may be nauseated and that's why she will walk up to the food but not eat. Also, it's possible the steroid will kick start her appetite...they usually do, so you might wait a little while longer to see if that happens. Since she ate once today, she should be ok to wait until tomorrow until she can have the Mirataz, and be sure to give her the full dosage of it if the Vet said to. I usually skimp on it because 1 1/2 inches is a lot, but it really does seem to work well.

Can you get your hands on some meat only baby food (no seasoning, onions or garlic)? You might try that. Most cats love it. Mine really only like the ham version, but it comes in chicken, turkey, ham and beef. Or really just try any new food to see how she reacts to it.

If her appetite continues to wane, let the Vet know, because sometimes medications can cause that issue and substitute meds may be needed.

 

[iPappy]

Does she act strong, or is she wobbly or stumbling? Poor thing, I hope she feels better soon.

 

[cmshap]

All I can offer is my story about Willy after he was neutered. It was when he was between age 1-2 (closer to 2)... I had to wait longer than normal because of other health complications.

He definitely had decreased appetite for several days after. Although he seemed to be in good spirits, and would play a little bit. He was eating some, but much less than normal.

At the point where I was worried enough to call the vet, one day he started inhaling his food again, which was always his normal practice.

 

[njg55]

She's acting mostly normal, it's mainly her appetite that I'm concerned about. After dinner, my husband minced some pieces of the lamb we'd had and gave them to her (we never feed her "people food," but since he had heard me talking about my concerns, he offered it to her just to see what happened). She ate some, and within the hour I happened to come across a small amount of vomit. With two other cats, I'm not certain it was her but suspect so. Ironically, about a week ago we set up a video monitor to see if we could determine which cat or cats was having diarrhea in the litter boxes. The camera should have caught whoever vomited, because it was on a mat between the two litter boxes; however, it must have been bumped out of position because we couldn't see that area of the room when we checked the feed. Corrected now. I also went to the store and bought some other kinds of food in what I hope is a healthy variety. I don't think I"ll try them on her tonight, though. It probably isn't the best idea to throw a bunch of different foods at her when she's been on lots of medication, is dealing with the stress of the stay at the clinic, long car rides, etc. I certainly will consider baby food if it looks like I need to try something else, and giving her a dose of Cerenia may be a good idea as well. All suggestions are appreciated.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

How is she today? Did you give her the Cerenia? Has she voluntarily eaten any of her food?

 

[njg55]

She seems better. She's active and has been eating, although in that a bite here and a bite there manner that cats often display. I kept her in one room with me with the door closed for most of the night and am reasonably certain she ate some of the food. She also ate some this morning and I just gave her more (trying a different flavor/brand) because she was hovering around seeming like she wanted something. She seemed to like it, and so did one of my other cats since I put a portion in a separate dish—and so does the golden retriever, who managed to sneak upstairs behind our backs and help himself to the fresh, tasty cat food, requiring me to open a second can for the felines! We gave Joy Cerenia, Mirataz, and the antibiotic this morning, and combined they probably helped. I feel more comfortable now that she is OK and no crisis is imminent, although it's clear from the clinical summary we received from the vet when Joy was discharged that she has some health issues that probably can't be "cured" but managed. Not at all unusual for a 13-year-old cat. She'll need a recheck on weight and blood cell levels in a few days, which can be done at my regular vet's office nearby and by clinicians I know well, so I'll be able to ask questions about both what's needed now and down the road.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Glad she is eating some now and seems to be feeling ok.

 

[Binxie]

Make sure she is not dehydrated, this can cause a loss of appetite among other things.