showing odd symptoms please help

[ms688]

an outside cat which we have been caring for over the last 9 years, he lives outside but sleeps inside a shelter we have built and during bad witner/summer storms, went missing for 6 days this last week. he has done this before and been okay, but he showed up quite worse for the wear, we've kept him locked in a kennel since but he's displaying very odd symptoms

other than being weak & thin, his throat seems sore or hurt, he cannot meow very loud, and he often acts as if he is choking on phlegm and struggles to spit up while pawing at the air, he isnt drinking much but he is eating a lot of wet/canned food which we've put propolis and extra water inside of. it's the gagging that is so unusual and concerning, we don't have a vet with an opening for many days, does anyone have advice or thoughts?

 

[iPappy]

I'm so sorry he's having such a rough time, but I'm glad he's back home and it's very good that you're keeping him confined so you can watch him.
Are the gagging/choking episodes randomly happening throughout the day, or does he struggle to eat or drink?
If you can get an appointment with the vet, that would definitely be best. Until then, could you record these episodes so the vet can see them, as well as decide if he's improving or getting worse from now until he has an appointment?

 

[ms688]

I'm so sorry he's having such a rough time, but I'm glad he's back home and it's very good that you're keeping him confined so you can watch him.
Are the gagging/choking episodes randomly happening throughout the day, or does he struggle to eat or drink?
If you can get an appointment with the vet, that would definitely be best. Until then, could you record these episodes so the vet can see them, as well as decide if he's improving or getting worse from now until he has an appointment?

I am wondering if he has a tooth or ear problem? One side of his face is a bit swollen i've noticed, but he doesnt mind me rubbing it and it doesn't feel fluid filled, but the ear on the same side is definitely leaking something wet. i dont notice any foul oder, but ive been careful to sanitize everytime i touch him and keep other cats far away. the gagging happens when he wakes up and sometimes when he eats but not every time, its a very odd behavior, almost a cough sometimes

 

[iPappy]

Have you checked him very thoroughly for any bite wounds around his neck/face/shoulder area?

 

[ms688]

Have you checked him very thoroughly for any bite wounds around his neck/face/shoulder area?

I've felt him pretty thouroughly and cleaned all the cuts on his face, if there are any (he has had them before) it's too swollen to see them. usually when he gets in scrapes we give him propolis and several days of recovery, and this definitely isnt the worst thing he has had happen, a snake bite (non venomous) on his throat once burst open leaving a giant wound of almost 5inches exposed insides, and he recovered right as rain with a good vet reccomended homeopathic treatment (we lived far away from vets at that time, and he is impossible to get in a car)

but he's older now and just seems weaker than i recall.

currently hoping to get him to a vet on thursday or friday if they get an opening

i have spare pain meds from when our other cats were fixed and they didn't end up needing them, it's sorely tempting to let him have some relief but I don't know what's going on with him yet so I might wait. (it's a 5lb and up pain management pill, onsior or something I think??)

 

[lisahe]

Two things: yes, the swelling could be from a broken tooth. They swell fast and can make an eye water too. And the gagging/coughing sound could be lots of things, including parasites or lung cancer. One of our cats has had a similar sort of thing going on... If you have slippery elm bark and he will drink some SEB syrup that might sootge his throat. I hope you are able figure somethong out soon to make him more comfortable. Do you happen to have an urgent care clinic nearby? The one where I am is surprisingly reasonably priced.

 

[ms688]

I don't have any near me, ours closed down last year. what format and dosage of SEB would you rec?

 

[silent meowlook]

Definitely do not give him the Onsior. You don’t want to give that to a compromised cat.

He may have been hit by a car or been shaken by a dog. He may have trauma to the chest and lungs. He really needs a vet sooner than later. Can you drive out to an urgent care? When you made the appointment with your vet, did you state this is an emergency?

 

[ms688]

Definitely do not give him the Onsior. You don’t want to give that to a compromised cat.

He may have been hit by a car or been shaken by a dog. He may have trauma to the chest and lungs. He really needs a vet sooner than later. Can you drive out to an urgent care? When you made the appointment with your vet, did you state this is an emergency?

noted, thank you!

he only has the episodes when he tries to meow that ive seen, he paws at his mouth and grins his teeth so i definitely think its something impacted or infected or the like. he purrs when i rub around the area but is very much lethargic otherwise. he is eating though not tons, and only wet food, he hasn't really drank much at all but ive put a lot of water into his food.

i feel awful i startled him just a bit ago because he was sleeping so deep i was afraid he had passed, and he ended up gagging/choking and struggling to paw at his face for like 2-3 minutes then he calmed down, ate a tiny bit when i offered it, and then laid back down to sleep. he is peeing and pooing fine, and walks fine, loves to be pet and cuddled.

there is now distinctly a pus-y smell around his face too

our vet is a very small country clinic and they are trying to make spots for him but simply don't have any room with their limited staff, and i dont know of any urgent cares that take animals near me, and the nearest pet emergency hospital is over 90 miles away

 

[lisahe]

I don't have any near me, ours closed down last year. what format and dosage of SEB would you rec?

How awful that the urgent care clinic closed down!

As for SEB, here's Dr. Jean Hofve on SEB.

Slippery Elm | Little Big Cat - Dr. Jean Hofve

Updated 1/2/24 Slippery elm bark is an amazing herb, and unlike many plants, it is extremely safe for cats! Caution: As you may know, it is potentially dangerous to give herbs to pets, especially cats. Many people commonly extrapolate a dose of herbs by using the pet’s weight compared to the...

littlebigcat.com

There's a recipe toward the bottom of the page. (I use only 1/2 teaspoon of SEB powder to 1 cup of water when I make syrup since I use it regularly and don' want to over-elm the cat!)

What S silent meowlook says about the possibility of an accident makes sense given the odd gagging/coughing. I hope your vet will find a way to see your cat soon!

 

[ms688]

thank you so much for the info and I am still calling around trying to find anyone who might take us! i will let everyone know how he does. the SEB will be here tomorrow

 

[lisahe]

thank you so much for the info and I am still calling around trying to find anyone who might take us! i will let everyone know how he does. the SEB will be here tomorrow

Thank you for checking in, I was just wondering how he's doing! Fingers crossed that you can find someone to see him and get him treated! I hope he'll eat the SEB; I feed it with some treats. Or syringe it for the other cat sometimes but that might not be an option for you.

 

[ms688]

tonight i found the wound in his ear and it was quite pungent and nasty, i cleaned it thoroughly, which kitty liked, and afterward he ate his food and propolis quite happily (he also had a big poop and a couple pees and drank on his own!!!) I am hopeful he's on the mend. his SEB will be here in the morning, and I will update as we go until we can get to a vet. thank you both for commenting

 

[lisahe]

tonight i found the wound in his ear and it was quite pungent and nasty, i cleaned it thoroughly, which kitty liked, and afterward he ate his food and propolis quite happily (he also had a big poop and a couple pees and drank on his own!!!) I am hopeful he's on the mend. his SEB will be here in the morning, and I will update as we go until we can get to a vet. thank you both for commenting

I'm very happy to hear that you were able to find (and even clean!) the wound, that's fantastic. It sounds like he's very grateful for your excellent care. Fingers crossed that you're able to get some SEB into him... and able to get him to a vet. He's lucky to be with you.

 

[ms688]

just gave him some food with the SEB syrup and he ate almost half the bowl with a good bit in there! im hoping he will start feeling much better soon and able to eat more. will keep all updated

 

[Furballsmom]

 

[iPappy]

just gave him some food with the SEB syrup and he ate almost half the bowl with a good bit in there! im hoping he will start feeling much better soon and able to eat more. will keep all updated

Keep a close eye on that ear wound until the vet can see it. You might take a photo of it now, so when you see the vet they can look to see how bad it was vs. how it looks on the day of the appointment and help them decide what the best treatment would be. I'm sure he's very happy that you're watching out for him.

 

[lisahe]

just gave him some food with the SEB syrup and he ate almost half the bowl with a good bit in there! im hoping he will start feeling much better soon and able to eat more. will keep all updated

I'm so glad to hear this! It's great that he's even eating.

And I love iPappy 's thought about taking a photo of the ear wound.

 

[ms688]

after 2 doses of SEB he spit up a bunch of white mucus that was kinda in gross sticky string, after that he ate TWO bowls of food, walked around purring and can MEOW!!! he's also trying to get the other cats to play with him through his kennel, I think he's going to pull through!! thank you so much everyone for the support and advice lisahe ty you especially <3

 

[lisahe]

after 2 doses of SEB he spit up a bunch of white mucus that was kinda in gross sticky string, after that he ate TWO bowls of food, walked around purring and can MEOW!!! he's also trying to get the other cats to play with him through his kennel, I think he's going to pull through!! thank you so much everyone for the support and advice lisahe ty you especially <3

I'm so glad to hear this, especially that he's eating so well adn trying to get the other cats to play. I'm sure all your attention to him -- particularly cleaning out the ear and doting on him, and insisting he eat -- is what brought him around. I'm glad you were able to add on the SEB. It really seems to soothe a lot of what can hurt. (I've even tried it myself, for an upset stomach, it's wonderful stuff!)

Fingers crossed that he continues to improve.