Sick Cat Had Fever And Now He's Not Eating

[bodisha]

Hello... and thanks in advance for any assistance anyone can offer me

My cat was practically unresponsive last Friday & clearly sick.... so I took him to the emergency vet hospital... It turned out he had a 106+ temperature... They did some test but were unable to identify the infection causing it (We're still waiting on some tests)... After trying several antibiotics his fever broke and returned to a normal range (under 102) after a couple days and the Vet decided to let me take him home today

He seems to have gone thru an ordeal being sick... Just knowing my cat I'm also speculating he barely slept while he was at the vet's (It was a loud well lit ICU vet hospital with a lot of people and animals 24/7)... And when I got him home he staggered to the closest soft spot and basically crawled into it and passed out... and he's been sleeping in the same spot for basically for the last 6 hours

The hospital said he didn't eat anything till the morning they released him to me... And the last time I know he ate was Thursday morning... and then it was only a bit before he waked away... He heard me in the kitchen opening some food when I got him home and he came to investigate.... and I tried to tempt him with wet food... dry food... and treats.... Unfortunately he just walked away and didn't show any interest in food

I'm trying not to freak out and chalk things up to the fact he's just wrung out and wet noodle while he's still recovering... And I'm just letting him be him now that he's home... The doctor gave me something called "Cerenia" and said to give it to him if he doesn't eat.... I looked it up and it's an anti-nausea medication to keep dogs from vomiting... I'm going to call the vet tomorrow and ask about this medicine... But I'm honestly not thrilled with giving to him because it's for vomiting dogs and not cat's that won't eat (plus it's a HUGE pill for a cat)

Can anyone offer me any guidance or suggestions on how to get him to eat? He lost a fair deal of weight while he was at the Vet

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! I'm so sorry you're going through this!

Try something here:

try feeding in different locations - really, completely different, and utilize different heights. For example put a couple of books underneath the dish, next time use two thick phone books, or a small-ish box so the heights are varied....

Maybe there is something that might help here;

Sit with your cat and scoop some food on your finger or a spoon and hopefully your kitty will lick it. Or gently tuck some food inside the cheek.

(You might want to double-check with your vet just to be sure these things below are ok for your kitty).

Try some raw egg yolk. Egg white must always be cooked, and some people cook the white and make a slurry of sorts by adding in the raw yolk.

Also you could try some Nutri-cal or similar product.

Try making these recipes - they're just as viable for an adult cat;
Kitten-Rescue.com

These can be used on their own or combined with food. Also, as mentioned if you heat the food a little - stir it so there aren't any hot spots from the microwave.

Or you could heat some water, about a tablespoon, and add that to canned food. A small glass works to stir it all up.

• Chicken, beef or ham flavored (pureed) baby food such as Gerber Stage 2 - make sure there is no garlic or onions in the ingredients

• Tuna and/or the juice, a low mercury/low/no sodium brand is called SafeCatch

• Salmon, mackerel

• Sardines (make sure there are no bones)

• boiled cut up chicken or turkey with no seasonings

• canned kitten food any brand

• Try mixing in Kitten Milk Replacer - there are recipes on the internet or store bought

• Fish, tuna or BBQ flavored canned wet food (I personally have never seen BBQ flavors, but...)

• Lickable cat treats or pouch treat 'gravy' poured over the food

• kitten glop (recipes in website link above)
• Bonito flakes
• fortiflora
• fish oil
• green beans, asparagus mushed up, lettuce, applesauce, mashed chickpeas, black olives
• whipped topping such as reddiwhip
• dry pasta

• goat milk, or no lactose cow milk
• whole cooked eggs (the white must always be cooked) or raw egg yolk now and then
• broth with no salt and no garlic or onion or seasonings of any kind
• There are also commercial toppers, Applaws is a brand that can work well as a topper
  
• Some good treats would be freeze dried Purebites, Orijen, Meowtinis, Meowables, Only Natural Pet, Primal

• There are also Lickimats that you could spread types of soft food onto, even plain unflavored yogurt, and even freeze it. Licking something can help a cat to feel better emotionally The LickiMat - Food Puzzles for Cats
• shredded cheddar cheese, string cheese

 

[Hannah121]

Hello, I have come across this paste that was recommended to me from a very helpful
Person on this site. This paste will give all the nutrients your cat needs. I hope he gets better soon. You can find this on amazon or there is another gel similar to this. It kind of states everything you need help with. (Of course until his appetite is back)

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I also understood Cerenia in tablet form was for dogs only. There is an injectable version for cats, but I think that has to be administered by a vet. So, yeah to be on the safe side don't use Cerenia. (And, you might either look for a new vet, or at least ask them why they think it is OK for your cat - maybe research has changed vets' mindset on this.)

Here are a few articles on anti-nausea treatments, mostly natural remedies or over the counter meds. See if there are any in there you might be willing to try.

Home Remedies for Your Cat's Upset Stomach
5 Natural Remedies for an Upset Stomach in Pets
Anti-Nausea Medication for Cats