Hello, my first post and I want to get straight to the point for some help, then I will give the back story.
Mittens (approximately 17 years old, neutered, FIV positive) has been to the vet a few times in the last month because he wouldn't eat much if at all and was losing weight (he was overweight 17 lbs, now 13lbs and super skinny) and X-Rays showed (last Thursday) that was very constipated, and was provided an enema. He has not had a standard bowel movement but has had a fair amount of wet "movements" but more of a seepage than diaharea. We have been syringe feeding him (but probably still not enough calories) but without him having a genuine BM yet I worry about balancing nutritional intake with exascerbating the problem. We do provide him Miralax every day as well. We gave him a warm bath that he seemed to relax and enjoy and massaged his belly a little bit and some gas came out and he continued to release some material but only one small, soft stool so far. He is purring again when I pet him (he is a prolfic purr-er normally, very content kitty). I understand with his age and FIV diagnosis he has already beat the odds but I still feel his ailments are treatable...I mean, constipation for Pete's sake! If we fix that I believe his appetite would likely improve, although I also think his teeth aren't as good as they used to be. All that said, even at the vets he has not shown distress, discomfort, anger, etc, (except after we have had to give him his blood pressure meds, antibiotics, and syringe food).
OK. The rest of the story.
He was a neighborhood cat when we lured him in back around 2014 (we believe he was abandoned). While he was still a neighborhood outdoor cat he was hit by a car (shaved a strip of fur clean off his back with NO blood...miracle). He was later bit by a snake. We finally got him fully into the house as we moved (I'm Army so we move fairly frequently). He went from skinny to "well fed" too much really.
In the last couple months he started losing weight steadily but not super rapidly, and I saw when he ate his dry food (he didn't really like wet food) he was leaving more "gravel/crumbs" in the bowl and therefore it seemed less was going in his belly (It didn't dawn on me but I think his teeth may be hurting).
About three weeks ago he had a couple episodes of vomiting bright yellow bile but it was only a couple times, I took him to a vet for some labs and testing and his labs showed slightly LOW liver reading but the vet wanted to keep an eye on it but didn't express concern. They gave him some antibiotics, subcutaneous fluids and an appetite enhancer. About a week later I came home from work and he was lying at the top of the stairs, a bit wobbly so I took him back the next morning and they gave him more fluids and a cortisone shot and some different higher calorie foods that he seemed to like a little bit but still was just nibbling in general. That night I came home and the wobbliness was worse then he started falling down and having mini "lock ups" similar to a seizure but not full on convulsions. We rushed him to the ER, short answer he had REALLY high blood pressure over 200. He had temporary blindness and hearing loss but once we put him two BP meds (I will get the names when I get home tonight) he began to recover. He now has hearing and vision, but was still wobbly and not eating enough so about a week and a half later (last week) we had an appointment for our primary vet but then they cancelled and I ended up, taking them back to the ER vet which is where they re-did the labs which showed some minor elevations / lower levels on a couple tests that again were worth monitoring but the big thing they found with the X-Rays is that he is constipated all the way back to his stomach with gas (why the original vet who did X-rays didn't see that or hopefully it wasn't there then and is a fairly new condition but it sure doesn't seem like it). They gave him an enema, more fluids, anti-biotics for his teeth (a little bit of gingivitis), pain medication. He came home that night and started over Thursday night through Saturday he was seeping fecal matter and fluids so it MAY have cleared him out and his belly doesn't feel nearly as "bloated" so I'm hoping he is clear now, but he only pooped once so far and we still syringe feed him.
ALSO, he has a white discharge from his left eye recently, though intermittently over the years he would get a weepy eye every so often.
Again, I know he may be near the end and has beaten the odds, but I can't help but believe it really is a simple fix and he can get back to a new normal. He is tired, lethargic, but not again, not in discomfort or any distress and is back to purring after his bath. I know when I'm constipated, I'm not hungry but once back to normal am good to go! LOL
ALSO, he does drink water and urinate regularly.
Any further home remedies, or assistance, observations, or anectdotes are appreciated (and prayers, or thoughts as you see fit).
Thank you.
Thank you in advance for any help
Mittens (approximately 17 years old, neutered, FIV positive) has been to the vet a few times in the last month because he wouldn't eat much if at all and was losing weight (he was overweight 17 lbs, now 13lbs and super skinny) and X-Rays showed (last Thursday) that was very constipated, and was provided an enema. He has not had a standard bowel movement but has had a fair amount of wet "movements" but more of a seepage than diaharea. We have been syringe feeding him (but probably still not enough calories) but without him having a genuine BM yet I worry about balancing nutritional intake with exascerbating the problem. We do provide him Miralax every day as well. We gave him a warm bath that he seemed to relax and enjoy and massaged his belly a little bit and some gas came out and he continued to release some material but only one small, soft stool so far. He is purring again when I pet him (he is a prolfic purr-er normally, very content kitty). I understand with his age and FIV diagnosis he has already beat the odds but I still feel his ailments are treatable...I mean, constipation for Pete's sake! If we fix that I believe his appetite would likely improve, although I also think his teeth aren't as good as they used to be. All that said, even at the vets he has not shown distress, discomfort, anger, etc, (except after we have had to give him his blood pressure meds, antibiotics, and syringe food).
OK. The rest of the story.
He was a neighborhood cat when we lured him in back around 2014 (we believe he was abandoned). While he was still a neighborhood outdoor cat he was hit by a car (shaved a strip of fur clean off his back with NO blood...miracle). He was later bit by a snake. We finally got him fully into the house as we moved (I'm Army so we move fairly frequently). He went from skinny to "well fed" too much really.
In the last couple months he started losing weight steadily but not super rapidly, and I saw when he ate his dry food (he didn't really like wet food) he was leaving more "gravel/crumbs" in the bowl and therefore it seemed less was going in his belly (It didn't dawn on me but I think his teeth may be hurting).
About three weeks ago he had a couple episodes of vomiting bright yellow bile but it was only a couple times, I took him to a vet for some labs and testing and his labs showed slightly LOW liver reading but the vet wanted to keep an eye on it but didn't express concern. They gave him some antibiotics, subcutaneous fluids and an appetite enhancer. About a week later I came home from work and he was lying at the top of the stairs, a bit wobbly so I took him back the next morning and they gave him more fluids and a cortisone shot and some different higher calorie foods that he seemed to like a little bit but still was just nibbling in general. That night I came home and the wobbliness was worse then he started falling down and having mini "lock ups" similar to a seizure but not full on convulsions. We rushed him to the ER, short answer he had REALLY high blood pressure over 200. He had temporary blindness and hearing loss but once we put him two BP meds (I will get the names when I get home tonight) he began to recover. He now has hearing and vision, but was still wobbly and not eating enough so about a week and a half later (last week) we had an appointment for our primary vet but then they cancelled and I ended up, taking them back to the ER vet which is where they re-did the labs which showed some minor elevations / lower levels on a couple tests that again were worth monitoring but the big thing they found with the X-Rays is that he is constipated all the way back to his stomach with gas (why the original vet who did X-rays didn't see that or hopefully it wasn't there then and is a fairly new condition but it sure doesn't seem like it). They gave him an enema, more fluids, anti-biotics for his teeth (a little bit of gingivitis), pain medication. He came home that night and started over Thursday night through Saturday he was seeping fecal matter and fluids so it MAY have cleared him out and his belly doesn't feel nearly as "bloated" so I'm hoping he is clear now, but he only pooped once so far and we still syringe feed him.
ALSO, he has a white discharge from his left eye recently, though intermittently over the years he would get a weepy eye every so often.
Again, I know he may be near the end and has beaten the odds, but I can't help but believe it really is a simple fix and he can get back to a new normal. He is tired, lethargic, but not again, not in discomfort or any distress and is back to purring after his bath. I know when I'm constipated, I'm not hungry but once back to normal am good to go! LOL
ALSO, he does drink water and urinate regularly.
Any further home remedies, or assistance, observations, or anectdotes are appreciated (and prayers, or thoughts as you see fit).
Thank you.
Thank you in advance for any help
although it turned out to be good that you did.
I do think that the vet probably still could have used a non Doppler machine and taken a series of readings on your little dude, since he seems like a friendly kitty. They could do it with him on your lap, which is how my primary vet took my cat's BP using a non Doppler machine.
and you're right they don't like it but it has to happen. In my Poppycat's situation I'm in between a rock and a hard place, because I chose the diet method of controlling his just diagnosed hyperthyroidism but he won't eat the food in his own, plus he's getting a supplement for his liver that he won't eat on his own. 
