Fever care until I can see a vet?

msb88

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The Riggs saga has continued. We've had 2 PU surgeries, a cystotomy, two rounds of enemas, and 4 weeks in a catheter. The last 2.5 weeks have been rough with howling while in the litter, and the most obscene diarrhea i have ever witnessed. We have an appointment for Monday morning, because a second round of Veraflox didn't curb the litter howling. Vet hopes it's just resistant bacteria, but I came home tonight to a mostly unresponsive kitty. Picked him up and pressed around on his abdomen to check for a distended bladder, ended up accidentally expressing it and he peed a lot.

He then collapsed and his third eyelids made a showing so i grabbed the rectal thermometer: 103.2F. Left a message w/ my vet's emergency answering service, syringe hydrated and have a very light fan on the boy. He got up once to shoot out another stream of lava diarrhea and put him back on my bed to rest. He's a little more responsive now than before but clearly still struggling.

Anyone have experience on how to manage the fever until I can get to the vet tomorrow if necessary (for an emergency fee) or make it to monday?
 

Mamanyt1953

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EVERYTHING I managed to find on the fly here says that you are doing everything you can do at this point. Keep hydrating. That is probably the MOST critical thing, and if that fever goes up, steel yourself for the emergency fee, and take him in. If his breathing becomes labored, take him in. IF he should have a seizure, TAKE HIM IN! Meanwhile, keep hydrating and if he isn't peeing on his own, well, you know how to handle that now!

And please, please, let us know how he is!
 
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msb88

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Thank you for the prompt reply!! He's actually sleeping in a normal position now. Had some kind of moment that almost seemed like it might have been a seizure but turned out to be an attempt at urination he was too weak to stand up for. I held him up and he peed again and then took himself to the litterbox with surprising balance and poo'd again. I am really starting to wonder if it's some kind of intestinal/GI infection bc this diarrhea is absurd

Will definitely keep you guys updated!
 
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msb88

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I just re-took his temp (mind you this is a very cheap $1 rectal therm, so i have no idea how accurate it is) but it shows it having gone up to 104.1*F (and in the previous i mistyped, it was 103.4*F) Should I be doing a cold compress? I have no way of getting ahold of my vet and now 24 hour ones in my area.
 

FeebysOwner

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Are you using a child's electrolyte drink for hydration (e.g. unflavored Pedialyte - equal parts of it and water)? That will help him to maintain chemical imbalances brought on by the diarrhea and lack of eating (?). I have heard of using a cool compress on their armpit and groin area, as well as the belly can help some. Don't leave it on too long, and just make sure to dry the area afterward.

If you can, it would help to get him to eat a bit of something - perhaps baby food meats (no onions, etc.) and that can even be mixed with water to make a slurry if need be.
 

jefferd18

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I am going to say this- please take him to a vet- now. His temperature is reaching critical heights, to the point of brain damage, and he needs a shot of penicillin.
 
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msb88

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SO sorry for the delay everyone!

We peaked at 105 on Saturday night/Sunday morning, and by mid-day Sunday he had fallen to 99.2, vet told me to keep an eye and see if we could make it to Monday morning. We did, and 300 dollars later didn't have a ton of answers other than an extremely elevated white blood cell count (30,000) but his kidneys & other levels were really good.

We've had two PU surgeries so far and the vet was worried he might have strictured again but that was also not the case. They sent me home with 2 antibiotics & some metacam for his pain and we're seeing some improvements now. His Urinalysis comes back next week to see if we can't find what's causing this infection to just ligner (it could still be resistant bacteria)

But as of right now, he is okay. He's eating again, the diarrhea has mostly cleared, and we're not growling when we peepee.

Thank you all for your support and concern!!! <3
 

white shadow

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What a relief!

Just a heads-up about the Metacam. The 'rule of thumb' is that the least amount that can be given to adequately manage the pain, the better/best.

Metacam is a NSAID, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, similar in type to 'human' aspirin/advil etc. They work by reducing inflammation which thereby lessens any associated pain.

The problem with this class of drug is that cats are unique in their difficulty to metabolize them....the feline liver didn't evolve with the necessary enzymes, so processing them is much reduced and they move into the bloodstream to be excreted via the kidneys. And, THERE lies the problem, as they are toxic to the kidneys filtering tissues. They must be meticulously dosed (and safe dosages have been established), and they shouldn't be used in cats with compromised urine excretion. (because they will build up concentration, exceed safe levels in the bloodstream and then damage the kidneys)

It really is a great drug when accurately dosed and all the 'plumbing' is working....and, it will work on the inflammation that's sure to be present.

Pain control meds for cats are quite limited. Besides a couple of these NSAIDS, there are only opioids, and the least offensive of those is one that can cause urine retention - again, a great drug but one that could be problematic for Riggs.

If he were here, I'd be watching his urination like a hawk and stop the Metacam should his peeing reduce. I wouldn't have any hesitancy to ask the Vet to both double-check the dosing and assess whether it might be reduced to a minimum effective dose.

Do keep us posted......as you can see, folks were quite worried about that fever.
.
 

amandag1

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SO sorry for the delay everyone!

We peaked at 105 on Saturday night/Sunday morning, and by mid-day Sunday he had fallen to 99.2, vet told me to keep an eye and see if we could make it to Monday morning. We did, and 300 dollars later didn't have a ton of answers other than an extremely elevated white blood cell count (30,000) but his kidneys & other levels were really good.

We've had two PU surgeries so far and the vet was worried he might have strictured again but that was also not the case. They sent me home with 2 antibiotics & some metacam for his pain and we're seeing some improvements now. His Urinalysis comes back next week to see if we can't find what's causing this infection to just ligner (it could still be resistant bacteria)

But as of right now, he is okay. He's eating again, the diarrhea has mostly cleared, and we're not growling when we peepee.

Thank you all for your support and concern!!! <3
Really happy to hear this I hope he improves
 

jefferd18

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I am so happy!

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This is indeed good news and I am so grateful that you shared it with us. Please keep some antibotics on hand to help you through a weekend scare.
 

Mamanyt1953

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Late getting here, my eyes were dilated yesterday for an exam, and the computer screen HURT, but YES YES YES! We were so worried! Thank you for letting us know he's doing so much better!
 
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