Kitten Still Not Eating After Vet Stay

[dixianum]

Hey all. I'm a little worried about my 6 month old blind kitten after his 5 night stay at the vet. I took him there because he wasn't eating properly and kept pawing at his mouth as if trying to get something out of there. They informed me that they gave him an IV injection + antibiotic shots, prescribed Amoxicillin which is an antibiotic but I think it's not necessary for me to start giving that to him.

Ever since I brought him back yesterday he was very lethargic, won't even be able to stand (He also has swimmer back legs as a birth defect) so that made it worse for him, will cry in pain if carried, assuming because of the injections, got skinner too. He has slept for over 15 hours but when he woke up today, he urinated, then had diarrhea, and vomited a little bit. I'm relieved he finally drank water now but I don't know what I can do to make him eat, he still seems sluggish. He's making small progress, can walk on his own now but I really want to get him to eat.

Any advice is appreciated, thank you!

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

It sounds like he wasn't really ready to be released from the Vet if he's still so lethargic and even in pain. WHY did they release him? What did they say was wrong with him in the first place that he was there for 5 days? I understand why you took him there, but did they find any issues? Injections should not be causing him any pain that I can think of.

He could be having diarrhea and vomiting from the antibiotic, so you might want to give the Vet a call and see about that...WHY he's on it and if he needs it then possibly changing it to something else. They can also be effecting his appetite. If he's vomiting, naturally he won't want to eat, poor little guy . I'm a little concerned because if they gave him the antibiotic shot, I don't understand why then they would prescribe Amoxicillan, because that shot is good for 2 weeks! Seems like overkill to me. We really need a diagnosis here in order to help.

I would normally say you need to try to force feed him, but if he vomits it back up, I don't think that's such a good idea. Do you know if he was eating at the Vet's? You mentioned that he seems to have lost weight, that's why I ask. What kind of instructions did they give you? Did they give you any anti-emetics for him?

 

[dixianum]

It sounds like he wasn't really ready to be released from the Vet if he's still so lethargic and even in pain. WHY did they release him? What did they say was wrong with him in the first place that he was there for 5 days? I understand why you took him there, but did they find any issues? Injections should not be causing him any pain that I can think of.

He could be having diarrhea and vomiting from the antibiotic, so you might want to give the Vet a call and see about that...WHY he's on it and if he needs it then possibly changing it to something else. They can also be effecting his appetite. If he's vomiting, naturally he won't want to eat, poor little guy . I'm a little concerned because if they gave him the antibiotic shot, I don't understand why then they would prescribe Amoxicillan, because that shot is good for 2 weeks! Seems like overkill to me. We really need a diagnosis here in order to help.

I would normally say you need to try to force feed him, but if he vomits it back up, I don't think that's such a good idea. Do you know if he was eating at the Vet's? You mentioned that he seems to have lost weight, that's why I ask. What kind of instructions did they give you? Did they give you any anti-emetics for him?

Hello mrsgreenjeens,

Thanks so much for the fast reply! Reassured me a little bit.

I was wondering the same thing, they gave us calls every once in awhile saying he'd finally ate, they gave him some of those Royal Canin pouches but before that, they fed him milk which I think wasn't a good idea, should've asked me first.. But yes, he did eat there, maybe not so much.

Well, he was a bit swollen around the injected areas but it's starting to get better and he doesn't really cry anymore when carried which is a huge progress, he is now drinking LOTS of water, he even napped a bit beside the water bowl. He still naps everywhere.

The prescribed antibiotic, I did not give it to him at all, knew it was unneeded since they already injected him with it. Sadly they're the only decent vets in my area which is a bummer, I did not like the way they treated him, so I'm trying my best to monitor his every move.

They didn't inform me much since the actual vet wasn't around. I gave them a call a couple of hours ago and the guy working there said to feed him low fat milk which still sounds like BS to me.. I'm a bit new to force feeding, is there anything I can do to make it easier? Warm up his food perhaps?

Bless you for the help!

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

So you don't have a diagnosis? "m thinking it may be the milk that has given him the diarrhia

Can you get raw goats milk where you live? cows milk is not good for cats. Goats milk, on the other hand, is very good for them. Or even kitten milk replacement, which can be obtained in most pet food stores, would be fine. And it's got extra nutrients in it that should help.

For force feeding, here is a great video on it. Syringe Feeding Lucky Video/If your Cat is not eating Yes, you can warm the food, and use a syringe after you puree any food with liquid to make it soupy enough to draw up into the syringe. Maybe, though, if you buy the stinkiest wet cat food you can find (usually a fish flavor) and warm it up a bit, that will be enough to get his attention and he will eat it on his own.

 

[dixianum]

So you don't have a diagnosis? "m thinking it may be the milk that has given him the diarrhia

Can you get raw goats milk where you live? cows milk is not good for cats. Goats milk, on the other hand, is very good for them. Or even kitten milk replacement, which can be obtained in most pet food stores, would be fine. And it's got extra nutrients in it that should help.

For force feeding, here is a great video on it. Syringe Feeding Lucky Video/If your Cat is not eating Yes, you can warm the food, and use a syringe after you puree any food with liquid to make it soupy enough to draw up into the syringe. Maybe, though, if you buy the stinkiest wet cat food you can find (usually a fish flavor) and warm it up a bit, that will be enough to get his attention and he will eat it on his own.

It could be the milk, yes.
Sadly I don't have a way to get raw goats milk here, however the video you gave me on syringe feeding was very helpful and I actually got him to eat from it! And with that I finally noticed the problem that may have prevented him from eating on his own; His lower right canine is leaning to the front, seems to be moving, I think that's what made him do the pawing motion at his mouth all along, I'll try to see if I can take him to the vet soon to get it removed, is it a baby tooth about to fall out maybe? Thanks a lot!

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Could definitely be that he's teething! I would have thought that the Vet would have thought of that first thing though . If they kept him in the hospital for 5 days because he was teething, that's absurd. But normally it doesn't really bother them (the kittens) so much that they completely stop eating.

So glad he's accepting the force feeding well. That's wonderful news . OH, BTW, they sell goats milk at some regular grocery stores. Not sure where you live, but I've bought it before at my large chain grocery store.

 

[dixianum]

Just a quick update: His canine fell out, I noticed before syringe feeding him again today. I fed him a small amount of low-fat yogurt and after a few hours I fed him a bit of the gravy food pouch. He's still acting like a zombie, but still drinking plenty of water at least. I noticed along with his diarrhea which is getting a bit solid and that's good, but I saw a tiny bit of red with it, could it be blood? I'm worried about the little guy. Also is it alright if I bathe him for now? I don't want him to stink, feel like that bothers him.

I'm hesitant on whether I should take him to the vet still, I don't want them to hit him with another antibiotic shot, as this one is already making him act dead.. I do not trust them.

Thanks.

 

[dahli6]

I wouldn't bathe him because it could cause shock but you could wipe his fur with a wet washcloth(I picked this up from Chinese dramas but it can be effective still). Lukewarm water, wring the cloth to damp and wipe his fur, it might induce him to groom himself.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Or they do make cat wipes specifically for that issue. yogurt is good for the probiotics in it. Or you can even mix probiotics right into his food. I give my guys probiotics every single day (1/2 capsule morning and 1/2 capsule in the evening, but with a kitten I'd probably just give a total of 1/2 capsule to start, splitting between two meals), but after receiving antibiotics after a dental, one STILL got diarrhea and needed additional reinforcements, so I added FortiFlora. Do you have access to that? It worked like a charm.

You are right to be concerned about him getting another of those antibiotic shots. That may be part of his problem at this point. It can have side effects, and unfortunately, it stays in their system for up to 45 days .

It could be blood in the diarrhea, but if it's just a tiny bit, I don't think I'd be too concerned at this point. Keep a very close eye on it though. If it gets worse, he should be seen again for a fecal test to make sure he hasn't picked up some parasite or another

Hopefully now that his canine has fallen out, he'll start eating well on his own and start gaining weight and get back to normal

 

[dixianum]

I just cleaned up his fur a bit with a washcloth, thanks for the suggestion.

I put a bit more solid food in the syringe this time, was only liquid last time and he's accepting it quite good, which is good news!

Bad news is, I checked on his gums, they're very pale, could it be that he's anemic? I think it's a side effect from the antibiotic and it messed with his blood cells. And 45 days, damn... What are the usual treatments for anemia for cats? I think it's better for me to know so if I take him back there, I'll be aware of what they're about to do to him, can't risk them doing something stupid again. I hope it's not a parasite or something that infected him there, I'll tell them if they can do a fecal test.

Thank you all greatly for the help, I feel a little less confused and worried. Much love.

 

[dahli6]

That is anemia and dehydration.
The vet usually treats with blood transfusion.
My cat Rabbit was severely anemic from fleas(long story). My local ER won't even look at an animal without first getting a $100 deposit and I could not even afford it.
In my case, I treated the fleas and brought him inside. I wiped his fur several times a day with a wet cloth and he did groom. I got him a multi-vitamin paste and made him eat the recommended dosage twice a day. I gave him a teaspoon of pate food at a time in a dish and I was just really patient and calm. Rabbit has always been a skittish cat, an introvert, even as a kitten he would not socialize. I could not touch him until he was sick. By payday he was still anemic but he was eating full meals, drinking water, using the litterbox.

 

[dixianum]

I'm aware of that, I'm trying my best to keep him hydrated. I feed him canned food through the syringe and will make him drink more water through it as well. Even after his canine fell out he STILL does the licking/grinding motion with his mouth, I looked that up and it says dehydration could be the cause..
He doesn't have fleas, thankfully. I don't know what to do about this, and I don't think the vets in my area can even do a blood transfusion. I'm not getting support from the family, I'm not getting support from my parents, the pressure's all on me, I'm trying not to reach my breakpoint for the little dude, I just don't want to see him suffering like that. Looking at all that diarrhea and little to no progress is overwhelming.

 

[dahli6]

I do understand completely. I am and have been in the same boat. To make matters worse when i did take a cat to the vet they thought I was either lying or ignorant and purposely gave my cat the wrong medication which further injured her.
It is so hard to trust after having something like that happens.
Is he trying to eat or drink on his own at all?

 

[dixianum]

It's the same thing for me Dahli, they think I don't know what I'm talking about, the fact that he got worse after I brought him back from there says it all, he might've picked up something from there. I just looked up online reviews on another pet clinic in my area, one rated "1 star" said her cat caught a virus there, got jaundice/organ failure and her cat ended up dying. This is why I can't trust no vets around here, so I'm gonna look for a pet pharmacy to pick up whatever supplements/meds I need to help him regain his energy.. I'm thankful you understand my situation.

He does drink on his own, and when does, he drinks a lot which I think is a bit relieving. However he will never eat on his own, all this time since I brought him back I've been syringe feeding him.

 

[dahli6]

Can you get a multi-vitamin supplement paste? Because he hasn't been eating properly I guarantee you that he is anemic. Because he feels sick from the vitamin deficiency and the infection his appetite is poor. Even a small dose of multi-vitamin in addition to the food you are force feeding him might help.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

A blood transfusion is usually only necessary with they have severe anemia. Of course, you can't know how bad it is without a bloodtest . Here is a webpage on Anemia. Just click on the link from the left side column on treatments: Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Kidney Disease - All About Anaemia.

I thought the diarrhea was getting better...is it not? If not, then request a fecal float, but it means you will need to take in a stool sample to the Vet. You can put it in a plastic bag (double bag just in case). It should be either fresh, or refrigerate it.

Poor little guy...he's been thru the wringer, hasn't he?

 

[dixianum]

Final update: I finally got a number for a great vet, said we'd meet up today, but when I got up earlier at 10AM, I went to check on him and I noticed he wasn't moving, not breathing, just laying there dead. I'd just buried him, it's really heartbreaking that a vet can't do their job properly, I am not gonna be quiet about this, this is murder. At least I'm glad he's not suffering anymore, I tried feeding him yesterday but I noticed he'd reject the food, same with water, kind of like he knew his time will come.

I'm forever thankful for you both for helping me, you'd given me the hope at least, and I'm grateful for you taking the time of your day to help me out, it's very sweet. Thank you mrsgreenjeens and dahli6 for all the help.

 

[dahli6]

I am sorry it happened that way.
Your description of the little fellow...just know you added to his life.
Keep in touch with that vet because you are right, a good vet is hard to find.
I wish I could have done more. All I could offer was to make you feel less alone.

 

[DeweytheLion]

Dream peacefully, poor kitten.
I'm so very sorry for your loss. May you find peace in rest. You did him well!

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Oh no! I'm so, so sorry for your loss

Run free at the bridge, sweet boy