Hi there,
I recently moved from the US to Greece with my two 8-year-old cats. We have an uncertified vet here who's very good, but his treatment ability is limited (he doesn't have the facilities to do blood tests, for instance). We live on a little Greek island, which makes finding specialized treatment expensive. It costs about $150 just to get to and from a vet in Athens.
Anyway, four months after we arrived, one cat fell I'll with what appeared to be kidney failure, and we had to put her down. Now, the second cat is ill. She was lethargic, with dilated pupils, staring into space for hours. I took her to the vet here and he said she didn't have the symptoms of kidney or liver failure and that she had no fever. He started her on a course of injectable antibiotics, and she's perked up greatly. Her pupils are contracting again, and she's responsive to touch and sound--even a little cranky. She still doesn't like to be held, though she does purr if you pet her when she's on her towel, but she's not eating or drinking (the day before yesterday, she did eat and drink). The vet said she likely has an infection and that the antibiotics will help it clear up, but that the not eating and drinking is a problem. I've tried enticing her with all sorts of foods and finally syringed some water into her mouth (which she detested!). I even tried rubbing some wet food onto her paw in the hopes that she would lick it off, to no avail. Does anyone have any suggestions or any idea what may be wrong? Is this normal in any way? The vet says if she doesn't eat tomorrow, I'll have to take her into Athens, which will break the bank.
Thanks,
Jen
I recently moved from the US to Greece with my two 8-year-old cats. We have an uncertified vet here who's very good, but his treatment ability is limited (he doesn't have the facilities to do blood tests, for instance). We live on a little Greek island, which makes finding specialized treatment expensive. It costs about $150 just to get to and from a vet in Athens.
Anyway, four months after we arrived, one cat fell I'll with what appeared to be kidney failure, and we had to put her down. Now, the second cat is ill. She was lethargic, with dilated pupils, staring into space for hours. I took her to the vet here and he said she didn't have the symptoms of kidney or liver failure and that she had no fever. He started her on a course of injectable antibiotics, and she's perked up greatly. Her pupils are contracting again, and she's responsive to touch and sound--even a little cranky. She still doesn't like to be held, though she does purr if you pet her when she's on her towel, but she's not eating or drinking (the day before yesterday, she did eat and drink). The vet said she likely has an infection and that the antibiotics will help it clear up, but that the not eating and drinking is a problem. I've tried enticing her with all sorts of foods and finally syringed some water into her mouth (which she detested!). I even tried rubbing some wet food onto her paw in the hopes that she would lick it off, to no avail. Does anyone have any suggestions or any idea what may be wrong? Is this normal in any way? The vet says if she doesn't eat tomorrow, I'll have to take her into Athens, which will break the bank.
Thanks,
Jen