Re: Sassy - 19yr old (close to 20) - Not eating / Very Lethargic + losing balance

[FeebysOwner]

Depending on where you are located, it could be environmental allergies, especially since it just started and there is a lot of pollen in many areas. Her breathing rate is good.

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[miguel99nyc]

So I had the intent of taking her to vet after my dental appointment this morning. ANOTHER potential issue arose where she just seemed very tired/slow walking and wasn't as responsive and did not want to eat her 2nd meal this morning.

So she ate fine early this morning 5 am. Nothing seemed wrong. She then went to drink some water and then proceeded to remain awake and stood out in living room. Usually she does that - even before she gone blind - to wait for me to return after taking family to work early, so she can eat again afterwards at around7 am or so. And she has been as well recently. Today though, she was barely moving from her spot as I usually guide her to my room. she wanted to keep on sitting down. Eventually and very slowly we made it to room. I placed her bowl and she didnt even sniff it nor notice it as she always does. I tried making her sniff canned food but she just stood still. Tried making her get closer but she turned away and made her go to bed. But I touched her forehead and nose was rather warm/hot. So she then went to sleep.

It got me concerned as last year around May 2022, similar scenario happened where she didnt want to eat and barely climbed her steps to get to my bed to sleep. She looked sick then too. She slept all day and when I got home from work then, she was still on my bed and refusing to get up to eat or anything. She just looked out of it. Took her to another vet because...since Covid, our primary vet office basically closes by 3:30pm and I can't manage to bring her in due to my job. It's really stupid that they use that "COVID" excuse they close down early when they used to be open until 6:30pm or 7pm in the past. So back in May 2022 - I had no choice and used a backup vet. I think I posted on here too then. Long story short, she had a high fever (103 or 104) and was only given a Convenia injection I believe then. that was it. I contacted my primary vet day after and said oh - they don't see no antibiotic injection or anything that would have helped her. It was deemed some kind of inflammation/infection I believe.Then took her to primary vet as she still wasnt eating well - they made her stay for a day, gave her IV Fluids but that was it, then she came around shortly after and was on her way to recovery. Whether it was the Convenia shot from before or the fluids - not sure.

So today, I got home from dental and I noticed she was drinking water from her bowl, she ate some leftover dry food from her plate apparently. Then she proceeded to go out to living room and sit. And so since she was at least moving around, I decided to not take her to primary vet as she was moving around and had some food and drank water. Her nose seemed cold and wet then, wasn't warm. But now i plan to check her once I get home from work and try to feed her. If she refuses to eat then I know something is wrong and then WILL take her to that secondary vet as they are open late.

Question is. Is that true from primary vet saying last year Convenia wasn't the right injection to give for her fever/potential infection? I read up online and I see its primarily used for just skin infections or something but not systemic? Is there supposed to be another type of antibiotic injection to get her started - if it comes down to that and I should tell the secondary vet if Sassy does have fever or infection again? The other problem is after today, primary vet is closed until Thursday which is stupid as well Imo. But it is what it is. That's why I'd take sassy to secondary vet but I only question if that vet last year did the right thing or if it was the fluids and other shots my primary vet that made her feel better? Im posting the two invoices from back then - one from secondary vet that lists Convenia.

Thank You

 

[miguel99nyc]

Also managed to upload videos on Media Tab on this site.

20230306_213759.mp4

20230306_214705.mp4

Sassy - Breathing

 

[iPappy]

This is a very complicated situation well beyond what I know, but I hope Sassy is feeling good tonight. miguel99nyc you obviously care for her so much!
I'm not sure on the convenia, but I am pretty sure fluids did make her feel a bit better, my cats have gotten them before and it always helps them. Some vets will show you how to administer them at home. If the vet thinks she would benefit from having fluids when she looks like she's not feeling the best, you could always ask about that.

 

[fionasmom]

The problem with coughing is that it could be any of what you mentioned, although there would be some differences between a heart cough or allergies, for example. Determining what originates from might be something that your vet would have to help you with.

Given that Sassy is stressed by going to the vet, try to get some clear videos and see if your vet will look at them. If there are differences in the coughing from time to time, try to get as many variations as you can.

 

[miguel99nyc]

So I didn't end up taking Sassy to the vet earlier.

Following up from when I had gotten home briefly earlier today - midday and then going to work for few hours, then returning home around 5pm from work today. Sassy seemed to be her old self - in the sense of her waiting for me to get home, moving around, was actually drinking water as I got home, then went to my room as if she was hungry. Surely enough she ate, however similar issue came up of her cough/choking. In such similar fashion as it has been occurring totally randomly in the past days or so, she would eat a certain amount whether large amount or smaller amount (like today's case after work - smaller amount) she felt like she was either going to cough or something, she was licking her lips as she paused from eating, as if she was getting ready to cough or spit out. But no cough or spit or gagging, she just walked away from her plate and went to bed. Well drank water again after, then back to her bed. She then ate her 2nd meal, much larger amount 2 hours later as her typical, then went to sleep.

So not sure if she had a fever in morning as her head was very warm along with nose and didnt even want to sniff her food, to now seeming somewhat normal and at least eating - just noticing still the single bout of a cough or two here and there. But sometimes that cough would stop her from eating. Or if she doesnt spit out anything, she'll resume eating.

Very confusing her situation.

Has anyone seen the videos and notice her breathing? As one said, seems her rate is normal and isnt breathing fast, just seems a bit she breathes deeply. But i can't even tell if thats how shes been for all her life and such.

The lethargy adn lack of appetite in morning did concern me - reminiscense of last year's issue/infection and fever. But she seemed to be fine rest of day.

 

[miguel99nyc]

Ok so here's an update to this morning.

She seemed to have ate fine albeit be a little less...but here's why. And it has been recurring now at least once daily whenever she eats only.

As mentioned before, what I have noticed in the past week, aside from this breathing, is her cough issue. but along with that cough which just might be a single cough once a day (vet said nothing to worry about unless it was persistent), she been having this not sure what to call it - regurgitation/choking/spitting out of her food or saliva while she actually eats?

So like this morning, Gave her food. She was rather hungry and began to ate. I would say a minute or two in of eating, she'd pause form eating, start to like like her mouth quickly as if shes about to throw up or as if shes about to gag/throw up, then as I pull her bowl away quickly to avoid any mess potentially if she does spit out, she will like cough/gag once and then this sticky/gooey saliva like stuff along with like whatever she swallowed last will come out. This morning she spit out but the saliva was like thick enough that was like hanging to her mouth so I had to wipe it off. No blood or anything, just clear looking for most part and brownish as that is the beef gravy from her canned food she just ate mixed with saliva I'm assuming with a bit or two of the food she attempted to swallow - but she doesn't throw up her entire meal or anything. But it's almost like when us humans would cough out mucus/phlegm? Although her isn't phlegm I don't think as its mostly clear or the gravy. She just gets the urge to cough/gag whatever might bother in her throat or something or maybe it is regurgitation, and then sometimes she will spit out that gooey liquid and sometimes she wont. And when she doesn't, she'd resume eating but not too much. If she spits out like this morning, she'll walk away from bowl thus her not intaking her normal amount of food for that meal. She'd still clean her face and all after, and maybe even go drink water just fine as she loves drinking water after her meals. But this coughing/spitting up while she eats does worry me as its been consistent now at least once a day out of her though - 4-6 meals. It's not every meal either too which I don't get the randomness it affects her. Doesn't seem shes nauseous or anything as she does seem wanting to eat and does eat at first. Just as she eats, it will flare up. She doesn't cough out or spit other times while sitting/awake. Just when she eats now.

What could that be?n Some issue I'd assume with her esophagus? I can try to take a video later on since I'm sure it will flare up.

But even just moments ago, she coughed like twice during her sleep, then went back to sleep. Wasn't like a long bout of coughs either. I read up online - could that also be related to heart disease/failure? The last time I recall with her heart issues, was just a diagonsis of heart murmur but on xrays and all, nothing enlarged or anything. But this was last year in May.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Her breathing looks a bit 'exaggerated' in terms of the deepness of it, but the rate seems good. I am not sure what to say about the coughing. The drool associated with it could be congestion related. Since she doesn't do this with each meal, is there a specific one that she does it with? Like right after her longest nap? Or with a certain food?

I would do as suggested above and get some videos of her coughing and share them with the vet, along with any that you can get of the coughing/gagging issue with some of her meals. The vet may have some ideas when actually looking at/listening to them - a bit different than just having it described to them.

 

[miguel99nyc]

Her breathing looks a bit 'exaggerated' in terms of the deepness of it, but the rate seems good. I am not sure what to say about the coughing. The drool associated with it could be congestion related. Since she doesn't do this with each meal, is there a specific one that she does it with? Like right after her longest nap? Or with a certain food?

I would do as suggested above and get some videos of her coughing and share them with the vet, along with any that you can get of the coughing/gagging issue with some of her meals. The vet may have some ideas when actually looking at/listening to them - a bit different than just having it described to them.

I can surely try to send them over to vet. Thing is I have...But he didn't discuss it at all the breathing part. And this was his reply about the cough - "An occasional cough is nothing to worry about but persistent coughing should be investigated. Infection, inflammation or other lung diseases can all cause coughing. Please schedule an appointment with reception at your convenience."

As for coughing/drool/spit, its really a random meal. At first I thought was just her night time meals of the Prime Filets foods she eats. But this morning was with her fancy Feast gravy lovers, first time so far since this began to flare up a week ago. And even if its in nights, she'd eat maybe 3-4 meals of that Prime Filets, but it would be one of them. Or like in last weeks case, I saw the spit in her dry food bowl that I leave when I go work. Seems to be when she eats. I don't think it's anything with nap as it's really random.

One thing I have noticed though if it relates to anything, is her fancy feast dry food and how in the past week or so she hasn't been eating much of it as she was weeks prior. They are smaller bits than the Friskies, but yet she eats the friskies dry food with her with food just fine. As to why she began to eat less and less of her fancy feast dry food I couldn't make out why. She does eat it but so little of it, never finishes what I leave her overnight or when at work. But another example was, one overnight last week, I woke up to spit in her bowl too of dry food. But only has happened once over night. So its really random. I thought maybe dry food gets stuck in her throat. She doesn't seem to want to gag/spit or cough when she drinks water however.

 

[fionasmom]

I agree that the breathing looks "different" but not as if Sassy is in distress or gasping for air.

Can you get a video of the gagging and vomiting episode as was suggested? Even if you do take her into the vet as he wants, she is not going to do this in front of him. I would also keep (and maybe it is clearly in your head anyway) a careful record of when this happens and how, if that makes sense. Even if you think it is random, note anything else that has gone on that might play into this.

 

[miguel99nyc]

Ok so I just got back home from work an hour ago. Sassy was waiting for me and waiting to eat.

So I gave her food, she was eating right away as she was hungry. A minute or so into eating, it once again occurs. This time, it was like a cough/wheeze type - coughed about 5 times or so, then she looked for bowl resumed eating. Then as she ate bit more, she then paused, and was like licking her mouth quickly as if she was getting ready to spit out or something. I didn't manage to record that instant moment, however she then stopped eating and turned away from her bowl and resumed that licking of mouth and managed to record that. Just uploaded into my media - 20230308_172108.mp4

So this happened now in her last wet food meal (fancy feast) this morning at 7am, and now at around 515pm with her first dinner meal (friskies prime filets). She will at at least 2 more times, will see if it recurs then too.

But now it's becoming nearly every meal she has. Almost feels like its regurgitation but I have no idea. She doesn't seem nauseous or sick or else she wouldn't attempt to eat nor look normal as she eats from the start. Just midway she either wants to cough, spit out/throw up, or just resume eating if it isnt too much I guess coming back?

Let me know what think on the video.

 

[fionasmom]

This is really confusing. In most cases, I would have said mouth issues of some kind, but that does not explain the mucus or phlegm or what sounds like regurgitation. Second, it looks like nausea, but she returns to her food. Is she trying to eat very quickly when this happens?

Try to get a whole video if you can. Yes, it is hard and I have chased cats around the house with the iPhone as well, but you just can't count on your vet ever seeing this, even if you do take her in.

 

[FeebysOwner]

That video is one to keep unless, as mentioned above, you get one of the whole 'process' she goes through. You might end up with multiple videos to capture all of what she does.

It does seem to mimic a tooth/dental issue. Maybe she has a loose tooth that is causing all of her reactions? Or there is something going on with her tongue that you can't see?

 

[miguel99nyc]

@ fionasmom
Well that's the thing. She doesn't always return to her food as she'd hover over her bowl at first. If it gets to the point like in video, where shes doing that excessive licking, that's when she thinks she may throw up or spit and then walks away from her plate - she doesn't return. Only if the licking is very minimal, far less in duration like in video, she will resume eating. In that video's case, she walked away, didn't resume eating, but did go drink water from her water bowl just fine.

I don't think she eats very quickly? Seems to be the speed as she has been eating for as long as i could remember. Past reecent times or so, i thought she would choke on dry food as I put it to the side. And those chunks are big so sometimes she doesn't even chew the dry food cookie, just swallows it whole most of the times. But its then when i thought maybe she choked or got stuck in throat and so she'd try to cough or spit it out. Usually then too she resumes eating as well. But now seems to be even with wet food as it was in 2 cases today so far. I thought with nausea she wouldn't even want to attempt to eat? Before when she would get nausea from some stomach illness, she wouldn't go near food. She's been know to have stomach issues like that in the past - and I'd make posts on here often about her not eating suddenly or diminished appetite.

@ FeebysOwner
Well, tooth may also align with that abscess she has on her cheek? Still hasn't gone away yet - got to make sure I apply the Animax i got. But it definitely get any larger or worse. Remains the same, just that little tiny mass on her cheek. If dental issue, thought she wouldnt be able to chew or even attempt to eat as well?

The good news is she just woke up and ate again as she didnt have her full initial meal an hour ago or so due to that cough/regurgitation issue. This time I managed to record 7 videos, all about 15 seconds long to keep it small sized video. And this time she ate completely fine. No cough or licking or wanting to throw up or spit up. even ate dry food too just fine and bit into it. Will have videos uploaded in about 10 minutes. But these videos will just show her eating normally - same pace as she tried to eat initially when she had that issue an hour ago.

 

[fionasmom]

Is the wet food in large chunks? Can you cut it into smaller pieces? I know that this is reaching for something, but it is very perplexing.

 

[miguel99nyc]

Well it is the Prime Filets, so they are a little chunky. But to that point, I have been cutting them up for at least a year now because I noticed, if they are too big, she will just lick the gravy. So I cut them as small bits as I can in the can itself, then put into her bowl. So as she licks, I guess she swallows it? I don't really see her chewing, and haven't seen her chew over the past year or so. But sometimes I wonder if a bit does get stuck or something and that makes her want to throw up?

But it all seems just odd and somewhat coincidental, this gagging/throwing up sensation has been becoming a daily thing just as her minor episodes of cough as well along with that abscess on her skin. It truly is perplexing.

If it is a dental thing, as my vet told me last week, he wouldn't recommend any dental work as mentioned in previous post because of the anasthesia required and he thinks its far too risky to make her go through that given her age and health issues. So I agreed. But I don't think she's in much tooth pain either otherwise she wouldnt attempt to eat I think or at least try to bite into her friskies dry food at times.

 

[miguel99nyc]

Here is the new album I posted. I labeled it 1-7, 1 being the begining and 7 ending with her going to bed.

Sassy Eating Sequence

 

[miguel99nyc]

Ok she just attempted to eat yet again - another hour or so later. She was eating fine, and as she was nearing being done eating, she took one dry cookie, and thats when it seemed she couldn't swallow or something. I took videos. will make new album shortly.

Maybe dry food is just too large for her to swallow?

 

[FeebysOwner]

I didn't see much of anything in those videos, tbh. But I did notice two things that probably have nothing to do with anything - her dish is pretty deep/narrow, meaning she is likely rubbing her whiskers against the sides of the dish. Also, you don't have the dish elevated so that she doesn't have to lean over so much. Are these things you've tried to change for her before and it didn't work? I am not saying it means anything about her more recent coughing/gagging, but I guess you never know.

 

[miguel99nyc]

Well right, she ate normally that meal just fine with no issues. However, just now she tried eating again and the issue arose - simply after taking in one dry cookie bit - seemed like she was gonna spit it out but didnt. Currently uploading these videos in new album.

These bowls are elevated - or so I thought it was enough. Should I raise it higher? Never really thought of that.