You mentioned a convenia shot? My passed boy cat didn't do well with that antibiotic shot...usually take him a week to recover appetite. My girl only needs a few days.
Hi
See if something here helps, either in the two articles or in the many posts from members;
Any Good Tips To Get Your Cats To Eat? Share Them Here!
It's a good sign that Sassy is at least eating dry food.I'm actually holding off on the Mirataz for now. Little by litttle she been eating bit more and more dry food at least. Not so much wet food.
One thing I noticed is she hasn't slept AT ALL since coming back from the vet. Yes she seems so alert, but too awake. She just sits in her bed doesn't even try to sleep. Could that be from the IV and fluids given most of day today while at vet?
She had some good tips I wish I started with my cat(s) when they were younger, namely training them from an early age to be pilled and medicated easily so that when you need to give them medicine it's not a nightmare.These videos might be helpful, from 'Fundamentally Feline'.
What an amazing cat Sassy is.... But she has been all on her own. Vet thinks its great. He thinks the Vitamin B + IV fluids given maybe gave her that boost and energy to start eating again as she was sick. He sent me home with Cerenia and Buprinex liquid to give her daily for 4 days. But since I didnt even give her those meds and until now she still attempting to eat, vet said to hold off on those as well until as needed. And the mirtazapine to give her only as needed should she stop eating again. He didn't hear anything from radiologist yet about that possible mass under her trachea, but said the lack of eating or appetite issue could just simple be of old age.
So I don't know what really allowed Sassy to come thru a bit overnight and finally start eating a bit. I'd think the IV and nutrition given to her yesterday. But I also noticed she walks ALOT faster than even before she got sick. Whenever she'd follow me to my room after work from waiting at the door, she'd walk what I thought maybe a little slow, slower than her old pace, but thiis has been for months and I thought was from old age. But now she walks much quicker and without losing much balance. I wonder if these Vitamins were missing from her body? She just seems more agile again in which I haven't seen in such a long time. One thing I forgot to ask vet is if her blood work should get repeated to see at least if that Neutrophils had dropped from that 13,330 it was at? If so, that would ensure whatever infection she had is gone and maybe allowing her to eat again? not sure.
Very interesting. Did anything show up on the bloodwork then? My cat was like that at least for an entire day. Just refused to eat and slept in same position nearly on my bed the ENTIRE day. Couldnt even lift her head up or anything to move around, very very lethargic. I took her to the vet that afternoon and she had a fever. Thing is, they implied its either from an infection or inflammation. Her blood showed that high Neutrophils - 13,300! Which I read up meant some either some kind of infection or cancer. But as to what kind of infection till today, if it was that, I have no idea what it could have been. But thing is her fever was gone as of 2 days ago, probably because of that Convenia shot she got that 1st day.Cats never cease to amaze me. My oldest cat, Lucy, a Tortie and White lived to the grand old age of 23. She was a rescue and one night emergency foster which lasted 15 years. When she was 16, she went down with a terrible dose of cat 'flu. She was an indoor only cat. She spent 4 days and nights at our vets being given intravenous fluids. She refused to eat. We visited her every day and even took her own food bowls in for her. Still didn't eat. All she did was glare at me in only the way Torties can. Vet advised PTS but I said no that we'd take her home and see how she went. Vet agreed but on the proviso that should she deteriorate, we took her immediately back to do the needful.
Well, when we got home I let her out of the carrier in my bedroom and she immediately starting meowing for food. She ate like there was no tomorrow, purring her head off. Rang the vet and told him. He couldn't believe it. From then she recovered quickly. We wondered how she'd contracted cat 'flu as she was an indoor cat only and until then hadn't even had as much as a sniffle. He thought it was probably something she'd had as a kitten and had lain dormant until she was older. She had several more bouts of cat 'flu over the years and all we did was ring the vet for the prescription.
The lesson Lucy taught me was never write off a cat. They are simply the toughest and most resilient creatures on the planet.
Right so my vet told me today that it's ok I use Mirataz to help Sassy eat. At that point yes, she'd be influenced by that gel that may get her to eat. I say may as I have yet to try the full amount, and the lesser amount I tried Wednesday didn't have effect.I use the topical Mirataz and it works really well for my non-eater. If you use the directed amount, that is. My guy will practically kill for food when we use that 1.5 inches of the stuff.
I definitely recommend it over the pill form, as it doesn't seem to have the same side effects like the yowling, etc. Another thing you might try is offering her a different food right now. When my guys gets his Mirataz, he'll eat pretty much anything, but really goes for something different.
No, nothing showed up with the bloodwork except she was dehydrated and had a high temperature. She was on the drip for 3 days which rehydrated her and they put antibiotics through it as well. Lucy made a full recovery but the cat 'flu (and there are many different types) was something that recurred off and on for her remaining years. Usually lasted about 5 days. When she had the 'flu I also got Hills cans from the vet. I would mix some up with a little warm water and syringe fed her. A messy job but it got nourishment into her and also fluids. She was an amazing and very special cat. She was 23 when she finally passed, my oldest cat. We lost our second oldest 3 weeks ago. He was 22.Very interesting. Did anything show up on the bloodwork then? My cat was like that at least for an entire day. Just refused to eat and slept in same position nearly on my bed the ENTIRE day. Couldnt even lift her head up or anything to move around, very very lethargic. I took her to the vet that afternoon and she had a fever. Thing is, they implied its either from an infection or inflammation. Her blood showed that high Neutrophils - 13,300! Which I read up meant some either some kind of infection or cancer. But as to what kind of infection till today, if it was that, I have no idea what it could have been. But thing is her fever was gone as of 2 days ago, probably because of that Convenia shot she got that 1st day.
We only give it to our guy when his appetite wanes. Give it to him once and his appetite picks right up for several days,sometimes for a couple of weeks. And when we give it to him, he'll eat pretty much any wet food I present to him. Otherwise he is a very picky eater. He will NOT eat either Fancy Feast (any flavor or texture) or Friskies.Right so my vet told me today that it's ok I use Mirataz to help Sassy eat. At that point yes, she'd be influenced by that gel that may get her to eat. I say may as I have yet to try the full amount, and the lesser amount I tried Wednesday didn't have effect.
So you give Mirataz to your cat I guess daily or as needed? I know my Sassy is old nearing 20, but the sharp turnaround of either not eating, say if it was an infection. Now that she's attempting to eat on her own again, it kinda seems she might attribute all this other food she used to have days prior, got her sick or something so she might not be as interested anymore. So to your point, once I'd need the Mirataz, I should try to give her new food (though she seems to still now enjoying her old dry food at least...) . Just hard to try and find new foods now a days at my local grocery with shelves being always empty. Sassy only sticks with Friskies or Fancy Feast. Been like that her whole life. I suppose I could try different flavors.
I'm guess since she has been eating much more today and very frequent, I don't think shes nausea. And I haven't given her Cerenia just yet as vet told me to hold off if shes eating. And to use Mirataz when her appetite goes down again and that its safe. My other concern was, when I did put the gel, she was still sick so I placed it as she was laying in her bed. Shortly after that ear was flat up against the rim of the bed so wondered if she wiped some it off there. And we have to stay away from touching the cat for 2 hours?
Not sure what it could be either, miguel99nyc ....but it does sound like 'ataxia'....However, now the issue that seems to have gone backwards is her being stable as she walks. She seems to be again walking wobbly, losing balance as she turns, and now walks quite slowly to her water bowl or elsewhere around apartment. That's been biggest difference since she came home from vet to now her being sluggish and poor balance at times. Vet initially thought last week was because she wasn't eating at all so she wasn't strong or nutritioned well. Made sense. But now she IS eating normally. So I now wondered if its just the pain shot wearing off and shes back to being in pain somewhat? I plan to ask the vet tomorrow as they were closed entire weekend...and maybe it's her old age? But it still slightly concerning how she walks, especially after seeing her so energetic and lively the day brought her home from vet.
Still awaiting on call of the further evaluation of her xrays. But I guess for now importnat is she eating on her own. Only thing is aside form poor balance and slow walk, she would eat and go straight to sleep. She doesn't really walk around apartment and such. So not sure what it can be.
Hello and Thank you!Not sure what it could be either, miguel99nyc ....but it does sound like 'ataxia'.
What would cause it, I am not sure.
Perhaps it could be pain from discs, too.
**Can you video tape Sassy, walking about the apartment...
and especially try to videotape her 'eyes'...for any movements, or how her eyes focus, what she is looking at.
Do her eyes move from side to side, rapidly, or up or down.
This would help your Vet, in seeing the video, and perhaps determining,..if the loss of balance...is from pain, or from something vestibular, neurological, or even from a side effect of convenia, or other pain meds.
Hopefully, your Vet gets those x-ray reports back, and could then know if you can administer some sub-q fluids at home, too,...if they would help at all. Or even pain meds, if Sassy has arthritis or disc pain.
The difficult part is knowing what that shadow around the heart and trachea are,...and if any fluid is involved...so as not to give too much dosage of sub-q fluids,...in case there is any heart involvement.
Wishing you the best for your Sassy, and still so glad that she is eating.
She may be eating less amounts...and more often,...because of that 'mass' or whatever it is...around her trachea, if it's causing her to feel full faster,...but it's still amazing that she is eating, regardless of the more times, that she has to get up to eat.
That is so thankful that there is no actual mass, and it may just be due to head positioning.Here is finally the report for her xrays.
Thankfully it appears that shift in her trachea of being possible due to a mass isn't in due to any actual mass. There is some issues going on it seems in her spine/bones, perhaps that's explaining her slowing down again and hobbling?
Intestines seem to be ok thought suggest possibly inflammatory bowel disease. Wonder if that has any issues with her eating less this morning...but I don't think that would be on and off on its own without any meds. I had a cat previously before and he had to be on steroids I believe to combat it, but he would still eat though.
Maybe the infection was caused by 'gastroenteritis'...as mentioned on page 2 of the above report...and somehow that is what caused the initial fever, and Sassy to stop eating.I spoke to vet this morning, he thinks it's from the pain shes feeling why she's moving much less of late and hobbling. He thinks the pain shot she got might have helped her feel better temporarily, but this may be something I administer the buprinex liquid as needed he mentioned to help her feel better from pain.
I asked the vet why did she seem so restless upon coming home from clinic but he had no answer. He says if anything, the pain shot given to her should have made her sleepy. But she wasn't that clearly and she walked so gingerly around the apartment then. The next step he said would be to do an abdominal ultrasound. Though Not sure if it's worth at this point when she's been eating ok this past weekend, irrelevant to her slow walking and seeming lethargic a bit? It's just a mystery, how a fever/total stop of eating last week could align with these spinal issues. I wouldn't think they relate.
Any further feedback/thoughts would be greatly appreciated.