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- Jun 10, 2009
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My semi-feral kitty Pumpkin has not been herself. She no longer plays, she doesn't eat much, and she won't come up to the house anymore. Her fur looks all disheveled like she does not groom as much, and she is shedding a lot. Also, I watched her go last night, and it was just a bit of diarrhea.
background info:
Pumpkin is 5 years old, spayed, up to date on vaccinations, FeLV/FIV negative, dewormed, on flea prevention. Eats quality wet food. Always healthy at annual examinations until now.
I took her to the vet a few days ago, who said her gums are inflamed and she needs dental work, which is probably why she has been a really picky eater and does not eat as much. The vet did blood work to determine if she is healthy enough for anesthesia, then concluded she was not.
the blood work found:
dehydration (vet gave subcutaneous fluids for this)
high allergic response (Pumpkin scratches her head/face a lot)
low potassium
The vet thought it may just be the heat affecting her and encouraged me to call and schedule a dental when she feels better. However, I still don't know for sure what the problem is. I suspect her mouth is the reason for the decreased appetite, but I feel she needs to eat more to get better. I'm not sure what to do here. The positive thing is she does still come up to ask for food a few times a day, but she takes a few bites then loses interest. I am having some Fortiflora delivered on Monday to put on her food so she will hopefully eat more and have firmer stools. I was hoping to not have to make a return visit before the dental since she has to be trapped and it is a long and traumatic ride there, plus I'm scared I will not be able to afford the dental work if I keep racking up vet bils - it's been a hard month already with multiple visits for my FeLV+ indoor kitty.
It could be that she is upset about a new feral I TNR'd.. He has been taking over her territory, and he jumps on her to try to play, and she gets very scared. I am wondering if this is all psychological, as in the past she has taken these kinds of things very hard. She seems depressed to me.
I feel there are a lot of factors here, and I don't know what to think. The vet did not have a definite answer. Any thoughts on what I can do to make her feel better? And if I should try to just proceed with the dental she so badly needs? This all feels like a nightmare. I just want to see my baby running around again someday.
background info:
Pumpkin is 5 years old, spayed, up to date on vaccinations, FeLV/FIV negative, dewormed, on flea prevention. Eats quality wet food. Always healthy at annual examinations until now.
I took her to the vet a few days ago, who said her gums are inflamed and she needs dental work, which is probably why she has been a really picky eater and does not eat as much. The vet did blood work to determine if she is healthy enough for anesthesia, then concluded she was not.
the blood work found:
dehydration (vet gave subcutaneous fluids for this)
high allergic response (Pumpkin scratches her head/face a lot)
low potassium
The vet thought it may just be the heat affecting her and encouraged me to call and schedule a dental when she feels better. However, I still don't know for sure what the problem is. I suspect her mouth is the reason for the decreased appetite, but I feel she needs to eat more to get better. I'm not sure what to do here. The positive thing is she does still come up to ask for food a few times a day, but she takes a few bites then loses interest. I am having some Fortiflora delivered on Monday to put on her food so she will hopefully eat more and have firmer stools. I was hoping to not have to make a return visit before the dental since she has to be trapped and it is a long and traumatic ride there, plus I'm scared I will not be able to afford the dental work if I keep racking up vet bils - it's been a hard month already with multiple visits for my FeLV+ indoor kitty.
It could be that she is upset about a new feral I TNR'd.. He has been taking over her territory, and he jumps on her to try to play, and she gets very scared. I am wondering if this is all psychological, as in the past she has taken these kinds of things very hard. She seems depressed to me.
I feel there are a lot of factors here, and I don't know what to think. The vet did not have a definite answer. Any thoughts on what I can do to make her feel better? And if I should try to just proceed with the dental she so badly needs? This all feels like a nightmare. I just want to see my baby running around again someday.