Our sick kitties are really worrying me

[Lobby]

Frankie seems to be over the "cold" finally. Soot hasn't had a bite to eat in almost 2 days now. He saw the vet yesterday. He seems hungry but nothing seems to interest him. I've tried every flavor of wet food we gave we have in the house. Even heating it did not interest him. The vet thinks he is so plugged up that the smell can't penetrate so no interest. He has lost a 1/4 of a lb already so I am worried. Jenni and I are considering putting some beef broth in a syringe and feeding him a little of this. If we do this I plan on adding a little cream to up the fat content so he will get more calories. I don't like the idea of force feeding him but he has had nothing for 2 days now.

Trouble wouldn't eat this morning either, great another one heading down this road. But she did just eat for me. I had to mix chicken and fish wet food, still no interest. Then I heated, nope. Then I added some of Stinker's dry food too it, no go. Finally I added some of the Iams kitten dry to it and then she ate the wet food and ignored the dry.Funny how she wouldn't touch it until I added the kitten dry food that she didn't want. Cats are so entertaining. Right now she is sitting in front of the monitor making typing this so much more fun!

 

[GG.]

You have had your hands full with them lately - I hope it turns around soon


sending prayers and healing energy for them

 

[Yoyo'sMom]

It's very important for cats to eat and going a couple of days could cause problems like Hepatic Lipidosis. Feline Hepatic Lipidosis - Fatty Liver Disease in Cats I don't know the status of your cats age, etc and I don't want to scare you.

It's true what your vet said, when they're really stuffed up they can't smell the food. I would take some wet food and water it down to a smooth consistency and slowly syringe feed.

 

[Lobby]

Soot is the youngest, he is just a little over 4 months old -- though how the shelter "knows" that I don't know since he was found in a chimney. I am just afraid of that being too solid to get him to drink it. I'm wondering what would do a better job of making a meat shake, food processor or the magic bullet? I guess we will see.

 

[Yoyo'sMom]

Since they're so young you probably don't have to worry hepatic Lip. but it's good to keep them hydrated and fed. You want to make the food kind the consistency that will go through a syringe. Not too watery. Go slow (you don't want them to aspirate) and put a little bit in the side of the kitties mouth. Let them swallow and then give it another try. Sometimes you'll find that most gets spit out but a little makes it down.

 

[Yoyo'sMom]

One other thing that would be good for them is Nutrical. I think they carry it at PetCo. It's a calorie and vitamin supplement. You put about 1/4" blob on you finger and plop it in their mouth.

Poor babies, hope they get better soon.

 

[Dana Lee]

When I worked as a vet tech we feed sick kitties chicken or lamb baby food with a syringe and some pedialite in a syringe so they would not dehydrate. I hope they get better soon

 

[Lobby]

It's very important for cats to eat and going a couple of days could cause problems like Hepatic Lipidosis. Feline Hepatic Lipidosis - Fatty Liver Disease in Cats I don't know the status of your cats age, etc and I don't want to scare you.

It's true what your vet said, when they're really stuffed up they can't smell the food. I would take some wet food and water it down to a smooth consistency and slowly syringe feed.

Great advice, thank you so much!!!!!!! I do think I made it too thin, but we gave Soot about 100ml or so and as soon as we were done ... he went over to the food he had just snubbed and started eating on HIS OWN! Exactly what I hopped would happen.

 

[GG.]

Wonderful progress Mark!

I am a great believer in nutrical and keep it on hand for my wild babies - if your pet store doesn't have it, try the feed store

 

[Cattoes7]

Baby food is good too. I have an elderly kitty (19!!!) who will go off his food sometimes and I can usually jumpstart his appetite with a little baby food - he likes the turkey one. My vet has also recommended babyfood when my cats have been sick and not eating right.

 

[Yoyo'sMom]

I'm glad your little one responded so well. Baby food is good too. Just make sure it doesn't contain onion/garlic powder as it's toxic to cats.

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

Are you kitties on an antibiotic or anything for their upper respiratory infection? Cats are especially susceptible to viruses, but once the virus starts a problem, then the bacteria over grow and really gum up the works. You can also wash their faces several times a day with a wet warm washcloth to help remove the buildup of mucous and open their nasal passages. Cats very easily get anorexia and sometimes need a goad to ge them to eat again. I often use chicken or turkey strained baby food and smear it on their noses and paws so they have to lick it off. The Nutrical is also a good thing to smear on paws.

I have a cat with severe pollen allergies and every spring and late autum, I have to give him liquid Benedryl to control is allergies. He weighs about fifteen pounds and get two drops of Benedryl on his tongue daily. On really bad days he gets it twice a day. Check with your vet. Oh, the stuff has to be plain Benedryl, cannot have advil or anything else in it.

Good luck with your kitties.

 

[Cattoes7]

Just remembered something my vet had me do years ago with one of my kitties who has allergies and was particularly congested--- she told me to bring him in the bathroom with me when I would shower and the steam helped him breath better. She also had me putting Little Noses saline drops in his nose too. The combination of the two things worked great. But.... Putting drops in a cat nose is no fun- might be easier with a kitten though.

 

[Birdiemarie]

Just seeing this thread. I'm glad you are seeing some improvement. Same thing happened to a couple of my kitties from a bad cold. After the vet saw them and hydrated them and gave them a shot he said to buy the smelliest soft food and hand feed them as well as hydrate them with a syringe throughout the day. Hope they feel better soon.

 

[Lobby]

Are you kitties on an antibiotic or anything for their upper respiratory infection? Cats are especially susceptible to viruses, but once the virus starts a problem, then the bacteria over grow and really gum up the works. You can also wash their faces several times a day with a wet warm washcloth to help remove the buildup of mucous and open their nasal passages. Cats very easily get anorexia and sometimes need a goad to ge them to eat again. I often use chicken or turkey strained baby food and smear it on their noses and paws so they have to lick it off. The Nutrical is also a good thing to smear on paws.

I have a cat with severe pollen allergies and every spring and late autum, I have to give him liquid Benedryl to control is allergies. He weighs about fifteen pounds and get two drops of Benedryl on his tongue daily. On really bad days he gets it twice a day. Check with your vet. Oh, the stuff has to be plain Benedryl, cannot have advil or anything else in it.

Good luck with your kitties.

Yes they are all on antibiotics. Soot is so full of mucus right now I'm calling him Snot. The poor little guy. He is starting to show signs of recover, just very slowly.