Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a 10yr old male DHC named Idgie. He has always been an indoors cat and has always been full of energy and talkative. On the morning of the 11th of May he made his way into the kitchen but was walking with his head down and moving slowly. He didn't want anything to do with his treats that he usually got every morning. He has been VERY inactive since. I did take him to the vet on the same afternoon, blood tests showed minor elevations in kidney tests. He was given subcutanious fluids, which were slow to be taken in. He was also given a shot of cortizone. He showed no signs of cervical or muscular problems. He really hasn't eaten for the past couple of days.

Does anyone have any ideas what the problem might be, and what action I should take? It's killing me to see him just lie around.

Any ideas would be greatly welcomed.

Scott

Hi Yalebred! I sent you an email!

Hi Scott,

It sounds as if Idgie has something serious going on. By now he must be seriously dehydrated, and the fact that he hasn't eaten for days puts him at high risk for hepatic lipidosis, otherwise known as fatty liver disease. Once this disease develops, it can be fatal without treatment. All this on top of whatever caused Idgie to become ill in the first place.

It's impossible even for a vet to come to a conclusion without further diagnostics, but please get Idgie back to the vet immediately. What appears to be a slight elevation in kidney values may still indicate serious kidney disease if the urine is dilute. I personally would have the blood panel repeated, a CBC (complete blood count) done, a urinalysis done, and full body x-rays taken. If Idgie is seriously dehydrated he will probably need to be hospitalized on IV fluids. While hospitalized he would most likely need to be force-fed.

Take care, and please keep us updated on how Idgie is doing.
I'll keep him in my thoughts and prayers.

AshleyElla

Definitely stay in contact with the vet. If he has to get Sub-Q fluids from the vet to keep him hydrated while this is going on, it is a good idea. You can also get appetite stimulants from the vet (Cyproheptadine is a common one). That may help get his appetite back into gear. You can also get some very palatable wet cat food from the vet, Science Diet AD, that most cats are crazy for. It stimulates appetite due to smell, etc., and is packed with nutrients, specific for sick cats. If he won't eat on his own, get some syringes from the vet (without needles) and you can hand feed him. I water down the AD or plain chicken baby food just enough to suck up into a syringe without needle and squirt into the mouth, a little at a time. You can get a larger syringe to use for feeding than the smaller ones for medicating... Sit with the cat on the floor between your legs. Have the cat on the floor so his head is on one thigh and the body is curled around your inner legs (crotch). You can tilt the head with one hand on your leg and open the mouth and use the other hand with the syringe. Your free leg can gently go across the lower body to hold into place. Just inject slowly. Once they get a taste, it becomes easy...
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Tammy
Stanley and Pookey

If the wet works well, I also use the same position to feed a semi-moist like Tender Vittles when they start to get better in a couple days. You can pop them in like M&Ms. I feed every 6 hours the first day or so, small amounts. If you have to work, feed right before work, right after, and before bed.
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Tammy
Stanley and Pookey

Hi all, it's Scott, aka Yalebred. Just wanted to say thanks to all of you that offered suggestions to help. Idgie has been to the vet twice since Wednesday, was given Sub Q fluids, had more blood work done and it was discovered he did have slightly elevated kidney results, but no sugar problems. Since Friday I've gotten him to start eating, and I'm Very happy to say, he appears to be returning to his crazy self. He's eating more each day and drinking on his own and hasn't had the need for any Sub Q fluids since Friday. He is still resting a bit more than normal, but I find him following me around the house more and more.
Once we get him to start eating more regularly, we're going to introduce the Hills K/D formula food. He's been on Hill's since day one, or atleast since I've found him, which was Week 3...
But I just wanted to say thank you all for the ideas offered.
Thanks again,
Yalebred

Good to hear he is getting back to normal and eating on his own!
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Tammy
Stanley and Pookey

Was it ever pinpointed what caused his illness? It sounds like a poisoning ... Do or did you have any plants or cut flowers around the house he might have eaten? Or any insect spray, rat poison etc he might have gotten in to? You might want to investigate this angle to prevent this from happening again.

Good to hear he's on his way back!

Glad to hear he seems to be doing better. Best wishes to him and to you!
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Smile, it will make them wonder what you are up to!