texasmama Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 Cat was not eating or drinking for 48 hours so I took her to the vet. All labs and tests were normal, but she has stomatitis. She received subQ fluids on Friday afternoon, a pill to increase appetite, a shot for pain/inflammation and a broad spectrum antibiotic shot. I have researched stomatitis and feel like I have a good understanding of it. The vet said her mouth actually didn't look terrible, but he did note the stomatitis. She is now peeing up a storm due to the fluids, but she will not eat. She refuses any of her favorite canned foods. She did drink some chicken broth last night, but she threw it up. I made a slurry in the blender of a can of cat food, a can of people salmon, some chicken I had cooked, chicken broth and water. I just wrapped her in a towel and syringe fed her three teaspoons of this mixture. It is a thick liquid. She didn't fight me too hard, and I was able to get it down her. I planned to do this twice a day until she is willing to eat if that seems reasonable. I am very concerned about her since she is not eating. I know she is hydrated due to the subQ fluids and is peeing like crazy, but those won't last forever, and I want her to take something by mouth so she doesn't end up in the sad state she was in before, dehydrated, lethargic and hiding. Am I doing the right thing? Help, please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheReader Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 Sounds like you are doing the right thing, yes. When we had a sick kitty, that's exactly what our vet had us do -- syringe feed him small amounts a few times a day. I hope your kitty friend gets well soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted March 16, 2014 Author Share Posted March 16, 2014 Oh, thanks! I've not dealt with a sick cat before so I am mostly going on instinct and treating her like a sick infant. The vet did not give great advice except to offer canned foods, though he was thorough and gave good information while we were there so I feel like I'm making this up as I go along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted March 16, 2014 Author Share Posted March 16, 2014 She did not get a Pepcid shot., I don't think. That was not mentioned by the vet, anyway. Stomatitis seems pretty nasty, and I feel sorry for her. She really cooperated pretty well with the syringe feeding, all things considered. I'm trying not to stress her too much, but the medical stuff and staying hydrated trumps a carefree life at this point. We have only had her for four months. She is an eight year old shelter kitty, but we all really love her. She is on my mind all the time, and I hope she can recover soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 I have had cats who needed to be syringe-fed, and I bought cans of Clinicare from the vet. (You might have to call around to find it or order it online. We were always able to get it after a few phone calls, even when we were traveling, so I think it's a common thing that many vets have in stock.) It comes in a blue and white can. Shake it really well before you use it. A cat can survive on 30cc a day, but obviously, more is better. If you were using it long-term as a complete liquid diet, you'd give your cat a whole can (7oz, I think!) per day, but that's a LOT of syringes. The stuff is nothing short of amazing and seems to be very good even when the cat has a very weak stomach. Start with just a few ccs at a time (literally a tiny squirt -- think drops, not spoonfuls) to get something into her stomach, and then give her a little bit more every few hours. Within a day or so, you should be able to increase the amounts you give. Eventually, I was giving one of my cats 2-3 syringes-full at a time, and he improved so much every day from when I started giving it to him. Anyway, I don't work for the Clinicare company, but I swear that this stuff worked for our cats when absolutely nothing else would. It's packed with nutrition and you'd have to feed your cat so much more of anything else to get anywhere near the amount of nutrients and calories. If you need any tips about syringe-feeding the Clinicare, please don't hesitate to ask. It's a liquid, so you don't want to squirt too much, too quickly, because you don't want to get it into your cat's lungs by accident. Slow and steady is the name of the game until she gets used to it. Give a tiny bit, let her swallow it, and then give a little more. I hope she will be OK! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sisyphus Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 Just keep doing what you are doing. Often when cats have an upset tummy they will become anorexic, it's like they forget to eat. When they start to feel better, they will eat on their own again, but often syringe feeding is necessary to get them over the hump until they recover. You are lucky your cat tolerates it well, I was in the er two months ago from a cat bite trying to nurse my 16 year old cat. I ended up having to put her at the vets for 3 days because even emaciated and sick, she was too difficult to medicate and feed. They sedated her and that worked. Dumb cat- I'm trying to save her life! She recovered and is her same old pissy self now, I recovered too. But be careful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted March 16, 2014 Author Share Posted March 16, 2014 Thank you for all of the advice, ladies. I appreciate it. Just want my girl to be okay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SebastianCat Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 I've done the same thing with a really sick cat, who had what the vet thought was pancreatitis. We even had the vet teach me how to administer subQ fluids so I could do it at home over a weekend rather than keep the cat in the hospital. I would definitely check with your vet on Monday if she's not feeling better, but if she is keeping down a syringe at a time, that's good news. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 Sounds like you are on the right track & doing well. I agree w/ plain meat baby food as already mentioned. You can always put a fingerful on the roof of kitty's mouth too & she will hopefully eat it that way. A vet once said something along the lines of sometimes when a cat is so sick, it almost forgets to eat. So, it's good to continue to get food in & hopefully they'll remember they want to eat when they're feeling a little better. Priming the pump, so to speak.... I've done subQ fluids at home too. It's good to know how to do it & generally easy enough to do at home. So, that's another option to investigate in case you need it. If she gets more fluids at the vet office next time you go, ask if they can show you how to administer them & then give you the rest of the fluid bag to take home. (Hanging it on the top hinge on a door is a fairly convenient place at home.) Pepcid is another good thing to ask about if she continues to have troubles. Hope she's feeling great very soon! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 Yes, keep doing it. If a cat goes much longer than 48 without food they can get liver problems, even with fluids. I agree with a previous poster that baby food is easier to syringe than cat food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted March 16, 2014 Author Share Posted March 16, 2014 Such good info. Thank you all. She kept down what I fed her earlier, so I just gave her some more. She is shockingly compliant, but she is just so meek and sweet like that. I will keep it up and hope and pray for the best. She is currently napping in my lap so she didn't even hold it against me. <heart> ETA: I picked up a powdered food supplement at Petsmart that looked like it had good ingredients and probiotics, in addition to plenty of protein. I added some of it to her slurry in the syringe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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