Not a vet, but a veterinary technician. Davet here is the vet.
Let us know how the vet visit goes....
How long before I worry about Bax being dehydrated?
Re: How long before I worry about Bax being dehydrated?
..........Traci
Well it went ok I guess. Doc gave me a vareity of stuff including Lysine Gel, doxycycline Susp., and Chlorpheniramine.. He also did a stain thing in both of his eyes to make sure there were no sores developing. To be honest with you I'm not sure exactly what the diagnosis was because I am very sick myself and was quite out of it in the office just trying to keep my eyes open but my gf was there to oversee everything. I do remember hearing him mention something about it could be herpes and or chlamidia, and he mentioned that the roof of Baxters mouth was raw near the back and also around his back teeth.. Stomitistus or something like that? He said if the antibiotic did not clear that up that he would have to be put under and something done about it. He said that all of the stress from the past week could have triggered any of these things so he wants to hear from me in 3 days to see if it is clearing up or if we are going to go another route. He said the URI should be no problem to clear up.. he was more concerned about his mouth because he said that could interfere with his eating and what not. He does not seem to bother him when he eats now so hopefully we caught it soon enough. He just got all 3 of his meds and took them like a champ with no foaming or anything like he said might happen. I am about to go take a nap myself as I can hardly hold my head up. What do you guys think about all this? Thanks!
I forgot to mention that we will have to go back for a teen cleaning and I'm going to start having to brush them at home too.. Is there something I can pickup at the store to do this or is something prescribed after the cleaning?
I forgot to mention that we will have to go back for a teen cleaning and I'm going to start having to brush them at home too.. Is there something I can pickup at the store to do this or is something prescribed after the cleaning?
- Mike
Re: How long before I worry about Bax being dehydrated?
Ugghhh! Was this your regular vet? What the heck did he prescribe Chlorpheniramine for? This is an antihistamine! Did he say he prescribed it as an appetite enhancer? If not, there's no reason it should have been prescribed. It MAY make Baxter drowsy, or it could even cause nervousness effects.
He had better be ruling out calicivirus as well as chlamydia. Calicivirus is easily spread in the environment and he could have picked this up from the prior vet visits. Calicivirus should be treated specifically because it can worsen without appropriate treatment, causing ulcerations, anorexia, painful mouth/throat/esophagus etc. A swab sample taken, sent for a western blot test can rule in or out calicivirus/chlamydia.
It's possible that herpesvirus is present, but herpesvirus rarely causes oral ulcers. Please, ask the vet to rule out calicivirus/chlamydia ASAP.
Stomatitis is an infection and inflammation within the mouth, due to excess bacteria/inflammation or diseased teeth. It might be specific or could be due to an immunological problem (the latter rare, unless there is an FELV virus infection or other viral infection)
Don't invest in any dental things yet...the vet needs to determine the extent of any teeth damage, perform a dental for more observation and will recommend post-treatment or preventative treatment at that time if it is even necessary.
If it was your regular vet who you saw today, I would at least call the ER vet you last saw and see if he agrees with the current treatment approach, and tell them no diagnostics were done to confirm anything. Ask also about the chlorpheniramine, I don't think it's use is warranted at this point, just my opinion.
He had better be ruling out calicivirus as well as chlamydia. Calicivirus is easily spread in the environment and he could have picked this up from the prior vet visits. Calicivirus should be treated specifically because it can worsen without appropriate treatment, causing ulcerations, anorexia, painful mouth/throat/esophagus etc. A swab sample taken, sent for a western blot test can rule in or out calicivirus/chlamydia.
It's possible that herpesvirus is present, but herpesvirus rarely causes oral ulcers. Please, ask the vet to rule out calicivirus/chlamydia ASAP.
Stomatitis is an infection and inflammation within the mouth, due to excess bacteria/inflammation or diseased teeth. It might be specific or could be due to an immunological problem (the latter rare, unless there is an FELV virus infection or other viral infection)
Don't invest in any dental things yet...the vet needs to determine the extent of any teeth damage, perform a dental for more observation and will recommend post-treatment or preventative treatment at that time if it is even necessary.
If it was your regular vet who you saw today, I would at least call the ER vet you last saw and see if he agrees with the current treatment approach, and tell them no diagnostics were done to confirm anything. Ask also about the chlorpheniramine, I don't think it's use is warranted at this point, just my opinion.
..........Traci
Re: How long before I worry about Bax being dehydrated?
Yes I do remember him saying something about an appetite enhancer because Baxter had eaten so little in the past week. He had lost around 2lbs since his last visit at the hospital.
The doc said that he wanted to try and treat as much as possible right now with the URI and see if the stomititus (on the roof of his mouth) would clear up a bit since he has been through so much lately just to try and get him back to normal a bit.
This is my regular vet and he definately said we might be at the begining of a long road with Baxter or we might get lucky and some dental cleanings, antibiotics would clear everything up.
He said that Baxters teeth in the back were just a mild case of gingivitus at this point and it was caught fairly early it seems. He said something about the stress of everything that has gone on might have been what caused the stomititus to break out like that among other things. He said that cats can be very slick about hiding illnesses sometimes and he very well could have been slightly sick before all that happened and the stress brought on more problems.
I don't know if any of this even makes any sense.. I am so drugged up on cold medicine its not funny. Baxter seems to be doing a bit better today, he slept alot with me after we got home, but got up when I did and went right to his food bowl and ate a good bit then came meowing to me when it was empty and he sat and drank a good bit of water also which made me feel alot better. He followed me around for a bit while I cleaned up the house and is sitting in his normal spot under the Christmas tree at the moment so I am happy just to see him moving around and a bit more coherent.
The doc did say that he definately wanted me back in a few weeks for some more "testing" so I'm not sure exactly what that is calling for. I will definately mention the things that you posted above Traci. Also I'm not sure if I said that Baxter had ulcers or not in his mouth earlier. I wanted to clear up that it was just some little red bumps just behind his back teeth. They werent like blisters or anything.
Thanks again!
The doc said that he wanted to try and treat as much as possible right now with the URI and see if the stomititus (on the roof of his mouth) would clear up a bit since he has been through so much lately just to try and get him back to normal a bit.
This is my regular vet and he definately said we might be at the begining of a long road with Baxter or we might get lucky and some dental cleanings, antibiotics would clear everything up.
He said that Baxters teeth in the back were just a mild case of gingivitus at this point and it was caught fairly early it seems. He said something about the stress of everything that has gone on might have been what caused the stomititus to break out like that among other things. He said that cats can be very slick about hiding illnesses sometimes and he very well could have been slightly sick before all that happened and the stress brought on more problems.
I don't know if any of this even makes any sense.. I am so drugged up on cold medicine its not funny. Baxter seems to be doing a bit better today, he slept alot with me after we got home, but got up when I did and went right to his food bowl and ate a good bit then came meowing to me when it was empty and he sat and drank a good bit of water also which made me feel alot better. He followed me around for a bit while I cleaned up the house and is sitting in his normal spot under the Christmas tree at the moment so I am happy just to see him moving around and a bit more coherent.
The doc did say that he definately wanted me back in a few weeks for some more "testing" so I'm not sure exactly what that is calling for. I will definately mention the things that you posted above Traci. Also I'm not sure if I said that Baxter had ulcers or not in his mouth earlier. I wanted to clear up that it was just some little red bumps just behind his back teeth. They werent like blisters or anything.
Thanks again!
- Mike
Re: How long before I worry about Bax being dehydrated?
Anything "raw" could develop into ulcerations, particularly in calicivirus..they are painful and demand treatment.
I don't know if your vet meant bright red from gingivitis or raw, like ulcerations....gingivitis affects the gums, not the roof of the mouth, nor throat etc. Please call him Wednesday and inquire about that.
I can understand wanting to get him on antibiotic therapy, but it may demand a more thorough investigation. Be prepared for that. Hopefully, it won't come to that and the antibiotics might clear this up.
Monitor his food/water intake carefully...
I don't know if your vet meant bright red from gingivitis or raw, like ulcerations....gingivitis affects the gums, not the roof of the mouth, nor throat etc. Please call him Wednesday and inquire about that.
I can understand wanting to get him on antibiotic therapy, but it may demand a more thorough investigation. Be prepared for that. Hopefully, it won't come to that and the antibiotics might clear this up.
Monitor his food/water intake carefully...
..........Traci
Re: How long before I worry about Bax being dehydrated?
Will the meds given mess with his food and water intake? He is hard to keep track of because he is a grazer and doesn't have set meal times. I definately have seen him eat, but have yet to see him drink. I'm sure he has since the water level has gone down (it gets changed religiously) but I have not seen him with my own eyes. I just want to get another round of meds in him so we can both call it a night and get to bed!
- Mike
Re: How long before I worry about Bax being dehydrated?
Did the vet give you liquid clavamox? This can sometimes cause an upset stomach, but it's rare.
The doxycycline can have GI tract upset effects too, so watch for diarrhea...if he has it, notify the vet. Best to keep Baxter on his normal dry food if possible.
You should ensure Baxter has eaten alittle about a half hour to hour BEFORE both antibiotics are given.
You have to watch him carefully while on the chlorpheniramine, it can have any number of effects...may be drowsy and sedated, or, can be nervous, restless, agressive, etc. If any of these effects occur, notify the vet at once. What is the dose and length of time this is to be given?
The doxycycline can have GI tract upset effects too, so watch for diarrhea...if he has it, notify the vet. Best to keep Baxter on his normal dry food if possible.
You should ensure Baxter has eaten alittle about a half hour to hour BEFORE both antibiotics are given.
You have to watch him carefully while on the chlorpheniramine, it can have any number of effects...may be drowsy and sedated, or, can be nervous, restless, agressive, etc. If any of these effects occur, notify the vet at once. What is the dose and length of time this is to be given?
..........Traci
no clavamox.. I think he said that the doxy stuff was to take care of that as well.. the 3 that I listed earlier are the only meds he gave me. I told him that the clavamox made him sick everytime he was given it so I guess he scratched that.
How should I go about giving his meds if Baxter is just a grazer? I cant force him to eat obviously so should I take it from him at night and during the day so he eats beforehand? He threw up after the doxy this morning.. It was just foamy with a tiny bit of food so his belly must have been very empty. Unfortunately I had nobody to call to see if I should re-administer the meds again so I just left him be for one dose.
As for the dose on the chlor, I will have to check when I get home as I'm visiting my parents now. Baxter usually comes with me every year, but sadly I had to leave him this time to rest.
They are very small yellow tablets and he is only getting half of one. I will update with that later on tonight.
As far as side effects its hard to tell.. He has not become aggressive but like I said has been very sleepy. Its hard to tell if its from the meds or just from him being sick of being sick.
How should I go about giving his meds if Baxter is just a grazer? I cant force him to eat obviously so should I take it from him at night and during the day so he eats beforehand? He threw up after the doxy this morning.. It was just foamy with a tiny bit of food so his belly must have been very empty. Unfortunately I had nobody to call to see if I should re-administer the meds again so I just left him be for one dose.
As for the dose on the chlor, I will have to check when I get home as I'm visiting my parents now. Baxter usually comes with me every year, but sadly I had to leave him this time to rest.
They are very small yellow tablets and he is only getting half of one. I will update with that later on tonight.
As far as side effects its hard to tell.. He has not become aggressive but like I said has been very sleepy. Its hard to tell if its from the meds or just from him being sick of being sick.
- Mike
Re: How long before I worry about Bax being dehydrated?
Try sitting with him while he eats. It's important that he has eaten something before the meds.
Don't skip any doses, but don't give another dose if he vomits either! Just wait until tonite's dose.
Don't skip any doses, but don't give another dose if he vomits either! Just wait until tonite's dose.
..........Traci
Re: How long before I worry about Bax being dehydrated?
are the meds I have correct for his problems? I hope my doc didn't forget to give me something for the URI.. Baxter does seem to be more with things now but is still very skittish around me. I think its because he hates me giving him the meds 3 at a time. Usually the first one is good then by the second one he is hauling butt and hiding and I have to hold him down to do the third before I head out the door. I'm dreading trying to do it tomorrow morning now. He knows that as soon as I shut the door, pick him up and sit down on my bed with his belly in the air what is coming. Oh well its tough love I guess.. He needs his meds so he is going to have to deal with it for now!
- Mike