Preventing dehydration

[MuchWyza]

Hi all.

Weaver, the best, most loving cat I have ever had and a real joy to know, was hit by a car about 26 hours ago. A very kind woman brought him to my home because she had seen my two kitties coming in and out of our house so she knew where he lived, thank God.

I took him to a vet who kept him overnight and checked him over. He lost a tooth and had mostly head injuries (very swollen but nothing broken) and contusions on his back leg and hip, too. The vet said he would be okay, that he had definitely dodged a bullet and/or used one of his lives up, for sure. He gave me some antibiotic pills which I give Weaver morning and night.

He is very sore and lethargic but he is moving around a little more now than when we first brought him home. He is still sleeping all day and night - or maybe he's just lying still all the time.

The problem is, the vet said to make sure he drinks. He gave me some salmon-flavored liquid to encourage him to drink in case he didn't drink any water. I've only had him home for 24 hours so far, but he hasn't drunk anything at all yet. I don't care if he eats right away, but I know it is very important that he doesn't become dehydrated.

How can I get some fluids inside him if he doesn't drink anything over the next 24 hours. The vet said to watch for this over the next 48 hours and we're half way there already.

I have a couple of those plastic syringes from a previous visit to the vet. Could I squirt some water into his mouth with his head back, as though I was giving him one of the pills or would that be dangerous if the fluid goes down into his lungs instead of his tummy?

Thanks for any help or suggestions you can offer.

Ruth

[jason]

I have a couple of those plastic syringes from a previous visit to the vet. Could I squirt some water into his mouth with his head back

i would do that in addition to giving wet food only, if he can handle it i would even add some water (not much) to the wet food.

read Vital Signs (towards bottom) for tips on checking hydration levels.

[Traci]

You said head injuries and swelling....did your vet give your kitty injections of solu-delta-cordef (corticosteroid) to reduce the swelling? With head injuries, if severe, it can help reduce fluid and brain swelling within the first 6 hours after the initial injury.

That injection, or prednisone tablets might help encourage appetitie and drinking, but need to discuss that with your vet. You can also use a rehydration solution available by your vet that you can substitute for water....giving with a syringe would be ok, but no need to tilt head back, just slowly squirt small drops at a time in the corner of kitty's mouth.

Please get a followup immediately if kitty is indeed lethargic...feverish, has open wounds that don't seem to be healing....is painful, having trouble urinating or defecating etc.