My cat is exactly 1 year old and has started behaving strangely. I need some advice.
1) The cat is not eating. At first I thought it was because of a change in food, but nothing seems to get her to eat now and she is getting really thin.
2) She has started sitting in the litter box and resting there which I have not seen before.
In general she is not interested in playing. Some background: She was neutered 6 months ago and got her initial shots. She does have some recurring discharge in her right eye which I thought was caused due to her interest in playing and fighting with other cats.
Any recommendations for effective and inexpensive vets in Atlanta? I am near Virginia Highlands. Thanks!
Cat not eating and often sits in litter box
Re: Cat not eating and often sits in litter box
Hi Worried in ATL,
Yes, please get your baby to the vet right away (what's her name?). A cat that will not eat can develop hepatic lipidosis, which is reversible if you treat it aggressively and very soon, but it can be deadly. Is your cat not eating at all? I do not know of inexpensive vets, but I did use the Cat Clinic of Roswell when I lived in Atlanta. You might want to call them and see if they can recommend someone closer to you. Also, there is an emergency clinic in Cobb County..let me find that name...Cobb Emergency Veterinary Clinic in Marietta: 770-424-9157. They treated my angel girl when she was in very bad shape six years ago at Easter. Please do not delay on this..your cat needs to be evaluated right away, especially with the lack of eating and weight loss. How are her bathroom habits? If she is not urinating, you MUST get her treated NOW. Blockages are deadly. You said she has a discharge in her eye, so it could be that she has a upper respiratory infection. If a cat cannot smell their food, they won't want to eat it. Do you have any stinky canned food? She is young, and chances are this is something that can be easily treated, but the longer you wait, the more dangerous it can get..and more expensive. Is she an outdoor cat? (you mentioned she plays and fights with other cats). She could easily pick up various illnesses from contact such as Feline Leukemia (yes, even if vaccinated) and FIV. She could have an infection from a bite wound. Have you felt her all over to see if she has any bumps or sensitive areas? She could have swallowed something that is blocking her intestines. Are her gums pink or pale? If pale, she could be anemic. As you can see, there are a lot of possiblities, so I know that your vet will find what's wrong and fix her up ASAP. She is relying on you. Good luck. Please let us know how you and your girl are doing.
Yes, please get your baby to the vet right away (what's her name?). A cat that will not eat can develop hepatic lipidosis, which is reversible if you treat it aggressively and very soon, but it can be deadly. Is your cat not eating at all? I do not know of inexpensive vets, but I did use the Cat Clinic of Roswell when I lived in Atlanta. You might want to call them and see if they can recommend someone closer to you. Also, there is an emergency clinic in Cobb County..let me find that name...Cobb Emergency Veterinary Clinic in Marietta: 770-424-9157. They treated my angel girl when she was in very bad shape six years ago at Easter. Please do not delay on this..your cat needs to be evaluated right away, especially with the lack of eating and weight loss. How are her bathroom habits? If she is not urinating, you MUST get her treated NOW. Blockages are deadly. You said she has a discharge in her eye, so it could be that she has a upper respiratory infection. If a cat cannot smell their food, they won't want to eat it. Do you have any stinky canned food? She is young, and chances are this is something that can be easily treated, but the longer you wait, the more dangerous it can get..and more expensive. Is she an outdoor cat? (you mentioned she plays and fights with other cats). She could easily pick up various illnesses from contact such as Feline Leukemia (yes, even if vaccinated) and FIV. She could have an infection from a bite wound. Have you felt her all over to see if she has any bumps or sensitive areas? She could have swallowed something that is blocking her intestines. Are her gums pink or pale? If pale, she could be anemic. As you can see, there are a lot of possiblities, so I know that your vet will find what's wrong and fix her up ASAP. She is relying on you. Good luck. Please let us know how you and your girl are doing.
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worried in atlanta
Re: Cat not eating and often sits in litter box
Thanks, I am going first thing tomorrow morning to the vet. My cat's name is Five 0. She is still peeing, but no pooping and seems weak and lethargic. I will post what I learn.
Re: Cat not eating and often sits in litter box
Worried,
I will be thinking about you this morning. Please post an update as soon as you know something. (((hugs))), kk
I will be thinking about you this morning. Please post an update as soon as you know something. (((hugs))), kk
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worried in Atlanta
Re: Cat not eating and often sits in litter box
Thanks. Here is the what I learned:
Not very good news. At 1 year old, she is down to 7 lbs, 5 oz. She has very bad anemia with a 6% red blood cell count. It sounds like the average is 30-40%. Her heart rate is elvated and she is breathing a little hard (but not excessively so). Her nose is grayish white and her paws are not as warm as ususal.
The doctor prescribed prednisone and an antibiotic. Hopefully the medicine
will help soon. If she doesn't improve in the next 48 hours or so, she may
have something much less treatable. They are analyzing the blood tests andwill know more tomorrow.
The doctor was impressed that Five O was as energetic as she was. Right now I have her home, sleeping by a screened in window. The doctor suggested an IV and transfusion, but I also have to watch the budget. I took her to Ansley Pet Clinic and was impressed with them.
Not very good news. At 1 year old, she is down to 7 lbs, 5 oz. She has very bad anemia with a 6% red blood cell count. It sounds like the average is 30-40%. Her heart rate is elvated and she is breathing a little hard (but not excessively so). Her nose is grayish white and her paws are not as warm as ususal.
The doctor prescribed prednisone and an antibiotic. Hopefully the medicine
will help soon. If she doesn't improve in the next 48 hours or so, she may
have something much less treatable. They are analyzing the blood tests andwill know more tomorrow.
The doctor was impressed that Five O was as energetic as she was. Right now I have her home, sleeping by a screened in window. The doctor suggested an IV and transfusion, but I also have to watch the budget. I took her to Ansley Pet Clinic and was impressed with them.
Re: Cat not eating and often sits in litter box
Hi Worried,
I'm so sorry that the news is not good. 6% is *extremely* low. A transfusion really is indicated. That could help her get out of the hole and give the treatment time to work. Please consider it. Of course, I can see that you may want to wait for the results to come back, but Fivo O is in a precarious position. I have been where you are. The cat I mentioned earlier, Diva, had a severe anemia as well, and she was also treated with prednisone and doxycycline (is this what you are treating with?). This is standard treatment. Diva also received a transfusion. It was actually a few weeks before I saw improvement. We think her bone marrow was damaged. The prednisone will help if the cause is an immune problem, and the doxy is treatment for a blood parasite called hemobartonella. The blood tests will definitely give better info..what all did the doctor order? Did he mention a test for hemobartonella? Feline leukemia (a bad anemia culprit) and FIV? I know they would do a CBC, which will tell about infection and give information about the red cells and any abnormalities. I also assume they are doing chemistry tests for kidney, liver and thyroid problems. Kitties can survive amazing things..my Diva lived another three and a half years, and the total problem was never determined. Anemias can be complicated..caused by abnormal destruction or bone marrow suppression, so getting to the bottom of it is so important. Please know that you are not alone in this. I hope that you will post an update when you get more information. Five O is young and strong, so I believe she can pull out of this. I will be thinking of you. (((hugs))), kk
I'm so sorry that the news is not good. 6% is *extremely* low. A transfusion really is indicated. That could help her get out of the hole and give the treatment time to work. Please consider it. Of course, I can see that you may want to wait for the results to come back, but Fivo O is in a precarious position. I have been where you are. The cat I mentioned earlier, Diva, had a severe anemia as well, and she was also treated with prednisone and doxycycline (is this what you are treating with?). This is standard treatment. Diva also received a transfusion. It was actually a few weeks before I saw improvement. We think her bone marrow was damaged. The prednisone will help if the cause is an immune problem, and the doxy is treatment for a blood parasite called hemobartonella. The blood tests will definitely give better info..what all did the doctor order? Did he mention a test for hemobartonella? Feline leukemia (a bad anemia culprit) and FIV? I know they would do a CBC, which will tell about infection and give information about the red cells and any abnormalities. I also assume they are doing chemistry tests for kidney, liver and thyroid problems. Kitties can survive amazing things..my Diva lived another three and a half years, and the total problem was never determined. Anemias can be complicated..caused by abnormal destruction or bone marrow suppression, so getting to the bottom of it is so important. Please know that you are not alone in this. I hope that you will post an update when you get more information. Five O is young and strong, so I believe she can pull out of this. I will be thinking of you. (((hugs))), kk
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worried in Atlanta
Re: Cat not eating and often sits in litter box
Thank you! The blood tests are still little inconclusive. White blood cell count is normal. I believe feline leukmia has been ruled but not an immune deficieny problem. The final results will be returned from California early next week.
She is very weak still, but the good news is I am feeding her AD food from Hills that is very high calorie and mixed with a little water via a small syringe. She's gotten down about 1/3 of a can this way over half a day. I'm glad to see she is holding down the food fine, even though she doesn't like eating this way. At least she is eating someting. I'm hoping this food, along with the medicine, will improve her health.
I also talked with the vet about doing a synthetic blood transfusion with something-globin. It is something that this vet practices instead of using a donor cat but does, like an transfusion, have risk. It sounds more like a last ditch effort if she worsens. Have you heard of such a procedure?
She is very weak still, but the good news is I am feeding her AD food from Hills that is very high calorie and mixed with a little water via a small syringe. She's gotten down about 1/3 of a can this way over half a day. I'm glad to see she is holding down the food fine, even though she doesn't like eating this way. At least she is eating someting. I'm hoping this food, along with the medicine, will improve her health.
I also talked with the vet about doing a synthetic blood transfusion with something-globin. It is something that this vet practices instead of using a donor cat but does, like an transfusion, have risk. It sounds more like a last ditch effort if she worsens. Have you heard of such a procedure?
Re: Cat not eating and often sits in litter box
Thanks for the update. I know how hard it is to have such inconclusive results. I hope you get some real answers soon. Did they tell you what tests they are waiting for? If the problem is not FELV, that's a very good thing. The blood substitute you are talking about is probably "oxyglobin." My Diva did receive a blood transfusion right when she was diagnosed, but she also received oxyglobin right before she left me. I think it really helped her in the short term, but by then, her little heart started to fail and it was too late. Both a blood transfusion and oxyglobin are short-term fixes to help get them out of a crisis and give them the strength to get better. It helps to take the stress off of their organs by getting oxygen to the tissues, and it may help her appetite as well because she'd feel better. The prednisone could help Five O's appetite as well. I hope they told you not to stop prednisone suddenly- that when you stop giving it, it must be tapered off. I have also used AD, and it's good for giving them lots of calories. Hopefully, this will give her some strength, then she'll want to eat more. She is young, so I believe she can come out of this. Give her lots of love and rest. I know you are. Have they suggested a re-test of her PCV to see if it's come up from 6%? This would tell them if the meds are working. I know you probably don't want to keep dragging her back to the vet, though. Been there. Does she look any pinker? I will keep checking in for updates. You are in my thoughts. I was where you are exactly six years ago. kk
Re: Cat not eating and often sits in litter box
connect..the..dots: we do not advise holistic treatment here, move along.