Tripod

[Tambrey]

Well, at this point I do not know if he will make it

He has been fine...everyone has this winter, except Majik with his yearly URI, for which he just got done taking antibiotics...

A couple of days ago, I noticed Tripod not wanting to eat as much, but he would take canned food, and I was adding extra water to it to be sure he did not dehydrate....

Today, he hobbled by me, and I barely recognized him, he has crashed this fast...from last evening to now...he was trying to get a drink at the fountain and could not even strand there, he kept falling forward....

I got out...in the snow...and rushed him to the vet...his rectal temp was only 93.6 and his teeth are yucky from being so dry...
When I left there, they had him in a heated kennel...pad under a towel... and were warming sub-Q fluids to get into him and were also going to warm some canned food to see if he would take that...after he is stabilized and doing better (I hope) they will try to figure out what happened and what we need to do...

How can he crash this fast...from chasing the laser to this?!....everyone else is fine...I came home and did a head count and checked all for alertness and hydration etc...I am going to be paranoid now!!

I just pray he makes it when he is so far down right now...

[Traci]

Chances are, this didn't happen overnight.

The vet should be checking for anemia, and immune-mediated problems, pronto. (that is, once stabilized)

I'm sending all my prayers he is ok and will recover, please post updates.

[Tambrey]

that is what I am thinking..and hubby said too....could be something he was born with and is just showing its head now....hypothyroid or something along that line, maybe?...I hope it is something that easy and that he is not too far gone to help...

I guess the outward signs seemed to come on very fast...I do head counts and check them every day when I put food down or as we are lounging in the evening...if someone is not seen at feeding or sometime throughout the evening, we both go searching until found and checked

I will keep you posted....I am thinking he will be there a few days at least...*sighs*....my vet bill will NEVER get paid...good thing we have a good relationship with them...

[Traci]

Could be hypothyroid but he's relatively too young for that - hypothalmus or heart condition possible though. Toxic shock or infection somewhere could also be present, be prepared for bloodwork and potential immune profile to rule out, as well as a heart workup - keep in mind, fever activity doesn't have to be present for some infectious agents. The fact the temp was 93 is relatively good news, anything below that is extremely detrimental.

Please, Tambrey, make sure this vet knows what he's doing as far as testing, if he isn't, get a consult immediately with the one who does. Don't let Tripod not get the best testing and treatment options, your current vet I have to wonder about sometimes.

[Tambrey]

I will request that all of those bloodwork be done...would it be too soon today, if he can even draw blood, or should even bloodwork wait until he is more stabilized?

I am glad to know that 93 is still "okay"...I read somewhere that anything below 99 was a medical emergency and his 93 had be extremely worried!!

The vet is thinking at this point in time that he will need to do a full dental and remove many of his teeth...but of course not right now....he said he is in no condition to even think about that yet...but I also know that bad teeth can contribute to heart and kidney failure....

We (hubby and I) have been thinking if there is anything he could have eaten or gotten into....nope....chemicals are kept to a minimum...animal safe or natural if at all possible...b natural I mean like vinegar and baking soda to clean, things like that...Tripod does not get into garbage nor does he eat "human food"...some of them will given the chance, but food is put away if not eaten, but Tripod could care less about human foods....

All I can do right now is wait and pray that he comes through and we figure out what it is...and that it is treatable...I do not care if I need to give meds for the rest of his life...as long as he will have a good quality of life...

[Traci]

I'm not sure if it's feasible or safe to draw blood today - possibly tomorrow morning if temp and other vitals are stable. Raising the temp by warm fluids and an incubator or warm blankets can be done within hours, safely, but he must maintain his normal temp for some time and other vitals must be normal before considering drawing blood.

The vet can however, check heart and lung sounds, and in the morning, also do an ECG if Tripod is stable. This does not require anesthesia. A blood-pressure check (minimum of 3-4 checks) is also prudent. When stable, and depending on ECG results, should also seriously consider xray.

If ECG and xray/exam results are not significant, then bloodwork, pay particular attention to CBC and muscle enzymes on chemical profile.

I'm assuming the vet has an ECG machine?

[Traci]

I wanted to mention, the low temp IS concerning, as is any temp below 99. This is why owners are always told the normal temp range and to take or monitor temps because there are so many conditions that can raise or lower them and the pet cannot always maintain their normal temperature without medical intervention.

Methods to raise or reduce temps also must be done carefully, because too drastic or rapid an increase or decrease in temp can worsen the situation and make it much more difficult to regulate.

While 93 is serious, the outcomes are much better than a temp lower than that.

[slvrwhispr]

Gosh... reminds me of how fast Emmy showed signs of being sick.

Prayers that Tripod pulls through. Poor sweet baby...

[Tambrey]

Well, I just called to check on him....he is just sitting there on the towel, according to the tech...she said he did get the sub-Qs into him and she just put some more warm water and warm food in for him, so that is good...
the vet is out on a call right now, and will check him again when he returns...

I asked that if he is stable enough tomorrow to go ahead and get full bloodwork drawn to try to figure out what is going on

[k9Karen]

Is this one of your semi-ferals? I honestly don't know all your cat's names. If he is one of the outdoor ones, the hypothermia is most likely due to not being strong enough to find a warm spot or to generate enough body heat due to whatever his problem is. If that's the case, it may or may not be an actual symptom of his illness. If he's an indoor-only, then it most likely is.

Hoping for the best. Please post more as soon as you know something.