HELP - post op info Happy Update Post #8, pics- HE IS HOME #15

OK

Has anyone here had a cat that lost its sense of smell?

Do they eat again?

Pyka might come home tomorrow. He will still have the feeding tube in his neck ( :eek: ) and will be syringed through that.

He will still be on morphine, and was SO confused when we visited him the other day....though he stopped 'honking' once we were alone with him for a while.

ANYWAY - post-op home care worry...the morphine.

And the surgeon said she couldn't guarantee his sense of smell would be there any more. Surely he WILL eat again?

Any ideas? Tips? Kind of scary as we are both new at this severity of surgery.

I feel that, even if he is wiped out on morphine, that him being home will settle him more and he is more likely to eat.

His blood work shows he is a bit jaundiced, though his liver function is just fine. Any thoughts on that?

ALSO - is there a good soft kibble made for cats who have hardly any teeth?? It's congenital - Pyka and Shiney both have just their fangs left.

HELP.

My only experience was with a cat who had a bad cold, so he might have had SOME sense of smell. I cooked a swordfish steak in butter, cut out the dark middle piece and cut it up in tiny bits, and hand-fed them to Smudge. He ate them all, and then started eating his own food.

Does it have to be kibble? I would think a nice canned food might work better. Also, morphine does a job on the appetite - once Pyka's off that, eating will be more appealing. Cats are ace at survival, and can tell when they're hungry! Don't know about jaundice.

Love, Columbine

For the jaundice, watch the insides of the ears, the gums.. where you see the skin the most. My RB Bear (FIV+) was jaundiced before I even knew it. I had no idea he had been having liver problems (he hadn't been eating after Mac was adopted and his body started to shut down).

When the vet showed me his skin, I was appalled. I didn't notice the change, and I feel so bad about that.

His gums, and his lips were yellowed. The insides of his ears, and his skin by the bottoms of his ears were yellowed. Even the skin by his chin was getting yellowed under the white fur. :(

Watch them close. Gums and lips should be pink in color. If they look pale, get Pyka to the vet. If you see yellowish tinged skin, get him there super quick.

I don't think my Bear could have been saved... he was broken hearted from Mac being adopted. They were together for 5 years. Best of buddies. I tried everything I could, but he just gave up.

It was 1 year ago this July 5th that he passed. I still miss him every single day. He was my sweet tuxie boy.

Thanks, you two.

Jenn - the bloodwork showed good liver function..they thought it might be temporary from the transfusion.


Will keep checking here....thanks! :)

Well John Hancock Only Has One Tooth And He Eats What The Other Cats Eat , The Nutro Complete Indoor Dry With Fancy Feast Thrown In Once And A While.
For A Post Op Cat I Would Go With Royal Canin Kitten Dry And Fancy Feast Or Science Diet Canned Kitten.

I was told that jaundice can occur from the anesthesia, too. But as Jenn said, watch the gums, eyes and inside of Pyka's ears. My Peeka had acute renal failure and by the time the vet showed me the signs, it was too late. Good luck.

Dear Candace, I've never heard of that or come across a cat that had lost its sense of smell, so I have no advice or suggestions to give you, besides ask your vet LOTS of questions.

Did he come home today? I hope he will start to relax once he is used to being back in his safe haven.

Jenn has good advice about what to watch for re: jaundice. And Jenn, I am so sorry about your Bear.

We are all sending our prayers and good wishes and healing energies that Pyka will be well again soon.

Hugs and purrs,
Pat, Peony, Sydney, Poppy, Elmer, and Priscilla Angel

Jenn...was caught up with Pyka - but your dear Bear. I am so sorry. :(

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Pyka's surgery was Thursday. We visited Friday. Visitors are put into an examining room and the pet is brought in there.

As I said in an earlier and longer thread - Pyka was quite freaked out on Friday, and barely knew what was going on, poor guy. Still oozing a bit from the nose, suddenly wriggling as if he was trying to get away - I guess the phentonol didn't help his clarity, though it helped the pain. We had a very short visit, and wondered if we had done the right thing.

Today - Sunday - three days post-op, we went again. What a difference! :) A lot of bandages had been removed. He knew Mom, and actually napped a few times, covered in his familiar old sweater from home (I don't know HOW many cardigans Mom has gone through! :D ). We visited for an hour and a half this time!

He did react if he heard the water faucet turn on - and a couple of times he very much wanted to get onto the floor and walk around. But we kept him on the table, on his blanket, covered up in his sweater...and responded SO well to head patting. Mom rolled up a bit of blanket and sweater so he could rest his head... Mom wrung out a facecloth with warm water and wiped his face down, which he has always loved. :)

We are bringing him home tomorrow...they want to do one more blood panel. Bilirubin is half what it was yesterday (think it has something to do with jaundicing -but all liver enzymes are normal, as is his blood count). They'll do it at 2 am.

Here are some pics of the sweet boy - I couldn't find the feature on Photobucket that makes pics smaller, so I apologize for the size (though his dear face is nice for ME to see!)

Pyka napping, Mom's TLC
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c1...s/P7150021.jpg

Still napping and more TLC
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c1...s/P7150022.jpg

On his blankie, covered with sweater :)
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c1...s/P7150023.jpg

....couple more....

"Camel head" and bandage
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c1...s/P7150024.jpg

Neck bandage, feeding tube, stitched ear
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c1...s/P7150025.jpg

His intense scratching (caused bytrying to reach the inflamed and horrid sinuses, we now know) had his one ear in a large hematoma. It was surgically removed June 4...and after the stitches and stents were out over a week later, it kept filling with fluid. The vet put a pressure bandage on, and said it wouldn't happen again.

The bandage was painful, and Mom removed it 2 days later. It was bloodsoaked...and the ear kept filling up.

So, while Pyka was getting the turbinectomy (Google it!), another surgeon 'quilted' his ear so that the tissues would start to heal together, and no fluid could get in.

Thanks for prayers...a few more requested, as we hope Pyka starts to eat in the next few days. :)

Thanks for sharing these pictures with us. Pyka sure looks worn out. I hope that he'll start eating on his own soon. I'll continue to keep him in my thoughts and prayers.

I am just so glad that he could relax enough with Mom to nap a lot today! Friday - it just wasn't happening.

I think once he gets home and realizes where he is, he will just SLEEP for about 8 hours straight.

He would wake up at times and "honk" (his normal sound), and would be soothed back to sleep.

He didn't purr...but looked so comfy, which was great.

It may be a few days before he eats, but Mom will keep up the tube feed. She is to try him on his regular food in the regular place...if he doesn't eat it, then do the tube feed. Even if he mostly loses sense of smell, warming the food will help that a bit. And Mom always does that anyway.

Aw, sweet boy. What a fighter! Blessings to you all.

Catty1, those pictures of Pyka and your mom and very sweet. He looks so comforted....

Prayers on the way for a speedy recovery.

Soon all the kitties will want that quilted ear look, Pyka - you'll be at the forefront of fashion, worry not.

We waited in the examining room, and a tech came in to talk to us and explain a few things.

Then he brought in the carrier and blanket and sweater (see # 8 & 9), and said he was bringing Pyka in separately as he wanted to show us a few things.

They had removed the feeding tube as he was throwing it up. He showed us where the incision had already healed - and said Pyka was starting to sniff at food!

Mom was out of the room for a moment when the tech brought Pyka in. He looked SO much better without all the bandages and tubes! The tech set him down on the wide windowsill where the carrier was, and Pyka HONKED and was heading straight into that carrier - "LEMME IN THERE!!!!!" The poor tech had to fasten the door shut. Mom came in and he was a little better.

He was so quiet on the way home...the odd little "mow" 'I missed you. Is that really you, mommy?' :)

As long as he eats now, that is good. A bit at a time. I think he just needs to rest for a few hours - he'll need a good sleep.

Thank you again for all your prayers...hopefully he will eat today, even a little! (Mom has a med syringe for the Clavamox, and can use it for liquid food, water and Cat non-lactose milk[which I have checked 3 stores and they don't have it. :confused: ])

Whew....