Tiger is very sick today

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so glad to here that Tiger is getting better. Please keep us posted on her progress.

[Randi]

Wayne! I hope Tiger's recovery goes well! Giving cats medicine can be something of a trial. When we had to give Fister a pill, I crushed it, cut a few big shrimps open and stuffed it in there. But be careful if it's a smelly pill, don't put too much in each. Fister once got suspicious and wouldn't eat the third one - and after that, there's no way you can get him to take it!

[Logan]

I'm a little late, chiming in, but our vet suggested that we wrap Mimi in a towel so that she can't scratch or escape, and then give her the medication. It still isn't easy, and it does take two people to do it. Helen and I together, have never been very successful. Thank goodness, she has been pretty healthy! If Butter ever has to have medication, he gets a heavy duty shot of antibiotics and we hope for the best. I could never medicate him.....he would shred me.

Hope Tiger is better today.

[gini]

I am so glad to hear Tiger is doing much better.

Every cat is so different - I always used a pill popper with my other cats - but Rascal will have none of it. But I discovered when he needed a liquid antibiotic that using the syringe was no problem.

But try and give him a pill and he suddenly has fourteen paws with very large claws extended!

The sweatshirt idea is so good.........thank you.

Keep us posted on Tiger's progress - when they are sick it upsets us so much!

[wayne0214]

Tiger was still barfing this morning and eating very little, except she was obviously feeling better. However, about 9 AM she began to hack and cough again, that was when I noticed a green thing sticking out of her nose. Guess what!, there was a 3" blade of grass that she got lodged in her sinus. This is the reason why the vet said "if there is no improvement in her in about 5 days, let me know" ( He said this because the exact nature of her illness did not definitely show up during his analysis) Also, such a situation defied detection, as it was hidden between her nostrels and throat. Anyway, I pulled it out. She ate up nearly 1/2 (small) can of cat food, and the barfing and hacking has totally stopped. The blade of grass was irritating her nose passage and throat. The vet's analysis was correct but he suspected the wrong cause, which I do not fault him for. Frankly folks, I was getting worried about her because everything we all tried on her did not bring the desired results. Anyway, I'm certainly glad that she is back to normal now.

............wayne

[momoffuzzyfaces]

Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought of grass being stuck in her nose like that. I am so glad she is doing well now. What a relief you must feel.

[Logan]

Originally posted by wayne0214
Tiger was still barfing this morning and eating very little, except she was obviously feeling better. However, about 9 AM she began to hack and cough again, that was when I noticed a green thing sticking out of her nose. Guess what!, there was a 3" blade of grass that she got lodged in her sinus. This is the reason why the vet said "if there is no improvement in her in about 5 days, let me know" ( He said this because the exact nature of her illness did not definitely show up during his analysis) Also, such a situation defied detection, as it was hidden between her nostrels and throat. Anyway, I pulled it out. She ate up nearly 1/2 (small) can of cat food, and the barfing and hacking has totally stopped. The blade of grass was irritating her nose passage and throat. The vet's analysis was correct but he suspected the wrong cause, which I do not fault him for. Frankly folks, I was getting worried about her because everything we all tried on her did not bring the desired results. Anyway, I'm certainly glad that she is back to normal now.

............wayne

OMG!!!! Do you know that the exact same thing has happened to Mimi on three occasions?? But the first time was the most frightening. Coughing, sneezing constantly and the worst odor . The vet had to put her under to try and find the problem. My imagination ran wild, Wayne. And there it was! He kept her on the antibiotic, just in case she had irritated her throat and sinuses. Grass blades have sharp edges.

We saw it the second time, and she got it out on her own. And just this week, it happened again! At least these last two times, we saw it before we realized there was a problem.

I know you are relieved! Why must our pets graze???

[wayne0214]

m.o. f.f. Relief is not the proper word for it! I was worrying about her future welfare. I would hate to loose her , as she is a special feline friend to me. If anything, this episode has helped bond a closer relationship between me and her, in that also, now she answers to her name "Tiger" , and she is more tolerant of my cuddling her, of which she was not too close before. All I have to say to her now is, "do you want to eat?". She immediately resoponds. Also, when she is hungry, she will sit near as though to say to me, "Daddy, I'm hungry". This gets my immediate attention. because she cannot eat dry food. She is such a special kitty. I wish I had a camera to show her eye expressions, they are so human-like.


...............wayne

[krazyaboutkatz]

It's great news to hear that Tiger is going to be okay. I had heard of this happening to cats before. It hasn't happened to mine yet. My cats are indoors all the time but I will buy them pet grass sometimes. Maybe I shouldn't.

[rg_girlca]

Wayne i am so so glad to hear your furbabie is doing well. May i add one more suggestion on giving your animal liquid med or a pill. This works very well for me and my animals. I kneel down on the floor and cross my ankles and put cat/dog between my legs and squeeze them a little so they can't go backwards or forwards.
Then i just open their mouth and administer the medication, then stroke their throat a little bit and then let them go. This has worked very well for me and hope if anyone uses this way that it works for you too. Again Wayne, great news.

[rg_girlca]

Oh i forgot to mention that the animal is best in a sitting postion.

[AmberLee]

Originally posted by wayne0214
...there was a 3" blade of grass that she got lodged in her sinus. ...

Wayne! The exact same thing happened to my Cassy once. I almost thought of suggesting it, but decided it was too wierd to happened to two cats!!!

I still buy him cat grass; he adores it, but I carefully trim to no more than 1 1/2 inches before I give it to him ... not too practical a suggestion for you, sorry.

So glad to read that this situation has improved the bonding between you and Tiger: she does, indeed, sound like a very special animal.

So glad the situation's resolved.

[4 feline house]

Wayne, who would have thought? Your description of her emotions showing through her eyes was so touching, and your love for her practically jumped out of you post.

I'm so glad she's better! And she knows you were helping her, that's why she loves you even more now.

[wayne0214]

Tiger ate practically a whole can of cat food early this morning. Now she is chasing a flying bug in the house with the others - being her normal self. In California, the spring-time brings on tall grass, mostly "foxtails" , which is a form of "miniature wheat". When the weeds are still growing the blades appear to be regular lawn grass, until they "head off". Whenever my furkids are outside and want to "graze" they inevitably eat this foxtail weed. Since a cat's teeth are not designed for eating forage, it is little wonder that somethng can go amiss whenever they attempt to fill their system with grass. What I have difficulty understanding is how she got the blade in her nose cavity? Unless she barfed it up and it went in the wrong passage, and became lodged in her nose. I am supposing that had I given her some hairball meds, that this whole thing could have been avoided, as all of my furkids are shedding now, especially Snow Cat. Whenever I stroke him there appears a "cloud of white fur".

I will say that the suggestion given to have her take meds was the biggest education for me on this episode. Someone (Sara loves her tinky) suggested that I take her by the scruff of the neck and give the meds using that method, and it worked! Although she fought it, I believe that she began to realize that the meds were there to help relieve the symptoms.

.........wayne

[tatsxxx11]

What a relief to hear that Tiger is doing so well. And as for the "diagnosis," the first thing that came to my mind when you identified the blade of grass as the culprit, was Logan's similar type episode with Mimi! What a relief for you to know that she was not seriously ill! And you're not alone Wayne, with 2 long haired kitties here, the fur flying fast and furious! Love and hugs to Tiger!!!!!! You go girl! Chase dem buggies!