Panther is acting wierd..updated..not good

[Craftlady]

Sorry for the stupid question but how do you force hand feed a cat?

I tried putting some wet food on a spoon and he turned away. I then tried puting just a dab on top of his nose and did lick it off but when I tried it again he wiped his nose.

Any tips would greatly be appreciated.

Take small amount of food and put it in cats mouth, it will get alittle messy and watch your fingers, keep putting what falls out back in the cats mouth eventually they figure out the food tastes pretty good.

[fragrancehound]

Looks like I will be headed back to the vet tomorrow. Panther will not eat or drink and he threw up again. I've been force feeding him water through a dropper. I couldn't get any food in him. My poor baby has been through so much.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so sorry to hear this. I've been reading your thread about him but I haven't replied until now. I sure hope that the vet will be able to find out what is wrong with him. Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are being sent his way.

[fragrancehound]

Panther did eat a few pieces of dry food this morning but not much. He has not thrown up since yesterday so I'm hoping he is doing better.

I did take him to my vet today. She gave him more fluids and a pill to help increase his appetite. He has lost almost 1 lb. since Friday from him not eating.

The bloodwork and x-rays are coming back fine but she is concerned that there might be something else going on with his health, maybe even related to the tumor that was just removed. I might have to take him back to the specialty vet to have an ultrasound.

[heidiv]

My thoughts and prayers are with Panter and his mommy. Please keep us up to date with what is going on. Poor baby he needs a big hug. Will you do that for me?

[Queen of Poop]

Prayers for Panther and hugs for you both. I hope he gets to feeling better soon. Heinz Chicken with Broth baby food works for my ferret. It stinks to high heaven but he gobbles it up. Might interest Panther.

[fragrancehound]

I don't know what else to do to get him to eat. I've tried:

dry cat food (2 different kinds)
wet cat food
turkey broth
tuna fish
sweet potato baby food (the meat based ones contained onion powder)
broth mixed with dry food

I hope the meds the vet gave him kick in soon because I am getting frustrated. Nothing seems to work.

[wolflady]

Gosh, I'm sorry to read about the troubles you're having with Panther. It sure seems like there is something going on, so I hope your vet can diagnose it quickly so treatment can begin. A one pound loss is a lot for a cat, so it's very understandable how worried you are.

Have you tried kitten formula? This might help if he's not eating, so he can at least continue to get some nutrients. Are you able to force-feed with the dropper ok?

Pedialyte is another thing that some folks try when their animals aren't eating.

I certainly hope they can find out what's wrong with Panther, and soon!

**hugs**

[fragrancehound]

It's not looking too good for Panther. I spent the entire day at the specialty vet clinic and they performed a series of tests including an ultrasound, urinalysis, checkup, and bloodwork. Panther is dehydrated and anemic from all the vomiting and loss of appetite. They think he either has IBD or stomach cancer but can't tell until a biopsy is done. They wanted to keep him overnight to run more tests and put him on an iv but it was going to cost me between $1,200 to $2,400 not including the biopsy which would have cost an additional $1,000. I just could not afford it. I have spent over $3,000 in the last 2 months with vet bills and I am broke. My credit cards are almost maxed out with this latest set of health problems. My bf is having some of his own unexpected financial problems and couldn't loan me the money either. In any event they gave Panther several injections including pepcid, fluids to keep him hydrated, and an anti-nausea injection. He is home with me now but is so lethargic and he threw up again. I gave him some pedilyte so I hope that helps.

I am so upset. I just don't know what to do. If he doesn't eat or drink his liver is going to have trouble. I've been crying all night long. All the injections and pills given to him are temporary band aids that aren't even working. What else can I do to keep him hydrated and increase his appetite?

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so sorry to hear that Panther is still very sick. This brings back some sad memories of my RB Pepper. I tried everything for him and he just couldn't keep anything down and he was getting worse. I finally made the difficult decision to have him put to sleep. He was almost 6 years old so he was still a very young cat. My vet even did a free necropsy and he still couldn't find out what had caused his illness.

You can give Panther some sub-q fluids to help keep him hydrated. If he wasn't vomiting so much I'd also suggest some appetite stimulant pills to help his appetite but he probably wouldn't be able to keep these down. Have you tried to force feed him yet? My vet recommend using Hills Prescription A/D wet food and diluting it with water. Then you can fill a few large syringes with it and squirt these into your cats mouth. You usually get more on the cat than in the cat though. I really don't know what else to tell you. I hope that Panther will start improving soon. Lots more prayers and positive thoughts are being sent your way. Please take care.

[fragrancehound]

I can't sleep. Panther has received several SQ Fluids injections but I don't think that is enough to keep him hydrated.

Where can I find sub-q fluids to give him? Also, where can I buy syringes? I never thought about adding water to wet cat food. I will have to try that tomorrow.

Sorry for all the questions but my head is spinning and my heart is heavy right now. I'm sure you understand.

[krazyaboutkatz]

You can buy a bag of fluids and needles from your vet. It's a lot less expensive than having them do it all of the time. They'll also either just give you some syringes or you can buy them from them. You need to use the largest syringe you can get though. Good luck and try to get some sleep.

You may also be able to buy some syringes at a drug store. I also cut off part of the tips of the syringe so that the food would squirt out easier.

[fragrancehound]

I just ordered a few things from Medi Vet including some syringes and an oral electrolyte solution to help keep him hydrated. The shipping was expensive but I want it by the end of the week.

[Catty1]

I am so sorry to hear about Panther...could it be a reaction to his surgery?

I hope the dear boy gets some food into him soon...

Please give him lots of hugs from me...he is such a beautiful boy.

PT Prayers for Panther coming your way, all I've got!

HUGS

[heidiv]

Oh dear I have just gotten caught up on the story. I really can't imagine the drain that you must be going through right now. Its really hard to watch your pet go through something like this. But I would have to give you an A+++++ for being a fantastic mom for sure. Panther is in a wonderful place living with you. Its so hard to have to face an obstacle that you are. And to still try the things you have is a amazing. Try to get some sleep I completely know how hard it is. But being sick and having a sick kitty makes for a bad deal for the both of you. My thoughts and prayers are with you and Panther. He knows how much you love him and that you are doing everything in your control to help him out. Its so unfair to feel unable to "Fix the problem" keep us updated on his condition and we will try to give you the support that you need. Keep your head up!!