Kiri's latest vet check--update post #120.

[Catty1]

Have you tried holding something really stinky to her nose? Even a can of Fancy Feast might stimulate her! Junk food I know, but just to get her eating.

If you have a small steamer (add Vicks), maybe put her in the bathroom for a bit and steam up the room, or even with a hot shower running.

Eucalyptus oil...tea tree oil...just thinking of things that would get through her nostrils!

HUGS

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so sorry to hear that Kiri is still not eating on her own.

Catty1, it was my Starr that had the vitamin B-12 shot and this really perked him up. I don't know if this would help Kiri but it might be worth a try.

Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are being sent her way.

[Prairie Purrs]

Kiri is back at the vet's--not the same vet as before, but one near my house. She was getting dehydrated again. Still no clue what's really wrong with her.

I don't want to give up on her, but I worry about whether she's trying to let go by not eating or drinking. She hasn't been trying to get away and hide--she's spent most of the last few days on my lap. So I don't know what she's trying to tell me.

[jenluckenbach]

I am so sorry to hear this. I sure hope they can get her feeling better, good enough to eat on her own.

[DrKym]

Kiri is back at the vet's--not the same vet as before, but one near my house. She was getting dehydrated again. Still no clue what's really wrong with her.

I don't want to give up on her, but I worry about whether she's trying to let go by not eating or drinking. She hasn't been trying to get away and hide--she's spent most of the last few days on my lap. So I don't know what she's trying to tell me.

You tell that Kat, that after her siblings chorused me all night, I expect her to visit and chorus also!! No if ands or Buts! she is now in big trouble if she doesn't quit worrying Mom!

Love, aunty Kym

[Medusa]

Oh I'm sorry to hear this. Let's pray that Kiri will get rehydrated and feeling better again.

[Catty1]

More prayers for Kiri!

You did it before, sweetie - just one more time!

HUGS

[Catlady711]

I just want to tell you a little (ok kinda long) story about Dusty that may help you have some hope with Kiri.

In 1997 Dusty ate her supper, and then vomited. Which wasn't all that uncommon for her as she often used to do that until we switched to better foods. Anyways while she vomited she apparently inhaled some of it and ended up getting aspiration pneumonia. She stopped eating, drinking and grooming altogether, we figured she blamed the food for her feeling so ill.

Dusty had to be at the vets for a week. They tried pilling her (which normally is difficult anyways) and they ended up having to call me to do it because Dusty kept holding her breath till she'd pass out to keep from having to take a pill. So basically after a couple days of this they had to find injectables to use instead. She still wouldn't eat a thing, they tried salmon, tuna, sardines, a plethera of foods and she turned her nose up at every one of them. They nuked the food, tried raw food, nothing! She rattled when she breathed, and was losing weight every day.

They sent her home for a couple days hoping being at home would help her recovery. She was such a sad thing just hovering over the water bowl but not drinking, still not eating or even attempting to groom. She wouldn't even walk, she just lay wherever you put her at. They told us to try putting her in the bathroom next to a hot tub running so the hot steam might clear up her congestion so she could breath better. I don't know how much water we ran but it was alot! Seemed to help her breathing but she still wouldn't eat. We had to run her back twice a day for injections for fluids and medications.

She was doing better with the breathing, and would walk some but still not eating or drinking at all! So back to the vets for a few days.

They put her in an oxygen tent for a day to help the breathing so she could rest and heal better. They even did an EKG on her, and a ton more lab work. After a few more days they had the pneumonia cleared up but Dusty still wouldn't eat, still blamed the food. They couldn't even force feed her because she'd fight them so much on it and refused to be fed. They tried Valium 3 times (it's side effect in cats is ravanous appetite), didn't work at all for Dusty. So they sent her back home again over a weekend and said that if she didn't eat for us that we should consider having her PTS as they had fixed the pneumonia but couldn't figure out how to get her to eat and drink.

We took her home on a Saturday, by Sunday my mom called and set up an appointment for her to be PTS on Monday unless something changed. Nothing changed, still no eating or drinking, very little walking.

Monday morning 1 hour until PTS time - We're sitting there with her saying our goodbyes and crying, when lo and behold Dusty started grooming!!! She hadn't done that through the whole episode! They'd said if she would groom she might eat, so we ran and got a bowl of her favorite crunchies. Dusty got excited and licked her lips but wouldn't eat. Not to be thwarted we watered down the crunchies and wouldn't you know it, Dusty ATE!!! You never saw more happy humans in your life!! We waited 15 minutes to make sure the food would stay down, and during that time she also drank water!! All on her own!!! We called the vet to reschedule the appointment for later in the day as a RECHECK! Her food all stayed down, she had eaten more and drank more, and thoroughly groomed herself by the time we took her in that evening.

Basically they said if Dusty wasn't slightly overweight when this started she might not have made it at all. After that we made sure even when we put her on a diet, that she was slightly overweight. They also said in Dusty's case it was unusual for her to not eat for that long and not suffer kidney damage. Dusty is one lucky kitty that used at least 5 of her 9 lives that November in 1997.

Time Dusty did not eat: 16 DAYS
Dusty's weight at time of illness: 14 lbs
Dusty's weight at time of recovery: 7 lbs


Dusty currently sufferes severe osteoarthritis and muscle atrophy and is on experimental pain medication. I don't know how long the experimental meds will work or what kind of damage they might cause, but always the trooper she is still with us at 16 1/2 years old now.



**Just thought Dusty's story might give you some hope with Kiri!**