Daytona is Sick...

[admin]

Still won't eat. Still acting sick. I force fed him some food on my finger last night and spooned some water. I've read that this may traumatize more than it helps, bit he didn't seem to upset. He did start to play a little last night and is a bit more responsive today, but still not well. I guess I'll call the vet again.

I've been at it 24 hours straight trying to keep him going. I've tried everything under the sun that he could possibly eat. Maybe it's something other than the constipation.

It could be something else...giving him some nutrical will not hurt him and will give him some nutrients that he needs...I would try some...

 

[WitchyWoman]

Consulting with the vet when you're feeling unsure about his health is the right course. I'm hoping that what you're seeing is the after effects of being so constipated. As I mentioned earlier, episodes such as this have a tendency to affect overall intestinal health/function and he may just need some time before everything settles down and is back to normal. Please keep us posted on his progress and give him head butts and kisses from us. Hugs to you too. We understand how traumatic it is when fur kids are ailing.

 

[Daytona Says What?!]

Consulting with the vet when you're feeling unsure about his health is the right course. I'm hoping that what you're seeing is the after effects of being so constipated. As I mentioned earlier, episodes such as this have a tendency to affect overall intestinal health/function and he may just need some time before everything settles down and is back to normal. Please keep us posted on his progress and give him head butts and kisses from us. Hugs to you too. We understand how traumatic it is when fur kids are ailing.

Thanks for that. Heading to vet to get a feeding syringe and formula/liquid food. I'd he's not eating BT late afternoon, they want to open him up and look around...

 

[Patti]

If a cat is dehydrated he will not have an appetite, and if he hasn't been eating it's quite possible that he is dehydrated, so consider giving him some sub q fluid to start with.

 

[Daytona Says What?!]

They skin hydrated him yesterday and say he should be reasonably well hydrated.

News: Drinking water on his own. I syringed some high calorie food in his mouth and he immediately straightened up a bit and went for his water. Forced eating should stimulate voluntary eating.

Nose is moist; eyes look better.

 

[Patti]

Good to hear, hopefully he just needs time...

 

[Daytona Says What?!]

He's doing much better but still not eating voluntarily. He's back to most of his normal behaviors, albeit a bit weak and lethargic, but in good spirits. I've been syringe feeding him every few hours and it's exhausting. I've tried any and every kind of food that a cat could eat, and he's just not having it.

I'm getting very frustrated and am at my wit's end with him not eating. I've had to change my plans and deal with this for four days straight now. I'm supposed to leave town for a race Wednesday for the weekend. If he's still not eating, I guess I'm supposed to not go? How long is this going to go on? I've heard stories of people having to syringe feed for weeks. Luckily I work from home, but I can't do this forever.

 

[Rafiki]

I understand your frustrations as I was there last year but there is no easy answer. When a cat stops eating for a few days, the liver gets affected and drops the appetite even further. Appetite pills can help but are not a cure-all. This is where your relationship with the cat will become extremely important. A vet may be able to force a cat to eat (feeding tube and such) but only the cat's human will be able to convince the cat to eat. It took me over an hour twice a day to get mine to eat when she was sick. I literally fed her a dab of baby food on my finger at a time. I would get her to lick a few dabs and then try again 5 minutes later. And of course, you have to have the right mindset when approaching. Going near him with the "Dang it, eat already!" attitude will get you nowhere. My husband lacked the patience to deal with this and would get frustrated quickly so I was the one to deal primarily with it. This forum was my lifeline - not just for advice but also a place to vent. I sincerely wish you the best with this.

 

[Daytona Says What?!]

I understand your frustrations as I was there last year but there is no easy answer. When a cat stops eating for a few days, the liver gets affected and drops the appetite even further. Appetite pills can help but are not a cure-all. This is where your relationship with the cat will become extremely important. A vet may be able to force a cat to eat (feeding tube and such) but only the cat's human will be able to convince the cat to eat. It took me over an hour twice a day to get mine to eat when she was sick. I literally fed her a dab of baby food on my finger at a time. I would get her to lick a few dabs and then try again 5 minutes later. And of course, you have to have the right mindset when approaching. Going near him with the "Dang it, eat already!" attitude will get you nowhere. My husband lacked the patience to deal with this and would get frustrated quickly so I was the one to deal primarily with it. This forum was my lifeline - not just for advice but also a place to vent. I sincerely wish you the best with this.

He takes the syringe feeding well. He doesn't run from me and seems to know it's good for him. But it's still a hassle chasing him down and I feel like a bully having to hold him and be forceful. He at least doesn't seem to resent me for it, though.

I've got a full can of high calorie special food and a can of Turkey baby food down in the past 18 hours. (I mix the two for a less viscous consistency for the syringe.)

I have a great relationship with my cat. If anyone can do this, I can. He trusts me implicitly, feels very comfortable in his home, and is still probably getting over the trauma of the blockage.

I closed him in his room with food. That's worked in the past when he wouldn't eat -- as opposed to leaving it out in its regular spot in the kitchen. Taking the distractions away seemed to help.

If that doesn't work, I'll go back to the vet for more high calorie food and keep at it, I guess.

 

[John Popp]

Glad to see Daytona is doing better.

I'm not partial to the store bought raw, the protein quality was fairly low and too much bone. My oldest boy would definitely have an issue and we are adding pumpkin to his raw to help with constipation issues. Other challenges and things we need to modify make putting together our own raw the best avenue.