My cat is sick
I took my 11 year old cat to the vet on Thursday because I had noticed that her appetite was decreasing and she had diarrhea on that day. On Friday, I found out after that her liver was not doing great so she was given medication for me to administer to her for a week to treat a liver infection, assuming that was may be case. That's the problem with bloodwork, you have some leads but nothing is conclusive. Friday evening I came home and tried to feed her so I returned Saturday and these were the 3 options to consider.
1) I could submit her to emergency care for 3 days and get her hooked up to it fluids so that she get hydration and nutrition this way but the issue is it cost thousands of dollars
2) I can tube feed her myself with a liquid diet that provides her nutrition at home with syringes every few hours. Basically, I was given a can of food and mixed it with water to create a soupy consistency to use with the syringe to feed her.
3) This not even an option I want to consider but it was to say goodbye for her for good. That is simply a no for me.
I went with option number 2 because I have read many sources that say that cats can pull through and that they livers are resilient and have the ability to regenerate. Diet was apparently the key in restoring her to her normal self but it can take several weeks and maybe even several months and the results are unknown and what I would call a gamble. It is Tuesday and she still has not passed a stool since lasr Thursday and I have been tube feeding her but I called the vet today and he told me I needed to make sure to give her one full can throughout the day but I've been getting less because I thought I might overwhelm her and cause her to vomit. He wasn't exactly clear how much to give her she just mentioned how to do the tube feeding.
I am torn about what to do. I love her so much and I have been so sad and crying on a daily basis since Thursday. My heart breaks because she is my first companion and I have her since she was a kitten ;( she has become apart of my family and I cannot imagine life without her. As a result of all my worry and concerns forever, I have had been prescribed antidepressants and sleeping pills by my doctor because i was just not managing well and i am still finding it challenging. What does one do in this case? I am waiting for a weeks of the antibiotics to do something but get the feeling it is not working
How does one get through this? I am very distracted with her and she is lethargic day to day which comes with the condition she is in but it makes me sad when I look at her because she doesn't wanna drink water or eat but there is a chance she could pull through.
I had a friend of mine tell me that she saw a cat on the brink of death with a liver condition and she pulled through and made a full recovery
I wondered if I should go to another vet and get their thoughts. This vet is fine that she has seen but i wonder would others could say in her state
@CanadianGal87
I think it is a good idea to see another vet and get a second opinion. Also note you know your cat well and if you feel like a whole can is too much it probably is. For instance another vet may recommend a vitamin/nutrient cat mix or something, I don't know as I'm not a vet.
Cats are very strong animals, and I know your cat would be appreciating you taking good care of it. I hope all the best for you, i really do.
I would recommend a second opinion. Situations like this are so hard. I’m so sorry that you’re going through this. I lost my 15 year old dog last year and I have an 11 year cat as well. I really hope that she pulls through this! It takes a lot of dedication to tube feed an animal. I would just keep pushing lots of fluids and food. I wish you the best of luck.
Yes, getting a second opinion is a good idea. Also, do you have any self care techniques you can do to take better care of yourself whether it's prayer, meditation, going for a walk, watching your favorite TV show, eating your favorite meal, etc?
Even I have faced similar situation with my cat recently, it is on heat and looking for mating.
She was making loud noise ,as I was having this cat for the first time,i could not understand what is all happening.
For 3-4 days I worried a lot and could not sleep properly.
Looking at her situation,i let her go out for the entire night so that it will have mating, but worried what if other cats hurts it or a dog may chase her.
I spoke to animal volunteers and vet,they explained about the situation,gave me suggestions on how to handle it.
Now I am relieved and relaxed.😊
What I suggest is, we better not to over think and be more emotional instead look for solution and do what we can do to our pet.
Rest all we can leave it to God🙂
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