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cat wont drink and is ill HELP!!!!
Conroy Bumpas
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
sorry about spelling im dislexic
my cat is an indoor cat as we live in a very bussy area and he would certainly get run over.
hes 3 and all his life i have fed him wet and dry food.
in july i took him to the vets for a flu shot and genral health check up
the vet looked at him and said woo hes over weight and looked at me like i was a C**t started moaning at me then actly weighed him and he was only 5kg and siad "he looks bigger than that" then he told me i should stop feeding him wet food
i though no big deal because he defanatly prefers dry but i gave him wet in the morning so he didnt gobble it all up and would last him untill i got home.
so i changed him to dry food only
about a month later he gets cystitis and is passing blood crying etc. we rush him to the vets. the vet gives him anti biotics and a few days of pain meds. and says we should give him wet food but only for a few days just to get some extra water in him
after a few days he seems ok.
now this friday i notice hes got it again. we rush him to the vets. see a diffrent vet as its an emergency apointment. she gives him antiboitics and a longer corse of pain meds. and says what the hell are we doing only feeding him dry food he defnatly needs to ONLY EAT WET FOOD. and if he gets this again he will need exploritory surgey to find out whats going on. xrays, cathata, the lot. gonna cost a fortune.
so i went out and got wet food and a cat water fouintian homeing it will make him drink more. (read that they can help cats with problems like mine"
its been 2 days and hes not eaten or drank anything. he wont touch any wet food. and keeps clawing at the cubbord that the dry food used to be in. he wont drink from his bowl or the new fountain. hes looking quite lathargic. i have sarringed water into his mouth with his pain meds. but not much only a table spoon full or so.
any idears on how i can get him to eat or drink... espeshaly get him to use this new fountain that had bankrupted me.
and also do you think this was all caused by shit advice from the vet in the first place?
ta
my cat is an indoor cat as we live in a very bussy area and he would certainly get run over.
hes 3 and all his life i have fed him wet and dry food.
in july i took him to the vets for a flu shot and genral health check up
the vet looked at him and said woo hes over weight and looked at me like i was a C**t started moaning at me then actly weighed him and he was only 5kg and siad "he looks bigger than that" then he told me i should stop feeding him wet food
i though no big deal because he defanatly prefers dry but i gave him wet in the morning so he didnt gobble it all up and would last him untill i got home.
so i changed him to dry food only
about a month later he gets cystitis and is passing blood crying etc. we rush him to the vets. the vet gives him anti biotics and a few days of pain meds. and says we should give him wet food but only for a few days just to get some extra water in him
after a few days he seems ok.
now this friday i notice hes got it again. we rush him to the vets. see a diffrent vet as its an emergency apointment. she gives him antiboitics and a longer corse of pain meds. and says what the hell are we doing only feeding him dry food he defnatly needs to ONLY EAT WET FOOD. and if he gets this again he will need exploritory surgey to find out whats going on. xrays, cathata, the lot. gonna cost a fortune.
so i went out and got wet food and a cat water fouintian homeing it will make him drink more. (read that they can help cats with problems like mine"
its been 2 days and hes not eaten or drank anything. he wont touch any wet food. and keeps clawing at the cubbord that the dry food used to be in. he wont drink from his bowl or the new fountain. hes looking quite lathargic. i have sarringed water into his mouth with his pain meds. but not much only a table spoon full or so.
any idears on how i can get him to eat or drink... espeshaly get him to use this new fountain that had bankrupted me.
and also do you think this was all caused by shit advice from the vet in the first place?
ta
Please note I cannot be held responsible for any mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, karma, dharma, metaphysical, religious, philosophical, Logical , Ethical, Aesthetical, or financial damage caused by this post
Conroy Bumpas on
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try with a regular bowl, just to see if he can use it
maybe try soaking the dry cat food for a few hours in a glass, so that it's all puffed up and soft
Anytime you switch an animals food you need to do so gradually. Mix 3/4 dry with 1/4 wet, then over the course of a week end with that reversed, 1/4 dry 3/4 wet. Then next week just use wet food.
the only food changes have been because the vet told me to
water wise i have left his old water bowl exactly where it was and change if for fresh twice a day. the new fountine i have put next to it. so he has 2 choices for water
food wise i puts dry and wet in the same bowl prevously i did the way you sagested . but because the vet said i must feed him wet now i did half and half and he wont touch it
i didnt just chance his food because i felt like it, i did it bacause the vet told me had to
I've found cats are especially picky with wet foods, especially when they've been on an all dry diet for a while.
The change of foods will be stressing him out, so you need to try and get him to calm down. Don't try and force feed him (and especially don't do it where he eats - leave his food/drink area as a safe place).
Fountains can be a little scary for the cat, as the pump can be loud (he'll get used to it eventually, but it's not a quick solution to drinking). Does he have any interest drinking other fresh water sources in your place? Shower base? Sinks? Bath?
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as soon as i put the wet and the dry in the same bowl he wont touch it
I find it really, really hard to believe that if you switched your cat over to dry food slowly the way Sentry suggested and have always been careful to make sure he has very fresh water at all times that he had cystitis within a month and it was all due to crappy advice from your vet.
Cats get bladder infections like the sky gets blue. They are ridiculously common, and some cats are just prone, no matter what you do. If you've been feeding him and taking care to keep his water topped off, this may just be something you need to keep an eye on from now on.
The important thing from here on out is to get your cat the treatment he needs. Stop changing his food all over the place, stop changing his environment, and stop stressing out yourself. All of these things are going to add to his stress levels on top of any pain he may be feeling.
As for now, keep in close contact (via phone) with your vet, and have them help you/walk you through what's going on. If they seem incompetent, get a new vet. Hope you kitty gets better quickly!
If you don't trust your vet, then you have the option to take the cat to someone else.
hes not blocked up the vet said his bladder was empty with is a symptom of cystitis bacause they feel they need to go to the loo so they fully empty their bladder.
the reason i notice he was getting it in the firts place and now its that hes a very happy affectionate cat and dosnt leave my side except to eat, go to the loo , or when someone knocks at the door. so i know how offten hes going to the loo and eating and drinking.
the vet didnt say anything about diabeties.
i had some turf put down inside my conservatry/ big porch thing. theres some long grass there that he sometimes eats and sits on. if im in there. and my gaff is covered in scraching posts and perches and toys. i play feach with him and give him a run with my lazer pen. so hes quite excersied for an indoor cat.
if i put a bit of water in his dry biscits he wont touch them. (and looked really pissed of at me for doing it)
Which cat food are you using? It's extremely likely to be a problem with the food that is exacerbating this problem. Your cat may need a different type of protein, higher protein percentage (if you are feeding something like Whiskas which is basically crushed cardboard nutritionally) or a prescription diet. However, lets prioritize first.
Here is my advice:
The first priority is to get the cat eating and drinking, and in turn using the litter.
Step 1: ensure the cat has no blockage. Your post indicates the vet has already done so but 2 days is an awful long time for a cat to not eat. Unlike dogs, cats can and will starve themselves, and also cause serious (fatal) problems with their major organs when they enter starvation mode. If you have to go back to the vet, you have to go back.
Step 2: provide a spotless litter box in a familiar place with familiar litter.
Step 3: provide the cat with water in any way they wish, use the old dish and new fountain, dripping tap and whatever else he wants for now.
Step 4: provide any food the cat will eat, just put them all out in separate dishes and see what he wants.
Once the cat has started using the box normally and energy is normal, you can over 2-4 weeks adjust the food to something new or different starting with 10% new 90% old.
The second priority is to prevent this issue happening again.
The water dish you have is good, give the cat some time to get used to it while also providing other water sources like the old dish and wet food if he'll eat it.
You need to find the right food. I don't know what you are feeding but there are generally three different things, could be any one of these:
- Needs higher quality food, one that does not contain discarded horse carcass and other disgusting things they try to pass off as cat food. This generally goes hand in hand with higher protein percentage, get all the shitty carbs out of the diet that the cat can't process anyway.
- Needs a different type of protein, chicken is a problem so maybe duck would be fine, etc.
- Needs a prescription food that can be purchased from the vet.
You need to understand the causes and treatments for cystitis so that you can provide the best care.
Just use the internet, educating yourself will help you find problems early, save money at the vet and ease frustration.
Next: your cat needs to be the right weight.
5kg and a bunch of exercise doesn't mean anything over the internet, we can't judge from over here. Could be the cat is grossly obese, could be ridiculously skinny. You need to follow the chart at this link and make a decision about whether your cat is in the right weight range:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/02/06141423/7
To assist a cat with losing weight, you choose a high quality food (or keep the high quality one one you have) and decrease by a max of 5% for a month or so and increase the exercise. Assess and continue after 4-6 weeks.
Next, you need to build a fund to pay for your cat's continuing health.
Your cat may get this problem again, or another problem. Pet owners should keep $1500-$2500 in a pet fund for emergencies, or purchase insurance (in countries where this is worth it). This is part of keeping a pet, they are part of the family and deserve to have adequate funds available when they need them.
The final priority is to find a vet you trust.
Read reviews and ask people you know. Find a vet that you know will do well for your cat in the future and register yourselves at the clinic.
After the procedure to empty his bladder and get out whatever was blocking, we had to put the little guy on basically an all wet food diet just so we were sure he got water in his system. We actually add a little hot water to his food just to make sure he's getting that much.
We also got him a water fountain but he stayed the hell away from it for a long time. Until we got a kitten actually who decided it was an awesome thing to play in.
I'm not a vet but from what we've been hearing you should always be trying to feed your cat wet food if you can afford it. I can't fathom a vet saying "only dry food!" after the scolding we've gotten.
Good luck! Also, you should post a picture of your cat. It's a rule.
Remember to take care switching between cat foods. If you switch to fast, it upsets their digestion. Think of this: if you don't drink a lot of dairy (or beef) and then go out and eat a ***lot*** of ice cream (or a big steak) your belly is going to hurt. And your digestion will be thrown out of whack. And it will hurt to go to the bathroom. You know the cause. Your cat doesn't. He quickly associates going to the bathroom with pain. Problem. He then doesn't want to go to the bathroom. And holds it. Which also hurts ...
So, as others have said. Get him eating what he wants to eat. Slowly change over to a good-quality cat food that meets your needs (here's an old list)
Also: keep food and litter locations clean and separate.
Good luck!
When he's better, remember that cat threads require pics
you really might want to bring him in. kidney/urinary blockages can be fatal to male cats super easily.
If you feel the vet you are using isn't getting the job done then look around for other options in your area. Check up online for any available reviews, etc. If you do switch vets, be sure to detail everything that's been done so far. It might help if you write it down so you can go over it and ensure you haven't left anything out. Regardless of where you go, do your best to remain calm when you visit whichever vet you end up going to. It can be scary and stressful, but the people you are seeing likely do want your cat to get better and are just trying what they know.
I hope things work out. That's a cool lookin cat. He's staring at the camera like: OK, the first look is free, but after that they gotta pay.
I have a cat with IBD which causes serious eating problems and has caused me to have to try just about everything you can imagine to get her eating at times, especially prior to having it properly diagnosed (and we're still not 100% sure). When she wasn't eating awhile back I was still able to get her to eat by scooping just a bit of wet cat food onto the tips of my fingers and feeding it to her directly from my hand. It was wet, it was gross, it took a long time, but it kept my cat alive. I have even had to force feed wet food which has been blended with water using a syringe. Likely pretty much the same as you already did with water, but a vet can show you to be sure.
Call a good vet tomorrow. If you tell a good vet it's been 2 days since your cat has eaten or drank anything, they will help. They can provide a subcutaneous water injection which will rehydrate your cat and keep the cat properly hydrated for a day or two. They can also help with the feeding including showing you how to force feed and providing prescription extra high calorie foods (very helpful when force feeding because it's hard to get the cat to eat enough).
There's also several tests they should be doing before jumping to exploratory surgery (and most likely the vet did not mean to suggest he would go straight to exploratory surgery). There are blood and urine tests to check for known diseases that usually can be treated which cause these sorts of things, xrays and ultrasounds to try to spot blockages that way, etc. If one of those water fountain bowls wiped out your cash, the cost of this stuff is going to give you a fucking hear attack, so be prepared. Vets want to help and don't want to see an animal suffer, so they may be able to help with payments in some way.
You CAN NOT starve out a cat.
Wet food is better for cats anyway, whoever said your cat was fat was full of it. 5 kg, which is 12 pounds, is not fat. Wet food is better for cats as in dry food is currently the hypothesis behind the overabundance of kidney failure in felines - pretty much every cat that gets to old age dies of it. Cats are desert animals after all, they don't drink much and they get most of their water from food in the wild.
They cast a shadow like a sundial in the morning light. It was half past 10.
If the cat hasn't had any drink or pee in 24 hours, I'd keep using the syringe to hydrate. If he's getting fiesty with the handling just burrito him snugly in a towel for it.
You might want to try some stinky types of wet food. I don't know where you live but in North America usually Solid Gold Cat Tuna will do the trick, it stinks and they can't resist. It's very high quality food with good protein as well, for most cats.
Cat's don't generally drink a huge amount, a syringe or so will keep things going while you continue efforts. It will take time, cats hate change and movement to the vet and so on. Assuming the problem is cleared as the vet said, cats can still be a pain in the ass to get back to eating and drinking normally.
It's kind of like convincing a kid who has been eating twinkies at every meal to start eating brussel sprouts.
Some tips you can use to increase the palatability of the wet food to the cat. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top of the wet food. They also sell flaked, dried tuna in packages you can use for the same purpose. You could also add a bit of the oil or fresh tuna from a can to wet food. Warming up the wet food can also help as it will intensify the smell of it, however be careful as your cat can get into the habit of expecting his dinner warmed up every day.
All that aside, if he hasn't been eating, feed him the dry food. If at all possible, store it someplace he doesn't have access to, and clean up wherever it was so he doesn't smell it/smells it less. If you're determined, you will eventually get him transitioned over, it'll just take a long time.
Be careful wetting down his dry food with water. If he doesn't eat some of it, remove it immediately and clean it up. Dry food can have a lot of mold spores on it, which if it is left wet for a few hours can spread and grow quite quickly.
I've found this site relatively instrumental in learning how to take care of my cat.
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