Effects of the medicine may not be immediate. Give that more time. Try some baby food. Chicken, turkey, beef, & lamb. It's what Thomas ate near the end and our vet was the one who gave it to him first. I remember she had to stop feeding him even tho he didn't want her to. She was afraid the car trip home would make him sick if he ate too much. (She was right, too! ) Susan
Yes, Blackflag is right, the meds will take at least a couple to few days to get in her system. I hadn't thought of baby food, but that's a good idea. I've had to bottle feed young baby kittens, but only until they were old enough to eat some dry food soaked in formula or canned food. So sorry she's having these problems Smokey! I forgot to ask, but how old is she? Does the vet think this is age related, or more genetic?
She is 15, so I was fully expecting them to say it was cancer or something and that it was time to let her go. It might have been preferable to something wrong longterm that requires a lot of medication and attention, although I would hate to have to let her go. Thing is, she has allergies to fish, beef, chicken, liver, etc. But the vet said at this point it's more important that she eat something even if it's not on her approved list of foods. I don't know. The poor thing is skin and bones right now.
Hang in there, Smokey! You'll do the right thing. The hardest thing, well two things actually, a pet owner has to do is to decide if it's 'that' time and then actually going through with it. It's so hard to do. I've already had to make that decision with my ferret. Til this day I regret not being there (my mom took her). Just know that 15 years is a long life and you've loved her and gave her a great life! Maybe ask your vet if could give her some boiled chicken or something. Maybe the actual food (not processed) will entice her. In any case BIG HUGS. We're all here for you.
Thanks, Speedy! The thing is, she wants to eat. It's not like when they get sick and stop eating toward the end. She gets very insistent and looks for food, but then turns her nose up at everything. Tonight I will try the treats and maybe some Fancy Feast. Of course, another worry is that trying all of these different things will make her sick. It would be awful if she did eat and then threw it up.
Update on Ellie...she still won't eat so I'm still feeding her via syringe. She doesn't like it, and she hides from me quite a bit, but I get it done. She will not even consider any of the food, treats, or good smelling wet food that I give her. The vet called me tonight and we talked quite a bit but she really can't pin down what might be causing it, as Ellie has quite a few issues (the heart problem, allergies, etc.). I'm just going to keep feeding her and see what happens. One thing...the vet did say she knows a...well...basically a cat whisperer that if I'm interested could see Ellie. I used to watch the Animal Whisperer or whatever it was called on Animal Planet and was kind of impressed. Has anyone ever tried this?
I have never tried it, but at this point it wouldn't hurt. Maybe they will be able to help. I'd try it.
I haven't given the cat whisperer any more thought really...just going to keep at it day by day and see if Ellie gets any better. We have good days and bad days. Today was bad. I hardly got any food into her. And quite a lot of it ended up on me. She's kind of retreated to her hiding spot for the whole evening. I hope she at least comes up to bed tonight and that tomorrow is a better day. If she would just EAT then she (and I) wouldn't have to go through this several times a day.
Awww...poor girl, I was hoping to find that she has gotten better! Fingers crossed that she starts eating soon. Instead of a syringe, is it possible to use a nursing bottle if your food is liquid? My Eddie hates the syringe, because I have to pry his teeth open (it's only been medicine for him on occasion), but I've had to train little kittens to take a bottle when they were too young to eat solids. I'd push the nipple past their gums and into their mouth while I squirted the formula. Some of it would end up on us both, but once they got a taste for it, they turned into quite the greedy little sucklings. It's obviously easier with small kittens, I've never tried it with a big cat like Eddie, but maybe it's worth a try with Ellie. Anyway, keep the faith, and good luck! I hope she feels better soon!
Thanks, ladybronco. I don't know if there is anything that would encourage Ellie to suck on a bottle. She's not interested in any food or smell at all. It's been a really trying day with all three of the cats. If it's not one thing, it's another.
So sorry to hear that, Smokey It really must be a frustrating and stressful time for you right now... and for Ellie and the others too I still hope for a wonder and that she will get better! *crosses fingers* In six days is THE day I'll get Teddy and George home I'm really ecxited but also nervous... they will be a real challenge, since they grow up without a real mom they might be really hard to handle... Does anyone know how to deal with kittens who aren't really socialised yet? I know you can't really train cats to do as you want... but is there a way to make them understand that certain things are allowed and others not? It was easy with Juri... he was an only cat and he had a mom... but with Teddy and George... I don't know
Thanks, Stef! I am taking Ellie out to the vet Wednesday morning and leaving her to be looked at, but I'm afraid Ellie and I have already made a decision. As for your new little guys, I post at Cat Forum quite a bit with questions, etc. There are a lot of people there with experience that can probably help.
Hate to say such things since it was ultimately the reason we put Wicket (yes, named after the Ewok in Return of the Jedi) down, but if Ellie can't smell anything then she will not eat. We spent about a month shoving pills down Wicket's throat and trying to force feed him before we realized he couldn't smell the food we were trying to give him. We called our vet to tell him that we suspected he couldn't smell anymore we were told that a cat will not eat what they cannot smell. Even tho it broke our hearts we made the decision right then to put him down. Just always remember - you'll be doing the right thing for Ellie. Susan