Sick kitty - worried and scared.

[icarus]

Sick kitty – worried and scared.

Monte had diarrhea so bad Wednesday he missed the kitty box. There may have been blood in his stool, I'm not sure. At the same time he had really bad hairballs, like nothing he's ever had before (and of course, most of his food came up with them). Several times in one day.

Yesterday it looked like he was getting better, that the diarrhea was clearing up, but I'm worried about an intestinal block. Normally he hits the cat box right after he eats, but he hasn't gone to the bathroom since yesterday afternoon. The kitty litter was moved around since yesterday, so he tried.

Advice? Help?



FYI, I'm broke. We just took him to the vet last week, WG was in a car accident, the school hasn't given me the student aid for the last three months and they're already charging me for next quarter so when it comes through there won't be anything left. And the vet doesn't bill.

Comments

[celyste.livejournal.com]

agreements with katuah. drinking and urinating? good signs. red blood, ok; dark as in black blood, not so good. mineral oil or hairball tonic in massive amounts (like 6" of it) will help with the passing.

also, if the cat had diarhhea for any length of time, and hasn't really felt like eating, he may not have anything left to pass. Playing inthe litter box might just be 'stretch' factor (like if you've gone so much you just think you should go again).

I'd scruff him and try to squeeze his tummy. small hard things are ok, big or long hard things probably will necessitate a trip to vet if they don't move on their own within 3-4 hours.

It might be something cheap like an enema or oral oil. I think the worst I ever saw while I worked at the clinic was 3-400$, which was xrays, fluids, full surgery and massive antibiotics. Granted, that was about 4 years ago now.

I admit, I'm surprised at your vet. I've never met one that wouldn't set up a payment plan for big ticket stuff. Especially if you've been to them before and always paid it all off. Is there not another one nearby?

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

also, if the cat had diarhhea for any length of time, and hasn't really felt like eating, he may not have anything left to pass.

The hairballs Wednesday caused him to throw up pretty much everything, and one (this is way too much information) was as long as his leg. Really bad hairballs, worst I've seen.

He's been hungrier than normal as of last night and today, probably because he'd thrown up everything and he lost the rest to diarrhea. He's also been drinking plenty of water, a little more than usual. It may I'm worrying too soon.

red blood, ok; dark as in black blood, not so good.

It was a small amount of red blood, small enough I wasn't sure if it was blood.

I'd scruff him and try to squeeze his tummy. small hard things are ok, big or long hard things probably will necessitate a trip to vet if they don't move on their own within 3-4 hours.

Ah, good. Thank you. That's the sort of thing I wanted to know. I'm one of the few allowed to touch his belly.

I'll pick up some Mineral Oil, too, see if that helps.

Icarus

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Huh. He has one very empty tummy.

I'll check again later because maybe I'm doing this wrong, but I didn't feel much in the way of lumps. Maybe he cleaned himself out with the diarrhea and hairballs the last two days. Unlike my past kitties he seems to lose entire meals with his hairballs. There may be nothing in there to come out.

Icarus

[celyste.livejournal.com]

In that case, as long as he's eating and drinking, I'd try to relax. Vomitting (not hairballs but true vomitting) would be a bad sign.

One cat I had would mess up the box three times a day. Another one would bother it every couple days (had the bladder of a camel!)

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

He has a bladder the size of a pea, I think. Usually after each meal he makes a beeline for the kitty box. Then he streaks out of the bathroom as playful as all hell.

He's peeing (yay!) but there are no lincoln logs in the box yet. That may take a day or two.

Icarus