Kitty update: the tests are in.

[icarus]

We heard from the vet this morning (wildernessguru woke me at 5am to tell me about the voicemail, when I'd gone to bed at 2am... groan). Commander Fuzzhead's tests are in: no ill effects from Nutro's poison pet food.

However, his refusing to eat any other brand of cat food has turned into a problem. Cats get a lot of their water from their "wet food" and he's dehydrated. His kidneys are working overtime as he walks away from one bowl of cat food after another.

In addition, he has some kind of infection so the vet's asked us to take him in to get his teeth cleaned. If that doesn't fix it, more tests. *cringe* It took them four tries to find his tiny little veins.

Comments

[slashophile.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry about your kitty! That's awful. They're so damn picky, my can be like that. He refuses to eat "wet food", which is strange. Here's my sorry kitty.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Yeah. The hard part was when they had to draw blood and a urine sample. He was calm, cool, and collected, even when they held him on his back for the urine, and I was right there with him. But... ow, my kitty....

[slashophile.livejournal.com]

Poor baby! :snugglies your cat: Poor thing that has to hurt so much. Isn't it amazing how our pets can be so good when it comes to the vet? Both my babies are well-behaved, too.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

He's a brave little guy. (Okay, 15 lbs. of "little" guy.) When he's scared he just goes very quiet. Stoic.

[melody2tds.livejournal.com]

Poor kitty! That really sucks, although it's a very good thing that he wasn't one of the cats who were seriously affected by the poison. I don't know what I would have done Friskies had been part of the recall. My cat's wont touch any other kind, either.
I do have one bit of advice, though. Have you ever had to force-feed a cat? Or hand-feed a kitten, for that matter. You can actually get a few special syringes, water down some high-nutrition food, and get them to eat that way, when turning down food becomes a problem.
A lot of times, just getting a little down whets their appetite, and they start eating. I've had to do it for my pickiest, when she got sick, and for the baby we hand raised, when she was weaned. It worked a treat, for both of them. It might be worth a shot, at least.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

He got hooked on that brand, and that's my fault. It was just easier to go with what he wanted rather than constantly test and throw away food. Now he's seven years old and not inclined to change.

I've considered hand-feeding him water, but the main thing is to get him eating wet food again.

[lttledvl.livejournal.com]

poor kitty...

mine's not doing to hot either

of course he's also turning into an old man (12 years old this month)

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

What's wrong with the furball? Arthritis?

[lttledvl.livejournal.com]

i think so, he moves a bit slower than he used to

and he's not as large as he used to be (of course he was pushing 'large' kitty stage at one point and kind of in need of a diet...)

[lebannen.livejournal.com]

Can you get him to eat anything other than specifically cat food? My cat will eat raw liver and raw eggs when he's turning his nose up at everything else - obviously this would get expensive in the long term, but it might help get him well again short term?

Good luck, my cat's an old man these days, going deaf and possibly a bit blind, and the next big problem he has will quite likely be his last.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Weirdly enough, he'll eat asparagus.

Well. It has a high water content, I guess.

Good luck, my cat's an old man these days, going deaf and possibly a bit blind, and the next big problem he has will quite likely be his last.

Oh....

[oriolegirl]

Poor kitty! I know it's not horribly nutritious, but what about kitty treats? My Harley absolutely adores Aquariyums, the soft Pounce Caribbean Catch, and Whiskas soft treats. It might be a way to lure him into eating a new food.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Just bury it in the wet food? That's a thought. *glances at cat* Ten bucks says he'll find a way to get the treat out of the food, but we can always test that theory.

[oriolegirl]

Either that or tempt him with treats in your hand and then put them on top of the food. *shrug* He probably will pull the treats out of the food, but perhaps he'll decide that the food's not so bad after all.

[ansku]

Ouch, poor kitty! Well, good there's no ill effects, but the other stuff... *Sends kitty a gentle hug* Kidneys are well worth keeping an eye on, they can cause lots of problems later if there's something wrong...

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I lost my last kitty to kidney problems. I'm out to buy more wet food, see if there are other kinds he'll eat.

[ansku]

My kitties were ten and fifteen (and didn't look that much like kitties anymore) when their kidneys failed, but it's always as difficult to lose a kitty no matter how old they are :( I hope he'll come around!

[gournay.livejournal.com]

You could always try making him a mild "clear soup". That will say, pour hot water over some wet cat food.
My old cat Brian had this brilliant idea a couple years ago, during a winter. He didn't want to go out side. Apparently it was too cold. As the logical creature he is, he gave up drinking water. Why? Because then he wouldn't have to pee outside, this said he has always had cat litter in the house. Brian almost died of dehydration. I think that's why cats never ever will rule the world, the concept of cause effect aren't that clear to them. Any how, that's why he's now presented with "clear soup" every morning. This way he won't need to drink water. There is always a way to out smart a cat, you just have to figure it out.
There is no harm in trying. I really hope your cat will get better. Nothing is as bad as when a family member is ill.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Oh! This might have worked. He's over by the kitty bowl and seems to be eating his "soup."

I think he just likes his water to be flavored.

Thank you. Yeah, it is working as we speak.

Icarus

[chasethecat.livejournal.com]

So the kitty is just eating dry food? Maybe you could try mixing some water with it? It works with my dog, but then he'll eat pretty much anything. Hope you get something figured out, anyway!

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Yes! It's working.

Thank you.

[cheshyre]

If we lived geographically closer, I could get you the subcutaneous fluid apparatus that we no longer need. :(

Will your cat drink from anyplace else? A faucet instead of bowl (cats tend to like running water)
You could also give your cat the liquid drained from a can of tuna (giving you a meal and the cat some liquid)...

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

He does drink out of the faucet. Surprisingly, he won't eat tuna. He'll eat asparagus though (strange cat).

Vet food

[tiekas.livejournal.com]

Hi, I don't know if you have this brand in the U.S. or not, but in Canada there's this catfood called Medi-Cal that you can only buy at the vet's. It comes in different kinds (including geriatric) and is one of the few foods not on the poisoned list. My fussy kitties will happily eat it.
Hope your kitty is doing better,
Tiekas

Re: Vet food

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Medi-Cal. Okay, I'll check it out. It sounds like something we'd have in Seattle.

Icarus

[tartanshell.livejournal.com]

I second the running water suggestion. Try putting your sink on just a tiny, tiny trickle of cold water, putting him on the counter, and seeing if he'll drink.

You could also try a cat water fountain like this one (http://www.revivalanimal.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_40%2D083_A_name_E_Deluxe+Fresh+Flow+Electronic+Pet+Waterer+%96+PetMate).

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

He is drinking, but not enough. We keep a faucet dripping all the time.

[darkrosetiger.livejournal.com]

:( Poor kitty.

One other thing you might want to try is draining the water off a can of tuna and seeing if he'll drink that--though it sounds like he's started drinking again, which is good.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Oddly, he doesn't like tuna. Perhaps he'd like the juice though, hmmm....

[enname.livejournal.com]

Right, I did mean to comment here that I am glad the Cmder Fuzzhead is all clear from the pet food. Even if he is being a fusspot and not cooperating with trying to eat anything else. Having had a previous cat who died from kidney failure at the age of five... it is a little worrying that he refuses the 'wet stuff'. You can tell him from me he does not want to go that way. Not pretty at all.

My koala-cat-thing thought I was going to put him in a pot of boiling milk today. *rolls eyes* He wanted up, he got up. Just cause the pot was on the stove does not mean I wanted him in it. He'd be much nicer roasted...

[enname.livejournal.com]

*snort* The koala-cat-thing always drinks water-paint water I leave in glasses with brushes soaking. I'd not recommend this though :P

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

He ate the wet food I gave him this morning! *dances* But he must drink water out of the faucet, and then the angle that he tries to drink makes him sneeze... I probably should get one of the water fountains.

Icarus