Muffin, 1987 - 2004
Keep us posted and we will be praying for her.
All three cats made it home after the appointment, and they took off running for their hiding spots after being released from their pet taxis.....all but one.
Casey, my computer friend, she threw up, deficated and urinated inside of her pet taxi 20 mins after the vaccinations. I pulled her from the pet taxi (which was disgusting) and washed off her bottom in the sink. She was as limp as a wet noodle and had a high heart rate and was having breathing difficulty. I called the vet and rushed her back in at his request because he thinks she went into anaphylatic shock. She was given a cocktail of steroids, benadryl and some other kind of antihistamine (sp). She had a really hard day from 9am-midnight last night, and was not eating or drinking for 24 hours.
This morning, my vet called to me to see if she had eaten or drank any water, which she hadn't. He told me to meet him at the clinic for some intraveinous fluids and a cortizone shot. She was still limp, breathing heavily, and just plain exhausted. She urinated twice during the night, and threw up twice (not food, just bile I think).
Anyways, I just got back home from vet, who gave me the IV bag and some ultra-high calorie paste (nutrical) that I am to feed her every 8 hours. We did an xray and showed no fluid build up in the lungs or abdomen, but the blood test was less than satisfactory. Her kidney levels showed failure and liver numbers were higher than they should be. He didn't know if that was because of the vaccines, or something else, possibly something called F.I.V. some sort of wierd and hard to diagnose feline virus.
He said that she had a 25 percent chance of survival and said to give it until Mon, AM to see if she improves. He is the kind of vet that thinks that she needs a chance to see if she can pull through or not. She is 12.5 years old and weighs almost 7lbs.
I am wondering if there is any input that all the viking kitty owners or freeper vets/pet caretakers had that would help me. She crawled 4 feet out of her pet taxi a few mins ago and just collapsed, looking exhausted. I will feed and re-hydrate her sub-cutaneously (sp) at 9pm cst tonight.
Prayers for Casey and me would be appreciated as well as any advice. I have never had a sick kitty or had to bury one yet.
Thanks, Chris
Agreeing in prayer for your kitty.
Prayers for little Casey and you. I pray God will restore Casey's health.
Prayers for your kitty, this has to be awful.
Please keep us informed.
How sad. I'm really sorry to hear about what you and Casey are going through. I've owned and loved cats for many years, so I can truly empathize with what you're likely feeling.
Hard to know if any of the meds (or the chemicals in the dewormer) kicked off an underlying problem, or caused one. Seems the older my cats are, the more sensitive they are to chemicals. Just like people, eh?
At this point, it sounds as though the most important issue is that Casey get a lot of supportive care, which you're providing. I vote that you take good care of yourself, and that you work on spoiling Casey rotten. Love can heal too, yes?
Prayers for all of you. And please keep us posted. Thanks.
I hope that your tiny kitty pulls through! It is so hard to watch our babies suffer. I've had many, many kitties in my life, and had to bury more than I like to remember. I lost my beloved Minno when she was twelve. She seemed fine until she all of a sudden exhibited stroke like symptoms. Turned out she had bone cancer and it was severe by the time she showed signs of sickness. Now that my boy Sam is twelve, I watch him like a hawk. Good luck to you and your lap kitty!!! Sounds like you have a good vet.
If she's trying to move around that's a good sign. We had a cat get hit by a car about 5 years ago. She looked really bad. Couldn't move her hind end at all. Took her to the vet and the vet didn't think much of her chances. Silly damn cat wouldn't stay in the box I had fixed up for her. Drug herself around like that (not much though) for a few days. She's around the neighborhood somewhere right now. Even had another litter of kittens a few years ago. Cats are tough critters.
I'm sorry to hear about Casey; may she recover soon. Prayers for you both.
TKG
Hear our Prayers, O Lord, for our FRiend and his dear Kitty!
I have been with Casey for almost 48 hours, and I have to say that the last few (esp. since I posted) hours have been much better.
Casey is trying SO hard to just get up and move around, but poor kitty just has her strength sapped by the anaphylactic shock she had FRI AM.
Last time I posted, I had some TLC time with her on the couch while we watched our favorite channel: Fox News Channel. Im sure that between God, Freepers, TLC, and Fox, that we have all the bases covered.
I just got through putting her to bed on her favorite blanket with a heating blanket on low below it. (Vets orders since she had a 98 degree temp this AM). I also got what I think was an amazing amount of Hills Science a/d wet cat food down her throat. (She wanted to eat, but just couldn't hold her head up long enough). I got about two (2) tablespoons down plus another tablespoon of water. I also got a 1/2 tablespoon of the ultrahigh calorie Nutrical down. Best part is that I got her hydrated with a SUB-Q IV drip and she took the prescibed amount of about 1 cup (never done that before, but it left a puffy "water bubble" under her skin between her shoulder blades). Kinda neet though.
So, after getting alot of food down (w/o throwing up) and hydrating her, I feel pretty good. I sat down next to her and stroked her to sleep. She was purring pretty loud (about 60 percent of normal). I don't think she was in pain. She was "twitching" and moving like people do when they dream. Question: Can cats purr and be asleep at the same time? She seemed to smile and be very content and relaxed.
I want to take this time to say thank you to God, and to Freepers, because I do believe in the power of prayer, even for the smallest life that God cares for. I truely believe that she has gotten better, and showed improvement since you have prayed for her. Please keep them coming because I was told by the vet that she has about a 70 percent chance of not making it to Monday AM. Hopefully God, Prayers, Freepers, and TLC can prove the vet wrong.
I am going to head off to bed tonight content that I have done everything possible to make her comfortable and I appreciate your advice and help. I could probably use a prayer or two my way also, but keep little Casey in mind mostly. She is dear to me.
Good night and thanks again. I will give another SITREP around 10 AM CST.
Chris
If in the future, you ever wish to get another kitty, I have had some good luck with my cats by doing these things. Over the past 30 years my wife and I have had numerous cats, up to five at a time, all cats that spend as much time as they liked outside in the the four seasons of Pennsylvania. They all got their original shots and were "fixed" and that was it, nothing else. We live near racoon, deer, and all the rest, and all has been well. We have always been under the impression that cats can take care of most things. Thusly, most of the cats never were sick, never needed the vet's attention and lived to an average of 18-22 years.
One thing that we think may have had something to do with their good health was this: we steamed a carrot or two every week, smashed them, and mixed it into their moist foods...... worked well in tuna and chicken, etc. About one fifth carrots was good enough. Purina dry was the other food.
Anyhow, I pray for your kitty and I feel for you. They are always your good friend.
Have any of your cats ever been tested for FIV? As outdoor cats, they have a higher chance of catching it. A simple blood test will reveal that answer. But with the sudden onset of symptoms, I'm inclined to think your kitty had an allergic reaction to the vaccine. Your vet should be keeping her for observations, period. And, if the vet suspected FIV, the cat should be in quarantine.
Call your vet and insist your kitty be kept for observations. If they refuse, go to another vet.
Kitty prayers needed ping!
I just lost my eight year old Persian to kidney failure...sorry to hear about your kitty. How was she before you brought her in for her vaccinations? And...did she have a history of drinking a lot of water? Kidney disease is usually linked to that.
Is there any way the cat could have bitten a tree frog in the hours before going to the vet?
I once had a cat that encountered one. It was several hours before the effect hit – with the symptoms you describe. I didn’t rush him to a vet but gave him TLC including water via eyedropper. He recovered.