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Last weekend, fri night, I opened up the door, and the stray spent the night on the couch, all seemed fine. Saturday night watching tv she seemed sort of quiet and I noticed she did some little mouth smacking thing like she was dry and I can't remember whether she had bad breath then or whether I noticed it later. Sometime during the night she threw up plain fluid, the next day she left for awhile, came back, noticed she would huddle up next to a water dish but not drink. So no drinking, no eating, depressed activity, bad breath. Sunday night I took her to the emergency vet.
Negative FLV/FIV test
No temperature
No negative response to palpations
CBC - the only off value was her white blood count which was close to nothing.
Now the emergency vet seemed to think that having been spayed 2 weeks earlier set off a FLV crash response even though she was negative, said some cats harbor it in their marrow.
It cost me 550.00 for the visit, tests and to have her put down (aggressive overnight fluids and antibiotics were really expensive and he didn't seem to think the response would be good). Really hard, she was very sweet. She was a young cat.
I come home from work Fri and one of the cats had vomited some food.
Fri night one of my two is on the couch and I notice him do the little mouth smacking thing. I also notice when I'm petting him that his 3rd eyelid shows when he blinks. I check his breath, smells bad just like hers. I don't see him eating or drinking but he's acting ok. Saturday - still acting ok but still not drinking or eating, still bad breath, don't notice any mouth smacking. Whinier than normal.
My vet closes at noon, not open Sunday - do I go or not?
I take him in. FLV/HIV snap test is negative. CBC is fine, a little low on the blood volume? and hematicrit? The vet is unconcerned about that. He has a small ulcer on his tongue, doesn't seem to be dehydrated.
They send me home with some canned restore. 250.00
It's 7:00 Saturday night. Not interested in the restore. Have not seen him drink or eat. He seems normally active and has been going out so it is tough to tell.
When we came home from the vet I walk in and the other cat was sleeping on the couch. He never sleeps on the couch. I check his breath - AGH! his breath is starting to smell. I try the restore on him (he is a bigger eater than the other) and he's not very interested either. I was just petting him and noticed his 3rd eyelid (it goes away but normally I don't see it all).
Right now they both seem normally active vs. depressed.
But I'm freaking out.
If this is something no one seems to have a clue as to what.
Seems all I can do is watch them and be ready to take them in if they go downhill.
If this goes the same way as the stray and I do end up having to take them to the emergency vet I'm thinking I want to skip all the blood work and just go straight to fluids and antibiotic therapy. Btw the 2 of them at an emergency vet I could be into another 700.00 to 1,000 in tests and bloodwork for them to say - gee we don't know, all we can do is fluids and antibiotics.
I don't like talking money and have put out at least a couple thousand on these ferals along with these two I have taken in. There are limits and I'm worried about that.
Any ideas? They have had all the normal shots. 6 months old, neutered.
Something poisonous? If they go outside, all sorts of plants or nasty neighbors or even garbage. Even if indoors, can still be poison. Call the Pet poison Control Hotline and describe the late cat's bloodwork and symptoms to see if they can offer advice. I'm hoping your 2 will be OK. <<hugs>>
Thank you for the link. I feel they are too young to have plaque buildup type bad breath and diabetes/sweet, kidney/urine didn't fit. The vet was surprised that he had some gingevitis (reddening of the gums).
I looked at poisons on line last night and while there is no telling what they could have gotten into or been fed, most of the more common ones I've ruled out. ASPCA | Animal Poison Control Center
Sunday morning, they still seem pretty ok activity wise - they are no hunkered down in that depressed mode. The one did eat a little kibble at least although they are still not that interested in canned food (?) or even half and half.
I wonder if its some weird virus. I knew personally someone who got one of those ones that so barely make you feel sick you hardly remember but later when out of breath and having trouble with activity they found out that their heart had been attack and severely damaged by a virus. A woman at work got wobbly, hard of hearing in one ear and tinnitus from a virus.
If so, hopefully they can fight it off unlike the stray with no lasting effects.
Meanwhile I feel so bad for the little kitten that showed up with the stray. They did not seem to be mother/kitten. The kitten I think just followed her here, she was not that interested in him. However since they both were camped out on the patio together it was the two of them by default and they slept together for warmth. He is now all alone and keeps trying to get the other cats to pay attention to him but they aren't interested. He's out there playing with a string toy by himself right now. At least he's bigger now, maybe 12-15 weeks?
I wonder if its some weird virus. I knew personally someone who got one of those ones that so barely make you feel sick you hardly remember but later when out of breath and having trouble with activity they found out that their heart had been attack and severely damaged by a virus.
I was recently reading an article about the increase in human cases of myocarditis (viral infection of the lining of the heart). I don't know if there's a feline equivalent... but it would be worth asking/researching.
My gut reaction is poison though - the smell on the breath being the clue. Peculiar or bad or unusual smelling breath indicates something ingested. Could someone be putting out tainted food somewhere for them? (Consuming differing amounts might account for the varied responses you're seeing).
hi. just saw this post after searching for answwers for my 5 month old CH kitten who now appears "mentally disabled", seizures, lack of desire to get fluids ;( did u ever find out what was wrong? my ve ts pretty good but had no idea. liver failure came up in blood work, but there should be more "telltale signs". she has also shown "signs of being blind" but only fleetingly and we know shes not, so its definitely neiroligic in nature
liver filure can be corrected. this little kitty has fought so hard for life, i refuse to put her down without answers. i am giving her fluids by syringe every day, she eats well, and i give her stimulation as well as stretching excersise. anyone have any ideas?
outside 2x's in my care on grassy lawn. she cant be outside alone. no poisons in house. i do rescue/foster , so i make sure theres nothing harmful
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