[lizardlady]

Krissy had a follow-up visit with the vet today. The good news is that the infection in his ears is gone. He is no longer limping. I think he hurt it fighting with me about the meds I had to give him. He grows six extra pairs of legs when I try to medicate him.

The bad news he lost a bunch more weight. He's down to 5 pounds 10 ounces. That means he's lost about a pound in the last six weeks. I know a pound doesn't sound like much, but you weigh less than 7 pounds to start off a pound is a lot. The vet wants me to feed him seperately from the others. She's concerned that the others might be pushing him away from the food.

The other not good news is that the sore he made on his face digging at the infected ear is now infected.Poor little guy. He's got the hair and hide torn off the left side of his face from his eye to his lower jaw, from his cheek bone to his ear. It looks horrible. The vet sent home some antibiotic for me to give him. She said I can grind it up and add it to a treat to get him to take it.

I wonder if I'd known all the health problems he would have if I'd have brought him home a year ago.

[CANDC]

Liz, maybe an elizabethan collar would stop him from scratching their face.

Hope they are better soon.

[lizardlady]

Originally Posted by CANDC

Liz, maybe an elizabethan collar would stop him from scratching their face.

Hope they are better soon.

I warned him today that if he keeps fussing at his face they might put the "dreaded cone of shame" on him.

[cakeladie]

Lizardlady - I have worked with animals for over 20 years and there is some medicine in a tube (sorry can not think of the name) but we gave it to animals to help them get their appetites back. You just put a little in their mouths and it really helps. I will try and think off the name. I had to give it to my cat when we had her fixed. She stopped eating and after giving her this she started to eat more.

You might also want to try giving him something extra in his food. If you only give him dry food a little warmed up gravy on his food or can food might help or cooked chicken.

Good luck hopefully he will start to gain weight and feel better.

[lizardlady]

Thanks Cakeladie. I think I know the paste you are talking about. We had a cat with a broken jaw we gave it to. If I can't find something Krissy will eat I'll ask the vet about the paste.

I tried some canned food last night. He ate a little bit. He wouldn't touch the dry food I gave him. He wouldn't touch the canned food this morning. I got a different kind of dry food yesterday. Will try that next. All the time that he's been losing weight I thought he was eating. Now it looks like he wasn't.

On a humorous note - are there any Star Trek:Next Generation fans in the crowd? Remember Data struggling to find a food that Spot would eat?

[googley]

LL: I'm so sorry that Krisssy is so under the weather. After Charlie's surgery they suggested to try to get him to eat that I offer pure meat (I think I got tuna) or baby food through syringe feeding. I was able to get a syringe at my local pet shop. Charlie ended up going back to the vet, but it did end up getting him to eat.

[cakeladie]

I think you need the paste. Animals and people when they don't feel good get into habit of not eating or drinking. Think about it when your not feeling well do you want to eat? But you make yourself eat something because you have meds to take etc.

Animals get to a point where they can shut down. The paste gives them the boost of energy to try to eat. He might need a bolus (not sure if I spelled it right) of fluids just to give him a pick me up.

I feel for you. He's your baby and he's not feeling good and your not sure what to do next. Your trying everything possible yet he won't eat.

When my dog had parvo I followed him around with that paste and food etc. Our vet did not think he would live but he did. He was skin and bones and I had no sleep but he made it and Krissy will to.

Take care and make sure you rest to.

[lizardlady]

He is eating some of his dry food. I did notice today that he leaves the food dish if one of the other cats comes around. I'm trying to put him in the bathroom so he can eat in peace, but he seems to think being locked up is punishment. We'll make this work, one way or another.

[cakeladie]

You are one determined women.

[lizardlady]

Originally Posted by cakeladie

You are one determined women.

Some would probably think I go overboard caring for the fur babies, but I firmly believe that when we take them into our homes and lives we owe it to them to do what it takes to care for them.

[cakeladie]

I completely agree with you and your a very good mom. Krissy and Mikey are lucky to have you. I do not know what I would do without my fur babies. My cat sunny always knows when I am in pain and he comes out and just cuddles with me. They give unconditional love and they never ask to borrow the car

[lizardlady]

Originally Posted by cakeladie

they never ask to borrow the car

[lizardlady]

I've figured a way to get extra food in him. He likes to join me at the computer. Since when is it news that a cat wants people time when the person is on the computer. Anyway, I've been slipping him extra bits of soft food and yogurt when he comes to visit. He only eats a little at a time, but I figure a) his tummy is shrunk from the weight he lost and b) at least he is getting extra calories in him.

I know dairy is not necessarily good for grown cats, but the yogurt doesn't seem to bother him.

Now if I could figure a way to get the antibiotic in him without a battle royale. Hmmm, maybe I can crush it up in the yogurt...

[Nammu]

My cat love yogurt. When I volunteered at the shelter here we had a ton of tricks to get sick cats to eat. There was stinky food, I can't remember the brand but it sells food in individual packets and one of them is fish. It's very smelly is a way that stimulates a cats appetite. Another was science diet cat food. It's a soft textured high protein cat food. It is expensive but cats love it. We used it for cats who needed to gain weight then weaned them off because of cost.
I know you'll over come this hurdle with this special little guy too

[cakeladie]

I guess you will be on the computer a lot

take care, my fibro is real bad today so I am in bed with sunny and the heating pad.

[lizardlady]

I've been experimenting with ways to get his medicine and food into him. Putting him in the bathroom to eat by himself was not working. He would sit on the edge of the tub, looking mournful and not eat. He seems to like eating if he is near me. Maybe because he knows I'll keep the others from chasing him off? Turns out he really likes yogurt. I was, literally, spoon feeding it to him. Got smart and put the container down so he can eat as much as he wants. That seems to be working. Have also started spoon feeding him soft food when he sits next to me.

I was stumped about the med. I don't want to wrestle with him to force it down his throat. It stresses him incredibly. Doesn't do much for me either. I tried crushing the pill and putting it in soft food. No go. I tried crushing the pill and hiding it in yogurt. No go. Last night I got the idea to smear the med laced yogurt on his coat. He get the med as he licked the yogurt off. He was not pleased with me smearing "goo" on him, but at least it didn't terrorize him like forcing the pill down his throat.

[eskielover]

Sounds like you found the trick. I struggled with giving meds to my dogs. With them I ended up using baby food & a syringe but they were licking the food from the syringe it wasn't like I was shoving it down their throat to get them to take it.

They always lick fur when it gets dirty....that sounds like a perfect method to get the meds down.

Glad the yogurt is working because it also puts good bacteria back into their system that antibiotics fighting the infection take out just like with people.

[lizardlady]

I found I don't have to smear the yogurt on him to get him to eat it. I spoon up some yogurt, mash the antibiotic and stir it into the yogurt. He eats it right off the spoon. Last night, after he ate the spoonful with the med he wanted me to give him the container. I set the container of yogurt down and let him have at. Turns out he prefers a local store brand over Yoplait.

I think he has gained a little weight. His hips don't seem to stick out as much as they were. He feels a little heavier too.

Frustratingly, his face does not seem to be getting any better. If he doesn't urub it with his front paw he's digging at it with his back foot. I keep wondering about putting the "cone of shame" on him, but we don't know what's causing the sore in the first place. I'm not sure the cone would do any good if we can't find the underlying cause. He goes back to the vet Friday.

[cakeladie]

I hope they can find out what is causing the sore on his face.

You might have you use the cone just to give the sore a chance to heal. If he scratches it at all it undoes all the healing that it has done. I hate putting them on my animals but if need be I will.

I am glad you are not having to do battle to get him to take his meds and I am happy that he is putting on a little bit to weight (fingers crossed)

I bet you feel like you live at the vets.

take care and good luck.

I put sammy our english bull dog has my signature. She is laying on bed with her toys. I tried putting Sunny our cat to but I could only put one picture.