Raven not eating/drinking-tips?

[JBalways2000]

Hi all!

I think many of you will remember me posting on here lots of times about Raven-and here is another one to be added to the list! Raven developed struvite crystals in his bladder nearly two years ago-he needed an op to completely flush his bladder out at the time because he had so many that the usual method didnt work. He was on prescription diet for around 18 months and then 6 months ago we decided to wean him back over to a normal diet. he has had 6 months problem free(believe me, we watch him like a hawk after nearly losing him the first time!)Until last week...

A week ago he started straining and it did have us worried but he did the same at the start of the year and he turned out to just be constipated and it cleared up within a couple of days. so we got some liquid paraffin this time thinking it was the same thing, but then it got worse and we hadnt seen him go for a wee or a number two for a day or so so he was brought to the vets on thursday. Vet said he wasnt blocked up this time but that his bladder was obviously very inflamed so gave him a big antibiotic injection and we were to bring him back the following day.

The 24 hours that followed that vet visit were absolutely awful as Raven was in alot of obvious pain and discomfort, crying out whenever he tried to get comfy, limping around, straining to wee outside the tray and not being able to, refusing to eat or drink and vomiting to the point where he had nothing left and was bringing up bile.

We got him to the vets as soon as it opened friday morning and this time they kept him in and got him straight in for an x-ray and a catheter. We were told there was an obstruction in his bladder but we wont know what caused it until the results come back next week. vet also said his wee was full of blood etc but that there was nothing obvious on the x-ray. they kept him in over night last night and when we rang this morning we were told he could come home as he was passing urine.

Well my OH went to collect him and brought him home and poor Raven still really is not doing good. he is very weak and lethargic because he hasnt eaten anything since thursday now. he wont drink out of his bowl but he is drinking from the tap in the bathroom(getting a water fountain asap) i did force feed him some wet food earlier but hes obviously feeling a little better this evening as he wont let me do that now lol he seems interested in the food and the water and keeps sitting next to the water bowl but he just wont do it himself. We were told he was given more antibiotic injections which annoyed me a little as it was obvious they made him sick the first time and im assuming he isnt eating now because he still feels sick.

So, after my rambling explanation of what is going on with poor Raven, i just basically wondered if anyone had any tips for getting him to eat? we have tried him with normal food, chicken and prawns(both his faves) but as i said he seems interested but just refuses to eat them.

He has pee'd quite a few times since coming home now-he kept going out of the tray just wherever he was lying at first but hes getting into the tray to go now so thats a good sign i guess, though the last two times hes tried he hasnt produced anything-im assuming thats because hes not drinking enough though so im not too worried about that yet!

Sorry for the ramble, just very worried about my poor baby, any advice is really welcome :)

[Elaine]

It's always very worrying when they wont eat and you know they are in discomfort. My heart goes out to you all.
Have you tried something a little smellier such as tuna, sardine or mackeral? Try adding a little boiled water, allow it to cool obviously, but this will bring out the smell which might tempt him a bit more. Pretty much try anything at all, it's important to get him eating.
I would urge you to get him back to the vet first thing or sooner if you cannt get him to eat anything today, the worry is that cat's who dont eat for two to three days are at risk of developing hepatic lipidosis.
Fingers crossed for you and Raven, I know how worrying and upsetting all this can be.

[pookyandjo]

I have to agree with Elaine about the hepatic lipidosis and getting him back to the vet...left untreated for too long it can cause long term problems with IBD down the track..
There are a couple of things that spring to mind...
Raven may very well be feeling nauseous and it wouldn't hurt to ask the vet for some anti emetics and give them to him an hour before food to see if that helps...the other thing is that if he hasn't been eating and has been vomiting bile he may have sore throat (bile is acidic and can burn) which is why he is seemingly enjoying cool water direct from the tap..other than that if he still isn't eating despite all your efforts i'd be asking the vet to give him something to make him eat...
hope things get sorted quickly and Raven is well very soon :)

[angieh]

I agree with above advise JB - also tell the vet that you think Raven cannot take that particular antib as it makes him sick. There are other varieties that can be used. Merlin had that same problem.

You may be able to get hold of [/URL][link removed] which can be syringe fed, or [URL="http://www.liquivite.co.uk/"]this liquid food (http://www.nutrecare.co.uk/prod5.asp?prod_id=1831&id=146&grpid=1831&msg=&offset=).

Fingers crossed for Raven - do let us know how he gets on.

[JBalways2000]

Thankyou all for your replies, they are very helpful. Raven still isnt doing the best today-he is not wanting to be left alone even for a minute. if we leave the room for just a minute and hes left on his own he starts crying, the poor little guy. We have tried a few different things today and my OH is off out to tescos in a minute to get some mackeral and sardines-theyve never gone down very well with our cats but we will try anything at this point! Ive also read that if we can get hold of some honey and rub it onto his gums for him to lick off that that can help with his blood sugar levels with him not eating? so we will get hold of some of that if we can.

I tried force feeding him again not too long ago and hes definately not as weak as he was because hes fighting me harder now-a bit too hard lol he actually chomped down on my fingers and gave me four tiny puncture wounds:shock: but il forgive him because he obviously thought i was being a mean mommy making him eat when he doesnt want to-i do so wish they could understand that you only do these things because you love them and that it hurts us just as much as it hurts them.

He was very interested in the chicken this morning and actually had a few licks of it but wouldnt take it and eat it. hes also still drinking from the tap, just not very much. oh and we made him a cup of tea:oops: because he always tries to steal mine, and hes had some licks of that too. hes always been interested in whatever we have in a cup so figured it was worth a try, and he did drink a bit of water out a cup last night and a couple of licks of my squash!

We do have an appointment with the vet tomorrow morning but i think we shall just bring him up for opening time rather then waiting for the appointment. its crossed my mind to bring him to the emergency vets but they really arent very good at all in this area:? i just keep thinking that aslong as we are getting something into him and hes drinking little and often then he should be ok until the morning. of course if he worsens as the day goes on then we will get him straight up there regardless, but at the moment im thinking that yes he is still very lethargic but not as bad as he was yesterday afternoon when i was able to force feed him without even a hint of a fight from him!

Looks like another sleepless night for us tonight again though lol but we dont mind, they are worth the worry. Just want my baby to get better again and go back to being grumpy!

I shall update again later if i get the chance and let you all know how i get on with anything we managed to get from tescos.

Oh and i shall definately be asking the vet not to give that antibiotic again, it did annoy me that he was given it after us telling them he threw up so much:roll: il make a note of the meds and foods that have been suggested and bring them with me too-thanks again everyone x

[calismum]

Have you tried liquidising the chicken into a kind of broth and syringe feed him that. He'll probably feel better once he gets something in his tummy.

I agree you need to get him back to the vet tomorrow.

Hope he gets on ok.

[Elaine]

Hi again, just wanted to ask as PJ had mentioned a few things that I had overlooked. Is Raven lipsmacking at all? Is he still being sick? Please check his eyes, ears and gums for any signs of yellowing. If there are any signs of yellowing then please get him to the vet asap, crap or not.
I was looking for a thread that was on here quite a while ago, it was a home made recipe for a rehydration drink, it was aimed at kittens but wouldnt harm your cat.
Some times cat also like to lick an ice cube.

[JBalways2000]

Hi again, just wanted to ask as PJ had mentioned a few things that I had overlooked. Is Raven lipsmacking at all? Is he still being sick? Please check his eyes, ears and gums for any signs of yellowing. If there are any signs of yellowing then please get him to the vet asap, crap or not.
I was looking for a thread that was on here quite a while ago, it was a home made recipe for a rehydration drink, it was aimed at kittens but wouldnt harm your cat.
Some times cat also like to lick an ice cube.

He hasnt been sick since coming home yesterday no. the last time we saw him throw up was thursday. ive checked his ears and gums(and eyes as best i could but not sure how you mean?) but there is no yellowing at all-his gums look a little pale but definately still pink. Can i ask what those are the symptoms of?

As i said if he gets too bad he will be upto the vets no matter what time it is-i just dont want to put him through an unneccesary stress right now if it isnt needed. he means the world to me and we are watching him like a hawk and barely sleeping so trust me, if he needs it he will be brought to emergency vets.

We have tried sardines with him and he wasnt interested at all, so we shall probably try tuna next as that usually goes down well here anyway. i did offer him a little butter from my finger as he goes mad for that and he was definately interested! he licked his lips after smelling it but wouldnt take it still.

[Elaine]

Sorry didnt mean to scare you or anything like that, I just get so worried when cats dont eat for a few days. The yellowing would signify jaundice which in turn would mean his liver was compromised. It's usually seen easily under a good light in the ears, the sparse hair above the eyes, the membrane of the eyes and the gums.
I think it's probable that he is nausous (poor spelling, sorry). The vet will be able to give him something for that so do please ask for it as it can become a viscous circle. The cat feels sick, so doesnt eat but would infact feel much better if he had something in his tummy.
Wishing him well xxx

[JBalways2000]

Sorry didnt mean to scare you or anything like that, I just get so worried when cats dont eat for a few days. The yellowing would signify jaundice which in turn would mean his liver was compromised. It's usually seen easily under a good light in the ears, the sparse hair above the eyes, the membrane of the eyes and the gums.
I think it's probable that he is nausous (poor spelling, sorry). The vet will be able to give him something for that so do please ask for it as it can become a viscous circle. The cat feels sick, so doesnt eat but would infact feel much better if he had something in his tummy.
Wishing him well xxx

Thankyou, and dont worry about worrying me lol I would much rather these things be asked and mentioned to me because i wouldnt have known to check for that so thank you very much!

We have tried him with some tuna and hes still not interested. I did mean to say earlier that he got onto my lap and was purring away when i was stroking him so im hoping thats a good sign! The OH has talked his Dad into giving us a lift up to the vets in the morning for opening time, so that means Raven wont have to go out in the cold and onto a train!

Im going to try force feeding him a little of the prescription diet food again in a minute-just got to find some gloves to protect my fingers before i do this time :lol:

If i dont add any more updates tonight then you can be sure i will add one when we are back from the vets tomorrow.

Thankyou again for everyones advice, il be making notes of some of the things mentioned so i dont forget anything in the morning x

[calismum]

Have you tried putting a little bit on his paws. He may then start to lick it off.

[yola]

Are you using tuna in water rather than oil or brine? My cats even when poorly will lick the 'tuna juice'; the water the tuna sits in.

Other than that, I'd just like to say I'm hoping Raven is feeling a little brighter today and that he starts coming round and eating very soon.

[angieh]

I have my fingers crossed for Raven this morning. Do so hope the vet can give him something to make him feel like eating.

[dandysmom]

Fingers crossed here too; how is it going today?