Help-Sick Seven Month Old Kitten

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  • 18 February, 2015 at 6:34 am #827321
    Amber
    Participant

    Hi everyone. I have a roughly seven month old kitten named Eponine. I’ve noticed this past week that she hasn’t been really moving around much. She only sleeps, eats a bit, drinks water, but she doesn’t play at all. As most of you know (past/kitten owners), she should be (and usually was) full of so much energy, doing laps around the house and such. 🙂

    But over the last week, since Wednesday, she’s been a bit, lethargic, I believe is the term. Like I said, she would mostly only sleep. And change positions/sleeping places.

    However, today she started walking around more, following me, walking fast to the kitchen, walked upstairs. So that’s good.

    I’m worried though that with as inactive as she’s been, how she hasn’t been eating a huge amount and how she’s only been sleeping that she may have FIP. I’ve basically scared myself into believing that’s what she has. I haven’t been to the vet yet, but I’m going in the morning (it’s hard getting around without a vehicle).

    Is there anything besides FIP that would make her so inactive/tired/lack eating? Everything else seems to be normal, she breathes okay, haven’t heard any strange noises from her, but, I think her walking may be a little off? Which I think is a symptom of FIP? I’m not sure, I read so much about it lately I can’t remember everything.

    Anyway, when I take her to the vet tomorrow, what sort of tests would I want done to rule out FIP? I’ve heard to see if she has the feline coronavirus, which I know doesn’t guarantee she has FIP at all since it’s semi-common. So, is that a basic blood test? Does anyone know how much that may cost to have done and how long it takes to get results?

    Along with coronavirus, I heard if the cats have a stray/hay colored thick fluid inside them, that can be a sign of FIP. So I would want fluid aspiration done. I read on a board (possibly this one or another one) that it could be stomach inflammation though with fluid.

    Besides that…Is there any other sure signs she would have FIP? I know it’s not easily diagnosable and can really only be sure of with a biopsy but….I was just wondering.

    Thanks.

    18 February, 2015 at 8:29 am #827323
    jcat
    Participant

    Amber, I’m afraid I can’t help as I don’t have any experience with FIP but talk over your worries with your vet and tell him that you want to rule it out if at all possible, and what tests would do that. Best of luck with Eponine.

    18 February, 2015 at 1:43 pm #827329
    Kittyzee
    Participant

    Hi Amber, I agree with JCat 😉 This is a discussion you should have with your vet. Don’t be afraid to voice your concerns about everything you mentioned above. Remember other things could be causing her lethargy too, and they don’t have a death sentence. Feline herpes (easily treated with l-lysine over the counter) is one and all of my cats have it and they are all fine. Feline leukemia is another, and they live long lives with a little extra care. Please check back in with us and let us know what the vet said, thanks!

    18 February, 2015 at 1:56 pm #827333
    katzenjammer
    Participant

    Great advice as above. One suggestion, write down everything that you want to ask your vet and check off each question as you ask it, and/or make notes. This helps when one is very concerned/stressed out (believe me I know), this way you won’t get home and realize that you forgot to mention something. Better too many questions than too few. Hope that all goes well with visit.

    19 February, 2015 at 1:10 am #827363
    Amber
    Participant

    I took your advice katzenjammer and wrote stuff down and took notes.

    Thanks for your advice you three. 🙂

    Update
    The vet said she was really dehydrated, had a high fever, was breathing heavily and her lungs were really congested. 🙁 I feel so bad I didn’t notice her breathing. I thought she had a bit of a fever though and figured she’d been dehydrated.

    He figured she has pneumonia which he said explained her sleeping so much. He gave her an antibiotic shot and gave me (and my dad) some wet cat food for her. He said she should be better in three days, but if she’s not, it can be deadly, since it is pneumonia and one of the most important things is to get her hydrated again. She’s eaten quite a bit of the one can of cat food, not half, but almost (in the period of three hours).

    He said if she’s not much better in three days to bring her back in and see what else can be done/what else we want done. He said we could get xrays done on her, but that he was positive it was pneumonia (which makes sense with her breathing) and he wasn’t sure if we (my dad, really) wanted to spend that much money to get them done.

    I’m kind of relieved that it’s just pneumonia, but then scared because it IS pneumonia and I know how bad that can be and how it’s deadly. I’m hoping for the best right now. She hasn’t drank much water since she came home which has me worried. If I were to try to force-drink(?) her some, how would I/Would I want to do that?

    19 February, 2015 at 1:29 am #827364
    Kittyzee
    Participant

    If you can get a small syringe, (the vet would probably give you one) or one from infant tylenol (but DO NOT give her tylenol it’s deadly) I’m just talking a syringe here. You can give her water or even better some pedialyte by mouth. Even a syringe full in an hour would be good. The pedialyte has electrolytes that her body can use right away. It can be found in the juice aisle at Walmart or any grocery. Goat’s milk would also be good (found in the cold milk section or baking aisle in cans, mixed 1 to 1) for her because it won’t bother her tummy and you could mix the pedialyte with it. You could get a spoon even, or a cloth and drip water in her mouth. Dehydration is dangerous in itself, she needs the fluids now especially that she has pneumonia. I think the fluids will help her fight the pneumonia too. Don’t wait, if you don’t have anything other than a spoon or your finger, give her liquids. Add a little water to her wet food too, it’s the best you can give her for now. Back off the dry food if you have been giving it to her as it will suck the moisture from her right now. Keep us posted on your baby Jess, and we hope the best for her!

    19 February, 2015 at 1:37 am #827366
    katzenjammer
    Participant

    KZ has the smarts when it comes to kits, as do other peeps here. I do not, but I do offer you blessings that your kitty recovers.

    19 February, 2015 at 3:23 am #827367
    Amber
    Participant

    I’m hoping to pick up a syringe and some pedialyte tomorrow then or tonight, if I’m able. Ah, thanks for the soft cloth tip, I did that just now. Had to force it a bit, but she took a bit.

    I definitely stopped giving her the dry cat food since I got home. I’ve mixed in some water with the wet cat food too.

    Would powdered goat milk be okay for her? I may have to settle for what I can get at Walgreens and that’s the only thing available, at least from what is listed on their website.

    Thanks for the help.

    19 February, 2015 at 3:35 am #827370
    Kittyzee
    Participant

    Sure, powdered goat’s milk is fine, anything to give her fluids and it has the beneficial qualities of the fresh. Anything helps as far as liquids go. There is a ‘tent test’ to help you with dehydration. When you pull the skin up at her neck and it stays ‘up’, she is dehydrated. As she gets more fluids, check it again in a day or so and see if it’s the same. If you pull up and it lays back down, then she is getting rehydrated. Lots of times a TSC (farm and country store) will have syringes, pet bottles, etc. that might be beneficial to you. I know she is a little old for taking a bottle, but you could cut the end of the nipple off and drip fluids to her in that way. Good luck and give her plenty of cuddles and love!

    19 February, 2015 at 9:56 am #827376
    jcat
    Participant

    Amber, you can also make pedialyte at home, here is the recipe:

    Pedialyte formula (recipe from World Health Organization)…no preservatives so short life-span

    * 1 cup water (boiled then cooled)

    * 2 tsp sugar

    * 1/8 tsp salt

    * 1/8 tsp baking soda

    (this formula gives needed electrolytes & some sugar for energy)

    Combine all ingredients and warm slightly.

    Make new after 24 hours.

    Try the baking aisle at Walmart and the chiller where the milks are, you will hopefully find canned goats’ milk in the baking aisle and fresh goats milk or goats milk yoghurt in the chiller.

    Wet food has a lot of water in it so if she is eating a reasonable amount of that, she is probably getting enough fluids. If she is drinking a little water (or goats milk) as well, then she is doing well. Did the vet give her subcutaneous fluids? (inject them under her skin to rehydrate her?) If so, then that will help as well. The tent test, as Kittyzee said is a good way to tell:
    Tent test: pick up a good pinch of kitten’s skin at the neck and let go.If it snaps back immediately, she’s hydrated okay. If it takes a little time to go back down, or, worse, it stays up in a ‘tent’ shape, she needs fluids.
    If she’s still eating her wet food, I wouldn’t try to force feed her fluids at this stage because if she chokes, they could so easily go into her lungs and make things worse. But, as Kittyzee says, you can easily add a little more water into her wet food, and hopefully she will enjoy the goats’ milk, most kitties do.

    21 February, 2015 at 5:36 am #827466
    Amber
    Participant

    Thanks for the recipe Jcat, I’ll keep it in mind.

    Eponine seems to be a lot better now, her appetite’s back, she’s been more active as far as sitting up, cleaning herself, and walking around a bit. Though I’ve noticed she’s limping on one of her rear legs. This has occurred on and off, but not as bad as it is today. Is this possibly just a side effect of the shot she was given? I’m thinking of calling the vet tomorrow and finding out. Other than this, she seems a lot better.

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