Cat not eating much and secreting white stuff out of eyes

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alana_danielle94

alana_danielle94

Member Since 2016
My cat has not been eating recently for about 24 hours now. He will eat a little bit when I try to make him eat but not nearly as much as he normally eats. This morning he had white gunk in the inner corners of both of his eyes, something I have never seen before from him. He is still drinking and peeing. His BG was just really low when I took it (75). I don't know what I should do as far as taking him to a vet right now and spending the money or waiting another day or so to see what happens. I'm worried if I wait something bad could happen. Suggestions?
 
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I'm always a worrier and follow my instinct as much as possible. You know Simon best and what he is like, if it isn't normal for him to be this way then ring the vet and see what they suggest. Has he had insulin recently? If he has and he has a low number I would be trying to get some honey on his gums to bring up his sugar level. The not eating is a worry - I seem to remember my vet saying if my cat doesn't eat to ring them immediately. They always say ringing them is free and can advise over the phone.

Please let us know how you get on.
 
Sootyca said:
I'm always a worrier and follow my instinct as much as possible. You know Simon best and what he is like, if it isn't normal for him to be this way then ring the vet and see what they suggest. Has he had insulin recently? If he has and he has a low number I would be trying to get some honey on his gums to bring up his sugar level. The not eating is a worry - I seem to remember my vet saying if my cat doesn't eat to ring them immediately. They always say ringing them is free and can advise over the phone.

Please let us know how you get on.
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I haven't given him any insulin for over 24 hours because his numbers were low. Other than those two symptoms, he seems normal, that's what is confusing me on what to do.
 
Are there any treats he likes that he can be bribed with? I would personally ring the vets and see what they suggest - but as I said, I do tend to worry and be overprotective!
 
I did talk to several vets and they said to bring him in but I won't be able to do that till tomorrow morning at the earliest unless I go to an emergency vet now. I am trying to avoid the after hours fee if possible if its not very urgent.
 
If you can get him in tomorrow morning you could likely wait. Meanwhile, try to get him to eat. Maybe warm the food a little or add some tuna juice.
 
alana_danielle94 said:
This morning he had white gunk in the inner corners of both of his eyes, something I have never seen before from him.
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Are you sure it was gunk in his eyes and not the third eyelid? The third eyelid is also white. Sometimes people confuse the two.

Have you tried finger or syringe feeding... sometimes it's just enough to get a cat eating again.
The info in these links might be helpful:


 
Jill & Alex (GA) said:
Are you sure it was gunk in his eyes and not the third eyelid? The third eyelid is also white. Sometimes people confuse the two.

Have you tried finger or syringe feeding... sometimes it's just enough to get a cat eating again.
The info in these links might be helpful:
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I was able to wipe it off with a paper towel. He produces more after I wipe it off especially when he's sleeping. I was able to get him to eat a little of the Purina Pro Plan DM dry food but he won't eat the Young Again food at all. He usually likes the YA food. He also slept pretty much all day. I will be taking him to the vet soon.
 
alana_danielle94 said:
I was able to wipe it off with a paper towel. He produces more after I wipe it off especially when he's sleeping. I was able to get him to eat a little of the Purina Pro Plan DM dry food but he won't eat the Young Again food at all. He usually likes the YA food. He also slept pretty much all day. I will be taking him to the vet soon.
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Please let us know what the vet says! :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
My guess is an upper respiratory infection. It could wait until morning, but I would bring him in for sure. if it's an eye infection they will give you an ointment antibiotic you apply to the eyes... if it's an URI they will give you oral antibiotics or a shot.
 
alana_danielle94 said:
My cat has not been eating recently for about 24 hours now. He will eat a little bit when I try to make him eat but not nearly as much as he normally eats. This morning he had white gunk in the inner corners of both of his eyes, something I have never seen before from him. He is still drinking and peeing. His BG was just really low when I took it (75). I don't know what I should do as far as taking him to a vet right now and spending the money or waiting another day or so to see what happens. I'm worried if I wait something bad could happen. Suggestions?
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My mush had that & it was the herpes virus, the stuff was also coming out of his nose, couldn't smell so he couldn't eat. this is what I think caused his diabetes. Doc gave his powerful medicine, & he was healthy
after that. PLEASE TAKE HIM TO THE VET. Keep us posted.
 
I took him to the vet and they ran a CBC. All of his kidney numbers were abnormal and he was positive for pancreatitis. She said that meant he was in kidney failure. A month ago when he was diagnosed with diabetes all of his kidney numbers were normal. She said all this could be caused by a kidney infection and/or acute kidney failure. He was also dehydrated. She wanted to hospitalize him for 24 hours on an IV but I couldn't afford that so I brought him home. They gave him a shot of antibiotics and gave me a stronger antibiotics in tablet form to give him if I can get him to eat. Last night he vomited twice so they also gave him anti-nausea medicine to take over the next few days hoping it will help him eat. To help with rehydration, she gave me an IV that I have to hook him up to once a day long enough to pump 200 mL under his skin. If he gets better in the next few days than we know it was probably an infection. If not than it is most likely kidney failure. She recommended feeding him the Purina Pro Plan DM dry food again because it is lower in protein than the YA food which apparently is helpful to the kidneys. Not sure what to do about that.
 
Protien is ok in early stages of kidney failure.... Otherwise they risk muscle loss. But they do need increased moisture so wet is better for kidney failure cats. One of my noon diabetics are ckd. He gets fluids every other day (100 ml). Do you have a copy of the labs you could post?
 
JanetNJ said:
Protien is ok in early stages of kidney failure.... Otherwise they risk muscle loss. But they do need increased moisture so wet is better for kidney failure cats. One of my noon diabetics are ckd. He gets fluids every other day (100 ml). Do you have a copy of the labs you could post?
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I don't have a copy of the blood work right now but I can try to get them to email it to me. What's the group called on Facebook? Thanks for the recommendation! The vet made it sound like it was likely kidney failure rather than an infection because he has pancreatitis. A month ago (when he was diagnosed with diabetes) he was tested for early stage kidney failure but was negative. Do you think an infection could cause pancreatitis when his glucose has been controlled for a month?
 
alana_danielle94 said:
I don't have a copy of the blood work right now but I can try to get them to email it to me. What's the group called on Facebook? Thanks for the recommendation! The vet made it sound like it was likely kidney failure rather than an infection because he has pancreatitis. A month ago (when he was diagnosed with diabetes) he was tested for early stage kidney failure but was negative. Do you think an infection could cause pancreatitis when his glucose has been controlled for a month?
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The group is Cats With Chronic Renal Failure

Really knowledgeable people on there who have helped me a lot.
 
alana_danielle94 said:
I don't have a copy of the blood work right now but I can try to get them to email it to me. What's the group called on Facebook? Thanks for the recommendation! The vet made it sound like it was likely kidney failure rather than an infection because he has pancreatitis. A month ago (when he was diagnosed with diabetes) he was tested for early stage kidney failure but was negative. Do you think an infection could cause pancreatitis when his glucose has been controlled for a month?
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Did they give him any pain killer for the pancratitis? My ckd boy Zimmy had it two weeks ago. He stopped eating and looked to be in pain. He was already on fluid therapy so wasn't completely dehydrated, but he had taken to sticking his head in the toilet and laying next to the water bowl so I knew something was wrong. Brought him in to find it was pancreatitis. Vet put him on cerenia for nausea, we did 100 ml daily fluids (instead of the usual 3x a week) and a pain killer which was pre-filled in syringes under the tounge.

When we got home we gave him his meds and he was able to finally relax after being in pain for several days .... He slept so soundly for a solid hour and a half. Took about 5 days to be back to himself. If you didn't get a pain killer and he looks uncomfortable ask about it. Started with a Bupe
 
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It is possible that the dehydration at the time when the blood draw was taken may have influenced the kidney lab values.

Useful links for pancreatitis treatment and nausea management:

IDEXX pancreatitis treatment guidelines

Nausea and vomiting - symptoms & treatments

I second Janet's input on the benefit of pain relief for treatment of the pancreatitis (as well as making the kitty more comfortable it can help a flare resolve faster). A course of vitamin B12 injections helps, too. The IDEXX document is very helpful as a guide to which treatments to request from your vet.

I hope Simon feels better very soon. He's beautiful.

:bighug:


Mogs
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BTW, I strongly recommend that you get your vet to give Simon a thorough eye examination (pancreatitis can trigger eye problems, e.g. uveitis).


Mogs
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JanetNJ said:
Did they give him any pain killer for the pancratitis? My ckd boy Zimmy had it two weeks ago. He stopped eating and looked to be in pain. He was already on fluid therapy so wasn't completely dehydrated, but he had taken to sticking his head in the toilet and laying next to the water bowl so I knew something was wrong. Brought him in to find it was pancreatitis. Vet put him on cerenia for nausea, we did 100 ml daily fluids (instead of the usual 3x a week) and a pain killer which was pre-filled in syringes under the tounge.

When we got home we gave him his meds and he was able to finally relax after being in pain for several days .... He slept so soundly for a solid hour and a half. Took about 5 days to be back to himself. If you didn't get a pain killer and he looks uncomfortable ask about it. Started with a Bupe
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He doesn't seem to be in pain but they didn't give me any pain killers. They also gave me cerenia and two types of antibiotics in the case that he has an infection. He's still vomiting and not really eating. If it's not an infection what's the treatment for kidney failure and how long can they survive with that?
 
I had a very difficult time giving him his Cerenia pill this morning. They gave me a syringe to crush it up and put it in to shoot down his throat. He started foaming at the mouth and acted like he was going to throw up. He got really tired after and very uneasy. I haven't given him his antibiotics yet because I can't get him to eat anything and the vet said not to give it to him on a empty stomach. Any advice on the easiest way to give him a pill? I've also heard you can put electrolytes from Wal-Mart in their water to help hydration. Is that true? He is still drinking a lot of water compared to normal.
 
alana_danielle94 said:
I can't get him to eat anything
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Ask your vet for cyproheptadine to help stimulate appetite. Also ondansetron is a very good anti-nausea med (generic is much cheaper than branded version, Zofran). Try feeding small, frequent meals (easier to digest). Maybe try crushing the med and mixing it in well with a tsp of regular food and hand feeding it.


Mogs
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I use Pill Pockets. I know they are full of carbs but I figure the BG spike from the stress of fighting to pill him is worse than the spike from a bit of Pill Pocket. I don't give the whole thing, I break it into pieces just big enough to cover the pill. I have never had a cat that could resist Pill Pockets!
 
alana_danielle94 said:
I had a very difficult time giving him his Cerenia pill this morning. They gave me a syringe to crush it up and put it in to shoot down his throat. He started foaming at the mouth and acted like he was going to throw up.
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Not sure the size of the pill, but would it fit in a gel cap if you crushed it or cut in half? I find it way easier to give pills in gel caps that are greased with butter or wet food. If I try to pill or syringe anything in Wiley's mouth that is bitter, he either foams really bad or spits it out. Gel caps have been a lifesaver for me. I really hope he starts eating soon.
 
You're getting good advice and doing the right thing. I hope he starts eating soon. Poor kitteh. Sending positive vibes to help you and your kitty.
 
I blended up some of his wet food and was able to get two syringes in him as well as his antibiotics. The vet said to give him 200mL of fluid twice a day but he still has bags at the tops of his legs where the fluid hasn't absorbed after giving 200mL once a day. What's the least amount of fluid he needs?
 
That's great that you got some food into him. I don't have experience with the fluid needs.
 
alana_danielle94 said:
The vet said to give him 200mL of fluid twice a day but he still has bags at the tops of his legs where the fluid hasn't absorbed after giving 200mL once a day. What's the least amount of fluid he needs?
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200 ml of fluid 2x daily is a lot. If the cat is not absorbing the fluids quickly, then they are NOT needed. Please contact your vet before giving any more fluid.
 
What could happen if he is given too much fluid? Is 200 mL once a day too much? And if I am syringe feeding him using a 10 mL syringe and he is 16 lbs, how many full syringes should he get a day assuming some of it is spilt. Do cats with CKD normally have to be syringe fed? Do they ever get their appetite back?
 
I also have experience giving sub-q fluids and syringe feeding.
alana_danielle94 said:
What could happen if he is given too much fluid? Is 200 mL once a day too much?
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The amount of fluids given depends on how dehydrated the cat is, the reason the cat is getting fluids, and if there are any known conditions where giving fluids would be contradicted.

When Alex was diagnosed with severe liver disease and acute renal failure we were told to give her 300 mL of fluids per day. We were also told to taper the amount down if she wasn't absorbing the fluids quickly. Within a couple of days we were able to take her down to 100 mL per day... eventually on an as needed basis once the acute renal crisis had passed. She did end up with CKD, but her renal numbers were never bad enough to require fluids daily. I lost Alex to cancer four years later... not because of diabetes or renal failure.

Don't give additional fluids if he hasn't already absorbed from the previous time.
alana_danielle94 said:
And if I am syringe feeding him using a 10 mL syringe and he is 16 lbs, how many full syringes should he get a day assuming some of it is spilt.
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If you blend a 5.5 oz can of cat food in a blender or food processor without adding water, you should be able to fill ten to twelve 10 mL syringes. Ideally, that's about how much you want to feed daily. Tip: Blending food without adding water will yield a food mixture that is much like the consistency of a heavy whipped cream. When you do it that way, there's less spillage, mess, and it easier for kitty to lap it up!

To save time I would blend two 5.5 oz cans at a time so I'd have enough oral syringes made up for two days (20 to 24 ten mL syringes). Filled syringes can be kept refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Here's a post that should help:
Syringe/Assisted Feeding (Video and Tips)
alana_danielle94 said:
Do cats with CKD normally have to be syringe fed? Do they ever get their appetite back?
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Most cats will get their appetite back as soon as the crisis has passed if it's a case of acute renal failure.

Hope this helps...
 
How can I determine how dehydrated he is? According to his blood tests on Saturday, his BUN was high (94), his creatinine was high (5.3), and his phosphate was high (8.4). The pancreatitis test came back abnormal as well. How long does it typically take for an acute renal failure crisis to pass and how will I know that it has passed? He is supposed to take his antibiotics, Zeniquin, for 13 more days. Do I need to have his blood recheck and if so how long should I wait before rechecking it?
 
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