Petie just seems to be getting worse, and I feel helpless.

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Wendi and Petie

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I have talked to my vet every day, and we have another appointment on Friday. She prescribed a broader spectrum AB today (along with the Clavomox), but it's a huge pill (chewable) that I can't pill him with, he won't eat, and I can only get so much into him through a syringe. He's coughing up a lot of mucous, and clearly feels awful. I was encouraged because he ate last night (not much), but he hasn't eaten anything today. He has a raw, red spot/sore on his upper lip ... almost a straight line from his nose to his mouth. I guess it's from a runny nose. When I was force feeding him he sounded really wet. The vet said that viral or bacterial we just have to wait it out, but I can of course bring him there anytime. I took a video of him coughing and showed it to her (wouldn't it be great if we could video chat with our vets?). She confirmed that he's just getting it all out of there. He's still getting steamy treatments.

I'm also syringe feeding Scrapper ... she just can't lose anymore weight (and in her baby food mix is an appetite stimulant).

So, some questions ...

1. Am I doing the right thing with Petie?

2. ANY tips on syringe/force feeding a cat who is very long and big and strong? And, alternatively, one who is little and old and fragile? Plus, they both already are having trouble breathing, so they feel very panicky.

3. What do you guys do when you just can't get them to eat or get medication in them?

Even when Petie was insulin dependent, I've never had this much trouble getting him to eat for this long.
 
I wish I had some suggestions, but none of my kitties have had those symptoms. I wanted to drop by and tell you I'll say a prayer for you and Petie that this clears up quickly.
 
Used to use Chlorpheniramine to help with the breathing. Also there were eye drops with steroids, I think, that would drain down from the eyes through the nasal passages to help open up. Also helped if eyes were runny and red from colds. I would suggest getting some Clinicare from the vet. It is a high potency liquid diet used for tube feeding and has everything a body needs, especially the liver. I would use that instead of water if you are thinning down food to syringe feed.
 
wendi, i'm terrible at syringe feeding. best i can do is put food on my finger and force it in her mouth, rubbing it off against the top front teeth as i remove my finger. that way i get a little bit in at a time.
i had problems burritoing harry for asthma meds (he gets panicky, too), so i put him in a pillowcase. he seems less scared and i can move the material around to keep the paws out of the way so just his head is isolated for me. the pillowcase acts as a bib to keep the food off his hair, too. :)
hope that helps.
 
Drat. Computer ate my response. But it boiled down to this:

- appetite stimulant like cyproheptadine
- cutting the pill small, putting each piece in a pill pocket and rolling the pill pocket in fortiflora
- feeding a favorite food like tuna or chicken breast, warming it so it smells more than normal

good luck!
laur
 
I also used the forti flora for my Lucy recently because she hard to pill and didn't like the pill pockets. Squished the pill inside a treat and rolled it in the forti flora. Worked like a charm, so maybe that will help as suggested.
 
Pill pockets! I totally forgot about those, thank you. Right now neither one of them wants to chew anything, but I will have to get some tomorrow. The novelty of them may help them eat. Scrapper will lick tuna, ham, chicken, but leaves it in a mushy mess on the floor. I can usually get them to eat/drink the baby food mixture, but not tonight. My problem with Petie is he's so big, I can't hold him and get his mouth open ... and if I put him in any other position he's so snotty he feels like he can't swallow and will spit it up. Having more success with Scrapper right now ... getting some appetite stim into her.
 
Wendi,

I have a very large civie (14lbs) with food allergies that I have to pill every day as well, here is what works for me in getting that pill down his throat. I get him all nice and comfy on the couch with lots of pets and grooming, then when he is nice and comfy I lean over him, using my body to control his body and rear legs, then wrap my arm under him to hold down his front feet, then slip a finger in his mouth to get it open, pop in the pill and rub is throat until he swallows. He just thinks he is getting chin scritches so doesn't mind the pill at all.

Now he is one cat that I would never get a laced treat passed...lol He knows immediately if mom is giving him something out of the ordinary then it must have something yucky in it. So the only way to pill him is to just pop the pill down his throat. This works for us, because he is just too big to try to hold and do anything with, not only does he weigh 14 lbs, he is a very long and wide cat, who can be lightning quick when he wants to be.

Mel
 
For those of you who have to pill, PLEASE make sure you syringe some water in afterwards (into the side of the mouth) so that the esophagus doesn't get damaged

Jen
 
What about getting an antibiotic that you can inject via a shot - not Convia (sp?), but I know there are others out there. I had the same problem with Bailey and my vet gave me an injectible, but I don't remember which one now.
 
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