sick cat in need of advise

[sixxchixx]

I have a 2 year old Himalayan cat that is not eating or drinking, he also threw up a little blood this morning. I can not afford to take him to the vet. I am going to force feed him a good wet food and give him water with a eyedropper. my question is can i give pedialite to him (for the extra electrolytes)

any advise is greatly appreciated.

thank you.

 

[ultasol]

Apply for carecredit and get him to a vet. A cat not eating OR drinking and vomiting some blood is NOT going to be cured by force feeding and electrolytes. If the treatment will be too expensive after you have him evaluated, put him to sleep.

 

[sixxchixx]

thank you and i understand that a specialist is the best way, however I can not afford to take him in. my question is "is pedialyte safe for cats?" i found another post for a home made electrolyte solution with sugar, salt and baking soda mixed with clean water for a rabit ??

 

[Imp]

I agree with ultasol. Not eating or drinking is a sign of pain, and vomiting blood is very serious. Please get him in to a vet.

Good luck, hope it's not serious.

Imp

 

[ultasol]

It doesn't need to be a specialist, just a vet. Electrolytes aren't going to solve anything by themselves... you have a very ill cat. Take him to a vet, not a specialist, and see what they say after an initial examination. Take your shot records with,.. and if you can't afford to treat what he has then euthanize him. It's sad, but when we take on an animal we take on a responsibility,. sometimes that responsibility means if we can't afford to treat we need to let them go peacefully.

 

[patandchickens]

Sorry but I have to agree with the above. The best you're likely to achieve with force-feeding (I am not sure home administration of electrolytes to a non-drinking cat is a good idea, esp not homemade) is to prolong his suffering, not fix whatever the problem is. There is almost always SOME way to get the animal seen by a vet, I am sure you are a resourceful person if you are taking the initiative to read about home remedies -- figure out a way to borrow or sell something to front the money for a vet exam, call around and ask for suggestions from the local animal shelter or rescues, etc.

Best of luck,

Pat

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

Okay yes you can give cats electrolytes such as pedialyte BUT I will tell you right now I would NOT give it to YOUR cat if the cat is vomiting blood...Force feeding a vomiting cat is a no-no...if its vomitting theres a reason, vomitting blood is a big flashing neon sign that this cat needs a vet.

If you love the cat and you want to help it TAKE IT TO A VET. Do an internet search and use your phone book call every vet office in a 40 mile radius and see if ANYONE has an affordable exam fee, and if anyone is willing to do carecredit which usually means they allow up to XX amount of $ before you have to pay anything upfront or some consider carecredit a payment plan that splits out your vet bill into monthly payments.

Call ASPCA in your area, shelter, a rescue...Ask any of them what vets office they use and if they know of any who offer payment plans, carecredit, low cost, etc... You have resources at your dispoal.

Call a vets office and tell them 'look I've got a cat thats sick vomiting blood and I don't have the money to pay alot up front...Can ya'll see him and allow me to work out a payment plan? Because if not I need to know how much you charge for euthanasia because thats the only other option I have at this point financially.'

Someone will look at him if you keep calling with that line - been there and done that myself. Because part of a euthanasia fee at a vets office is USUALLY but not always a quick exam to see if its a 'reasonable' decision to euthanize an animal. If they feel the cat isn't so sick to deserve euthanasia and they say that, then tell them right then 'well I was told I couldn't work out a payment plan and no where else will let me either, and this is the best I can do either let him suffer or put him down'... If it comes to putting the animal down, well if you can't and aren't willing to afford to financially then that is probably the best course of action. Many places euthanize for a standard fee of 50-100$ for cats.


ETA: Good luck, I hope it all turns out alright, and I hope it doesn't come down to having to put your cat to sleep.

 

[phaethona]

yes, pedialyte is safe for cats. and at this point, I would be forcing fluids moreso than forcing food. I'm no vet, but I do know that when cats avoid food and water in defense of medical conditions, it's not at all uncommon for them to suffer UTIs, even kidney failure. cats are very prone to UTIs, and they get bad, even deadly, fast.

oh, and on the food situation, DON'T switch brands on him right now, that will only make matters worse. If he's on dry food, you can try softening it with warm water or mashing it up, but stick to whatever he's eating right now. if you don't think he's getting enough calories and nutrition, there's a gel that comes in a tube that most pet food stores carry, it's used for hunting dogs and it's high calorie. when my kitty was knocking on death's door with a kidney infection, the vet told us to smudge a little on her nose every now and then throughout the day, I could tell that it did give her more energy.

as for getting him to the vet, getting him to one is the best idea, but I understand that's not always a possibility, as I can't afford a vet bill right now either.
but it never hurts to make some calls and do a little homework. Most bigger cities have a Humane society branch, or you could just start calling any vet and explain your situation and ask if they know of anyone in town who works with low-income clients.

Another route you could take is to find out who in your area fosters rescue animals, and see if you can get ahold of them. My neighbors take leftover cats from adoption events and adopt them out from their home, now granted they have waaaaay too many cats at their house, they've been just as resourceful for my cat as any vet would, and they did it for free. most of the time it's the vet-techs from a clinic who take orphaned animals home, and they often have extra anti-biotics, etc.

I don't know, I'm just trying to help you getting the wheels turning on getting him taken care of without having a huge vet bill. good luck! hope he gets better

 

[sixxchixx]

Quote:
thank you for the advice! i have been giving him pedialyte with an eyedropper 2 squirts every 1/2 hour. hes taking it and hasn't vomited again. i also got him to voluntarily eat a couple of kitty treats (i know its not as good as real food but its something) he is sleeping in my bed all snug and warm. and im just sitting with him and loving/petting and talking to him. I know that a vet would be the better choice and i have called around my area. there is nothing short of a $48 initial visit with the blood work being $150 im going to continue doing what im doing (and ill also warm up some of the dry food he eats with more water and see if he will eat it) I just feel lucky that I didnt have to work today and I could be with him.

i thank you all for your advice and time. "Gizzmo" is a trouper and I hope he pulls through.

 

[turney31]

I totally understand not having the money for a vet visit. But you need to! Cat treats are one of the worst things you can feed a cat with a uti. They need NO seafood, fish,or high protein. Feed him canned chicken cat food. Not dry even. My persian would go from normal acting, to on deaths door in a day, or less. My vet is on speed dial. I have had to make payments to my vet many times. They will work with you if you are standing in the waiting room holding that kitty, saying " I refuse to let this animal suffer any more" Some times you have to bypass the office girl and talk directly to Doc. Be polite as they are only doing what they are told. You are not going to be able to get enough fluids in that kitty to flush him out. IV fluids. He absloutly needs antibiotics, anti-inflamatory and pain meds. That is how they treat my Dust Bunny. I wish you the best of luck.


Edited to add: Please keep us updated.