Quote:
Originally Posted by chloe_close
1) Baby Kitty[/B] is barely eating now, she IS drinking and ate a few kibbles of Orijin this am.
|
Hmmm, not good. Can you try offering her some other types of food, like plain chicken baby food (Heinz brand from Safeway is good), or low sodium canned salmon, lightly broiled chicken breast, etc? Doesn't have to be cat food, just something that will help jump-start her appetite again. Temptations cat treats can also do the trick (just watch out that she doesn't get addicted to them). Sometimes cats get into a vicious circle where they don't eat for a day due to whatever (maybe even stress), but then the empty stomach makes them feel a bit nauseous and now they really don't feel like eating. You want to try to break that cycle by frequently offering small bits of something irresistible until they pick up the slack on their own.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chloe_close
She does not appear lethargic or dehydrated, is not avoiding me but IS quite grouchy, hissing at Monkey and Gracie which is NOT like her at all.
|
Could be that the vet smell on Monkey has caused her to feel anxious and she's lashing out at everyone in defence. Time should help with that, but also try offering everyone treats when they're together to disperse the tension.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chloe_close
I phoned the EVEC and they said that likely Monkey does not have anything contagious but perhaps I should bring them both in for even more blood work.
|
How do they know? Have they determined what it was that made Monkey sick?
Quote:
Originally Posted by chloe_close
As long as Baby Kitty is interested in food at least and is still drinking and acting normally I will wait this out for HER.
|
If she acts interested in the food but still doesn't eat it, that sounds possibly like she's nauseous. Does she lick her lips frequently, especially when she smells food?
Quote:
Originally Posted by chloe_close
OR I have a new theory on what might possibly be going on, I use Petcetera and/or CatIt Silica Crystal Litter, I buy it in bulk when it goes on sale.
However the last batch I bought was the Petcetera brand (imo slightly less good than the CatIt) and it was really quite broken up and dusty, much more than usual. There is almost a stream of blue dust that pours out with the white crystals.
|
Uh-oh. Hard to know if the litter is the cause of the current problems you're having, but I do have to say that the silica litters are not the best choice for cats, ESPECIALLY when they're dusty like that. The inhalation and ingestion hazard they pose is significant. Glad to hear that you're returning the other bags. I personally prefer the plant based litters like World's Best (corn) or Feline Pine or Feline Fresh (both pine based), or if clumping isn't a top priority, Healthy Pet Dust Free Fibre litter is really good. Lots of people like Swheat Scoop (wheat-based) but I thought it smelled funny and really gummed up the litter box, making it hard to clean.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chloe_close
Problem 2) Although Monkey is active and drinking and happy, he doesn't want to eat the Gastro. I was thinking of maybe mixing in a tiny bit of Wellness in with it to see if that would help... Yea or nay?
|
The food ain't gonna do any good if he doesn't eat, so I would feed him what he will eat. You can mix the Wellness in, or sprinkle the top with some freeze-dried 100% meat treats like PureBites or Halo Liv-a-Littles. A more natural way to deal with GI issues is to mix 1/4 tsp of slippery elm bark powder into some wet food a couple times a day. It's soothing to the lining of the intestinal tract, as well as helping balance moisture levels in the feces.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chloe_close
Should I get a big syringe (read the syringe feeding article) and feed him or her or both with that?
|
Unless you have very docile cats, syringe feeding is way to stressful and should be a last resort, IMO. I'd try different foods first, then treats, then if necessary an appetite stimulant if nothing else works.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chloe_close
I am also going to try and get in ASAP to the Holistic Vet tomorrow.
|
Good luck! Hopefully they have some suggestions.