help with dehydration

My cat Squamee has a jaw problem the vet thinks it TMJ. He gave her metacam drops which don't seem to be working. He is going to wait a few days till the drops are out of her system and give her steroids. But she is having great difficulty eating and I am worried she will get dehydrated. How do I recognize if that is happening? Unfortunately, I have to leave for 3 days and my daughters will be coming over to check on her. Does anyone know what I should tell them to look for? How will they know if it is an emergency? Thanks for any advice!!!

 

wondering if your vet took xrays? or if she has had a dental? My civie wolfie had tmj, but it turned out his real issue causing problems w/ eating was bad teeth.

The most important thing is that your kitty is eating enough. You say she is having trouble, but is she eating her usual amount? if less, how much less? cats can quickly develop HL -- hepatic lipodosis if they do not eat. while dehydration is a concern. Not eating( which encompasses that) is a bigger one.
have you tried making her food soupy? -- blending up her wet food(nothing w/ chunks) with some water to see if she can lick it easier and not have to chew at all)
Please talk to your vet about this. Also, if she is having pain, I highly recommend asking your vet about using alternative pain meds until she is on pred. Buprenorphine is one that is commonly used in cats. pain relief should make it easier for her to eat.

The biggest thing they need to look for is the food consumption issue. when I have had to leave town, I have left a signed statement/letter with the vet authorizing whoever it taking care of my cats to bring them in for needed treatment or emergencies and guarantee payment. I have also left a copy for my caregivers to have.

has she had issues with dehydration where the vet has given her fluids recently? and while she is getting enough food? If so, I am wondering if any other issues might also be going on. was bw done?

 

Thanks for your quick response. I do put water in her food and there are no chunks. She is eating much less---each time she tries the jaw seems to stop her. But she just mow ate more than she had (phew!). This happened a year ago and she had a dental then. She has not had blood work yet. I am bringing her to the vet on MOnday, and he is planning to give her steroids. How do I know if she is in pain? My daughters will be checking on her this weekend and will bring her to the vet if there seems to be an emergency, but I am not sure what to tell them to look for. Today I am going to get her canned food that I don't normally give her (since she was diabetic)---like fish and things will gravy that I think she is more likely to eat.

 

If it were me, I'd board my cat at the vet rather than leave her at home to be checked on.

I would ask for a 'Medical Board'. Costs more but they will check on and treat her as needed.
More that must feeding and cleaning the litter box.

 

I have thought of that, but am reluctant as she is a horror there, hisses and bites and won't let anyone near her without enormous effort. I think it is very traumatic for her and I am not sure if the risk is great enough to warrant it.

 

I will be home today and tomorrow morning. If she is still not eating much, how would I recognize the beginning of hepatic lipodosis? My vet seems content with not seeing her till Monday.

 

The bad signs of hepatic lipidosis are a yellow ting to the skin and "whites" of the eye. Before that the kitties eat less and typically become lethargic. It then sometimes goes down to vomiting green bile. Have you thought of syringe feeding Squamee?

 

Thank you so much for that information! Now I know what to tell my kids to look for---they will take her to the animal hospital in an emergency while I am away. I have not considered syringe feeding. I don't know anything about it, and she is eating some---maybe 3 to 5 ounces a day. It's very hard to tell how much she is taking in, she keeps trying to eat but then her jaw problem (or whatever it is) kicks in and seems to stop her. I keep giving her fresh food with parmesan cheese, as she sometimes is able to eat, so I keep up the supply of fresh food. I just bought all kinds of food with gravy---which she seems to like and is trying a little harder to eat. Also, she can be very difficult---hissing and biting when she is scared or upset. At what point does one need to start considering syringe feeding? Is there info on how to do it? I am assuming my vet will put her on steroids on Monday and I think that will probably resolve the jaw issue (it did a year ago, and then she got diabetes for a few months.)

 

Just wanted to thank all who responded to my concerns. My daughters were very diligent in spending time with Squamee while I was away, carefully monitoring that she was eating some and drinking. She was pretty much the same when I got home, and I took her to the vet who gave her a steroid injection. SO far, the jaw problem has not completely resolved, and I think she may be starting to have a diabetic reaction. I will be testing her later tonight. If she does, I guess I will ask the vet for ProZinc , as she did very well the last time around on PZI.

 

I'm glad she was fine while you were away. I hope the steroid kicks in. Have you considered consulting with a specialist ? A board certified dentist might have some other ideas on how to treat your kitty.
If she is still in pain after the roid shot, please ask your vet for other ways to control her pain. It might make a big difference in her eating and of course, her overall QOL.

keep us posted

 

How do I know if she is in pain? Does the moving her jaw around and rubbing her face mean pain? The vet had said something about discomfort. THis may sound woefully uninformed, but I have no idea how a cat shows pain. Do they meow?

 

Yes, this could be pain....especially the rubbing her face.

 

Squamee's BG has gone up. She was drinking more and I tested her, last night (after eating) it was 273 and this morning (before eating) it was 251. Her jaw problem is slightly better. I called the vet and he was not concerned, he expected the BG to rise and considers it a short term reaction which does not warrant insulin.I asked him what her BG would have to be for him to be concerned, and he said that since this is a relatively short acting steroid, he doesn't think it is an issue. I realize I should probably be keeping track of just what steroids she is getting, but I have not. Last time (about a year and a half ago) when she had this and the Metacam did not work, I took her to another vet ( who a friend had praised to the sky) and he gave her a long acting steroid (2-3 month). It resolved the jaw problem, and she became diabetic. The diabetes resolved at roughly the time the steroid would have been wearing off. This vet has given her a shorter acting steroid in the hopes of not creating the same diabetic scenario. I don't know if I should trust him about thinking insulin will not be necessary. Although he seems knowledgeable, he is not particularly interested in home testing, which I think shows bad judgment. I don't know any vets around here with a better attitude. I HATE not knowing who I can trust.
I asked him about pain medication and he said that was the Metacam, which was not that effective and he said could not be given at the same time as steroids. I asked if there was any other pain medication
to consider, and he said no. He did not mention buprenorphine. If that were to be used, would it be after the steroids, if they don't work?---Oh!--I am just remembering, he did say something about it being unlikely I could get her to take pills---so maybe that was the pain med.

 

Re: help with dehydration--HELP appreciated!!! (and NEEDED))

to update---
Squamee had steroid shot last week that helped for awhile, but then the problem returned. Following Cheryl's advice, I took her to a dental specialist who found she had a rotten tooth and extracted it yesterday. He put her on buprenex (which she fights taking, so I am not sure how much she actually gets). She was better last night and this morning, but much worse tonight---the jaw problem--or whatever it is, is keeping her from eating much. I don't know if this is her reaction to the pain of the extraction, or this problem has nothing to do with the tooth. The dental specialist was not sure that the tooth was causing the symptoms, and said that if they persisted it might have something to do with her stomach---that cats sometimes show mouth symptoms when the problem is really in the stomach. I am very upset and don't know what to do next. I am hoping against hope that she will improve in the next few days, but if she doesn't, I think things will get dire fast, because she is having such trouble eating.