1/10 Bella AMPS 148 +2 121, +3 108 , +5 97, +8 106, PMPS 86 not eating

cecile & bella

cecile & bella

Very Active Member
yesterday
Good morning.
No change here. Bella spent the night loafing by the piano, she was in a corner against the side of the piano and a wall. I took her to her litter box yesterday evening, she did not pee but she then stayed close by. I gave her the scarf she had in the hospital and she turned the other way, rather than facing the wall she had her head on the scarf when I gave her the Lovenox shot at 2 am. She sat up when she heard me. But thismmorning at 6 she was still there, in a loaf position. I put her in her box and she peed and left, and when I carried her to the kitchen her meowing sounded more normal (yesterday she just grumbled), but otherwise there is not much change.
I made her drink with a syringe, and then fed her a mix of baby food and broth, with the syringe as well. She had 10ml of ater and 30 ml of water and food. She did not turn and head and was even looking at the plate, but she still refuse to eat.
Should I shoot this morning? I skipped yesterday evening. We're now 15 mn past her regular shot time, but they gave it to her 2 hours late yesterday morning, and I skipped yesterday evening, so the time does not really matter.
@Bandit's Mom
@Wendy&Neko
@Angela & Cleo
or anybody else who has an idea, I dn;'t know what I should do. I can stay home today.
 
Staci & Ivy said:
Sending you and Bella lots of healing vines and love❤️❤️❤️

Hoping today is much better and her appetite returns. We know she loves her favorite foods.
Stay strong, Cecile. You’re doing a wonderful job caring for her :bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug:
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Thank you, Staci! How do you feed Ivy when she does not want to eat? Do you force the spoon in her mouth? I know you have lots of experience with that, but it feels so hard.
 
Tim & Pookey said:
More healing vines Cecile. Hopefully she eats this morning, I wonder if there’s a negative association to it somehow.
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I wondered too, thank you, Tim! She vomited so much Wednesday evening, that could be. This morning she is not turning her head from the food anymore, so I hope she is getting better. I will call the vets at the ER hospital in an hour if she still refuses to eat, they said they would prescribe an appetite stimulant.
 
cecile & bella said:
Thank you, Staci! How do you feed Ivy when she does not want to eat? Do you force the spoon in her mouth? I know you have lots of experience with that, but it feels so hard.
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I syringe feed if needed. Ivy’s food (home prepared) is soupy to begin with, so I do that.
It’s a mess and still gets stuck in the syringe somewhat, but I make it work as best I can.

It’s not that hard, just slow going. Take your time and go slowly. Little bit at a time.
Do you have food syringes at home?
 
Staci & Ivy said:
I syringe feed if needed. Ivy’s food (home prepared) is soupy to begin with, so I do that.
It’s a mess and still gets stuck in the syringe somewhat, but I make it work as best I can.

It’s not that hard, just slow going. Take your time and go slowly. Little bit at a time.
Do you have food syringes at home?
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No, what kind of syringes do you use? I have a larger syringe that is still way too small for food, it's a 10 ml medication syringe but the tip is not big. It works somehow for the baby food but not for anything else.
 
Staci & Ivy said:
I would use something like this and have several in hand. They wear out quickly and lose their smooth glide fast.
https://a.co/d/e1Eg20O
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Thank you, Staci! I think it's what I have, here is mine (I have 2):
IMG_2218.jpeg

Yes, I can try to puree her food. She seemed OK with the broth this morning. She just moved from the heat vent to under a chair in the living room, but still loafing. She purred very slightly when I pet her.
 

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cecile & bella said:
Thank you, Staci! I think it's what I have, here is mine (I have 2):
View attachment 72261
Yes, I can try to puree her food. She seemed OK with the broth this morning. She just moved from the heat vent to under a chair in the living room, but still loafing. She purred very slightly when I pet her.
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Give it a try. Just go slow and let her swallow tiny bits at a time. And of course aim to side of her mouth (not the back)
 
I just gave her more water. She was moving her mouth this time, not just passively waiting for it to slide down. Yesterday it all dripped and she did not even try to catch it, I had to clean her, her chin and moth were all dirty.
 
I will look it up, thank you!
Small miracle happened: I took her to her plate to syringe-feed her just a few minutes ago. She let me, and was moving her mouth to swallow and looked at her plate, but then she went away to lay down again.
And she came back to her plate. Now she just drank a little water and she is looking at it. First time she comes by her food since she's been back.
 
108 @ +3. I gave her the Lovenox and a little more water. I tested her skin, the fold stays in place. She lost 1/2 pound, she's 9 lbs now. She came back to drink by herself, but it's like she does not know how to do it, she laps once or twice and then just stares at the bowl. It's very sad.
I am starting to worry that maybe something really bad happened and it might be the end.
I'm editing, while I was typing this she starting drinking for good.
 
Good news about the BG. She’s been through a lot, hopefully she just needs some time to get back into the swing of things. I’m guessing she didn’t have much water at the vet so maybe that’s what the skin is about.
 
Tim & Pookey said:
Good news about the BG. She’s been through a lot, hopefully she just needs some time to get back into the swing of things. I’m guessing she didn’t have much water at the vet so maybe that’s what the skin is about.
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No, she had an IV with fluids, so she was not dehydrated when she came back, but she has not eaten or drunk anything other than the syringes I give her, for 24 hours now. Last time she ate normally was Wednesday evening.
She drank a little bit, I gave her another 10 ml of broth, I will give her some food in a while. Her Plavix is due soon, I'll try a pill, I don't want to give her the bitter stuff for now.
She is protesting a little louder. But she is not really walking, very slow, then lays down. I did not see her sleep either, she just lays there with her eyes half closed.
 
Royal Canin Recovery is an alternative to A/D that is lower carb and very easy to syringe. Neko liked it, would sometimes eat on her own after a few syringes "primed her pump". Recovery got me through assist feeding a foster from the shelter with hepatic lipidosis until he healed. After that experience though, he wouldn't eat anything with chicken in it for ages. Cats can associate negative experiences with whatever you syringe feed. Try to offer something on the plate that is a different food.
 
Wendy&Neko said:
Royal Canin Recovery is an alternative to A/D that is lower carb and very easy to syringe. Neko liked it, would sometimes eat on her own after a few syringes "primed her pump". Recovery got me through assist feeding a foster from the shelter with hepatic lipidosis until he healed. After that experience though, he wouldn't eat anything with chicken in it for ages. Cats can associate negative experiences with whatever you syringe feed. Try to offer something on the plate that is a different food.
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Thank you, Wendy. I will try to put something else on the plate. I just gave her her Plavix pill, that took a few tries but she swallowed it. I'm going to call the vet for Mirataz and will ask about a recovery food at the same time. Thank you for sharing your experiences, too!
 
At this point, feed her A/D or Recovery, whatever you can get. Both are good for syringing.

I do remember seeing someone say they cut the tips off the feeding syringes to make the hole larger. Maybe that'll work for yours?
 
I'm so glad to see all this good advice coming your way, Cecile, and it's encouraging to hear that you're seeing signs of improvement, however small. You've both been through the wringer, and she may still be processing the loopy drugs as well. I've found that even the most commonly prescribed dose of gabapentin turns Chispa into the saddest kitty in the world (loafing, barely responsive) for many hours on end -- it's scary and sad -- I give her 1/4 of whatever they say now. Maybe Bella is especially sensitive to it too.
Hang in there. You are doing an AMAZING job of caring for her. :bighug::bighug::cat::bighug::bighug:
 
Karen and Chispa said:
I'm so glad to see all this good advice coming your way, Cecile, and it's encouraging to hear that you're seeing signs of improvement, however small. You've both been through the wringer, and she may still be processing the loopy drugs as well. I've found that even the most commonly prescribed dose of gabapentin turns Chispa into the saddest kitty in the world (loafing, barely responsive) for many hours on end -- it's scary and sad -- I give her 1/4 of whatever they say now. Maybe Bella is especially sensitive to it too.
Hang in there. You are doing an AMAZING job of caring for her. :bighug::bighug::cat::bighug::bighug:
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You know, you told me that before this last episode and I wanted to try, but then forgot. But tonight I will give her half the dose, you are completely right, it is probably one of the causes.
She drank more on her own but still no eating.
She was 97 @ +6 but I cannot really be happy, I would prefer 150 and her eating normally!
 
In addition to Wendy’s suggestion to trim the syringe tip back (I’ve done that on a pinch), you might also check farm supply stores as they often have syringes for livestock. Do you have a Tractor Supply or Bomgaars nearby? The bigger syringes usually have a wider tip. The 60cc ones are harder to wield one-handed but I’ve often used 20cc or 35cc for syringe feeding.

Another note: if the lubricant in the syringe fails (meaning the plunger is harder to pull up and down), you can dip it in a bit of mineral oil to give it more life.
 
JL and Chip said:
In addition to Wendy’s suggestion to trim the syringe tip back (I’ve done that on a pinch), you might also check farm supply stores as they often have syringes for livestock. Do you have a Tractor Supply or Bomgaars nearby? The bigger syringes usually have a wider tip. The 60cc ones are harder to wield one-handed but I’ve often used 20cc or 35cc for syringe feeding.

Another note: if the lubricant in the syringe fails (meaning the plunger is harder to pull up and down), you can dip it in a bit of mineral oil to give it more life.
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Thank you, JL, that’s a lot of great tips. We have a farm supply store not too far, I can go check that if she’s still not eating tomorrow.
I’m going to try Mirataz tonight. They also suggested addind Bupe in case she’s in pain, but I don’t think she is.
 
Hi Cécile, I am so sorry you and Bella are going through so much this time. I hope some of the helpful advice you got here helps to make Bella feel better soon. I send you and Bella lots of positive and healing thoughts. I pray she will be better soon. Many, many hugs Cecile! ❤️❤️❤️
 
She had the Mirataz at 6 pm, 2 hours ago. Lovenox at 7:30 PM. Gaba 0.4 ml (40mg). Plavix at 1 pm.
She's still not eating, and she's worse and worse, no strength, she just lays down wherever she is and when she walks she looks like a very old cat. She did not groom, she's half sitting sometimes and just stays there.
I am starting to seriously consider if it's time to let her go. I don't know how to decide if I am helping her or helping me, now. She does not do anything that shows me she wants to fight. i am not sure what happened Wednesday evening, maybe a stroke? But she's not doing well.
I will skip again tonight, she's at 86 now at PMPS and she had about 3 teaspoons of food over the last 12 hours. I'll try to feed her again until I go to bed.
I am very sad.
 
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We have to hope Bella will start to rally, (((Cecile))).
It’s been a hard few days (and weeks) for both of you. Hopefully she will do better if she regains some appetite.
Maybe the sedatives are making her not want to eat.
It sounded promising that she drank for you earlier.
I know you are exhausted.

Try to get some rest and hopefully she will feel better tomorrow.
I am praying for you both :bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
I am so sorry, Cecile. I am so hoping this is from the meds and trauma of the last few days. Such a roller coaster for you. Hang in there, you’re doing wonderful
 
Was her potassium normal on discharge? Saddle thrombus (if that’s what it was) can trigger a cascade of events, including elevated potassium, and that can make them lethargic and inappetant, as well as potentially have cardiac impact. I’m not trying to scare you — just hoping that the thromboembolism wasn’t too bad (sounds like it wasn’t?) and that any inflammatory response was minimal.

Was her temperature and blood pressure normal?

Dehydration can make them look and feel realllly punky as well. If her skin isn’t snapping back, that could possibly be part of the issue. Even though there’s no diagnosed heart issue after the echo last fall, I’d hesitate to do subQ fluids just in case, but it can sometimes be hard to catch them up without subQ fluids and/or IV.

Did they ever do a chest X-Ray or abdominal ultrasound on her to rule out other potential underlying causes?

I really, really feel for you. I’ve dealt with this a couple of times and it’s just hard. Before you make any final decisions, I might check out a couple of the above things if you can. Sometimes we don’t have that luxury, but I just don’t want you to have regret or questions (well, beyond what we always regret and question anyway).

@Suzanne & Darcy have you dealt with saddle thrombus? Any thoughts?
 
JL and Chip said:
Was her potassium normal on discharge? Saddle thrombus (if that’s what it was) can trigger a cascade of events, including elevated potassium, and that can make them lethargic and inappetant, as well as potentially have cardiac impact. I’m not trying to scare you — just hoping that the thromboembolism wasn’t too bad (sounds like it wasn’t?) and that any inflammatory response was minimal.

Was her temperature and blood pressure normal?

Dehydration can make them look and feel realllly punky as well. If her skin isn’t snapping back, that could possibly be part of the issue. Even though there’s no diagnosed heart issue after the echo last fall, I’d hesitate to do subQ fluids just in case, but it can sometimes be hard to catch them up without subQ fluids and/or IV.

Did they ever do a chest X-Ray or abdominal ultrasound on her to rule out other potential underlying causes?

I really, really feel for you. I’ve dealt with this a couple of times and it’s just hard. Before you make any final decisions, I might check out a couple of the above things if you can. Sometimes we don’t have that luxury, but I just don’t want you to have regret or questions (well, beyond what we always regret and question anyway).

@Suzanne & Darcy have you dealt with saddle thrombus? Any thoughts?
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Thank you, JL. Her temp. was normal on Wednesday, 101. It was low a week ago but not this time. Her potassium was normal.
In September she had an chest X-ray and abdominal ultrasound that were normal, as well as a cardiology visit and echo, both normal. This time they said her heart sounded normal, other than a murmur. They did not redo all the exams because it was still recent, and we were trying to cut costs.
I don't know if the thrombus was bad, but her respiration rate was super high when we came in Wednesday night, 90/mn. Her foot improved very fast, but she is so weak.
 
JL and Chip said:
Dehydration can make them look and feel realllly punky as well. If her skin isn’t snapping back, that could possibly be part of the issue. Even though there’s no diagnosed heart issue after the echo last fall, I’d hesitate to do subQ fluids just in case, but it can sometimes be hard to catch them up without subQ fluids and/or IV.
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Is doing a small amount of SubQ twice a day an option? Say 25 mls BID?
 
She slept in my arms on the couch for a while and she looks a tiny bit better. I did not see her sleep since wednesday.
I am not sure how that would work, I would have to take her back to the er? Or maybe they could prescribe it. I can ask them tomorrow if it’s still the same.
 
The “tent” test for dehydration using the scruff can sometimes be deceiving. Another way is to check her gums. They should be moist and slick, not tacky at all. You can also tent the fur on top of her head and see if it springs back. If not, it’s likely true dehydration and she probably needs fluids. I think if no improvement by tomorrow and you have signs of dehydration, I’d go back to the vet and see if perhaps they can give her fluids and weigh in on sending subQ home with you. Since she doesn’t have a known heart problem, they might be willing. I’d want to at least try to address dehydration before making any final decisions as it can really make them look and act bad.

Is her resting respiration rate normal (under 30)?
 
Her skin tents but flattens faster now, I think over the day I gave her around 50-60 ml of water and broth, plus some baby food. Not much food, a few teaspoons. Her gums feel more wet tonight than they did earlier today.
It's hard to say what her resting rate is, she barely slept. When she was sleeping I had my hand under her head so i did not want to wake her up, but she was breathing much more calmly. When awake, it's not that fast, but weird, her sides flare and come back, if that makes sense? I'll try to count, but it does not look too fast.
She is drinking again now, she came by herself while I was typing.
 
I am glad she is drinking, Cecile. I don't think this is very relevant to your situation, but Bell once had a dental and the anesthesia or meds made her wide awake for 3 to 4 days. I was so scared for her. She just stared off into space or at the wall and wouldn't sleep at all. Again, I'm sure it is a very different situation for Bella but I'm hoping she returns to her normal self with some time. :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
bluesunshine said:
I am glad she is drinking, Cecile. I don't think this is very relevant to your situation, but Bell once had a dental and the anesthesia or meds made her wide awake for 3 to 4 days. I was so scared for her. She just stared off into space or at the wall and wouldn't sleep at all. Again, I'm sure it is a very different situation for Bella but I'm hoping she returns to her normal self with some time. :bighug::bighug::bighug:
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Thank you, Seth. Bella was actually acting in a similar way after her last dental, but not for so long. I remembered it earlier. She had a big dose of Gaba then, too.
She peed and she looks like she is trying to poop, now. We just slept for almost 2 hours on the couch. I think she is exhausted. I'll go to bed once she's done and hope tomorrow will be better.
 
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