Should I take Salty to the Emergency Vet

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-23-2002
Should I take Salty to the Emergency Vet
13
Sun, 06-13-2004 - 11:21am
Maybe I'm worried for nothing, but they gave me the dry Science Diet Original for Adult Cats food when I got her on Thursday at the Humane Society. She was eating 1/4 portions twice a day until yesterday. The 1/4 cup I gave her yesterday morning is still on her plate. She's only eaten about 1/8 a cup in the last 24 hours. She's sneezing a lot and sometimes shaking her head. I've been here sleeping with her again. Her first appointment with my regular vet (who specializes in cats only) isn't until tomorrow afternoon at 4pm. I called the emergency clinic a while ago and they said they'd have to see her to know anything. I wasn't sure if I should take her in today? Should I try some canned food to see if she'll eat it first? (All I have is Friskies Sliced Beef). I don't want to panic if it isn't a true emergency & could wait until tomorrow. I can't help but worry about her though. I know sneezing could be an upper respiratory infection (after having been in the Humane Society around so many other cats). If it's a virus, they probably wouldn't be able to do much. The shaking of the head could maybe be ear mites, but I didn't notice any when I looked her over before.

Any advice would be most appreciated! Thanks so much. <3

Hugs,

Suzy


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Avatar for cl_lcni
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Sun, 06-13-2004 - 12:07pm

You are right that a lot of shelter kittes do get a URI. If she isn't running a high fever or dehydrated, she should be OK until tomorrow.


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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-23-2002
Sun, 06-13-2004 - 12:36pm
Thank you sooo much! I've been trying to read books and search online about cat health. She does drink water here and there, so hopefully she's not dehydrated. I saw her nibble one or two little kibbles of food today, but that's it. She ate about 1/8 cup of the dry food in the last 24 hours. I even tried tempting her with a spoon full of canned food, but she ignored it. She's very tired and isn't hopping up to try to sneak out (like she did in the past couple days) when I open the door to the room we're keeping her isolated in. I am going to go out and buy a digital rectal thermometer I can check to see if she has a temperature (All we had in the house was the ear thermometer). Am I right that if the temp is over 102, then I should take her to the vet? I can't tell if she's congested. She doesn't seem to be breathing loudly or wheezing. I'll keep you posted. (I hope there isn't any complication from the spay surgery she had on June 4? Could she be in any pain still? I still suspect they may have taken her kittens during the spay (since the previous owner had noted she was pregnant) & maybe it was harder on her than the typical operation? )

Thank you so much again for your help!

Hugs,

Suzy


Edited 6/13/2004 12:40 pm ET ET by suzypenguin


Avatar for cl_lcni
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Sun, 06-13-2004 - 12:57pm

You're welcome.


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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-23-2002
Sun, 06-13-2004 - 1:28pm
Hello again! I just tested her and the skin on her back went right back...whew! I'm grateful for the information. :-)

I just (with difficulty since I'm home alone and had no one to help hold her) used my new, quick read, digital rectal thermometer on her. I hope I did it right, but it said 102.5 was her temp. She's still lethargic and sleepy.

I am hoping that since she is not dehydrated & had a borderline temp that it's ok to wait until tomorrow to see the vet. I will keep a close eye on her, though, and hope she'll at least drink some water.

How old was your sweet Honey when she was spayed? I'm glad she finally recovered. It's sad to see them take so long to get better. Salty is 1 1/2. I would never have let her get that old without spaying if she'd been mine as a kitten. I guess some people just don't know the risks they are putting kitties through by not spaying them early on, huh? I'm grateful I have her now. :-)

((((Leslie)))) Thanks again!

Suzy




Edited 6/13/2004 1:52 pm ET ET by suzypenguin


iVillage Member
Registered: 01-23-2002
Sun, 06-13-2004 - 5:11pm
Update.....

I ended up taking Salty into the emergency clinic because her temp was up to 104. They didn't do much...just took her temp and listened to her lungs. He gave her a shot of Ketofen to bring down the fever so she'd hopefully feel more like eating/drinking. I declined to have them inject her with fluids because she was not dehydrated at this time and I felt I could get her to drink at home and she is going to see her regular vet in the morning for a complete check up. It cost $86.80 today, but it's worth it if it makes her feel better. She came home and drank some of the chicken broth I had put on a plate, and took another nibble of the sardine. She seems a tiny bit better since she got that shot. I hope I did a good thing for her.

Hugs,

Suzy


Avatar for cl_lcni
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Sun, 06-13-2004 - 6:08pm

I'm sorry you had to take Salty to the ER, but it sounds like she needed to go.


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iVillage Member
Registered: 05-06-2004
Sun, 06-13-2004 - 9:04pm
What did the vet at the emer. clinic say was wrong with Salty? With a fever, sneezing and possible ear problems I would have thought they would give her an antib. or steriod shot. Let us know what your regular vet says. Sometimes they will put them on amoxicillin and they will end up needing something stronger. donna
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-23-2002
Sun, 06-13-2004 - 11:11pm
Hi Donna!

They didn't do any blood test or anything to diagnose her for sure, but he thought it was likely an upper respiratory infection. He thought it was just viral. I will have my own vet check her over totally tomorrow and hopefully get a better idea of if this is viral and/or bacterial....and if we should have her on antibiotics to prevent secondary infections. I sure hope she gets the right diagnosis and care. I am grateful that she had the anti-inflamatory shot today. She felt so hot to the touch since yesterday...I didn't realize she had a temperature. Now she feels cooler to the touch and she's eaten bits of her sardine I gave her earlier. I still can't get her interested in the water. If she continues not to drink they may have to give her fluids at the vet.

I will keep you posted after she gets back from the vet tomorrow. Salty thanks you for caring! (((Hugs)))

Suzy


iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 06-14-2004 - 7:07am
Awww, poor little gal Salty. I hope she starts feeling much better soon. I also hope that your regular vet can get her on the right meds or do whatever is necessary for a speedy recovery.






Animals are forever - and so is their love.
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-01-2003
Mon, 06-14-2004 - 8:40am
Let us know waht the reg. vet says.Hope she is ok and will be thinking of you!!

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