My Cat is Sick and I CANNOT get it to EAT...HELP!

HI...

My cat Tigger is 7 years old, and I took it to the vet the other day, they wanted $2000 to test the cat...which I cannot afford. The cat is home with me on a course of 14 days of antibiotics, they said he had a mouth infection.
He won't eat...he is about 6 lbs. and I am to force feed him, which I did for a day, then he decided to eat his regular wet food, then two days after that he stopped again. He is drinking which is good, but I cannot get him to eat...what are the tricks...I can force feed him, but I feel AWFUL doing it. I need some help here, I don't want to lose the little guy.
He still seems pretty happy, happy to sit with me, and play, purrs with me but he just wont eat...any suggestions would be helpful, I feel terrible force feeding him...please help...I would hate to lose him.
Sad...and wanting Tigger to Eat...thanks

:cry:

 

Hi and welcome to Auspet. I'm sorry your kitty is not doing well.

I don't quite understand this quote. Your kitty was diagnosed with a mouth infection and given antibiotics, however they also want to do other tests? The problem here is that if your kitty just has an oral infection which is treatable with the antibiotics than it's okay to continue to assist your kitty to eat. However, if the oral infection is only one possible cause of your kitty not eating, than that will be a problem, as it needs to be diagnosed and treated. What exactly did the vet say regarding the oral infection and running other tests?

 

don't let purring be an indication that all is well....many cats continue to purr as they are dying.

Also don't let your cat go any longer than 48 hours without eating whether on its own or forcefeeding. You don't want liver disease to set in which won't take long with a sick one.

I worry about oral cancer....not that I'm able to diagnose anything but if there is anything oral going on you really need to know 100% what it is. Did the vet do any bloodwork at all? That shouldn't cost that much especially to find out for sure if there is an infection (high white blood cell count).

If you force feed dilute a good canned food (AD is good) with pedialyte, add some NutraCal, Karo (corn syrup) and mix up. Keep it soupy, use a plastic syringe and try to get at least 1/4 of this mixture into your cat.

I just hope the antiobiotics don't mask the underlying cause of what is going on. I had a vet constantly treat one of my cats with antibiotics and she'd be fine until the drugs were out of her system then she started right up again...ended up being CRF and I lost time with her diagnosis cause of a stupid lazy vet who found it easier to give her drugs than find out what was really wrong - and it only took a single blood test (by a different vet)

 

Cat is on AD Prescription Food

Hi thanks for your responses...let me clarify what the vet did and didn't say.
Said that a mouth infection was present, but that "probably" wasnt the result of the cat not eating, wanted 2 grand to run the following, ultrasound, thyroid, blood,urine and on and on. I cannot afford this.
The vet did not take blood or urine, just left it at antibiotics.
Remember after the vet told me this, I made the choice to put the poor creature to sleep at this cost :cry: , then she said to try the antibiotics...but still did nothing of blood and urine. I asked what was the bare minimum of tests that she could do that would help determine a diagnosis...she said blood and urine couldn't do that, and needed the "full" work up.
I am trying the antibiotics...and the force feeding, he will eat a little on his own but not nearly enough. It has been 5 days on the meds. I am thinking of returning to a different vet? Would this be advised? Can blood and urine tell a vet something?
I want Tig's to live, he;s young and well loved...but I dont want to be selfish.
The force feeding is tough...makes me very sad that he gets so mad at me, even for his own good...any thoughts suggestions? recommendations?
Thanks
M.E.
:?:

 

Hi again. Call around to some of your local low cost animal clinics. I'm sure they will be more helpful than that other vet. I hope your kitty will be okay.

 

2000??? your vet is taking you for a ride [an expensive one at that]!!! i dont know any vet who charges that much for tests!!! the most a urine, stool and full bloodwork [this includes thyroid test] should cost is 300. the ultrasound should cost around 700/800, and that should be used as a last resort if the other tests dont show anything and if the vet thinks it will find something. so your cat most likely wont need an ultrasound.

find another vet. blood and urine tests can show alot of things. your vet is being very dishonest. i dont know any ideas on how to forcefeed a cat but others on here have done it before. they will help you.