My cat started with a left leg limp. It sleeps over 20 hours a day. Right now it wont eat or drink and is having great difficulty breathing and swallowing, or even moving. It is not at all playful. It used to have that third eyelid in both eyes. I fear it will die very soon and I cannot pay for a vet. She is 8 months old. When she is able to walk she stumbles for 5 or 6 feet then stops and lays down.
I gave her 2 presses of albuterol from an inhaler and 2 ml's of liquid prednisone. MY kids have asthma. And she was wheezing loudly. The wheezing has stopped so far. It is now 4.5 hours later than my original post. I am still waiting for my answer !
Hello
I am so sorry your cat is so ill and that your question was not answered when you posted.
I just came online and saw it.
How is she now?
Could she have been injured or ingested a toxin?
do you have a ASPCA near you?
Terri
Thank you Teri for replying. We recieved the cat 2 months ago. She had a slight limp then. Now, when she does walk , she stumbles like she is disorientated to the left and the right, and her limp appears like it is more in the hip. Although it isn't really tender to the touch. She doesn't squirm or cry when pet in that area.
I just finished spoon feeding her some Gerber phase 2 vegetable chicken. She ate about a teaspoons worth. Her breathing is not as labored as it was earlier this morning. She struggles to swallow it seems. Like when she tryes to drink water, first you can tell she has a hard time judging the distance to the water, and when she finds that comfortable drinking position she will lap about 5 times then lift her head and kind of stretch her neck, swallow, then go back for more. I tried to find her nodes to see if they were swollen but not really sure where they are. I have tried touching her all over lightly to maybe find a tender area but no such luck. Can you help ? I wish I had more to offer you, but I am unemployed. And struggle just to find food shelfs that will provide enough for my wife and 2 young sons to eat.
Dear friend,
Dont worry about me! If your kitty gets better, that is my BEST reward.
May God bless you for rescuing her.
It sounds llike she may have a disc or vertebrae injury. She may have been hit by a car, fallen or hurt by a human creep.
Her hip could be dislocated.
The third eyelid appears in times of illness or pain.
Cats are attracted to smelly foods - the stronger the better. If she wants tuna, give it to her You can also try fancy feast, clam juice or baby food.
human baby food in meat flavours (check that there are no onions or garlic in the ingredients) and mix that with warm water and offer that, or syringe it in little bits into your cat's mouth. Beech Nut makes a line of baby food that has nothing but meat (beef, chicken, turkey or veal) in it. Here's a link: http://www.beechnut.com/Our%20Baby%20Food/Results.asp If you cannot find this, you could find another meat baby food - just read the label carefully to be sure there are no onions, onion powder, garlic, or garlic powder in it.
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If her tummy needs a rest, feed baby food with no onion or garlic for a few days.
If she wont eat, and your cat is not diabetic begin by giving her two droppers (cc size) of unflavored pedialyte every ten minutes for an hour. Next water down(plain water) canned cat food or baby food chicken or turkey with no onion or garlic and give only one dropper every ten minutes for another hour. Wait two hours and repeat both. When she feels hydrated she will lick up the gruel on her own.
Give her droppers of unflavored pedialyte a few times a day to make sure she stays hydrated.
Here is a list of organizations who can help owners that cannot afford vet care. A couple are for rescue organizations and homeless pets. Please forward this list to anyone you think it might help. http://www.speakingforspot.com/helppayingforveterinarycare.html American Animal Hospital Association http://www.aahahelpingpets.org/home/ "The heartbreak happens all too often a pet owner is unable to afford treatment and their sick or injured companion animal pays the price. If the owner is elderly, disabled or on a fixed income, the cost of care may be too much of a stretch for their pocketbook. Perhaps they have been victimized by crime, property loss or a job layoff and are experiencing a temporary financial hardship making it too difficult to afford pet care. And some animals, brought to clinics by Good Samaritans, don't have an owner to pay for treatment. Whatever the situation, the fact remains the same: When sick or injured animals are unable to receive veterinary care, they suffer. Through the AAHA Helping Pets Fund, veterinary care is possible for sick or injured pets even if they have been abandoned or if their owner is experiencing financial hardship." Angels 4 Animals www.Angels4Animals.org "Angels4Animals, a non-profit organization and a program of Inner Voice Community Services, has a mission to serve as the guardian angel of animals whose caretakers find themselves in difficult financial situations. At Angels4Animals we believe that animal owners should not have to say goodbye to the animals that they love. Our work is accomplished in conjunction with veterinary clinics across the country, eager to assist as many animals, and their owners, as possible. Our services range from financial aid to complete treatment to those pets and pet owners in need." Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance (FVEAP) http://www.fveap.org/sys-tmpl/door/ "The NEED & The HELP: Seniors, People with disabilities, People who have lost their job, Good Samaritans who rescue a cat or kitten - any of these folks may need financial assistance to save a beloved companion." The Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance Program is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization that provides financial assistance to cat and kitten guardians who are unable to afford veterinary services to save their companions when life-threatening illness or injury strikes. Help-A-Pet http://www.help-a-pet.org/home.html "Our efforts focus on serving the elderly, the disabled, and the working poor. For lonely seniors, physically/mentally challenged individuals and children of working parents, pets represent much more than a diversion." IMOM http://www.imom.org/ "Mission Statement: Helping people help pets. To better the lives of sick, injured and abused companion animals. We are dedicated to insure that no companion animal has to be euthanized simply because their caretaker is financially challenged." The Pet Fund http://thepetfund.com/ "The Pet Fund is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit association that provides financial assistance to owners of domestic animals who need urgent veterinary care. Often animals are put down or suffer needlessly because their owners cannot afford expensive surgery or emergency vet visits. Companion animal owners must often make the difficult decision to put an animal down or neglect urgent medical needs because of the costs involved. The purpose of the Pet Fund is to work towards a future where decisions about companion animal medical care need never be made on the basis of cost." United Animal Nations http://www.uan.org/lifeline/index.html "The mission of LifeLine is to help homeless or recently rescued animals suffering from life-threatening conditions that require specific and immediate emergency veterinary care. We strive to serve Good Samaritans and rescue groups who take in sick or injured animals. In certain cases, LifeLine can also assist senior citizens and low-income families pay for immediate emergency veterinary care."
Please let me know how she is doing. I will always be here for you.
I hope she feels better very soon.
Sincerest best wishes,
I fear that may be due to internal injuries or upper respiratory infection.
Try these:
http://www.petplace.com/drug-library/diphenhydramine-benadryl/page1.aspx http://www.petplace.com/drug-library/chlorpheniramine-maleate-chlor-trimeton/page1.aspx
It can also be from pain or dehydration.
Do your best to keep her fed and hydrated.
Please let me know how she is doing.
Best wishes for her,
Feline Healthcare Expert
Expert in feline health and behavior. 20 years experience with cats.
Thank you so much Teri for your thoughtful expert advice and references. God Bless You !! I accept your answer. Thanks again. You can email me anytime for an update if you wish. My address is XXXXX@XXXXXX.XXX
Again , thank you !!