My Young Cat - Rapid Breathing And Not Eating

[MisterMan]

Hi someone abandoned this kitten on the side of the rode (while I was standing there). So I took him in. He was already clean and seemed healthy and well fed. I still have not had his shots. I keep forgetting. I even got him fixed already and they said best to not do it at the same time.

Well all of a sudden today I noticed he is not eating and can barely walk. I think he has a foot injury as he cries when I touch one foot but there are no external cuts.

I brought him to the water and the 2nd and 3rd time he finally drank.. but he wont eat.

His breathing rate is about 40 per minute while my adult cat is 24.

I work tomorrow and the vet is only open half day and I will try to take him in if not I will have to wait till monday. (this also means organising a car/transport)..

I am so worried sick he has some disease because he does not have his shots. he goes outside and over 2 months ago he was bitten by a stray cat.. he was treated and cleaned up at the vet. Perhaps he caught something?

Or mabye a side effect from the castration?

Im worried worried. any ideas?

Thanks

[eek]

Ok, well im not sure of this, but according to "Cat Owners Home Veterinary Handbook" it says:

Rapid breathing can be caused by pain, emotional stress, fever and overheating. Other conditions to consider are shock and dehydration, lung and heart disease and buildup of acid or toxic substance in the blood (diabetes, kidney failure, poisoning). An increased rate of breathing at rest suggests a diseased state, and veterinary examination is necessary.

The other sections on rapid breathing dont seem to relate to what you have posted. It sounds as though the breathing is probably caused by stress and pain from the hurt paw. From what i can gather this is also most likely why he has lost his appetite too.

Is there another vet you can take him to to check the paw?

[eek]

With regards to your worry over him having possibly caught a disease, all the respiratory disease sections say that the signs appear from around 2 to 17 days after exposure. Other symptoms generally include fever and vomiting, so doesnt sound like he has.

[eek]

Ok, back again...

The painful paw..is he limping at all? Or is it just when you touch the area?

(Also, if you have any questions you would like me to look up in this book, im happy to do so if it may be of help.)

[ozsamurai]

May I suggest that he has been bitten by something. Check the paw area for swelling or bite marks, this could possibly account for all symptoms.

[MisterMan]

Oh Thank you so much for the replies. I really appreciate it.

Yes there are 2 marks on the paw that look like bite marks. The Paw is swolen and he is limping.

Also his urine is quite orange. could be from the dehydration. When I bring him to water he is drinking a lot now (and I made sure it was mineral water).

Yes off to the vet later today as I have to work but they understood the situation. (Was not to sure if they were pet lovers).

Edited August 31, 2008 by MisterMan

[ozsamurai]

good to hear he is drinking again, thats a good thing, not only for dehydration but for flushing toxins as well. More than likely because he is so small he has played with something that he shouldn't have and they let him have it, with such a small body it has rocked him a bit. Lets know how he gets on.

Oz

[monty]

If there are bite marks it indeed might mean some toxin has gotten in the bloodstream.

Cats actually are not very efficient in getting toxins out of their bodies, stuff relatively harmless to humans and other animals can often have severe effects on cats, including death.

Chocolate poisoning is one of them (actually the theobromine present in chocolate). Both cats and dogs can be severely ill from eating this!

Looking at the symptoms of theobromine poisoning, they are actually similar to what you are seeing:

* It increases the rate and force of contractions of the heart.

* It acts as a diuretic, causing your pet to lose body fluids.

* It affects the gastrointestinal system, causing vomiting and diarrhea and it may cause stomach ulcers.

* It acts on the nervous system, causing convulsions, seizures and sometimes, death.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

[Mosha]

2 kittens we had took on a snake, and both got bit. One worse than the other, and it's foot became swollen. We are in a similar situation to you and the vet only opens at 5 pm, plus it is a 60km round trip. He gave one cat an injection and he said the other one was fine. After a few days the cats were back to normal. If yours has survived over a day I'd say it appears it may be fine, although I'd still get it to the vet. We have lost a few to cobras in the past.

[eek]

Only just got a chance to check this thread now. Do you have an update on your kitty?

[MisterMan]

I cant believe how nice everyone is on this thread. Very touching.

Ok I took the cat on my lunch break and the vet said he had a fever of 104!!! his ears never felt warm to me but his body did. If it was not for this forum I might have waited a day to take him.

So he said the fevor is from the infection. He gave him a shot of antibiotic and a shot of something for the fever. He gave me:

Antibiotic in liquid form (with a needleless syringe)

Pain pills

anti inflamatory.

However he is not eating or drinking now. He is breathing a bit less slowly but not as slow as my other cat.

Also one of his other paws has some gunk on it (like a white pastey construction stuff?? tile grout? my neighbor retitled his patio) I kept trying to clean it but today i noticed now besides his back paw being quite swolen infected, one pad on his paw is huge.

he has not urinated since this morning, not drinking now and the swelling looks the same if not bigger.

I gave him his dose of antibiotic but the other meds say after meals.

The vet said come back in 2 days if the swelling is not reduced..

how to get him to eat?

I have faith in my vet and find him to be very competent.

Any ideas how to stimulate his appetite?

I tried Tuna, dry food, wet food. He loves his kibble.

I attached a few photos of him.. I used to live next door to this place .. with my ex..and the cat made friends with the local (and immunized) wild life.......

however we no longer live there but thought the photos were classic!

[bina]

if your cat is not drinking then forget the food; u must get back to the vet for SQ fluids (about 150 cc of saline under the skin or less if he is less body weight... a cat not drinking and not urinating is definate cause for alarm...

to get a cat to eat, most vets keep some kind of 'recovery ' type food that is high in energy, very tasty, and easy to force feed to a cat ( its like pate fois gras texture)... failing that, then tuna is the next best thing..

also, take a syringe and give your ct about 5 cc of rgular water in his mouth, wait half an hour and give him about 5 cc more... if he swallows and doesnt throw up, then give him water this way every few hours... but really sounds like he needs some additional help...

the vet may have given him some steroids for reducing swelling (also instigates appetite); pills were probably tolfedine (tolfine).. now i look at the pic maybe 100 cc would be enough under the skin and in an hour perhaps more....

get back to the vet, they are problematic when ill or injured, especially when stop eating or drinking...

bina

israel

;'

[MisterMan]

Thanks Bina,

The vet also recommended milk. I gave him a few cc's of that already and he is not vomiting.

Yes back to the vet tomorrow. I thought he should have stayed there toinght but the vet didnt think it was necessary.

Thanks so much.

[eek]

Good news that he is keeping down the milk. Just want to wish you good luck. Keep us posted.

(..and those photos are fantastic!)

[Mosha]

There is a high energy food in paste form, it comes in a toothpaste type tube. We had some thing badly wrong with our eldest cat. I found her one morning looking like a rag doll. We were actually due to go to Nakon Sri Thammerat. the next day. So we took her to the vet in the evening. She was put on a drip, and we were told to come back in the morning. We told him we were going away and had resolved to take her with us. We bought a large cage to put her in. She was much better next day, and we were able to take her, but we had to force feed the paste stuff.

We were away for a week, but managed to keep an eye on her, took her out for toilet duty etc. Then when we got home she got out, and we thought we had lost her. We called her but no response, but fortunately she came back ok next morning.

[bina]

royal canine has 'recovery' , science diet has 'a/d' ; and there is the paste stuff too; failing that, we have used 'ensure' the stuff they use for elderly people not eating food: only in vanilla. not chocolate. however, the protein requirements for carnivores mean that ensure is less appropriate than the other two foods i listed which are specifically for non eating animals or animals after surgery or long illness... the idea is to use it til the animal starts to eat its regular food, and then u just use the stuff as a supplement...

why milk??? milk is not so good for most animals that are not of nursing age... it often causes diahreah, and also does not have the same amount of water/fluids that water obviously does since it also has the proteins in it... better to give also water by mouth if he will swallow, and the 'special food' stuff i listed; OR make your own: blenderize cooked meat/chicken until pasty and smooth, with some of the soup mixed in, and using a spoon, open cat's mouth and place small amount in mouth. failing that, if cat is licking its nose or feet, u can smear food on foot or nose and cat will lick it off...

good luck

bina

[MisterMan]

Thank you again for all the responses.

I did also think it was strange when the vet said milk as I thought that would give him diarrhea.

I mixed it with water in the large syringe. He hates it but he swallos it if i force feed him the liquid.

He is mobile a bit and was crying when i came home (he likes to be around people).

he used the litter box so I dont know if that means he drank while I was at work or not...

I will take him to the vet and they will have to drain it. I worry about the stress to him..

This is all because of the bite/infection.

At least his fever is down and he is happy to be pet and purrs still.

[bina]

clean out the litter box every time, that way u can monitor the oamount he is drinking... he peed in the morning; clean out the box, u come home, there is no pee, then he is not drinking. there is a little pee, then not drinking enough. a normal wet amount of litter, then its all ok... also his stool, the same;; it means poking around a bit in his ltter box to see if he has regular stool or diahrea or non at all, but this will give u the best clues as to your cat's state of health...

if he is getting tolfine tolfedine(a NSAI) then this will help him deal with the stress also (it reduces swelling which reduces stress on the breathing and digestive tracts as well as other things. pain and stress in animals goes together like a chicken and egg type situation. if getting pain killers this breaks the circle and helps the animal maintain his physiological balance.

if he goes back to the vets perhaps a bit of fluids under the skin can be given just as supportivve therapy (like giving a iv to an in patient in a hospital for maintenance)...

bina

israel

[MisterMan]

He seemed a lot less listless and was finally drinking on his own.

I looked at all his paws and the infected one has the bite marks. But 2 other paws also have infections. One has a big hole in it (the size of an pencil eraser) and one the infected pad.

Also it is 2 other paws that seem to have been affected by some construction material as my other cat also has the same problem on one paw, an infection but not inflamed, just like the skin eaten away/burned off from a chemical.

I went to the vet today didnt see the owner and was not happy with his associate. She didnt even read the report from his previous visit. When we got there I noticed that finally the big abcess was draining. They washed out the paws and gave me a stronger antibiotic (this one is yellow liquid)

But now that his paw is draining do i really need to give him a stronger one? Also I have the anti-inflamatory pills but those seem uncessary now.

I expect that without the throbbing pain of a growing abcess he may be interested in food again.

Thanks again for all the support.

[bina]

use the pain killers; animals cannot deal with pain and first sign is usually no appetite .... and anti biotics, use them as instructed... may not be stronger, just different for different nature of infection...

dont u know what antibiotics... even in thailand they can tell u doxicillin, cephoral, stomygyl (like flagyl), or whatever???

liquids or pills doesnt mean anything cause u can use (and most vets do ) people antibiotics like liquid forms for children, pill or capsule for adults.... its the chemical that makes the difference...

any way, glad he is improving, now u have to keep them away from the place that is under construction...

bina

ps.. the only reason not to use the pain killers a time or two more is if cat is having kidney problems... u can verify dosages for tolfedine in cats google for it.. (we recently checked out the dose for a puppy so found in internet vet pharmecuetical site but dont remember now...)

Edited September 2, 2008 by bina

[ozsamurai]

Agreed, check the anti-biotics dosage, online. Make sure the vet is not overdosing the cat. Take a walk to see what is next door. Fiber insulation, poisons (weed killer) maybe? the eraser sized hole is more likely been done by your cat, trying to get something out of there, and inadvertently injested something as well. Knowing the cause is half the battle here.

Oz

[MisterMan]

The sores are getting worse!! I think it is the skin peeled off. But now his paw has another sore and there are some red spots on the paw. This is not the paw that was bitten.

The paw that was bitten is draining but there are more open sores now today and they have gotten really big...

I am afraid he has somethig worst.

I didnt even think to ask which antibiotic it was that she gave me. I was so upset at her incometency.

She didnt really look at the other sores

I will take him tomorow to another vet.

ill take a photo tonight. I have no camera here.

Last night I brought home some fish leftover from a gourmet restaurant. (work related). like expensive sauted fish..he ate it up !!! but today he just ate a bit of dry food. he was not interested in the canned tuna.

he is drinking well though.

[Sheryl]

Do keep us posted. I'm on the edge of my seat...

Hope the little angel will be OK!

[MisterMan]

Thanks. Going to a different Vet tomorow. Although I was reading up on it and it can be normal that the wounds from the access get bigger. It is like sores have appeared on his whole paw and it is still very swollen.

However still cant figure out what is going on with his other paws...

I did bring home a few bites of left over lobster from work and he was quite pleased with that. He is eating and drinking now.

As Bina suggested, I have been giving him his pain pills and the unknown antibiotic which is yellow liquid and smells like banana. So who knows what it is...

i know I know I should ask. I will take it all to the vet..

He is not vaccinated yet so I am sure worried he caught something from the bite. Castrated yes but not vaccinated. urgh.

[bina]

cats do get autoimmune diseases which is why it is immportant to vaccinate them... (sorry cant remember the name of the cat AIDS disease)

banana flavoured just means that the syrup was intended for children (makes it palatable); most vets use people meds for animals unless there are things specifically for animals and syrups are easier to give a cat then pills; what matters is the dose per body weight and what the antibiotic is... like with us, some are better than others (not stronger, just more suitable) for certain problems like abcesses, or bite wounds, or womb infections, or respiratory infections, that is why it is important to find out what pharmaceutical your animal is getting (chemical name, not brand name)...

wondering if your cat stepped in something as someone else asked; did u ever wash his paws off??? one of the first things we do is wash off an animal that looks like it is reacting to chemicals from contact, like soap on a floor, spray against bugs, etc.. lots of water, no soap or anything.... now its too late, but for future notice....

good that he's eating and drinking.... try to get him back on his own food as soon as possible though or u will end up with a spoiled kitty..

bina

[MisterMan]

Hi Bina

Thanks.

I took him to a different vet now , another one I do know and like. And she decided to keep him so he would stay off his paws and so she can clean them out. she was surprised the other vet only used betadine.

She said she saw something similar once before with a cat at a wat and that it could be a virus that happened after the wounds were made from whatever he stepped in.

As for the bit wound that turned from the size of a tooth puncture to the size of almost 1 bath.. she said she would shave all the hair off and the same thing, keep cleaning it.

so the poor little guy will be there a few days. His health improved but those sores got worst. I hope this helps. If not then I will try yet another vet who is much older and also a good reputation...

I have learned a lot from this and also always know what antibiotic i get for the cats!

ill post an update when I get back.

[eek]

Do you have an update for us MisterMan?

[Goldenbead]

I hope your little kitty is better and back on all four paws again.

[Nienke]

cats do get autoimmune diseases which is why it is immportant to vaccinate them... (sorry cant remember the name of the cat AIDS disease)

Isn't an auto-immune disease a diseae where the body attacks its own tissues, etc?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoimmune_disease

Autoimmune diseases arise from an overactive immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body. In other words, the body attacks its own cells. Autoimmune diseases are a major cause of immune-mediated diseases.

It is well documented that vaccines can cause auto-immune diseases. And, people and animals with auto-immune disease should NEVER be vaccinated.

And isn't FIV (Feline Immunodefiency Virus) a disease brought over by a virus?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feline_immunodeficiency_virus

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), occasionally referred to as Feline or Cat AIDS is a lentivirus that affects domesticated housecats worldwide. Approximately 11% [1] of cats worldwide, and about 2.5% of cats in the USA, [2] are infected with FIV. More than 90% of African lions in some zoos tested positive for the virus. FIV differs taxonomically from two other feline retroviruses, feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline foamy virus (FFV). Within FIV, five subtypes have been identified based on amino acid sequence differences coding for the viral envelope. FIV is not a death sentence for cats, as they can live relatively healthy as carriers and transmitters of the disease for many years. A vaccine is available although its efficiency remains uncertain, and cats will test positive for FIV after vaccination.[3]

[bina]

there is a vaccine against the FIV as far as i know which is what i meant when i asked if he was vaccinated; and if not, then possibly got FIV... the cats i saw with beginnings of the FIV presenting itself were ulcers in mouth on tongue... feet i didnt see but that doesnt mean it doesnt exist...

whoops... just read thru the whole blurb, sorry nienke... anyway.... where i worked (yes, i left this past week** job change) in households that have had both vaccinated (house/pet cats) and yard (street cats) that werent vaccinated (barring those that the catpeople were able to catch/trap/bring in to the vet for spay/nueter/vaccines and any treatments taht could be done once off) the street cats (and these were for the most part fed/water/sporadic treatment when caught)came in with more virus type presentations. we never did testing for FIV, but treated symptoms. i think only one cat owner wanted to pay for the testing not that it would have made any difference in treatment as far as i could see...

but was what i was thinking of when i mentioned autoimmune diseases in cats... wasnt intending for him to vaccinate NOW; the question was if he had already been vaccinated. obvious to me not to vaccinate until /if/and it all clears up, and then maybe, as nieke suggests, not vaccinate at all in this case.

up to you

bina

israel