I really need your help! It's about our cat (told you it was OT!) For the past few days now she has been super-lethargic. Basiclly staying wherever she is put down. She has not eaten and drinks a little water. She has been throwing up clear yellow fluid (yuck - I know!) and has been peeing on the floor, but it seems involentary because she is covered in it, like she was laying down when she went. She is about 9 months old, was just fixed a few months ago, and the incision site is clean and healed over. I called the vet yesterday and he was way to busy to help us, but said it sounded like worms. So I went out and bought a de-wormer and gave it to her. He said I would see an improvement within hours. So far - no results. I just bathed her because she went on herself. I wrapped her in a towel and laid her on my sons bed and 1/2 hour later she is still there. She hasn't even tried to lick herself off at all. I'm really getting concerned. I think I'll have to bring her to the vet, but we're really strapped right now, so I thought I'd ask your advice!
Did she get into any kind of poison?? maybe something in the garage?? Sounds like she may be having something with her kidneys..Poor thing... Call a local shelter tomorrow maybe they can help out with the vet so you can get her checked out.... best of luck...
Andi, poisoning was my first guess, too. Cats are curious and will taste almost anything that appeals to them. Many insects and little critters (lizards, toads, and such) also can poison a small cat as their systems contain toxins nature provided for self-defense.
However, worst of all is: AUTOMOBILE ANTI-FREEZE
-IT IS DEADLY TO ANY LIVING THING IF INGESTED even in very small amounts.
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There are many websites which refer to this and here is a quote from one of them:[/COLOR]
"Every year, by some estimates, about 10,000 dogs and cats are victims of accidental poisoning by automobile antifreeze. A pet does not have to drink a lot of antifreeze to be poisoned. Most brands of commercial antifreeze consist of 95 percent ethylene glycol, an extremely toxic chemical. Even a few licks of this sweet-tasting liquid can be fatal to a cat or dog. (Ethylene- glycol-based antifreeze is also extremely hazardous to children. A few ounces are lethal.)
For a medium sized dog, ingestion of about 2 ounces (3-4 tablespoons ) is toxic. For cats, as little as 1/4 of an ounce (1-2 teaspoons) can be lethal. Antifreeze poisoning commonly occurs in spring and fall when car owners replace the old antifreeze with fresh antifreeze in their car radiators.
However, poisoning can happen anytime, particularly when a car boils over or when a hose leaks, releasing the antifreeze. As mentioned above, this poisoning happens often to animals who are allowed to roam freely in their neighborhoods, but another high risk group are those dogs who are confined in garages and who may not always be provided with adequate fresh drinking water. These dogs may gain access to improperly or inadequately stored antifreeze or lick spilled or leaked antifreeze off the garage floor. If it is necessary to confine your pet(s) to your garage, make sure antifreeze containers are well secured and your animal has plenty of fresh water.
Another source of antifreeze are the decorative "snow globes" glassware. ** The liquid in the these displays contain* 2% antifreeze and are very toxic..* I recently received of call of a young cat poisoned when ingesting some of the liquid from* a shattered "snow globe".
Both cats and dog are attracted to the smell and taste of ethylene glycol...."
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I sure hope your kitty is well soon. Pets are real family members and when they get sick we cant help but worry.
I'm leaning more toward poisoning too, esp. after worming her, and now her lack of bodily control. Our vet is really good, caring, and affordable. Hopefully he'll be able to help her.:(
Not knowing anything about cats, but being a dog lover; I'd try very hard to get to the vet and explain your situation and see about some sort of a payment plan. Ours have worked with us in the past since they've had our dogs since we have had them.
Keep us informed
Take her to the vet Andrea, you will be glad you did ..... I know it is difficult under the circumstances, but you don't want it to suffer ....or worse.
Andi, we had a cat at one time that accidentally got locked into a neighbors garage, and after we got him out the same thing happened to him. He had gotten into some antifreeze on the floor, as far as we could figure. His system gradually shut down, going thru stages, and the urinating and lethargy were at the beginning of it. At last, his eyesight went, everything went, and he died (peacefully) but the vet said there is nothing to do for it, once the antifreeze gets into the system, it begins attacking the kidneys and shutting things down. And, it only takes a few drops. I hope that's not what happened to your kitty, it's heartbreaking. If you know for sure that your cat had no way of ingesting antifreeze, then maybe it can be saved. At least call your vet, just like you would do your pediatrician if one of the kids was not well. Get some advice from him(her). Maybe it's just some bad food, or a mouse that's been poisened that's causing the trouble.
T
;)
I'm glad to see that others are aware of how deadly anti-freeze poisoning can be because that is what this sounds like to me. (my first reply in this thread contains details of this in case anyone missed it.)
We have a friend who lost a beloved dog from this and his symptoms were like what Andi and Toni have described. And like Toni's post indicated , Anti-Freeze poisoning is ALWAYS FATAL! :(
BTW, There is a new and non-toxic anti-freeze available. I dont know if it is more expensive or how well it works, but it is being recommended as a way to prevent the kinds of poisonings of animals and humans which can occur from ingesting the old form of it.
If it was poison, there's really not much that can be done at this point, other than to treat the symptoms. In the first few hours, charcoal can be given through a stomach tube, but this is when a poisoning is first suspected. Antifreeze can severely and permanently damage the kidneys so hopefully that's not it.
A vet that's too busy to see you and tells you to get an over-the-counter dewormer should be an ex-vet. A sudden onset of lethargy and vomiting is something that should be immediately looked at as it's more likely poisoning or an obstruction or something else that needs to be treated IMMEDIATELY. The incontinence leads me more to agree with the others with poisoning as that would indicate kidney damage.
I'm so sorry! How's she doing today?
Quote from: Miss-TeriA vet that's too busy to see you and tells you to get an over-the-counter dewormer should be an ex-vet. A sudden onset of lethargy and vomiting is something that should be immediately looked at as it's more likely poisoning or an obstruction or something else that needs to be treated IMMEDIATELY.
Y'know, I had the same reaction but didnt post it because I am always saying things like that and everyone will think I'm a sour old grump if I dont watch what I write and let up now and then. But Terri IS THE ONE THAT WROTE IT THIS TIME!!. :J :J (All I did was say I agree.)
Actually, Andi, all of us are thinking of you and your poor sick kitty with great sympathy ahd hope we are wrong about the poison. But I tell you what, if my pet had those symptoms and my vet blew me off like that, I would be looking for a new vet ASAP. Giving an already sick cat worm pills can only make it sicker and more miserable if it has been poisoned and I think it was very uncaring of your vet even if they were terribly busy. :o :( :mad:
While antifreeze posioning is always fatal, her symptoms are more of the worm variety. Cats & dogs can have many types of worms and only a stool check by a vet can determine the type of worms they've contracted. General dewormers sold over the counter are junk. When I had my store I wouldn't carry any of them (and I could have sold any of them). A de-wormer, for the exact worms infesting your pet, will also NOT produce instantenous results. An article once said that people who bought a can of Raid & sprayed it on a bug wanted to see the bug shrivel up & die instantly. It's not going to happen in the intestines of your pet.
Hartz Mountain flea & tick collars are extremely toxic to cats & dogs & all Hartz products should be avoided like the plague. Some people put a flea collar on their pet & then use flea powder to assist it. The chemicals used in them are carbamates (typically methacarbamate). Carbamates multiply in strength rather than add. So, a collar and flea powder would put 4 times the lethal dose of carbamates on the pet which could also cause poisoning as they are absorbed through the pets skin. Removal of all collars & washing of the pet will remove the carbamates but it will take time for them to be removed from the pet's system.
It's very difficult to determine exactly what is wrong with your kitty. A trip to a vet capable of diagnosing problems (rather than a run of the mill vet) is in order.
I hope she gets better soon.
poor kitty! I agree with Night Owl.... try another vet. But I too have had a kitty that was poisoned, and there wasn't much we could do (we live in a remote area and the nearest vet was 60 miles away). We rushed her to the vet and got a speeding ticket and the kitty didn't make it anyway.
I sure hope your kitty is doing better today and that it was just something she ate (not poison)!!
Thanks for all the imput guys. Unfortunatly, the earliest the vet could take me was today at 4:30 pm - to late for my kitty. She was breathing in shutters last night and I used the baby dropper to get more water into her, which she immediatly vomited. She died over the night. :( I don't know how I'll tell the boys. My oldest DS has had many pets and experienced death, but the younger two were attached to her a lot. Ever since we got her fixed she's been such a love. I can't wait to tell the stupid vet this. :mad: I can't be as mad at him as I am at myself. I should've brought her right away. She was in the garage for awhile, I'm not sure how long, but I shooed her out right away (it's attached to our house) and DH is really good about not leaving anything on the garage floor, he has spedi-dry on it all the time for spills he's made. Maybe she got into some of that thinking it was kitty litter and then cleaned her paws?? I don't know, but thatnks for the help and advice.
I am sorry to hear that it died :( As others steted, there probably was nothing which could be done to save it, if it was antifreeze... Its sweet taste is just too attractive for animals or CHILDREN to resist.
Now you need to go out and get another one immediately ! They will be too busy playing with the new one and soon (hopefully) forget this one. I know it sounds cruel, but, I think it will work ...
Andi, I'm sorry to hear that the kitty didn't make it. You know, if it was antifreeze (and I do trust my brother Al's judgement when he says it doesn't sound like that) don't qo worrying that it was your fault or anything. Any one that visited your house and parked in your driveway, or near the curb by your home could have leaked a bit of it onto the cement or pavement. Our vet said that all they have to do is walk thru a small bit of it, and then lick their paws, and that's enough to do the damage, especially for a small cat.
And, I'd have some strong words for that vet. The very least he could have done was to refer you to another vet if he absolutely had no way to fit you in. I misread your post earlier, and didn't realise that he had said he was too busy, and when I went back and saw that, I was furious. I know that our vet would bend over backwards to fit us in if we called with a problem about Lil Spanky.
T
Quote from: birolI am sorry to hear that it died :( As others steted, there probably was nothing which could be done to save it, if it was antifreeze... Its sweet taste is just too attractive for animals or CHILDREN to resist.
Now you need to go out and get another one immediately ! They will be too busy playing with the new one and soon (hopefully) forget this one. I know it sounds cruel, but, I think it will work ...
NO don't go out and get a new one...!!. until you know what killed this last one.. also a new one needs shots, check ups etc.. and if $$ is tight then the cat will be the one suffering. Just tell your children the truth.. Kids can take more then we think they can..When our G Pig died they helped me buri him in the back yard. sure they were sad, but it teaches them the circle of life.
I'm so sorry! :(
I'm so sorry about your cat...
The vet should have told you where the nearest emergency vet hospital is. I agree with everyone else, DEFINATELY get a new vet!!!
Also, anyone with a pet should always have the number and location of the nearest animal hospital.
Zooey
Al's post reminded me of the ONE and ONLY time we tried one of those OTC cat collars for fleas. Our cat got VERY sick and DH guessed that it was the collar so we removed it and kitty got well quickly. Later we learned from our vet a general explanation of what Al had to say about how those things work (or dont work.)
So sorry to hear your kitty died, Andi. As JPR suggested, you might want to consider having a burial service for the kitty and letting the children know that although the kitty is gone, they can always enjoy the sweet memories of the fun they had with her. It is very sad, but is not the worst way for kids to learn about death.
We did this with all our pets and it semed to work well for letting the girls learn about the "circle of life" in a way that made death seem less scarey and more a natural part of life.
But, of course, there WAS ONE TIME...
We had loaned Elisa's first grade class a couple of our desert lizards for their terrarium. One Spring afternoon about getting-home-from-school-time, I looked out into our back yard to find a cluster of about 5 classmates gathered around 6 year-old Elisa . Before I could step into the yard, they all folded their hands over their chests, looked straight up into the sky for a minute, and then bowed their heads. Elisa was saying something.
I decided not to go out--the kids left and Elisa came into the house. I asked what they had been doing and she replied in her sweet little vooice, "Well, Mommy, one of my lizards died in the night so I invited my friends home so we could bury him and pray him up to heaven." Sure enough, she had gotten a spade from the garage, dug a little hole and wrapped the lizard in a little flowered hankie from the teacher and buried him.
It was such an innocent and wholehearted expression of her love for that little creature that I still cherish the memory all these many years later.
Yeah, I'm going to wait until we know what happened, although I have no idea on how to find out. I buried her quickly this morning before I left for school, and plan to bring the boys over and show them, etc. Olderst DS was mad about not bringing her to the vets right away. I can understand that. Poor kid, finally gets an indoor cat so we can make sure she lives a long time and this happens.
Yes, definatly a new vet, too.
And, just in my defense.. It was not anti-freeze. Ask Andrea how I am with my garage. It is my kingdom in there.. Good fluid is in sealed & washed jugslined up on their shelf. Drained fluid is in a special container designed to drain & refill (100% sealed & washed). There has also been no open anti-freeze in a month or two. So unless the stupid cat got sick licking up oil spots on the floor from a leak on the Jeep (not antifreeze, dirty oil) The deed did not take place in my shop. I think it is just God's way of saying he is a dog person.. (Remember.. dog is God spelled backwards!) :-P
Hmmmmmm, careful there Fyre or else there might be something spelled "doghouse" and I doubt it looks real good spelled backwards, either. ;) :D :eek: :Z :J
Sorry to hear about your cat. I hope that you get the kids a new kitten to replace the one that died.
I agree with tlhdoc, you need to get another one ...... Yesterday we were at pet smarts and they are soo beautiful. But we are about to get a chihuahua, so we can't get a cat.
Definitely need to replace it, either with a dog or a cat (or 1 of each). I dread the day when I dogs go, 4 of them are about the same age, so I'm sure when 1 starts the others will follow, they have become so much a part of the family.
I suggest going to a rescue or looking in the paper; around here, there is always free to good home or go to the local pet store and look at their ads. I am always afraid that these dogs may just get turned loose because there is a reason why the people need to get rid of them.
Keep us posted.
Well, it seems like a good idea, except we don't know what killed her, so I'm to scared to get a new one. I don't want to go through that again.
QuoteAnd, just in my defense.. It was not anti-freeze. Ask Andrea how I am with my garage
QuoteDH is really good about not leaving anything on the garage floor, he has spedi-dry on it all the time for spills he's made.
Satisfied??:p
Maybe some cleaning stuff from under the sink or a cleaning material cabinet if it can reach it ?
How long had you had the cat?
if new, possibly sick before you got it
Was it an outside cat?
someone may have done it by leaving something for the cat to get into
She was an indoor cat because we never had an outdoor cat live longer than a few years. So when we got her we decided to keep her inside. What I'm thinking is that since we just bought this house in October of last year, maybe the previous owners used poison to kill thier mice. We never poison anything because we have kids, a dog, etc. - it would be foolish. But it was just an older man living here before. Plus our cat used to go up into the dropped ceiling in the basement (don't ask me how!) and a few days after she died I found a mouse (half-eaten) in the basement. It' s really the only conclusion I can draw. She wasn't outside once while living here, and she was only 9 months old.
Well, enough said. Now I'm thinking of making a duck pen (or oasis as I like to think of it) in the back yard. Either that or rabbits, I'm not sure! Anybody out there have any ducks or rabbits?? :)
We used to have a rabbit in the house (caged). It was very smelly and a pain to clean/keep the cage clean. We had him for about 8 yrs. It was the one animal we had that we really wished we had never done, but never had the heart to give to someone else. We were attached.
Outdoor oasis does sound nice!
Don't rabbits need to have room to move ? WHen I was a kid (Don't remember how old I was), my parents purchased me a rabbit. it was kept in a big cartoon (box) top open, I recall it getting paralyzed (hind legs), and it couldn't move. I remember being told that rabbits need to be able to move freely otherwise they get paralyzaed. I don't remember what happened to i, I must have been really young but I still feel the sadness in me. I just kept looking at it trying to move it trying to talk him into moving his back legs and so on ....
I see rabbits being sold everywhere here and the cages they are in are not bigger than the box we had for it (as far as I can remember of course), how do they survive that ?
Quote from: Acts 2:38 girlShe was an indoor cat because we never had an outdoor cat live longer than a few years. So when we got her we decided to keep her inside. What I'm thinking is that since we just bought this house in October of last year, maybe the previous owners used poison to kill thier mice. We never poison anything because we have kids, a dog, etc. - it would be foolish. But it was just an older man living here before. Plus our cat used to go up into the dropped ceiling in the basement (don't ask me how!) and a few days after she died I found a mouse (half-eaten) in the basement. It' s really the only conclusion I can draw. She wasn't outside once while living here, and she was only 9 months old.
Well, enough said. Now I'm thinking of making a duck pen (or oasis as I like to think of it) in the back yard. Either that or rabbits, I'm not sure! Anybody out there have any ducks or rabbits?? :)
Rabbits are great kid pets. They are quiet and easy to keep. Most rabbits are very easy to train to use a litter box as they like to go in the same spot every time so they can be given the run of the house. One thing you have to keep in mind for a rabbit with free run of the house is that they are, by nature, chewers. So all electrical wires must be kept up and out of reach , otherwise it's rabbit fricassee for dinner! :eek: Also make sure the kids understand that rabbits are NEVER to be picked up by their ears!
One of our favorite kid pets that we have are rats. Yes, rats. They are clean, relatively odor free as long as cage is kept clean weekly. They are easy for the kids to handle as they are not too little, not too big. They are friendly and love to be held and cuddled. They are very smart and can be taught a variety of tricks. You can get a harness for them and take them outside for exploration time.
DD keeps looking at rats when we are at pet stores, I hate rats :) She goes, daady they are soo cute, can't we get one please ? Why do you hate them, sigh .... Good thing we have the rescue dog on the way :)
My sister years ago got a rabbit for her kids and left it run the house. It was litterbox trained. But it did like to chew... chewed many a cord (telephone and electrical), her DH finally made her get rid of it before they had a fire or a fried rabbit. She ended giving to a friend who had a farm.
I have a little Mini Rex rabbit. He is a lot of fun, and very friendly and tame, but only because we've spent LOTS of time with him. Since most rabbit owners don't have them out like a cat or dog it's very easy to forget about them and just do the minimum of care (feed/water). I would think it would be a fairly lonely existence in a cage with no companionship for those type of bunnies.
You do have to be careful of their backs. I have a friend who has one that is paralyzed from a broken back. It is a spoiled indoor bunny and won't be euthanized, but they stay very busy caring for him.
Rats are excellent pets, but my problem with them is they have so much personality and are so easy to train so you fall in love with them and then they die within just a few years! Dogs and cats live too short lives - I'd hate to own something that is such a good pet but is guaranteed to not live long!
If you do decide on a dog or cat, please check an area shelter. I rescue literally hundreds off of death row each year, sometimes minutes from euthanasia because the AC officer was waiting on me to get there first. An example of what you can find there - my last rescues, on Thursday, were a fullblood white Pomeranian about 2 years old, super sweet, a teeny tiny Schnauzer mix about 1 year old and 5 pounds, a Chihuahua mix puppy, a Collie/Husky 6 week old puppy, an Aussie/Collie puppy, a Pointer/Basset mix puppy, and a Cocker mix puppy. Two days before that I rescued 5 cats and kittens. And you can't even begin to imagine how many beautiful healthy young purebred and mixed-breed animals I leave behind.
Keep us updated on the new pet (if there is to be one)!
Edit: Here is a link with pictures of those latest rescues - there really are some beautiful animals in shelters out there: http://groups.msn.com/PuppyluvsPawPrints/general.msnw?action=get_message&mview=0&ID_Message=96118&LastModified=4675468596248654446
And my last batch of kitties: http://groups.msn.com/PuppyluvsPawPrints/general.msnw?action=get_message&mview=0&ID_Message=95194&LastModified=4675467991121283864
Oh, Miss-Teri - You're killing me! How beautiful! I love those little golden puppies! However, puppies are almost like babies, since they need quite a lot of attention. (hmmm... I might try that the next time that baby urge hits!! ;) )
I need to do some research on mini-lops and other breeds before I make a decision! My SIL had rats when she was a teen. She loved them, but they are prone to cancerous tumors and die rather quickly, as mentioned, a few years. I know DH does not want them in the house, and I don't think I do either. We have to many little feet running around! But I do want to have an enclosure outside for it to run around in. We'll see, and I'll let you know!!!