Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Shmobie Update

Hi Folks,

Last week Shmobie started to plummet and stopped eating and started to look like a bag of cat bones. I knew for sure he had not eaten in at least four days. I had an appointment for him to go to the vet on Friday but he went and hid for the entire day and did not surface again until late Saturday, albeit worse looking than ever before. Locking him up for Sunday, I got in with the vet on Monday morning to figure out what was going on.

I told the vet he had basically stopped eating and that was it. No other symptoms were showing other than having the abscess a few weeks prior. Then the Vet examined him and weighed him and came back to tell me, "Sometimes when cats get stressed (i.e. the big abscess in his rear) they just stop eating. They don't exactly know why but that cats and mini-horses can do this and it is baffling. After the stressful event is over they just keep declining even though they are technically healed."

She said his liver was being eaten by his body since he was in starvation mode. His gums were whitish-yellow and he was obviously deteriorating rapidly. Then she said, "If you can get them eating again, they can bounce back."

So with what seemed like a gallon of fluid pumped subcutaneously under Shmoe's skin and a pill for an appetite stimulant we headed home carrying a six pack of high calorie wet cat food.

Shmoe has been on total lock down in my office and does not seem to mind much. Every few hours I mix wet cat food and water and suck it up in a syringe and squirt it down his throat like a meat smoothie. Today he has gum color again! Yeah. Pink has come back in a lot of areas where his gums were white. So with my attention going to nursing Shmoe and my feeling of stress about the situation, I am a bit behind in visiting folks.

I am hoping for the best and that Shmoe will start to eat again. He made a few attempts at licking food this morning too so that is a good sign. Wish me luck. I just want to infuse him with the will to live again.

22 comments:

Lesley Speller said...

Poor Schmobie! He's having a rough time of it lately! And you too having to deal with it! I hope he is feeling better soon.

The only time my kitty ever got like that she had a tick borne disease. She just stopped being able to do anymore much more than lie there. She couldn't even jump up to her food and water! Poor sweetie was so sick I didn't think she'd make it, but she bounced back with some antibiotics pretty darn quickly.

Liz Mays said...

I wonder what got him so stressed out. It seems like it came out of nowhere. I'm glad he's pinking up again. :)

Unknown said...

awe, so sorry {hugs}

brokenteepee said...

I am so sorry. I truly hope he does start eating again. It is so hard to lose a pet....

Sara said...

Poor kitty! Did the vet give you A/D? Have you tried baby food? Beef, chicken, etc? Those are usually palatable for kitties and have enough calories in it to make a difference. Syringe feeding isn't fun. My rabbit took 4 weeks of syringe feeding to bounce back. You can do it and give Schombie love from my house.

Melodie said...

Sounds like you are giving Schombie plenty of TLC.He is a lucky kitty to have an owner who cares so much for him!I hope he gets better soon!

~ ~ Ahrisha ~ ~ said...

Sending healing vibs to Shmobie. Please give him a hug for me. Tell him that Babaje says he should eat his food, Please.
~ ~Ahrisha~ ~

Leigh said...

I'll be keeping you and Schmobie in my thoughts!

The Mind of a Mom said...

I need someone to give me shots of meat smoothie :o) Sorry to hear Shmoe under the weather, I hope he is feeling better soon!

DayPhoto said...

Poor Shmoe! It's so hard to have a sick friend. I'm hoping your next post has him feeling better.

Give him lots of pets for us.

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/

Olde Dame Penniwig said...

Hi dearie I'm behind too today, but in my case it's my husband's surgery, just home for a moment and then off to the hospital again! I hope the Shmo-ster feels better soon, I hope that vet is A&M trained as they rarely miss a diagnosis. You are doing what you can. But it is so stressful and heartbreaking to see them ill.

Grand Pooba said...

Oooh, poor Shmoebie!! When my cat gets stressed he starts licking his leg until it bleeds. Oh kitties!!

Give Shmoe love from me!

Anonymous said...

Poor kitty. :( :( :(

Karen said...

Oh my goodness, poor Shmoe. I am glad you know how to do the syringe thing.

jane augenstein said...

Oh, poor kitty! Hope he is better soon! Sounds like you are a good nurse to him, hope he is eating on his own soon! :-)

Rural Rambler said...

Shmobie you beautiful boy cat you! You need to eat for the Tall Lady, she is worried about you and so are we people that read about you. Wishing you tons of luck Julia and keeping you and Shmoe in my thoughts!

theUngourmet said...

Sorry to hear this! I hope things improve!

My kitty was missing for almost 3 days recently and I thought for sure she was lying dead somewhere and then there she was on the porch waiting for lunch. I was relieved!

Vixen said...

Poor, poor Schmobie and you too! I hope he recovers his will to live life to its fullest, including eating food. How strange that this affects cats and mini-horses (I know totally off, but I am like that)!

Tell Shmoe I said purrrrrrr.

Rick (Ratty) said...

I hope Shmoe gets better. It sounds like you're getting positive results out of him. Hopefully it continues.

Clare said...

Huge hugs and love from the UK to the poor boy......realy hope he pulls through ok.

Clare xxx

Chris said...

I'm so glad to read you got Shmobie eating again, even if it's just a bit - hopefully it will continue. I had a similar problem with my cat not eating last year, but she was 19 years old and nothing helped. I'm happy you're having better results and Shmobie is on the mend.

The Silver Age Sara said...

So glad to read the next post and hear he's doing better. Poor baby.

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