Charlie, my cat, is very ill. It is agony watching him. I am going back to the vet for the 5th time in about 3 weeks. He is on antibiotics but they are not working. In fact he has got worse over the time I have been giving them to him (5 days).
He has a temperature. He has a swollen eyelid (right eye). He won’t eat or can’t eat. He tries to eat and stops. He can smell the food. It is as if something is preventing him. Sore throat? Blockage? I don’t know. He can’t eat the best food I can give him. He has stopped talking to me.
He has an acute bacterial infection that antibiotics don’t seem to fix. He also a viral infection as diagnosed by the vet.
He has lost quite a lot of weight. There is something going on beyond cat flu it seems to me but I don’t know. It might simply be a very bad case of herpes or calicivirus but I have a feeling it is more than that.
Anyway I had to get it off my chest. It is impossible for me to see him this ill and in discomfort. He can’t settle down. He constantly adjusts his position when resting. He constantly tries to remove something from his mouth with his tongue.
He has had two session of dental surgery so his teeth (what is left of them) should be OK. Fungal infection? No idea if this is the case. There could be something in the air around here which is causing an allergic reaction but he has no itchiness – nothing. I moved home and there is a lot of foliage around here. I am clutching at straws.
I’ll leave it there for the time being. I feel helpless.
These situations are always hardest on us. It’s very possible that his mouth and throat are sore even if little inflammation is seen. Sometimes, with viruses like Herpes, there are miniscule blisters just below the surface and, usually, in the roof of the mouth. A lot of times, some will erupt, especially when eating, and are very painful.
Did your vet prescribe something for fever and pain?
If not, I can only tell you what I would do for any one of my cats with mouth pain, stuffiness, and fever.
Aspirin (1/8 of an adult’s or 1/2 of a child’s)
Continue with moist steam (a vaporizer, hot steam only, is better and safer than a saucepan of water and he can be with you in your room). Add a dollop of mentholatum to the water.
Tepid chicken broth, either canned without any additives or boil some parts, drain off excess fat, and spoon feed or syringe feed.
Now, for you Michael…
A small glass of port.
Thanks Ruth. It makes me feel better. It really does.
Thanks a lot DW. I needed some support because emotionally it hurts to see him so ill.
I am like you. I hate it when my cats are sick. I can hardly live normally. It eats away at me.
I hope he gets better soon, I know what you are going through, it’s very frustrating repeatedly going to the Vet and not getting a straight answer as to what the problem is. His remaining teeth are o.k? An infected bad tooth could cause such problems.
I wish all the best for Charlie and you, hope this treatment will help him starting eating something and improve his health and immunity 🙁 I am still in stress 🙁 can’t even hear cats are sick 🙁 God help you both <3