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You need to know what
side-effects to expect and whether you can cope
with them - some medications cause diarrhea or
behavioral changes. In some cases, side-effects
outweigh the benefits of treatment. Sometimes, the
economics of the situation will be a major factor.
Don't feel guilty just because you couldn't afford
a particular treatment. You have no guarantee that
the treatment would have worked in the case of
your cat. The important thing, from your cat's
point of view, is that you provide it with a good
home and good care during its lifetime and that
you do not let it suffer or allow it to lose its
quality of life.
You cat needs plenty of water and he loses
almost as much fluid in his saliva when grooming,
as he does through urination. He can become
dehydrated due to frequent urination, diarrhea or
vomiting. Watch for frequent drinking, dry nose,
mouth or eyes and lethargy. Do a pinch test. Lift
(tent) the skin off your cat's back and pinch it.
It should be elastic and bounce back in a second
or two; if not, he is probably dehydrated. Your
vet will determine the cause of the dehydration
and treat any illness. If your cat is seriously
dehydrated, your vet may administer fluids
intravenously, subcutaneously (under the skin) at
the scruff of the neck or peritoneally (into the
abdomen). If your cat isn't drinking voluntarily,
you may have to give him water by dropper or
syringe, but don't squirt in too much as he may
choke or water may end up in his lungs.
Your cat must eat when he is sick, but may lose
his appetite (anorexia) because of a blocked nose.
Cats rely heavily on their sense of smell to
trigger their appetite. He can be tempted with
special treats such as grilled chicken or poached
fish. Use strong-smelling food or warm up canned
food to body temperature to make it more tempting
or hand feed him (he cannot see morsels right
under his nose; if he cannot smell them, he
doesn't know they are there). If all else fails he
can be syringe fed with liquid food until it he
eats of his own accord. Cats can suffer liver
damage from not eating for 2 or 3 days so it is
important to get food into him to prevent this
from happening.
You could puree some cat food or make a meat
broth and carefully syringe feed your cat if it
refuses all food. Vets and pet stores may stock
liquid cat food - in the UK a canned liquid food
for convalescent cats (Liquivite) is available
from larger pet stores. Your vet may prescribe a
drug to jumpstart the appetite, e.g. Valium, and
investigate the reason for appetite loss. If all
else fails and the cat can expect a good quality
and reasonable length of life once recovered, your
vet may insert a tube into the cat's stomach for
feeding. In cases where the mouth or esophagus are
recovering from serious injury, this may be the
only option. The tube is held in place with a
bandage and a highly nutritious "glop"
is syringed directly into the stomach. If this is
because of mouth problems (e.g. a seriously broken
jaw), you may have to continue this treatment at
home.
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