another holiday, another sick fur baby

[bmccasland]

So it's another holiday approaching, and one of the furry beasts is sick. What's up with this continuing holiday tradition? This time it's Nala, my 14 yr old Aussie Shepherd. (Branwen and Erin both died around the holidays, last year and the year before). The tiny piece of vagina left after being spayed 13 or so yrs ago is now the host of a very nasty infection. Hopefully the antibiotic will do it's thing, and hopefully it won't upset her stomach too much. And since the Vet told me that she's taking human grade, human dosage, too bad I can't buy it with MY health insurance. So Nala gets pilled twice a day for two weeks.

Meanwhile, Bonnie the cat with hyperthyroid disease had her T4 levels checked, and they're OK, but she continues to drop weight. Dr. R isn't sure if it's a downward trend, or just a fluke. He wants her back for another weigh-in in a couple of months. If she wasn't a long haired cat, she'd look really bad. Pretty much skin and bones. (Bonnie is now on my lap) Tuna, did any one say tuna? We like tuna, feed me tuna!
I did try her on kitten food, but she didn't like it, prefers Herald's diet cat food. Silly skinny cat doesn't need DIET food!

Happy beginning of Thanksgiving. Two fur babies on meds 2x per day. oh happy day.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

If she wasn't a long haired cat, she'd look really bad. Pretty much skin and bones. (Bonnie is now on my lap) Tuna, did any one say tuna? We like tuna, feed me tuna!
I did try her on kitten food, but she didn't like it, prefers Herald's diet cat food. Silly skinny cat doesn't need DIET food!

Try buying a can of human-grade jack mackerel fish (next to the canned salmon in the supermarket). It's like tuna but has more fat, liquid, and calcium, and fish skin, etc....all high calorie compared to tuna. My sick cats loved it, and still do now that they are healthy. I give them all one daily meal of mackerel mashed up with 1/2 organic cat food (with no wheat products in it). I add a bit of water too and mash it up like a liquidy paste and they lap it up. Your skeletal kitty needs the fish fat and the liquids.
If she likes tuna, she might like this.

[pardes]

Two fur babies on meds 2x per day. oh happy day.

Oh dear. Sick furbabies is a terrible situation. I'm a great nurse to sick humans and all business and comfort about it but when it comes to my furbabies, I go all weak-kneed and gushy (which they love).

Magdalene is a drama Queen and considers a hangnail a fatal illness. And when she's really sick all she wants is to be wrapped in a blanket next to me on the bed. Come to think of it, so do I.

[redrhodie]

Oh, poor babies. I have a sick one, too. It's so hard to know they're in pain, not know what it is, or if any of the treatments are helping or making things worse. I go to the vet so much these days I feel like I should be spending Thanksgiving at her house.

I hope everyone feels better soon!

[Blueberry]

((((Beth)))))

We lost a couple just before Easter 2 years apart. And another just a few weeks ago. It sucks

Here's hoping the antibiotics take care of the infection, and the kitty develops an appetite. Mine have also liked canned salmon in the past - just an idea

CA

[badger]

whenever I had to put my dog on antibiotics, I gave him probiotic pills. His last infection (UTI) was really tough on him, he barely ate anything so even getting the probiotic pill in him was hard (not to mention the antibiotic!).

If you go that route, make sure you give him the pill several hours before or after feeding.

Hope he gets better soon!!

[OakLeaf]

(((((Beth & Nala)))))

Hoping she starts feeling better very soon.

Our worst Thanksgiving ever was the one when we knew we were going to have to call the vet when her office reopened the following Monday, and make The Appointment for our Measle. It's so tough around the holidays.

[Eden]

Our sick and skinny cats at the shelter usually cannot resist eating Tiki Cat... If you can find it locally (it tends to be carried at more boutique stores), it might be worth it. It's high protein, most flavors are grain free (a few have rice??) and most flavors are quite fishily appealing to cats.

[Flur]

+1 for Tiki Cat. My finicky kitty loves it!

I hope your furries feel better soon.

[aka_kim]

Tell those fur babies this isn't a tradition you want to maintain!

A few years ago two of my kitties got sick at almost the same time. One needed twice daily insulin injections, the other twice daily subcutaneous fluids. It felt like all I did for months was stick a needle in someone.

Tuna, human baby food and Hill's A/D worked for me in the past. Hang in there, hope everyone's well soon.

[smilingcat]

I'm sorry to hear of your fur babies being sick.

For the kitty, you may want to warm the food just a bit so it has stronger smell. If the cat smells the food, the cat will more likely to eat. If it can't smell or doesn't smell the food, then its less appealing to them and less likely to eat. Sometimes, we heat up Gerber baby food. 10-15 second in microwave just warm to the touch. Purried chicken then turkey.

Healing thoughts for your furbabies.
Smilingcat

[Pax]

Poor little furbabies, here's hoping they're all better asap!

[NoNo]

Oh, that's so hard to read. I can't imagine my little baby being sick and not knowing how to help. Big hugs and I hope they bounce back quickly!

[bmccasland]

Thanks for the good juju. I'll look for people grade Mackerel, or Tiki food. I've tried Bonnie on some organic foods - can't think of their names at the moment - but we're back to Science Diet, cause she'll at least eat that.

Now if I can get her to eat, but not so much her brother and sister (Herald and Calypso), who have weight issues.

Back to the grocery store, hmmm, I'm passing Whole Foods while running errands this afternoon....

[andtckrtoo]

Jimmy the Aussie sends licks and wiggles to Nala and Bonnie. It's so hard when our furbabies are sick!!

I have a sick American Eskimo, Kimo who has Cushings and Diabetes and a huge liver tumor that is pressing on her nerves and she can barely walk. But she's a fighter. The vet prescribed Science Diet RD, but I looked at the ingredients and say no way. I now make her home cooked food (she can't digest raw). There are many cooked and raw food diets on the net - maybe Bonnie would like one of those.