Alfie - cat with infected claw, now not eating. Vet not too worried...?

[HUrricaneHayles]

Hey all.

I am new to this forum but regularly use another cat forum so part of this is cross posted. Apologies if this is against any rules - I just want as much input as possible right now :sad:

Alfie is my middle cat - nearly 2 years old, normally fit and healthy and *slightly* on the chubby side.

We relocated from the Uk to Canada about three months ago and as such out oldest two had their airline carriers still until we could replace them with more practical ones. They were wooden with wire fronts. My middle kitty was running around playing with my youngest when he must have scrambled on top of one of these, cataching his back claws in the wire and totally ripping off/removing one of his claws There is NOTHING covering it and the bone is exposed.

One vet trip told us that he was ok, didn't look infected but to wash it with chlorhexadine to keep it clean and bring him back if any changes. Two days passed and his appetite decreased dramatically and the foot was a little smelly so I took him back (this was yesterday). He now has antibiotics and was given a dose of anti-inflammatories at the vets, despite being told he had probably had two bites of wet food over 12 hours ago. I know that humans shouldn't take NSAID's without food so I wasn't overly suprised that he vomited later that night and there were two distinct spots of blood.

A phone call to the vets for advice this morning and seems they are not too concerned. I only spoke to the person who answered the phone however as no vets were in today it seems. She said I should wait until Monday and if he hadn't eaten then bring him back. Today is day three of not eating much if anything at all. Small mercy is that he seems to be drinking still and has used the litter box to pee.

So far I have tried to tempt him with include plain Evo, Almo Nature (various varieties), his fave dry food, white fish, boiled chicken, plain baby food on a plate, plain boiled rice, scrambled egg, Evo and baby food mixed on plate, yoghurt and small amount of peanut butter.

I tried to put some of the baby food/Evo combo on his fur in the hopes he would lick it off. He did a little but he seems to have stopped now. I am guessing he is too tired to care his fur is a mess now.

I am due to give him another dose of anti-inflammatory but I am really not 100% happy to do so at this stage. I don't want to make him feel worse or make him vomit again, or give him an irritated stomach or all three!

Any help or advice right now would be appreciated. I am probably going to try and ring the emergency vets for advice too before I go to bed. I have been fortunate enough that nothing has ever happened until now so I am clutching at straws right now.

Thanks

Hayley and the furbabies
Dylan, Alfie and Louie

[sugarcatmom]

It is absolutely ludicrous that a vet clinic wouldn't think it's a big deal if a cat doesn't eat for several days. I would be taking Alfie to an emergency clinic, and then finding a new vet after that.

What is the NSAID and what type of antibiotics? Cats are actually notorious for losing their appetite when on antibiotics, so this could be part of the problem. And yes, it's very serious when a cat doesn't eat, especially so if the cat is overweight. Hepatic lipidosis can develop very quickly. As well, a vicious circle is set in motion where a cat feels sick so it doesn't eat, but then the not eating causes it to feel worse, perpetuating the anorexia. You can break the cycle with appetite stimulants or force feeding (which tends to be very unpleasant for both parties) but you must go to the vet, if not tonight then tomorrow morning.

Good luck!

[HUrricaneHayles]

He is on Amoxicillin antibiotic wise and the anti inflammatory is Metacam...

Worst part is my partner thinks I am over reacting I am going to get some food into him tonight via syringe if I can (as long as my face remains in tact it will probably be vets in the morning...

The advice given to me this morning was NOT my vet, as I said the receptionist/vet nurse said no one was in and wouldn't be in at all today. When I saw my vet yesterday she seemed confident he'd eat once antibiotics got into his system etc. I should have thought to ask what to do if he didn't start up eating again when I was there

[kathryn]

Someone else will probably beat me too it, but metacam is notorious for gastrointestinal upsets in cats. I personally don't think it's some horrible medication, but I also don't think it's some amazing miracle working medication either. I'd never give it to any of my cats more then the one time post-op injection (which Timmy had).. but if you are using the oral dropper kind it's fairly common for it to upset cats stomachs.

Amoxicillin is a very safe drug... it's used in many species and rarely has any major side effects. It works well too. It's a main ingredient in Clavamox which is safely used in cats and dogs all the time.

Addressing the nail issue, I totally know what you are describing. I see it every once in a while with feral cats. The cat either is a big tom cat and had been fighting and lost a nail, or i've seen before where the cat attempted to escape from the humane trap and lost a nail.

It is very prone to infection. It's like loosing your own toenail, but you walk around barefoot all day and poop in a big sandbox (where you have to walk in it). If this were a cat I was helping the vet examine, I'd imagine the vet would either use some surgical glue to seal it shut or put a stitch or two in there to help it heal.

For the ones I see I try my best to clean it up with peroxide and will put some antibiotic cream on it. being they are pretty much always feral cats there isn't too much more we can do then fix it up as best we can for now.

I'd suggest a second opinion. Cats not eating is a BIG deal. They can get really sick really fast. I wouldn't say get in your car and rush to the nearest emergency vet and pay an arm and a leg, but get on the phone ASAP and start calling around. If you search online for vets near you, you can often find reviews and websites so you can check them out before you make an appointment.

Good luck with your kitty. I hope you can find a vet that will address this a bit more seriously. It's not really a life threatening situation, but I mean jeeze that must be so uncomfortable for the kitty not just the toe but not eating... your vet really should have been a bit more concerned.

[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by HUrricaneHayles

He is on Amoxicillin antibiotic wise and the anti inflammatory is Metacam...

Ugh. Metacam is not a great choice and is technically not approved for oral use in cats. Not that off-label use of drugs isn't common or useful, but in this case it puts cats at risk of kidney failure. For pain, better options are buprenex or a Fentanyl pain patch.

Amoxicillin can definitely cause nausea and anorexia in some cats. I wouldn't give Alfie anymore until you can get to a vet.

Originally Posted by HUrricaneHayles

The advice given to me this morning was NOT my vet, as I said the receptionist/vet nurse said no one was in and wouldn't be in at all today.

Yup, I saw that (which is why I said "vet clinic"), but the front staff should more informed on these issues. Cats with anorexia are a serious situation!!! She should have referred you to another vet or an emergency clinic, instead of saying you could wait until Monday.

Originally Posted by HUrricaneHayles

When I saw my vet yesterday she seemed confident he'd eat once antibiotics got into his system etc.

But she also should have known that Amoxi can cause digestive issues and warned you of that.

[HUrricaneHayles]

I don't suppose either you of have any reccommendations as to who I should contact vet wise for a second opinion? I am currently in Montreal. I am also guessing there is not a hope in hell of any vets being open until Mon other than a 24 hr emergency clinic somewhere?

[diandpat]

Where exactly in Montreal are you HH? There is a vet here in Pierrefonds that is open on Sundays until 4. Let me know where you are and I will post more info.

There is a 24hr emergency vet in Dorval (DMV) which is a bit expensive but they are very good.

This must be very unnerving for you. I hope you can get your sweety in tomorrow and get him eating something...anything.

[HUrricaneHayles]

I am on the most north eastern edge of the plateau! I would travel anywhere though to be honest. I don't have a car but I am hoping I could call on a friend for help if need be...

Have just managed to syringe approx 10mls of a Evo/water/babyfood combo into him. Poor thing was not amused. Going for another 10 ml in a few moments...

Here is a pic of ma wee man, Alfie, on a better day

[sugarcatmom]

Oh my gosh, Alfie is adorable! Love his big eyes.

Here is some info on assisted feeding and anorexia in cats that might help:
http://www.assistfeed.com/FelineAnorexia.htm
http://www.felinecrf.org/persuading_cat_to_eat.htm

Let us know how he does.

[luckypenny]

As diandpat mentioned, DMV is the only 24 hour vet hospital on the island of Montreal.

2300 54th Avenue, Lachine
514-633-8888

http://www.centredmv.com/index_en.aspx

There is also a vet hospital that specializes in cats and, if I'm not mistaken, in the Plateau as well. I'll see if I can find the info for you.

[luckypenny]

Here we go:

Clinique Veterinaire Feline
4102 Saint-Denis street (near Mont-Royal metro station)
514-284-3178
http://www.cliniqueveterinairefeline.../index-en.html

And...

Chats Décarie
4180 Decarie Boulevard (near Villa Maria Metro in NDG)
514-484-3233
http://www.chatsdecarie.ca/

[diandpat]

OMG HH I am so sorry...I had an "incident" with the cats and then dogs wanted to get to bed etc etc and I never got back on Hope you made it through the night without incident

Pierrefonds Animal Hospital
16628 boulevard Pierrefonds, Sainte-Genevieve, QC H9H 1H1, Canada
(514) 626-9890‎

This is the clinic that takes appts until 4 on Sundays. Great that LP knew of some MUCH closer to you and hopefully you are already there

All the best with Alfie...please keep us posted. Once again, sorry I went MIA...been really busy around here lately

[HUrricaneHayles]

Originally Posted by luckypenny

Here we go:

Clinique Veterinaire Feline
4102 Saint-Denis street (near Mont-Royal metro station)
514-284-3178
http://www.cliniqueveterinairefeline.../index-en.html

And...

Chats Décarie
4180 Decarie Boulevard (near Villa Maria Metro in NDG)
514-484-3233
http://www.chatsdecarie.ca/

Unfortunately I have used the first one and was seriously not impressed...

Alfie laid next to me in bed pretty much all of last night. If he did leave my side it was very briefly. I am going to give a call to the DMV now and seek advice.

[HUrricaneHayles]

Not surprisingly, they agree he should be seen. Thanks everyone for your help - I am off to call a couple of friends to see if they can give me a ride to the hospital.

[Love4himies]

I hope you got some answers at the vet today

Alfie has the most adorable eyes , what a handsome boy he is.

[hazelrunpack]

I hope you got some good news for Alfie today, HUrricaneHayles!

[rainbow]

Good luck for Alfie at the vet today.

[HUrricaneHayles]

Evening all.

Not an awful lot happened actually at the vets... They did give him an antibiotic shot so he can stop taking the pills which are probably making him nauseated and we got some a/d food. He ate some of that earlier. Not enough, but it's more than he's probably eaten in last four days.

The vet wanted him to try without pills and with a/d for 24 hours before giving him an appetite stimulant so syringing may be required later or tomorrow morning (depending what he does in next couple of hours before bed). "Normal" vets tomorrow if no great improvement. I really hope my workplace stays patient and doesn't sack me!! lol

There was mention of a full work up etc but of course, in DMV on a Sunday that would be mega bucks. On a slight side note, insurance for all three of my kitties is needed! We had it in the UK but what with not being here long, we've not had chance to figure out the workings of Canadian pet insurance so reccommendations would be greatly appreciated to avoid cost implications in future...

They mentioned Alfie has a slight heart murmur too today (audible when his heart rate is up apparently) My last vet never mentioned this or never picked up on it so that took me back a little. That maes 2 out of three of my kitties with a low grade murmur now.

[HUrricaneHayles]

Yesterday was spent encouraging Alfie to eat, which he did do slowly but surely over the course of the morning. Come normal feeding time, he polished off a bowl of dry food and ate some of his wet food Looks like we are over the worse!

Thank you everyone so much for all of your help Hopefully next time you see me, it will be on happier terms

[sugarcatmom]

So glad to hear that Alfie's appetite is picking up! Hopefully his claw heals quickly and all everything gets back to normal. My kitty ripped a claw off on 2 separate occasions but I was lucky in that they didn't get infected and he didn't need antibiotics.