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  #1  
Old February 11th, 2014, 10:28 PM
Berndiggitydog Berndiggitydog is offline
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Male kitty help!

Hi! I am new to this forum. Thank you for having me!

I just had my one year old cat neutered and he has been very lethargic for almost a week now. He is drinking and eating very minimally and his tail is constantly twitching. I took him in to the clinic where he was neutered and they told me to give him antibiotics orally two times daily and if his appetite does not improve I need to take him to an emergency veterinarian.

Has anyone had a similar experience with their male cats post-surgery?

Any help is graciously accepted.

THANK YOU!

B and Apricot, the kitty
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Old February 12th, 2014, 08:34 AM
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sugarcatmom sugarcatmom is offline
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Was he vaccinated at the same time as the neuter?

What foods have you tried giving him (ie anything like tuna or salmon, stinky canned food such as Fancy Feast, etc)? Will he eat treats like Temptations?

What antibiotics did the vet prescribe? Unfortunately many antibiotics will cause digestive upset in cats, so I'm not sure giving them on an empty stomach is the best idea if he's already inappetant.
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Old February 12th, 2014, 12:00 PM
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marko marko is offline
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SCM as usual has great advice.

I also have 2 cats that get sick fairly regularly - and sometimes they are less active (and eat way less) when they are on antibiotics.

So it could indeed be the antibiotics - but if you are really concerned you should call back the original vet and ask what complications would warrant a trip to the emergency E.R.

At least that way you'll be better informed and if you post specifics here in this thread, hopefully others can help you further.

Good luck!
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  #4  
Old February 12th, 2014, 02:04 PM
Berndiggitydog Berndiggitydog is offline
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Thank you for replying to my post!

Yes, Apricot received two vaccines, Rabies and FVRCP vaccinations at the same time as the neutering...as well as a microchip.

He will not eat stinky wet foods like Friskies or even canned tuna. He just likes the broth/liquid gravy that Fancy Feast dinners are stored in. He will not chew any foods, only liquids. The vet prescribed him Clavamox twice daily orally and provided me with a large syringe for a food slurry with which I have been feeding him baby food (chicken flavor, all natural, no other ingredients but chicken and broth).

My new concern is that he seems weak in the chest. When i pick him up predominately by his chest, he squeaks! His breathing is audible and has not meowed for days...which is quite unusual!!

Today he seems just as lethargic, despite receiving fluids and two doses of antibiotics since the vet visit. He has eaten more today than he has for the past six days since surgery, so perhaps this is a good sign!?

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!!!!!!!!!
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Old February 12th, 2014, 03:04 PM
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sugarcatmom sugarcatmom is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Berndiggitydog View Post
Yes, Apricot received two vaccines, Rabies and FVRCP vaccinations at the same time as the neutering...
I think that's most likely the source of the problem. Vaccines can take quite a toll on a cat while their immune system kicks in to make antibodies. Preferably, multiple vaccines aren't given at the same time (that especially applies to the rabies vax), and also not administered while kitty undergoes a surgical procedure. I realize that isn't always possible, but that might be something to keep in mind for the future, given Apricot's reaction. I have a feral cat that was recently spayed and concurrently received the FVRCP vaccine (because there was no way I'd be able to get her to the vet on 2 separate occasions), and it hit her really hard. She completely stopped eating for 3 days, and it was about 10 days before her appetite came back enough that I wasn't worried anymore.

Glad to hear that Apricot is eating a bit more! Hopefully he keeps it up.
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Old February 13th, 2014, 12:23 PM
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RUSTYcat RUSTYcat is offline
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Hi Berndiggitydog - welcome to the forum !

Quote:
Originally Posted by Berndiggitydog View Post
...The vet...provided me with a large syringe for a food slurry with which I have been feeding him baby food...

My new concern is that he seems weak in the chest. When i pick him up predominately by his chest, he squeaks! His breathing is audible,,,

Today he seems just as lethargic...
Has he "choked" - coughed - at any time during these syringe feedings?

There's always a danger of this happening when assist-feeding cats....there's usually some resistance to the procedure, and it's very easy for the cat to "aspirate" - breathe in - the liquid food.

IF THAT HAS HAPPENED I'd urge you to get him back to the Vet ASAP.

Cats who aspirate like this are in danger of developing a usually fatal type of pneumonia - "Aspiration Pneumonia". Some cats recover, but, unfortunately, many do not.

When "assist-feeding" with a syringe, NEVER, EVER squirt the food straight down the cat's throat! (nor, should any kind of liquid ever be given like that). Use the syringe to insert just a few small drops of food into the SIDE POCKET of the cat's mouth, allow the cat to swallow, then repeat at slow intervals.
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