Sick Cat :-(

Question
I have taken my cat to her vet, but they can't quite figure out what's wrong with her. So, i thought I'd ask someone else...

My cat does roam outside, but normally not long periods of time. She got out for four days, with on and off rain. She came home with all the symptoms of an upper respiratory infection. And now she is backed up and cannot have a bowel movement. My vet ran all the tests possible and the tests show she is completely healthy, when she is obviously not. Her kidney enzymes were slightly raised. She is not eating or drinking much. Is there anything i can do to help her? And could this be a bigger sickness?

Answer
Brittany,

I'd like to start off by saying that I'm not a veterinarian, this means that I can't provide you with a diagnosis or treatment recommendations. I'm somewhat concerned that your kitty isn't eating or drinking normally. I'm quite concerned about the fact that this kitty's kidney values are elevated, even if it is only slightly. In my opinion these issues are reason enough to suspect that something more serious is going on and I really think that it would be in your cat's best interests if you sought a second opinion. I'm not sure if your veterinarian gave your kitty sub-cutaneous fluids before she went home after her lab results came in showing increased kidney values. I do think that it would have been good for your vet to analyze your kitty's urine and send a sample off to a lab for a urine culture to determine whether or not there's any type of infection in the cat's bladder or urinary tract. This kitty's elevated kidney values are a concern, in my opinion it's best if you can find a vet willing to get to the bottom of what's happening with her and treat things before they have a chance to turn into very serious health problems. If your kitty does indeed have an upper respiratory infection that may be contributing to her lack of appetite - if cats can't smell their food they won't eat it. If your kitty has nasal discharge I'd recommend using cotton balls slightly moistened with warm water to clean any crusty or wet discharge away.

There could be a number of reasons for your cat's current condition, my guess would be that she's been stressed out by her 4 day adventure outside. She may be constipated because she prefers to relieve herself in the litter box rather than outdoors. You can remedy this by providing your kitty with something that should help move things along. There are several choices for helping your kitty have a bowel movement, you may want to try giving your kitty a tablespoon of pure canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) twice daily until she poops. Some cats don't like pumpkin so I have a few other options. Most cats are lactose intolerant by the time they reach 3 months of age, once a cat is lactose intolerant s/he will often develop diarrhea after ingesting dairy products, this works in your favor when your cat is constipated because some milk may help to soften up her stool enough that she can use the toilet. I'd say that a couple of tablespoons of milk twice daily should get things moving. You may want to try commercially available hardball remedies, they often contain petroleum jelly which helps to lubricate the furballs (and hard stool in a constipated kitty) so that they can pass through the cat'S system with a minimum amount of trouble. If your cat isn't fond of furball remedy you can try getting her to lick plain, unscented petroleum jelly off of your finger, about a teaspoon once daily should do the trick. It'S quite possible that your little girl'S digestive enzymes were thrown out of balance during the time she disappeared so some plain organic yogurt may help to repopulate the cat's gut with beneficial bacteria which could end the constipation. You could speak with your vet to find out whether it's appropriate to give your kitty a cat sized dose of an infant glycerin suppository and if so how frequently this should be given. Sometimes feeding a cat a can of low quality commercially produced cat food will help to soften up the cat's stool and make it easier for her to defecate.

Sometimes babying a cat is necessary to get him/her to eat. It's very concerning that a kitty with signs of an upper respiratory infection, elevated kidney values and a lack of appetite hasn't been admitted to hospital for observation, maybe even IV fluids since there's so much happening all at once. At this point the important thing is to get your cat eating, something, anything that she'll eat - you can change her diet slowly once she's eating enough to stay healthy. You can try different high quality canned foods such as Wellness or Spot's Stew by Halo, meat/broth baby foods (no onions, they can cause problems for cats), tuna, salmon, cooked or raw chicken breast. The longer that your cat goes without eating the more serious her condition can become. I really do think that a second opinion is in order ASAP just to be sure that nothing'S being overlooked. You know your cat best and if you feel that something'S seriously wrong then you need to be persistent until your concerns are taken seriously. If it comes down to it you can force feed your kitty by syringe, a veterinarian can provide you with information about force feeding your kitty properly if you need it, I can also provide information, but I'm limited as to what I can provide on this site since I can't use photos to give you step by step instructions. I'm wondering if you've considered seeking a second opinion provided by a holistic veterinarian, this is a person who is a licensed veterinarian who is trained in one or more alternative therapies which may include homeopathy, massage, herbal medicine or acupuncture. My family vet is a holistic vet and she uses homeopathy instead of or in addition to conventional medical treatments. I've seen some pretty impressive things happen when cats are given the right remedy at the right time.