Still more problems!

Question
Hi Jessica,
It's been long since I last wrote to you. I guess I didn't have any problems with Caramel (how selfish!). How are you doing? I'm so glad I have someone who can solve my problems for me.

One thing I noted was that she seems to be making some kind of sniffing sounds. Sounds like we make when we have a cold and we don't blow our nose. Is this normal? Our vet went for a holiday and our neighbors shifted so it's going to be hard for us to pay for checkups, but we'll try. I tried to clean her with a damp cloth like you said, but she still stinks. So I put a few drops of Johnson's baby shampoo on a damp cloth and cleaned her with it and used a damp cloth to rinse her. She didn't let me do it for long and she ran away. So I couldn't really clean her off and the odor's still there. Should I force her into the bathroom and pour water on her incase there's any shampoo left. Is it dangerous if she licks it, I mean this shampoo must be really mild as it's designed especially for babies?

Another thing I found was that her eyes are watering unusually. What should I do until the vet returns, which may also be a few months? Is it necessary to take her to another vet? I stopped giving her cow's milk and she hasn't puked since (thanks God, and to you too!) Caramel doesn't drink a lot of water, should I force her? She's begun eating a lot of food, is that ok?

Finally, I'd like to praise you for your work and great support! Thanks.  

Answer
Hi Huda.  I'm really concerned about your kitty, now.  All of the foul-smelling discharge your cat is experiencing isn't normal.  It could be the result of a life-threatening infection of the uterus called pyometra.  With pyometra, the uterus becomes filled with pus.  Some of this pus may leak from the uterus and come out as a discharge, which is usually brown in color and has a bad smell.  Pyometra often kills the unborn kittens AND the mother.  It needs to be treated right away with antibiotics.  Sometimes, the infection has gone too far, and the cat must be spayed, ending the pregnancy, to save her life.  If the kittens are far enough along, they may survive, but this isn't very likely.   Many times, the kittens have already died from the infection.

The discharge may also signal other things, such as dead kittens, which may also kill her, or a vaginal infection.  In any case, a vet needs to see her right away.  You can't wait until your other vet returns.  All of these situations require immediately attention, or else your cat may die.

Johnson's baby shampoo is non-toxic, so you don't have to worry about getting every single bit of it off.  Just do your best to get the majority of it off.  I still wouldn't recommend to stress her out with a full bath.

As far as her sniffling and watery eyes, it sounds like she has an upper respiratory infection (similar to the human cold).  Again, a vet needs to treat her.  These are extremely contagious, and her kittens can catch it as soon as they are born.  And they usually die if that's the case.  They have trouble breathing, can't smell, and usually refuse to eat because of it.

Eating more is normal for a pregnant cat.  You should give her as much as she wants to eat.  If she's eating wet food, you won't notice her drinking too much.  They get about 80% of their water from wet food.  If she's eating dry food, you might not notice her drinking, but there should definitely be some water missing from the bowl each time you fill it.  If not, she could become dehydrated.  

A good way to tell if she's getting enough water is to gently lift the skin between her shoulders.  If she's drinking enough, the skin will return to its normal position immediately after you release it.  If she's dehydrated, then the skin will return slowly or will stay tented.  This requires immediate vet attention.  Dehydration leads to complications quickly, which can also cause death.  

If your cat is dehydrated already, then forcing water probably won't be enough to fix things.  She will most likely need to have a special solution of fluids, called a Lactated Ringers solution, put under her skin with a needle.  This will help hydrate her and balance certain nutrients and sugars the dehydration usually throws off balance.

Best of luck!

Jessica