I was shocked to see my cat start vomiting on Friday. I discovered I had lain down on top of his vomit after I had gotten back from paying a few bills and getting roach traps and an outlet strip from the local Home Depot.
I had given little if any thought until I discovered Garfield was still vomiting, not holding down anything at all.
Then on Sunday he was ejecting clear vomit...
Labour Day. Monday. I was worried sick, not knowing what exactly to do. I started running searches on Google, AllTheWeb, and Ask.com, wondering why Garfield wasn't holding down anything.
I had read in some of my searches that he might have had renal damage or intestinal problems...or maybe that I might have given him my chest cold...Either way he was not feeling well...
Today I got back from the local Atwoods farm supply store after finding some electrolytes for animals. I had not given it much thought for quite a while until I had given him about two-thirds of the first batch, roughly 160cc ...that I had underestimated the amount of electrolytes needed for each batch.
At least the vomiting had stopped but I was worried about Garfield not having used the litter box for that time. I had learnt that his nose had been warm and dry; my mother, who has raised cats for a number of years, identified that as a sign of a cold...and unfortunately humans can transmit colds to their cats...not to mention that they can tolerate some dehydration but need to be monitored.
I finally gave him about 36cc of the correct dose, and though he puts up a fight at his, well, feedings, he is pretty lethargic, moving about very slowly, with loose skin on his back...which may be a fortunate sign. I am hoping for a miracle...maybe because even with the colds I have had in the past I have not experienced anything like this with Garfield.
Now he is laying where his food dish normally would be. Now I am toying with whether to reintroduce solid food tomorrow or Thursday or even Friday, and I know I may have to switch to a higher-priced cat food as a result. But right now I am leaning more toward NeoSure or even baby food --- one veterinarian's receptionist whom I consulted advised me to try baby food. Right now I am focusing on getting him properly rehydrated and keeping him somewhat nourished, as I have also taken to spraying vitamins into his mouth throughout the day and night.
I guess it is safe to say that sometimes our most innocent companions are prone to illnesses we may not have control over...and maybe I should not have waited 10 years to discover this. But then again Garfield has been a very good companion during the past 10 years, and you could say that he has been a great pet. I guess I am just scared about what is happening...
Any advice anyone can provide I would greatly appreciate...Thank you...
