I am about at my wits end and I am wondering if anyone has ever had this problem. I need help and I need it right away.
Sugar Baibee (Persian - Longhaired Exotic - born 6-9-04) had an upper respiration infection when it was 7 weeks old and he has had ongoing visits to the Vet to clear up infections in his ears and for conjunctivitis and other respiratory problems ever since. He has been on antibiotics many times and has just recently finished 2 rounds to clear up an infection in his ear. It was the left ear this time and it followed an infection in his right ear. The cat has trouble breathing and you can hear him at night making a snoring like noise while he tries to breathe. Since he was a small kitten, he has had to sleep with his head propped up on something to sleep well. I have heard him have coughing spells (often at night) but those don’t happen too often. He doesn’t sneeze often either. His eyes water much of the time. It took a long time to clear up the first infection when he was small and the vet thinks it may have done some permanent damage since he was so young.
He had been taking twice daily antihistamine for several months. I stopped the antihistamine several days ago thinking that might be part of the problem. He was checked by the vet this past Thursday and the antibiotic was stopped. The vet called today and he doesn’t know what to do now. He is researching the problem but can't find anything. He said that I might find an answer from other Persian owners or someone who had been through this problem also. That is why I am here.
By being patient and coaxing a lot, I have him eating (he had stopped completely) reasonably well right now. All this is to say that now he will not drink water and we think it is due to his fear of possibly strangling when drinking with a stopped up nose. He stopped drinking much of anything a few weeks ago while on his first round of the latest antibiotics but would drink a little chicken broth when it was offered to him. He won’t even do that now. He isn’t dehydrated yet but he will be soon if we don’t get more fluids down him. He was having constipation problems due to the lack of fluids and I started giving him a mixture of yogurt, rich conjealed chicken broth and/or Benefiber or canned pumpkin by syringe. That wouldn’t amount to enough liquid per day though as he only actually gets about 8 CCs by the time he gets it everywhere. I am also giving him NutriCal Vitamins, Benabac, (healthy bacteria) and Iams adult chicken flavored cat food. I am treating his ears daily with Mal Acetic otic prescription.
My last Persian cat went thru the same thing (upper respiratory infection when he was 6 years old and due to his not drinking I had to give him chicken broth by mouth from a syringe for 5 years. We have been told that once you start you won’t be able to stop. We hate to start this cat on the syringe but he is not going to remain healthy long if he doesn’t get more fluids. I am afraid it will cause kidney disease pretty soon if something can't be done to get him drinking on his own again..
I got my first Persian cat in 1957. I had cats at home when I was growing up also. I have had Persian cats ever since 1957 so it is not like I am new at this game. This cat and the last one were the only two cats (both Persians) that showed this problem so it is also not like I am crazy and do not understand cats. It is also not like I don't not know the difference in a cat that will drink water and one that will not drink water. I watch him constantly. In fact he sleeps more than I do.
This is more than you probably ever wanted to know about this subject, however, we are faced with finding a solution or going back to years and years of giving a cat liquid by syringe. We have already played that game and would like to avoid it again if at all possible. It will have to be started very soon if someone can’t help us find a solution.
He has had a water fountain ever since I got him and he loved it. He was always a hearty drinker and fountain "watcher". I also now have very shallow containers placed at random in case he is afraid to drink deeper water. I watch him like a hawk and he isn't drinking from any of the places. I have tried a rabbit bottle filled with the cat pet "milk" from the pet store. I rubbed his vitamins that he loves on the tip to get him to drink. He lapped it a little at first, more to get the vitamins, but he is not interested now. The small bottle let out the liquid too slowly and the next size frightened him by letting it out too rapidly.
Someone please help me! I don't know what to do at this point and where to turn for answers.
