I have a male cat of about sixteen years of age. For that past few days, as far as I can tell he hasn't eaten very much at all and I cant remember him drinking either. He is constantly licking his lips and occasionaly heaves and meows with what I assume to be discomfort but nothing comes up. He has really been a house cat for the last few years mainly due to his age so shouldn't of eaten anything nasty. The only thing is he was treated with frontline flea treatment about a week ago. If petted he will purr and makes an effort to be sociable so in some ways he is himself. He has always been a thin cat and over the last twelve months become frailer on his feet. I am very worried about him and dont want him to suffer, can anyone offer any sort of (sensible) advice - I know that taking him to the vets is the best option and I would pay whatever it cost to make him comfortable but fear the stress of that would be too much for him as he is a timid creature.
2007-08-03 06:28:34 · 17 answers · asked by dave j 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
In the past he has lost a few teeth, naturaly, so toothache has crossed my mind. However I can feel around his jaw and it doesnt appear to present any sort of discomfort to him
2007-08-03 06:29:40 · update #1
At this point he really needs a vet. There is nothing else you can do in this situation. It could be kidney failure, dental disease or any number of other problems. Go today.
2007-08-03 06:33:27 · answer #1 · answered by ? 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Vet is the only option I'm afraid.
Licking lips is a sign of nausea in cats, and as you say, he has been heaving. This may be a sign of gastro intestinal upset of any kind. I'm afraid being an indoor cat doesn't save him from any of the problems that come with old age!
It won't be the Frontline - this causes excess salivation when licked, but nothing else because it doesn't have systemic action.
The best thing to do is to get to a vets asap - at this stage whatever is wrong may be treatable, or at least manageable, but the longer you leave it the less likely it is to be manageable - and the more expensive it will be!
Explain to the vets that you're not loving the idea of bringing him in, so they can make appropriate arrangements for a nervous cat. I know it isn't great bring in an old and nervous cat, but I think this would be preferable to the stress of having him get sicker and sicker I think. It may be that they can give you an idea of the problem with one visit and then advise you how to manage it at home, and at what point you might need to bring him back in again.
Chalice
Chalice
2007-08-04 10:58:00 · answer #2 · answered by Chalice 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cat Keeps Licking Lips
2016-11-12 04:13:21 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd take him to the vet despite any fears about stress. If he is not eating or drinking and is becoming frail, he's seriously ill. Licking his lips is a sign of dehydration.
Sixteen is no longer a particularly old age for a cat. I have an 18-year-old cat who is in rather good health, and at the vet clinic where I work we see many cats 16 years old and older. A 23-year-old and a 21-year-old come to us.
Your cat may be able to enjoy several more years of happy life if you take him to the vet now and find out what is going on with him now. Don't give up on him simply because he is 16.
2007-08-03 06:38:35 · answer #4 · answered by Kayty 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
First I have to echo many of the others here. Have him examined by a vet. In the mean time if you are able to carefully check the roof of his mouth for any objects that might have gotten wedged across the top of the mouth. Such would make it near impossible to eat or drink. I have had cats and dogs that have gotten a piece of bone, broom straw, twigs and other items wedged in their mouth and showed similar behavior.. As soon as the offending object was removed they went straight to their water bowl and food and made a quick recovery. If the cause is some foreign object that you can remove, I would still have the vet give him a once over to be sure he hasn't suffered any long term harm from not eating or drinking.
2007-08-07 00:23:11 · answer #5 · answered by mjhicks 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You really must take him to the vet. Have him checked. My neighbour's cat went through a very similar thing, and was not treated. She is, sadly, no longer with us.
He may be suffering from worms. You can probably buy worm treatment from your local pet store, but it is best to have an expert's opinion.
If you are worried about the stress, see how long you can stay wit hi, speak to him, praise him. You'll find that vets are usually gentle with animals and know what they are doing. Explain your concerns to the vet. I am sure they will understand your concern.
I wish you the best in getting that looked at, and hope your moggy friend recovers soon.
2007-08-06 10:06:21 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree that he needs to go to the vet IMMEDIATELY. Remember that most vets close down at noon on Saturdays. He is not going to survive over the weekend if he is not eating or drinking.
If you can get him in tomorrow at the vet's you could get some Rescue Remedy from a health foods store today and use that on him for his vet trip. You just shake the bottle well and put three to four drops on the fur between his ears. It can't harm him in any way and can help with his stress. Start using it as soon as you get it and you can use it every fifteen minutes, every hour or as much as you like. Put some on him before putting him in a carrier and take it with you to the vet's applying it when he is removed from the carrier, before he is "packed up" for his return trip and hourly when he first gets back home.
When my 22 yr old cat stopped eating she has lesions in her mouth (from her kidney failure). Your cat may have something like that which makes it painful to eat. So the vet will see that and the cat may have to have intravenous feedings to get nourishment in him. He will certainly be dehydrated and the vet will give him fluids to help with that.
If you are really worried don't hesitate to take him to an emergency vet tonight and direct them to give fluids to him and see if he has sores in his mouth. You can wait for the regular vet to do the bloodwork, urinalysis and that stuff to come up with a diagnosis and long-term treatment. It will be very expensive to have those diagnostic procedures done at the emergency vets.
And the cat needs to be seen by some vet right away as he could lose his life if he doesn't get some kind of treatment.
2007-08-03 06:48:29 · answer #7 · answered by old cat lady 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I can't give any advise because I don't know what to do, but I do hope he is alright. I agree with everyone else go to the vet as soon as, get him out of this discomfort. It will be worse aswell because he is quite old. I have a 15 year old cat. I wouldn't know what to do for the best either. Hope he gets better soon.
2007-08-03 09:31:48 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Unfortunately he needs the vet immediately, it sounds to me like kidney failure. My friend had this problem with her elderly indoor cat and sadly after trying every treatment had to decide that the kindest option was to let go. I hope that you will be strong and make the right decision. I know this sounds hard but I can assure that I really do feel for you. I hope everything goes as smoothly as possible for you both.
2007-08-04 04:32:21 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's the same as humans wiping their mouths with a napkin when they are done eating! Cats are very clean animals and they are constantly grooming themselves to remove any and all debris - and that means any food stuck in their whiskers or facial fur after a meal! Isn't it just so cute??? =)
2016-03-16 06:08:42 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Unfortunatly there are just too many things that could be wrong to be guessing here. I am not one to push people to go to the vets but i this case, your cat does need to have a blood test done to find out what is wrong and you shouldn't wait too long as this sounds like it can become serious. Best to you.
2007-08-03 07:06:37 · answer #11 · answered by Ken 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋