# Sick Cat



## cindyc (Nov 12, 2005)

My daughter's cat is very ill. I took him to the vet on Monday. He was falling over, and was drueling, had a slight fever, and an ulcerated tongue. The vet tested him for FHIV, Feline Leukemia, Kidney failure, poisoning, and diabetes. All test were normal. He gave him a shot to make him want to eat and some special food. We thought he was doing well, because he was eating his regular food, drinking, his fever was gone, he was playing some, not falling over and all of his "plumbing" seemed to be working right. It has been 4 days. So, we let him go back outside today. (He is a barn cat.) He just came to the door, laid down in a strange place, and was drueling again. SO... What in the world is going on here?! Anybody have any clues? I am going to take him back to the vet when dh gets home with the car, but I am wondering if any of you have any experience or knowlege that would shed some light on this... something to suggest that the vet look for? 

Thanks,
Cindyc.


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## jen74145 (Oct 31, 2006)

Oh my.
Is it possible he's getting into something outside? Maybe eating on an old dead whatever, or chewing a plant that he is allergic to/is toxic?


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## bqz (Jan 26, 2007)

Next time you let him out follow him and see what it's getting into.
Only thing I can think of that might be a help to you.
Hope he feels better soon.


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## FiddleKat (Oct 22, 2004)

Check to see if his gums are a blueish hue. That might indicate poisoning. We had a cat that caught a mouse that apparently just ate Decon, and our poor kitty was gone within the week.

The other thing is he showing signs of pain? Like in a paw or something? Our last cat mysteriously started limping, crying out in pain and laying down and he favored his hind paw. We thought he might have had hurt it, and figured we would give him a day or two to see what happended. And if it didn't get better bring him to the vet. Well within two days he was perfectly fine. then a month later it happened again this time with a front paw. So we rushed him to the vet and they xrayed his paw and discovered a blood clot.
Unfortunatly thier is nothing they could do about it, as they said he had a heart defect that was causing blood clots. So we had to have him put to sleep.
Not to say this is happening to your kitty!! I surely hope its something very simple and correctable!


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

I found this by doing a Yahoo search:

"As soon as I see a drooling cat, I'm thinking ulcers in the mouth or immune system disease," says Mark Riehl, D.V.M., a veterinarian in private practice in Bristol, Tennessee. Cats with feline AIDS, leukemia, or even the flu will sometimes get mouth sores that cause them to drool, he says. Kidney problems can also cause sores and drooling in cats as well as dogs.

While dogs often drool because of mealtime anticipation, cats may salivate for sheer pleasure, which is why you may feel a few drips when your friendly feline starts nuzzling your neck. Conversely, cats will also drool when they are afraid, like when it is time for a bath.

Some pets will drool after eating instead of before. In medium- and large-breed dogs, this is sometimes caused by a condition called bloat, in which the stomach twists and then expands, says Jim Hendrickson, V.M.D., a veterinarian in emergency private practice in Rockville, Maryland. Dogs with this condition usually appear restless and will try unsuccessfully to vomit. Bloat is an emergency that may require surgery, so you will need to see your vet right away.

Dogs and cats with epilepsy may drool before a seizure. And many pets will drool when they have digestive problems or even car sickness.

It is very common for pets to drool copiously when they have eaten something bitter, anything from a lemon wedge to drain cleaner. They will also drool when they have mouth pain due to dental problems, for example, or a splinter stuck in the gum.
See Your Vet If...

- Your pet is drooling after eating
- She has a history of seizures
- You suspect that she has eaten something bitter
- Your pet is lethargic
- Your pet can't open his mouth or is having trouble opening it
- He can't close his mouth
- He won't eat or has difficulty chewing or swallowing
- His tongue, lips, or muzzle are swollen
- There is a foreign object stuck in his mouth
- His gums are red and swollen, or there is bleeding
- Your pet is drooling or panting excessively
- His tongue or gums are blue or pale
- Your pet has ulcers on his tongue
- He is gagging frequently
- There is a lump anywhere on his face
- He is pawing frequently at his mouth or face
- There is a discharge from his mouth or nose that lasts two days or longer
- His breath is consistently bad
- Your pet's nose is dry, crusty, or bleeding
- His mouth is foaming, or he's grinding his teeth
- There is dried saliva around the mouth


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## GoatsRus (Jan 19, 2003)

A few years ago, one of our cats came in crying, drooling and looking really bad. He couldn't control his bowel functions and smelt terrible. Of course it was late at night and on the weekend. I ended up taking him to work with me as I worked on a horse farm for a vet. He asked me if we had large brown toads at our house(why of course, silly). Well, as near as he could figure (he is an equine vet, only) the cat had licked a brown toad and ingested the poison. He gave me some antibotics and it took care of the problem. He's good as new.


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## skwish-e (Jan 23, 2007)

OK, my daughter followed him around outside, and all he did was walk around the house then want to come back in. He's stopped drooling now. When he went to the vet monday he had sores on his tongue, and the vet gave us antibiotics, and gave him a shot of something and some Hill's prescription food in little cans. He's been taling his antibiotics for three days now, and had a setback today I guess. Tested negative for leukemia, fiv, worms, diabetes, renal failure, and everything else the vet could think of (and charge for). Had a negative for poisons in his bloodwork. His nose is dry though, and he is not very interested in water which bothers me.


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## GoldenMom (Jan 2, 2005)

So he's a barn cat (exposed to other cats I assume) and has sores in his mouth? Maybe calicivirus? There is some talk of a new more virulent strain, but at least on VIN it does not appear wide spread (just the "new" strain, not calici in general). Here's a little info about calici: http://www.bobmckee.com/Client Info/Infectious/Calicivirus Infection in Cats.html


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## Caelma (Mar 7, 2005)

Is it blood tinged drool?
My cat came in one day with that and turned
out to be rat poisoning. We never use the stuff but a cat doesn't
know which are your barn mice and what mice come from the neighbors.
Lucky we caught it ontime. I think they give her a vit K shot for it
and vit K pills for a week or so after.


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## Immaculate Sublimity (Apr 30, 2003)

I'm with GoldenMom on this one, ulcerated tongue sounds like calici. have your vet check for that.


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## chma4 (Feb 27, 2005)

What came to my mind was licking (cleaning)his paws after walking through de-icer, is this possible???? Maybe salt or chemical de-Icer.....maybe worth investigating??


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## Tracy Rimmer (May 9, 2002)

If he's lethargic, drooling, and falling over, I would wonder if it's possible he's gotten into some antifreeze?


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## chma4 (Feb 27, 2005)

If he was getting into anti freeze, he would have been dead the first time with out the antidote. He would not be here to fall over and drool the second time.


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## chma4 (Feb 27, 2005)

I found this info requarding pets and rock salt:

"resulting health problems can include dermatitis, inflammation of the paws, and serious gastrointestinal problems including vomiting and internal burns of the mouth and digestive tract."

Maybe???? How's the weather?


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## cindyc (Nov 12, 2005)

Well by the time dh got home with the car, the cat was doing better again. :shrug: Maybe he just wasn't ready to go outside again yet? In any case I got some more of the special food to beef him up from the vet. We will keep doing that a while longer, tho he will eat his other food how. His nose is wet again (YEA!) and he is drinking water. No more drool. He wants pets, and sleep. He doesn't want to play. He hasn't tried to get out again. So, maybe he knows that didn't help him. Idunno... :shrug: Fingers crossed. Maybe we are turning a corner here.

Cindyc.


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## rio002 (Jul 30, 2002)

I'd vote poisoning of some sort, we had a cat doing the same thing--humane society that had picked her up said she'd been hit by a car because she was falling over, drooling, lethargic--turns out she eaten a decon mouse or something of the like--the vet gave her shots of Vitamin K, and she recovered very well within about a week and lived for about 8 years after. I am voting poisoning primarily because of the symptoms and because you said he doing better til he went outside again--could be something outthere he's found. Good luck!


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