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Pat | 5 years ago
I Need Help Getting My Kitty Off A Feeding Tube Now That His Cancer Surgery And …

I need help getting my kitty off a feeding tube now that his cancer surgery and radiation are complete. The doctor has suggested going from 3 feedings a day to 4 smaller meals, since he has always been a grazer. Prior to surgery he was fed 2 times a day. Each feeding he is offered food by mouth, then supplemented with tube feeding to complete his meal.
He is hungry in the morning, and eats well by mouth, but eats very little by mouth for the other 3 feedings. He is only taking in about 1/4 of his food by mouth daily, the rest being tube fed. I’m looking for suggestions on how to increase his interest in eating by mouth so I can decrease the tube feedings. Thank you.

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I have found that with these guys you need a lot of patience. A lot! Some cats will do well with small offerings of all kinds of food and lots of options. I also try an appetite stimulant. Ask your vet about mirtazipine, Valium or even cyproheptadine. I also try things like warmed meat flavored baby food (beef chicken or turkey) and pouches of tuna, salmon or chicken. You have to try lots and lots of options and be super patient. Cats always decide. Also spend time talking to her and petting her around the food. That helps. I wish you the best of luck. Let us know what happens. Or reply back if you need more help.

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Kathryn | 5 years ago
Hi, This Is Our 11 Month Old Kitten! I Snapped This Photo Of Her Yawning And It …

Hi,

This is our 11 month old kitten! I snapped this photo of her yawning and it appears she has an extra tooth on the left side?

We have had her for almost 6 weeks now, she chews on almost everything so were growing concerned. She is eating, sleeping, and playing all the same.

Please let us know what you think is going on in this little mouth

5 Responses

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  1. Kathryn Post author

    i’m just wondering if a vet would have to extract or if these usually fall out on their own?

  2. Sarah

    Hi there ???? Seeing as she is almost a year old kitten, I am assuming that you have a vet visit lined up for her in the near future for vaccinations/booster shots. I would make a note of it and mention it to the vet. If it doesn’t seem to be bothering her or effecting her appetite, it is probably ok to wait until your appointment. If there is a change in eating habits or behavior- you may want to call your vet sooner.

  3. Laura

    I know vets will extract retained baby teeth in dogs. I would imagine they do the same for cats.

  4. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Is she spayed? We would remove any extra baby teeth while doing th at under general anesthesia. Although I cannot get a really great look at the mouth I don’t see an obvious extra tooth on the photo. But please have your vet look. Leaving extra teeth behind predisposes them to accelerated dental disease. So go when you can. It’s not an emergency. Even if your cat is spayed we recheck them at about 18 months old for their next vaccines and rabies booster. Hope this helps. Be safe.

  5. Kathryn Post author

    hi guys!
    it was a baby tooth, the vet was able to pull it out without sedation because our good girl just laid down for a belly rub,
    he isnt sure if this will stop her from chewing everything in sight, he thinks that must just be how she is.

    but i am thankful there was no infection or anything!

    thank you all for the advice!!!

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Maggie | 5 years ago
Dr. Magnifico, Hi, I Was In To See You In February With My 18 Yr Old Cat …

Dr. Magnifico,
Hi, I was in to see you in February with my 18 yr old cat Sophie. The morning throw- ups and lack of appetite got better for awhile. The appetite stimulator ointment really helped. But, we’re on a downward swing now. Sophie eats VERY little, yet still manages to throw it up. Yesterday, (Saturday) she ate hardly anything. Today she will not eat at all and has slept all day. So, I’m concerned about what to do. Best case scenario, she would die in her sleep. If she’s not eating, I would think this would happen. But, I don’t want her suffering. If I have her put to sleep at the vet’s, what’s the procedure since i can’t go in? I can’t imagine just handing her off to a stranger. I’m really struggling with this, so would appreciate any advice. Thanks.

5 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m so sorry to hear about your cat. If you feel its time to say goodbye we have a special protocol for this. One person can be with her in another building as you say goodbye. I know how hard it is to say goodbye and we are trying very hard to do this safely and compassionately. You don’t have to leave her alone and she will be with you. Everyone wears masks and only two staff members are present, the vet and a technician. . If you would like to discuss this, or anything else about your cat please call the clinic and we will happily explain it. We are also happy to set up an examination and maybe we can help assess her to see if there is anything we can do to help her feel better. I’m sorry but I am away for a few days with a family emergency. I wish you all the best. I hope this helps.

    1. Maggie Post author

      I am calling the office this morning. I’m so relieved to know the procedures will allow me to be there. She’s really bad this morning. I was praying she would go on her own, but that didn’t happen overnight. Thank you for responding. You should be able to spend this needed time with your family. All the best to you and your Mom at this very difficult time.

    2. Maggie Post author

      Just wanted you to know how wonderful your staff was this morning. When I called, they explained the procedures and told me to come down when I was ready. While on my way, Sophie crawled off her blanket, into my lap, cried once and died while I was holding her. When i got to the office, they just verified she was gone. I was so relieved that she went on her own. Prayers answered.

  2. Laura

    Maggie, my heart is with you. My old man cat is doing well right now but I fear the downward swing during this quarantine period.

    I’m so sorry.

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Sarah | 5 years ago
Good Morning Pawbly Friends- I Have A Corn Cob Question… Thursday (a Week Ago) Rontu Threw …

Good Morning Pawbly friends-
I have a corn cob question… Thursday (a week ago) Rontu threw up a bunch of grass and a white blob. We could not figure out what the heck it was, or where he got it from. He was fine- running, playing, pooping. I always check their poo schedule and make sure it looks normal- sorry I’m weird. Anyway, Friday evening on our walk he pooped and I swear it had a chunk (pretty sizeable) of corn cob in it. We do not eat corn, so I have no idea when or how he got into corn. Especially this time of year when none of the fields around us are growing yet. Then again on Saturday morning on our long walk around 11, he passed another, much smaller chunk of cob. He had already done a normal poo at our early morning walk. He has been acting normal ever since. My original “plan” with all of this covid going on was to watch him closely and see if he passed it, which he seems to have. He is having normal bathroom and has been eating and drinking normally- so I thought we dodged that bullet. But every so often, he is slow to get up- and his back legs quiver. After he has a poo, it stops and he is running and playing and having a ball. It happened this morning and Monday morning. So my question is, does this warrant a trip to the vet? I hate to bother everyone during this hard time. And could it be related to the corn cob somehow? Sorry for the long post.

2 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello!
    i have to start at the most concerning part of your question: who doesnt eat corn? its not the checking the poo that makes you weird.. its the corn, 😉
    I think that your plan,, even amongst the COVID stuff is perfect! Just watch closely. Corn cobs are most concerning with respect to obstruction. Obstruction causes anorexia, vomiting, lethargy. I am not sure if the leg issues are related. Based on breed and age I would recommend an x-ray of the hips when we are back up and running normally..
    Watch for normal eating, normal activity and normal fecal output. call me anytime if you are worried,, as far as to where the corn cob came from.. who knows,, it might have been pieces left over from last season. thats where my dogs get theirs.

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Willow | 5 years ago
Very Ill Senior Cat. I Don’t Know If It’s Time To Say Goodbye. Can I Help Her????

My elderly cat, age 17, recently took a downward spiral with her health. It started with her not eating, then the next day she started becoming more unbalanced, along with sleeping more, and still, eating very little (she also did seem to use the bathroom a tiny bit more than usual, but it wasn’t anything like when my male cat had a urinary tract block, she peed a little each time, but she could be dehydrated) , and today it’s only gotten worse, along with her barely using the litter box, she peed today but no sign of pooing. She ate all of maybe once today, with a few treats here and there. She also has been wandering aimlessly to stare into the bathroom (a place I used to give her water) and to stare at her litter box.
She seems really interested in drinking when she’s up, but doesn’t actually seem to be doing it much. (I’ve debated syringe feeding her some water, but I worry it might hurt her)

She is a cat with a history of feline kidney disease, diagnosed stage 2 by the vet that I’d seen a year ago. Although I have been managing it with daily feedings of wet food and water.

I took her to see the vet today, but all he really did was palpate her kidneys and then tell me he felt something there. I was unable to afford the suggested blood work and x-rays, but the vet was saying things like “everything is hospice care at this point, she’s so old, there not much worth putting the money into her at her age.” Wich was a bit callous sounding. But maybe it’s because she’s my baby.
So they suggested I consider euthanasia right then and there. I couldn’t go through with it right that moment and just took her home to decide.
She has eaten a little, and drank a little since. I’ve been putting her in her bed near me as she’s super tired.

Would putting her down be the right decision? Is there something else I can do???? She’s my only family, and pretty much my child. I can’t just give up on her. Please help.

5 Responses

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  1. Sarah

    Hi- I am so sorry that you are going through this difficult time. Only you can decide when is right for you….I like to think that our pets let us know when it is time. If I were you, I would see how the rest of this evening goes and see if she peeks up any tomorrow. Try getting her to eat better and drink some. Very best to you

    1. Willow Post author

      Thank you for your quick reply. This is so hard to watch.
      I’ll definitely be making the decision quickly, and with her in mind, I already feel terrible at her stage, but the sudden euthanasia option was just too much to handle at that time.
      I’ll try getting more food and water into her now.

  2. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m so sorrry to hear about your cat. I think it would be really helpful to run some blood work. I always worry about kidney disease and they round disease in these cats. At my clinic this costs about $175. I say this because thyroid disease is treatable. It is best treated early than late. Kidney disease in Advanced stage is not. But I do think that knowing what is going on with her will help make a hard decision a little clearer Also your cat deserves fluid therapy. That is $25 at my clinic for a Sq fluid kit to go home which lasts abo it a week. It can really help some cats feel better. Let me know what happens I hope this helps. Never stop advocating for your cat! Best wishes.

    1. Willow Post author

      I so appreciate your help. Thank you for taking the time to respond. I’ll do my best to see if I can find a way to get a kit like that, he mildly suggested fluids at the clinic, but made it sound like it was pointless. I wish he had advocated a little bit more about giving us fluids to at least put her on. Because I would of happily agreed.

      Would syringe feeding her some water help at all?

      1. Laura

        Hi Willow – the subcutaneous fluids really are a better option, as they do a better job than just ingested fluids.

        If you aren’t feeding a veterinary diet including kidney specific wet food, I’d start. My cat is also in renal failure and simply switching diets and doing subq fluids (when he lets me) have likely bought me more time with him.

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Jagoda | 5 years ago
Hi, My 2 Years Old Cat Doesn’t Want To Eat Wet Food (I Have Tried Every …

Hi,

my 2 years old cat doesn’t want to eat wet food (I have tried every kind and brand ). He only eats small amounts of dry food (urinary).
In the result he is skinny (weights only about 3,5kg) and has ongoing problems with urinary tract and struvite crystals.
We’ve been dealing with these problems since he was a child and I am afraid the situation won’t change unless he starts eating properly.
I can’t afford such frequent visits to the Vet clinic, especially since he recently had a blockage and the treatment costs a lot ( vet care in Poland is really expensive too).
He is such an active cat and despite the poor diet, he still has the energy to play.
I’ve examinated his blood and everything seems fine. His teeth are also fine..I honestly tried every internet trick to encourage him to eat.
I don’t know If he is picky or sick. Is the urinary porblems affected by diet or he doesn’t want to eat becouse of the urinary tract issues..
What should I do?

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    It is ideal that your cat eats the right (prescription) urinary food, but, it is even more important that he eats. For these cases I talk to my clients about trying high quality urinary friendly over the counter diets. I also talk to them about adding little bots of the urinary prescription food into the OTC food they will eat. If all else fails I try watered down over the counter wet food. Also ask your vet about giving subcutaneous fluids at home daily to help keep the urinary system diuresing. I also think it might help to add an appetite stimulant. Also think about toys, playtime and lots of things to keep him active, engaged and feeling good. I also take a long hard look at the litter boxes, the type of litter and where the boxes are placed, along with making them impeccably clean. Please talk to your vet about all of these. Also an antiinflammatory might help?

    Very best of luck!

    keep me posted.

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Jason | 5 years ago
Good Day- We Are The Proud Owners Of A One-year-old English Pointer Named Bruno And A …

Good day- We are the proud owners of a one-year-old English Pointer named Bruno and a proud patient of Dr. Magnifico’s. Recently, Bruno has been shaking his head more often and scratching his ears. He has also been sleeping much more the past few days. When not sleeping, he is still pretty playful and eating/drinking. How do you know if he has an ear infection or not? His ears have been professional cleaned, but same actions with his head. Also, no smells coming from his ears. Any suggestions? Thank you.

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Ear infections are best diagnosed with an otoscope visualization and a swab and microscopic slide evaluation of the ears. In some cases there is simply dirt and debris and only an ear cleaning is needed. In others it is infection and therefore an otic antibiotic or antifungal is needed and in some cases it is just a red itchy ear due to an allergy. In any and all cases of head shaking it is imperative to identify what is going on and alleviate it ASAP or you can get an aural hematoma. Which adds two things to treat for and a painful pup too. Please call me and we can take a peek to see what’s up. As you are my client I will add the following at home tips.
    1. Look at the ear flap. Is it red? If so this indicated inflammation and discomfort. Try diphenhydramine mg size equals weight of dog. Ie 50# dog = 50 mg diphenhydramine orally every 8 hours. If two doses don’t knock it out see me!
    2. Is there any dirt or debris that looks like dark chunky wax inside the ear canal? If so you need to clean the ears. I have a video on this on my YouTube channel?
    3. Do you see any yellow liquid in the ear? Does it smell terrible? If so you need a vet ASAP!
    4. If it hurts to touch the ear see me ASAP.

    Whatever the cause is once you have one ear issue you should expect more. So ask your vet about at home care and ear cleaners to help avoid this from happening again. Also lots of red rated head shaking dogs have allergies. Ask about this before you get an aural hematoma. (YouTube on that too!)

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Paige | 5 years ago
Facial Swelling In Puppy

My puppy has a lump on the right side of her face. My dog sitter pointed it out to me when I picked her up from daycare today. It is soft and tender to the touch. She does not like when I try and touch it and I am unable to look inside of her mouth. It seems like it is really bothering her. She is eating and drinking normally this evening, but created herself and seems like she is in pain. I made her a vet appointment for tomorrow afternoon but is this something I should be seeking more immediate attention for?

3 Responses

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  1. Sarah

    Good morning-
    Sorry that your pup has an issue. I think if it is worse this morning that you should give a call to the vet and see if they can push your appointment up. And I would definitely note any changes…. more swelling, warm to touch, lethargy, change in appetite, etc. also try to think back and maybe even ask your dog sitter for help- see if you can pinpoint when it first appeared and what it could possibly be connected to. For instance, could it be a spider bite or some other bite? Or has pho’s mouth been tender lately? Could it be a tooth abscess? Anything to help your vet narrow down the possibilities to get the right treatment. Best of luck to you!!!????????

  2. Paige Post author

    Hey! – We took our girl to her appointment yesterday and the vet said that everything seems normal (temperature, eating habits, energy level, etc.) so we were directed to just keep an eye on it for now. There isn’t any point of origin around the lump so the vet speculated that it could possibly be a hematoma from playing rough with other bigger dogs at daycare. It doesn’t appear to have changed in size, but Norma’s (our puppy) disposition seems just slightly off. She vomited a little bit this morning as well, but she did also get a Lyme’s vaccine yesterday so there are a lot of factors at play. She’s staying home from daycare today and my partner is keeping a close eye on her. Thanks so much for your response and for checking in!! 🙂

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Diana | 5 years ago
My Vet Strongly Suspects My Cat Has A Nasal Polyp. She Has Be Snoring/snarling Consistently …

My vet strongly suspects my cat has a nasal polyp. She has be snoring/snarling consistently for 2.5 years, but is otherwise fine. When it began, I first had a potential infection treated with two antibiotics, followed by a teeth cleaning, that yielded no issues with the teeth, and ended with a nasal flush. My vet was hoping to be able to see and grab the polyp during the flush, but couldn’t. Because she was otherwise healthy, eating, and playing, I went without treating it. Recently, she was treated for a G.I. flair up that had her not eating. She had begun not eating or moving get bowels for days. Once vomiting was added in, I took her to Metropolitan Emergency Vet. They gave her an ultrasound, saw the inflammation and gas in her abdomen, took a CBC, gave her fluids and nausea medication and sent her home a couple hours later for $800. Her bloodwork was was fine, aside from dehydration. She continued not to eat, so I brought her to my vet a day and a half later. They did an x-ray and saw the lower intestine looked aggravated. They kept her for the weekend and gave her fluids and more nausea medication. She returned to me after two days and began eating again at home. I’m awaiting the additional $600 bill for that. While being discharged, one of the docs urged me to address what she felt strongly was likely a polyp in her nasal cavity, as she believed it may now be large enough that it’s limiting her ability to smell, which may have contributed to the refusal to eat with the G.I. issue coexisting for a few days. She referred me to the specialty docs locally to have the nasal polyp removed. They are quoting me $3,195 plus. They said it would be $195 for a internal med consult, $1,500 for a “necessary” CT, and $1,500 or more for the Rhinoscopy. My vet said Lilah is otherwise a healthy 12 year old cat. I am sick with the cost, as I will need to put it all on a credit card. I have called around to multiple other specialty vets and I’m getting comparable quotes. I have had family members suggest I euthanize my cat over a nasal polyp, which I absolutely will not do. I stumbled across a Utube video of you removing a nasal polyp, so I tracked you down by name, wondering if you could help Lilah? I’m two hours from your practice, which is close enough. I’d really appreciate you getting back to me. As of now, we have a consult scheduled for 3/4, and I’m sick over the cost.

Thank you,
Diana Maginn

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Well! That’s quite a huge long laundry list of issues. Has anyone done a FeLV/ FIV test? What does the blood work look like?
    While no one can rule out a polyp without a scope or ct scan this does sound like a long list of issues and I worry there is an underlying issue causing many of them. I would ask your vet to sedate her and look behind the soft palate to see if there is a visible polyp that might be able to be removed with traction avulsion. Otherwise I think the retro flex endoscopy and ct are the only way to diagnose. Although I would ask some very hard and direct questions about what can actually be done if they’d one it buried dee within the nasal cavity? I hope this helps.

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Aimee | 5 years ago
We Brought A Re-homed Cat Home To Our House One Week Ago. She Is 4 Years Old, …

We brought a re-homed cat home to our house one week ago. She is 4 years old, spayed, up to date on shots and healthy. She came from a multi-cat and dog house to our single-dog house. Her previous owner says she had no problem standing up for herself against other cats and the dog (reports the other cats are much more willing to come out of hiding since she has been removed). We have noticed that she is shy and skittish, but eating and drinking. She spends most of her day hiding under a bed.

Unfortunately she refuses to use her litter box (so far preferring kids closets and under desks). We’ve taken a step back and confined her to a single room. She has a clean litter box. Food, toys and bed are at the opposite side of the room. We’ve also confined the dog to a separate part of the house

None of this is ideal. We have few doors, so keeping them apart also keeps the humans apart. I can put food or litter in another part of the house, but the cat is more likely to encounter the dog if I do that.

Thoughts?

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    In general I take the ridiculously slow and gradual approach to new cats joining the family. I do the following. I place a big cage with a little box in it and place that in a room by itself. The new cat is kept there with a big blanket covering as much of the big cage as needed until everything is calm and happy. This means the new cat is coming to you and purring. Using the litter box and eating normally. It can take weeks. We let them get used to their own new place before expecting them to adapt to ours. After they are doing well we open rhe big cache and let them acclimate to their own room. Now they can sniff the other animals under the door until that is also calm and peaceful. No hissing at others under the door. If that goes well so short small supervised visits with others housemates. If any thing doesn’t go well go back to bases. Ideally the cage and box stay accessible until the new cat is using the community boxes. If all else fails go back to small and safe. Cats need time and patience and they don’t always adapt well. Also super important to talk to your vet and rule out any issues. Think about different litter and litter boxes. Let you cat decide which they like. Hope that this helps.