On Saturday, my little girl MJ (5.5 yo) was severely dehydrated, with
diarrhea and significant weight loss. I had noticed she wasn't herself
during the week, but of course she waits until the weekend to take a
turn for the worst. After frantically trying to get a hold of my vet,
I finally contacted an alternate that arranged for me to pick up
subcutaneous fluids and equipment (I HAVE done this before). I kept
her hydrated via this method all weekend, supplementing the sub-Q with
feedings of a mixture consisting of Ensure and Chix baby food. On
Monday morning we went to the vet, and found out that MJ's weight had
dropped from 1.7lbs to 1.2lbs. We have added A/D and nutrical to the
mix, and she is getting metronidazole to calm her stomach. Fecal came
back negative for critters (giardia, coccidia, etc.), and I don't think
it's ECE. The vet couldn't get blood from her without sedation, and he
didn't advise that in her current state.
Here's my question. How much of this food/mixture should she be getting
a day? I'm giving her about 30ccs, and that seems low compared to
estimates in the archives. However, since I started feeding her this
mixture, her appetite and desire for water have increased, and today
I saw her eating kibble and drinking from the bottle. The sub-Q has
also done wonders for her hydration level. Her stools are still soft,
although a bit more solid and normal colored. I'm wondering if their
runny because of the mix? I would like to get her back up to her normal
weight as fast as is possible without making her sick. I'm hoping that
this is viral. She's chewing "invisible" kibble, making me think that
this is an ulcer, and I did just introduce a new guy to the family two
weeks ago, which stressed her and could explain her susceptibility.
Any thoughts on these matters or comments about previous, similar
experiences would be welcome. Special thanks to Sukie and Shirley
(Warmfuzzy) for their help in easing my mind and getting my fuzzy
back on the road to fgood health.
Love, Sara and MJ (and the three fuzzy siblings)
[Posted in FML 5784]
|
