It’s Christmas Eve and Mandy cat is still with us.
She’s terribly thin but drinking water.
We’re feeding her, much to her disgust – she might die but she’s not going to starve.
Right now she’s asleep on my bed – and she actually sounds better than she has in a while. (Two courses of antibiotics.)
I’m quite surprised to see her here – I think she is too.
We’ll see what happens.
Just another update on Soda. Don’t know if anyone is still reading, but it helps to write stuff down. Currently he is fast asleep in a sunny spot on the rug. You’d never know he had a care in the world. He ate a little kibble this morning. He had some canned tuna yesterday, so we may try that again. He’s still doing okay with the subcutaneous fluids, but if anyone has any tips on how to give a cat a liquid antibiotic using a dropper, I am all ears. I have a couple cuts on my hands from trying to give him his medicine. He’s not trying to bite me, just get away from the nasty pink stuff.
He goes back to the vet on Monday. We’ll see what he has to say.
Tuba Diva, I hope that Mandy is hanging in and comfortable and as content as possible.
Of course we’re still reading! And Soda and Mandy are in my prayers. Can’t give you any cat advice tho - I have dogs…
Are you using the ‘cat burrito’ method? Here’s a step by step.
Best of luck to you both.
Here’s some info (from a vet - scroll past diabetes to the CKD info) about food and kidney disease.
I lost my girl earlier this year to kidney problems. 
if possible and okay with the meds try mixing the antibio with a bit of wet food (fancy feast with gravy tends to be a big hit). just a spoonfull wait for kitty to eat it then give other food.
that’s what i did with my girl. worked rather well.
The LP stands for “Low Protein”, which is what I was concerned about. Sounds like the vet’s got that covered. Good vet.
Keep following his advice, and I hope the cat does well.
Kitty burrito + giving kitty a drop at a time so he can’t fling it all back at you.
So:
burrito cat
Grab cat by top of head, latching onto his cheek bones
tilt head so nose is pointing at ceiling
Syringe behind a canine tooth
drop of antibiotic
(do above steps as smoothly and swiftly as manageable)
loosen grip enough that kitty can swallow, but not get away
repeat
After a few days of feeding Mandy diluted baby food through a syringe she seemed to be getting stronger.
We noted she was having problems opening her mouth – never seen that before – went to take her to the vet on Saturday and he wasn’t in.
So we’re looking at her, feeling along her jawline trying to figure out what’s going on here when all of a sudden she opened her jaw wide and bit my mother. Hard.
While we’re getting the blood stopped Mandy sits down at the bar where we feed the cats and gives us this LOOK. The “feed me” look. Figuring we had nothing to lose we set a dish of cat food in front of her. And she ate it. She opened her mouth and she chewed for the first time in two weeks – she had been refusing food prior to that time.
Since then she’s eaten more and more every time – and she’s acting more normal with every passing hour. Watched her this afternoon sitting in the sunshine washing herself very thoroughly. When we pick her up she chirps.
We’re not sure if she’s having a last burst of good days or what but we’ll take it.
For all of you who have kept our little Siamese in your thoughts and prayers, I thank you. It may well be her time soon yet but it’s not happening right this second. I think you have helped make a difference.
It’s the best Christmas gift I could ever have had.
Positive thoughts and prayers for Soda, who I hope is recovering. Ask your vet if baby food is all right for Soda – we are finding all our cats and the dogs LOVE that stuff. It seems to have made a difference in Mandy’s case.
TubaDiva – so glad to hear that Mandy is eating and acting more like herself.
As for Soda, the only thing we can consistently get him to eat is canned tuna. He’ll eat a few mouthfuls of the dry, low protein, kidney food in the morning, but doesn’t want anything to do with it the rest of the day. We’ve tried three or four different canned foods, but he only wants the tuna. Of course the other three cats are pretty happy as they get to eat all the gooshy food that Soda doesn’t want. We see the vet tomorrow, so we’ll ask then about baby food.
We’ve been using the “burrito method” for the administration of the antibiotic but will have to try **Pullet’s **advanced technique.
We are currently treating our puppy for mange. When I give her the liquid medication, I make a little peanut butter and jelly sandwich for her with the medicine soaked into the bread. She doesn’t ever notice the different. Would it be possible to do the same with her tuna or something else she really likes?
Ah, if only all critters would eat like a puppy. I would make a fortune fetching socks out of animal’s stomachs all day long 
Aside from the species difference, the antibiotic that slightly askew is trying to get into Soda tastes a lot worse than the ivermectin you are using for your puppy’s mange. It’s cherry flavored. Because cats love cherries. Chalky, foamy, medicine cherries.
Check with your vet because of the protein content but we fed Mandy baby food diluted with chicken broth – a few cc’s at a time out of a syringe.
You need to be careful doing this so that you don’t squirt it in the cat’s lung.
When you feed a cat like this you need to feed them a little bit every couple, three hours. Also water if they won’t drink.
You can also try feeding it to your cat off your finger – my vet feeds his recovering patients this way – baby food off his finger. He did this with one of our cats who was hit by a car a few years ago and Clyde still loves the vet because of this. Only cat I’ve ever seen purr in the vet’s office.
Praying for the complete recovery of your baby here.
Soda went in for his vet appointment yesterday. He’s lost another 3/4 pound or so. His blood work has improved, but still isn’t good by any stretch of the imagination. His appetite is improving and he’s still on subcutaneous fluids, but the vet took him off the antibiotic. He said it was probably not worth the stress of giving it to Soda. So – kind of a mixed bag of results – he’s eating more and acting more himself, but still pretty sick. We’re still keeping our fingers crossed and, honestly, a bit surprised that he is doing as well as he is. We go back to the vet in two weeks.
Thanks again for all the support and warm thoughts and prayers.
Here’s wish everyone, humans and critters alike, a happy healthy 2010!
Good thoughts to you and your kitty. Hang in there and keep looking for food to temp Soda; cats like the damndest things.
Mandy doesn’t feel quite so weightless today – just a tiny bit of heft but she had none the last couple of weeks so it’s a blessing. She’s not real active but she’s asking to be fed about every two hours and we’re accommodating her.
The children of our hearts, they are. May we all have a long and happy life with our families.
I’m glad both sick kitties are improving.
My Max seems to have dodged a bullet with his struvite crystal scare. He’s eating, his disposition has improved and best of all he’s peeing in the litter box again.
Mandy’s gone.
My thanks to all of you who hung in with me over this last month. I appreciate your support and your caring.
http://in-a-sentimental-mood.blogspot.com/2010/01/goodbye-to-our-kittycat.html
{{{{TubaDiva}}}}
Even as I was wiping away tears reading your blog post about her, I laughed at the phrase “whim of iron.”
I’m so sorry, TubaDiva. Hang in there.
{{{TubaDiva}}}
So sorry to hear that Mandy has passed away. It sounds like she had a full and happy life with you. I’ll give Soda an extra scritch tonight in memory of her.