2503. INTERN Cat owner's education - religious retreat - giving medication to a clever roaming cat.

July 22, 2015

"I have to cancel my retreat as my cat needs two people to give him antibiotic and pain medication," the slim woman in her 50s had brought in her cat for cat bite wound stitching. "The retreat in this temple is for one week and is held only once a year." I had told her that the cat needed to be given medication for the next 7 days.

"I should have my cat treated when she had a small bite wound from the other cat," she said. "Now it is a very big wound, due to the cat continuous licking. He needs stitching."

After anaesthesia, cleaning and debridement of the wound and stitching, the cat was ready to go home. But the owner had to go for the retreat. "Living in the temple clears my mind," she had looked forward to this residential retreat which requires waking up at 4 am to chant. "I will go next year."

"A year is too long and many things can happen to our lives," I said.
"This cat is much loved as even my neighbour who hates cat, loves him," she told me. "He is like a human being. When my neighbour asks him to jump onto the chair, he does it. When she tells him to jump onto the table, he does it. He will meow in appreciation when given food unlike other cats who will be silent."

This was indeed a clever cat. He would not take medication unless the owner and his son do it together to coax him into taking the medicine via a syringe with water and medicine.

"Go for your Buddhist retreat tomorrow," I said. "This cat is not suffering from a life-and-death disease. The worst case is that his stitch breaks down, but he has an e-collar round his neck to prevent licking."

"Prepare the medication by crushing the tablet and mixing with milk.  Fill two 1-ml syringe with milk and one syringe with milk and medication.     Wrap the cat in a towel covering his four legs and put him on a table.  Make him hungry for dinner. Your son will give him the first two syringes with milk alone. He will like the milk syringed into his mouth. Then, the 3rd syringe with medication.

"Tonight, you and your son practise"  I said. "So you can go to your temple retreat tomorrow."


This 7-year-old cat came in for difficulty in peeing. Now he is OK.  However, he has tearing eyes and runny nose now. This is due to his lack of vaccination and his encounter with a stray cat that had bitten him, passing to him the cat virus. He should recover.

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Mimi  Cat MN  8 years   yellow brown. Allowed to roam outdoors daily. Used to return by climbing up 16 floors of steps to apartment. But would now wait at 3rd floor for the owners to come and pick him up.

Jul 14, 2015.
1. pollakiuria, haematuria, dysuria 1 week
2. Change sand litter to paper litter about 1-2 weeks ago.  Sand particles mess up the house.
3. Painful kidneys. Bladder not swollen. Cat growled when I palpated the kidney area and became unfriendly.
4. Fed dry food only past 8 years
5. One cat in household
6. One water bowl.

IV drip. medication.


Jul 14, 2015
BLOOD TEST
All normal except low platelets 69  (300-800) and high glucose 14.9  (3.9-6.0). Urine test was positive for glucose.  This high glucose level may be due to urinary tract disease rather than diabetes.

Below are normal values
Total WCC  13.3  (5.5 - 19.5)
N 76%   Absolute 10.11
serum  6.4  (7.2-10.8)
Creatinine 100 (71-160)


URINE TEST
Bladder has insufficient urine expressed into a bottle. But analysis shows no crystals.
Dipstick  blood 4+, glucose+, Protein 2+, WBC, pH 8. SG 1.005

X RAYS  Cat needed sedation Xyla 0.4 ml IM. Reversin 0.03 ml IM.
No radio dense stones.
Kidneys enlarged.  

FOLLOW UP

JUL 15.  Not eating much of feline C/D. Drinks a bit. Stay indoors. Little motion. Urinate more. No dysuria.

CONCLUSION
A change of litter type may stress this cat. FLUTD is caused by stress and other factors like not drinking water and dry food. Antibiotics. Painkillers.  Feline CD
Jul 24, 2015. No problem.

Outcome Good
Case closed.