Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

I'm exhausted - can someone please help me decide something

17 replies

LaurieFairyCake · 07/12/2013 00:12

Cat on 5 mg of steroids for last 10 days after surgery. (Cancerous growth removed in foot, also has tumours on lungs)

No sickness for 10 days - before steroids was having sickness

Last night at 2am violently sick and wet himself - gave him an extra steroid tablet, not been sick since

Also changed today's food to completely bland white fish - not cat food

I can't decide whether to continue with the 'double' dose Confused to prevent sickness - assuming the cancer is just becoming more advanced

Or just give him the 5mg and take the risk that it was the richer food?

I've been nursing him for nearly 3 weeks now and last night I got 4 hours sleep - I'm too tired now to decide if I'm doing the right thing.

It seems obvious from the 'double' dose that it isn't the steroid making him sick - though it can be a side effect of the steroid - he hasn't been sick at all today and he's had 10mg in last 24 hours

So if it's the cancer or food do I continue to double dose him?

I can't bear the thought of going to sleep tonight and him being so horribly ill and vomiting next to me in 2 hours time.

I just want to give him the drug in case I'm right as he's been ok today with it.

OP posts:
droitwichmummy · 07/12/2013 00:17

I'm no expert but would give the standard dose and see how he is. If he is violently sick again I would have a chat with the vet tomorrow.
Hope you both have a comfortable night x

Original poster
LaurieFairyCake · 07/12/2013 00:22

Thankyou for responding - I'm just too tired to think.

I think I'm going to not dose him (he had today's this afternoon) and then if he is sick I will know for definite that it's not the steroid as he will be on a low dose tonight and it's not the food as he's only had plain food.

If he IS then sick then it must be the cancer advancing and he will need stronger doses.

I hope that makes sense

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 07/12/2013 00:24

Laurie

I don't know the rules about steroid doses - what leeway/instructions did your vet give you? Do you have an OOH vet that you can ring for quick telephone advice?

You need to sleep though because you'll no longer be thinking well - and you'll be no use to him if you're not.

Go to bed and taken lots of towels with you for him to lie on. It may not be the most comfortable sleep you've ever had but it will be better than nothing. Then phone the vet first thing tomorrow.

Poor him and poor you.

Original poster
LaurieFairyCake · 07/12/2013 00:27

I'm definitely not thinking properly, I had 3 hours sleep last night

When I got back this evening I accidentally put a steroid in MY mouth thinking it was paracetamol - my brain told me I had a headache and then I took the bloody pill that was in the bottle in my hand! I'm a proper idiot (wouldn't do me any harm though as I looked it up after)

But no wonder the cat fights me when I try to give it to him, it tastes really bitter!

OP posts:
droitwichmummy · 07/12/2013 00:28

Good plan Laurie. Try to get some sleep - it sounds like you have both been having a rough time and you need to have the energy to look after him tomorrow.

cozietoesie · 07/12/2013 00:32

Go to bed and get your head down - if he's sick on the towels, so be it. You can sort it out when you wake up. (Although you might well wake up instinctively - they tend to make sort of 'plumbing noises' - and get it sorted if it happens.)

Original poster
LaurieFairyCake · 07/12/2013 00:37

The whole house woke up last night ,he was incredibly loud and had ten impressive piles of sick and wee within 2 minutes. I will definitely wake up.

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 07/12/2013 00:40

Go to bed now and get some sleep. You need it.

droitwichmummy · 07/12/2013 10:36

How is he this morning? Hope you both managed to get some sleep

cozietoesie · 07/12/2013 11:24

Fingers crossed for him and his family anyway. The symptoms weren't good, sadly.

Original poster
LaurieFairyCake · 07/12/2013 12:10

He was sick at 5.30 am, just retching as he had digested all the food.

So I've decided it's not the food and not likely to be the drug as he's not sick when I up the quantity.

I gave him the dose after he retched and he's not been sick since. Instead of waiting til he's sick again I'm going to dose him every 12 hours to see if that works totally.

He's happy and snoozing on the bed.

I'm still tired obviously Wink

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 07/12/2013 12:19

I hope you at least got some sleep. Have you phoned your vet?

Original poster
LaurieFairyCake · 07/12/2013 12:31

No the vet I like doesn't work weekends and the one that does doesn't listen and just keeps shrugging and saying he has cancer and that he's going to die soon anyway Hmm

She is from Eastern Europe and specialises in total bluntness though

I'm not asking as she will just say put him down and considering he's snoozing and purring at me it's not an option today

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 07/12/2013 13:06

OK. Could you maybe try to get a snooze this afternoon to make up for some of the lost hours?

cozietoesie · 07/12/2013 21:09

How is he doing, Laurie ?

Original poster
LaurieFairyCake · 07/12/2013 21:15

Thank you for asking Smile

He's not eating and I've offered him 5 choices so far - dh has gone out to get a hot chicken from Tesco

Not been sick again and purring away but the steroid use is supposed to increase appetite and he's just not interested

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 07/12/2013 21:27

Ah well. Let's see how he does with the warm chicken. Best of luck.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page