Cat not drinking due to burned tongue, ideas?

[jennywho]

about a week ago my indoor only cat got into something, vet thought something hot, and burnt the inside of her mouth, tongue and nose. I took her in twice last week for fluids and she is back to eating wet and dry food, however I still don’t think she is drinking. She will sit in front of her water bowl for long periods of time and stare at it, dip her paw in it, but I haven’t seem her drink.

I will probably take her back in for more fluids tomorrow, but any ideas how to encourage her to drink?

I have NO idea what she could have gotten into, so far no sign of infection in her mouth and signs that it is healing, thankfully.

[Simkie]

Add water to her wet food…turn it into soup.

If she is still dehydrated with that, sub q fluids might be necessary until she’s drinking on her own. Easy enough to do that at home.

[flashwhitelock]

wet food and smeared on her gums so she doesn’t have a choice. She has to stay hydrated.

[JanM]

I fed a friend’s cat, and her treat was a can of wet fish cat food. She only drank the juice, not the cat food. That helped her hydrate. She didn’t even lap the juice up with her tongue, but slurped it through her teeth. It sounded odd, but she enjoyed it.

Plus she would drink from the tap if you stood there, and let it drip for her. She was picky about the right sink too.

[Mukluk]

Ask vet, but does kitty need sub Q fluids at home? I did this for quite awhile for a chronic renal failure kitty. I did not find it to be too difficult and kitty always felt better afterwards (I think she was so good about putting up with it because she knew she would feel better). At any rate, I surely hope she feels better very soon.

[GraceLikeRain]

Sub Q fluids and slurry wet food

[Alagirl]

Somebody suggested to me to turn Tuna into a ‘drink’, since it is really not good for the cat, but a treat for some.
I suppose you could also take some regular food (or purchase gravy alone) and water it down.

I know I seldom see my cats drink. One I have seen drinking maybe 2 or 3 times in the 4 years she’s been with us.
One - he has probably trouble seeing since he had a bad eye injury - dips his paw in the water and licks it clean.

[Equibrit]

Syringe without needle.

[Simkie]

I think it would be foolish to risk aversion and aspiration by forcing water when this cat is eating wet food on her own. Easy enough to get more water into her that way. I’d even stop feeding the dry–100% wet food with extra water will take care of her fluid needs.

She may also be willing to lap up something like chicken stock, especially if it’s warm. Just watch the sodium levels…

[BuddyRoo]

The lapping action probably hurts.

If it were my cat, I’d be giving her sub q fluids at home if she tolerates it pretty well…and most do. I would not try to entice her with tuna or milk or any other number of things that will likely just give her loose stools causing further dehydration. Your veterinarian should be able to show you how to do it if you are unsure and should be able to send you home with a few bags and needles. Or, at times, i’ve even gone to peoples’ homes to assist them for a small fee outside of work hours when working at the clinic. There may be a tech or assistant who would be willing to do that for you with vet’s permission to avoid stressing kitty by taking her in every day.

[csaper58]

Chicken or turkey baby food + water and make it a soup.

[mvp]

[QUOTE=GraceLikeRain;8344189]
Sub Q fluids and slurry wet food[/QUOTE]

Sub Q fluids isn’t that hard. Cats seem to have been designed for it.

And also, 1) I love reading about the crazy cat problems that come up on the interwebz; 2) it gives me a chance to ask if you gave this cat a stern talking-to about drinking hot beverages? I know about the person who was famously scalded by McDonald’s coffee. But who (of the Cat Persuasion) does this? How does a cat not know it’s too hot before putting it all the way inside her mouth?

I haven’t read about any cat-initiated lawsuits regarding hot beverages. They must take more responsibility for their well-being than do people.

Just curious. I hope Kitteh’s pain is short-lived.

[jennywho]

Thanks all, went and picked up a bag of Fluids for her today. Poor girl just sits and stares at the water bowl

[Chall]

That’s so odd, drinking hot fluids.
If the vet didn’t take a blood sample, id take her back and have a blood panel run, just to be sure it isn’t something else.

[mvp]

[QUOTE=jennywho;8346272]
Poor girl just sits and stares at the water bowl[/QUOTE]

Kitteh!!!

I can’t stand cat suffering.

Remind me how she burned her tongue. I take it this was of her own free will? You can lead a cat to water… How did this happen?