Dog ate chocolate?

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Very sick kitty.

Species: Cat
Breed: domestic short hair
Age: Less than 3 mon
just found you, wish we had found you earlier. maybe kitty will still be with us when you get this, any advise given from the heart will be greatly appreciated. we have no money so a vet is out of the question. was a fat kitty, the only one out of a Ferrell litter to survive. then suddenly lost weight started dying. bathed and got fleas off, we constantly combed so don't think amount of fleas was the cause. quit eating, and drinking. got real cold and limp. so my husband has ground up beef liver and kitten milk and force fed , put in heat blanket to keep warm and trikles drops of water in mouth as long as it swallows intermittently to keep from dehydrating. have many other kittens that saved from other litter, they play together and they are fine. possibly dying anyway but is there antibiotics or off the wall things I can try, I am a try anything right now person, anything is better than nothing. understand I am not looking for a safe answer, I am looking for a kick this kitten in the ass, work or not work, I will try anything. thank you very much and god bless you, my other 40 animal RESCUES THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK, THEY ARE WAITING FOR YOUR ANSWER ;)


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Oh, I am so sorry to hear of your situation. It sounds like Butterball is really really unwell.

Any time a cat loses a significant amount of weight it is a sign of something serious. If he is not eating or drinking this is not a good sign either.

What I can tell you is that this is very likely to be something serious. It is very unlikely that there is something that you can do at home without veterinary intervention that will make a huge difference.

You mentioned that he had fleas. It's possible that he contracted a blood parasite called hemobartonella. This is something that is treated with a particular type of antibiotics. But, if he is this sick then he would need more than just antibiotics in order to recover.

The other major concern is that there could be a serious virus such as FIV, Feline Leukemia or FIP. We don't have a cure for any of these.

There are many other possibilities including ingesting something poisonous, having a foreign object stuck in his intestines, and many others.

It really sounds like Butterball is very unwell and it sounds like euthanasia should be considered. If veterinary bills are a big concern, often a local shelter or humane society will do euthanasia for low or no cost if an animal is suffering.

I wish I could offer you more.

Dr. Marie.


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Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Customer reply:

thank you for your repley. butterball did not make it through the night. we do believe that she ingested something. we live in florida and have the blue skinks that i have always been told are poisonous to cats. i have found tails in the yard and think that when she was outside she may have eaten one or more. she was crying and seemed to be in extreme abdominal pain. did not vomit until right at the end so don't think it was an obstruction. again, thank you and god bless you for helping people through tough times


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

So sorry to hear that Butterball did not make it. :(



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Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.