Our lovely big ginger boy PG has been in hospital for for three days after he stopped eating and had awful diarrhoea. After blood tests and a scan he was found to have two gallstones, one big one in the gall bladder and a smaller one in the biliary tree. His bilirubin was high and the alt (?) is still very high but he is responding well to treatment. After talking to a specialist vet he was allowed home last night with a bag of meds. He’s having more tests on Wednesday.
I’m a little unsure on how to look after him now. Maybe someone on here can advise-please I’m keeping him in our bedroom away from our other five cats for now as he’s still a little wobbly and doesn’t really like them and tenses if they come in.
Not sure on diet. The vet said he should have gastro intestinal food although the vn was giving him applaws chicken and rice. I bought some pouches of the applaws and some Royal Canin light wet. He is a fat cat so he needs to lose weight too without starving him! He was originally thought to have fatty liver due to reduced eating and weight loss. So I would like to know if there is any suitable non prescription complete wet food he could have. Before he was ill he had felix agail doubly delicious and sometimes gourmet solitaire. Or should he have specific gastro food only?
Thanks in advance.
I forgot to mention that he’s taking his meds in lick e lix as he’s impossible to pill otherwise. Hoping it’s not harmful for his condition. Also he’s around 5-6 years old.
have you had a look on the Zooplus site for gastro-intestinal food? you'll find some there that are not available anywhere else in the UK, and if your boy is like most cats a variety of food will help
Thanks Kay, I only saw Royal Canin on Zooplus earlier until I googled it, then lots more came up I believe it’s unusual for cats to have gallstones, not sure why he developed them. He’s on destolit in the hope it will help to dissolve them.
Update: PG had a repeat scan and blood test on Tuesday and the stone in his gallbladder is smaller and the other one has gone. His liver values are down to normal too so good news. He is brighter and livelier now with a better appetite, obviously feeling a lot better.
One problem is that he has to take several pills twice a day for another three months and he’s gone on strike! He won’t let me pill him and now he’s rejecting lick e lix, both flavours, and tuna. I’ve tried crushing them, cutting them smaller but he won’t have any of it in any of the treats. Any ideas would be gratefully appreciated as I’m really worried about it.
I had a cat that was near impossible to pill - the only solution was to roll her up in a thick dressing gown with just her head sticking out, open her mouth and push the pill well down her throat, then keep her mouth closed and gently rub her throat till she swallowed. These days there are plastic devices that help with getting the pill in. Not pleasant for either of us, and lots of cuddling and treats needed by way of apology, but even the vet ended up with a slashed thumb when he tried the more approved methods!
Have you asked your vet if the drugs your cat needs are available in other forms? Liquids can be easier, and sometimes pills can be made so tasty they are a treat in themselves.
It is good to hear he is doing well, and that the treatment is working!
I had this problem, I found four flavours of lik e lix, so using the other two might help. There is also something called easyputty that you can mould round tablets - it only worked for two days with Lucy! We did change one to liquid which was easier.
Thanks so much for your replies PG doesn’t like being wrapped up or restrained in any way, he is a very strong big cat who has a massive panic attack if you try! I even took him to the vet to pill yesterday morning and she had trouble too. I hadn’t thought of asking if there’s a liquid form, I’ll ask today. He’s on two types of antibiotics, destolit and liver supplement. It’s a nightmare
I can only find two flavours of lickelix now, salmon or chicken. I think the other flavours have gone. I looked at pillpockets but they seem to be for dogs only in the pet shops. I couldn’t believe he wouldn’t touch tuna, the other cats were going mad when I opened the tin. I’ve tried moulding a piece of Webbox stick around a pill but it crumbled.
I asked the vet about a liquid form of the pills and the antibiotics do come in drops and liquid, I wish I’d known that before. Apparently the metrobactin pills taste nasty so not sure if the liquid will go down any better Just wasted another four pills, tried crushing into tuna again, well mashed with extra on top but no.
Pets at Home still sell them - yoghurt or liver flavour - smaller tubes, but seemed easier to hide antirobe in last year!! I got the Easyputty from the vet but it was mentioned in the Cat Gallery newsletter recently. http://www.petsathome.com/webapp/wcs/st ... at-7-x-10g
Glad the antibiotics come in liquid form, I only thought one had a liquid version. I did try mixing Lucy's antirobe with water and syringing it last year (they can also taste bitter) - I had a foaming cat
Thanks booktigger, I’ve now stocked up with all flavours from pah, nature’s menu treat sticks and mackerel loin in the hope that at least one of these might work! The vet called earlier to say the liquid suspension version of the abs are £200 .so I said I’d persevere with the tablets..
I’m keeping him in our bedroom away from our other five cats for now as he’s still a little wobbly and doesn’t really like them and tenses if they come in. 
Just wasted another four pills, tried crushing into tuna again, well mashed with extra on top but no.
.so I said I’d persevere with the tablets..