What can I do for my cat - I think she has refeeding syndrome?

[apple_blossom]

I rescued a starving cat on Friday - but gave her free feed of dry food (bad idea), which produced a lot of loose stools - I don't think (fortunately) she processed much of it. We took her to the vet yesterday (after a couple days of having her) and he said she was anemic. Now, the kitty looks fairly young, maybe 1 year old, and with no marks of fighting or contact with any other animals. I suspect she's anemic from the lack of food, or from the carbs in the dry food. Now she looks like she's nauseous. She'll sit in front of her food and water bowl and try to drink or eat, but backs off. She's stopped going to the bathroom since yesterday.  She did drink and eat a little canned food with a little extra water, but I'm afraid her nausea will only complicate the matter. She looks like she has food in her stomach, though.
They also sent out a stool sample, but we haven't heard back from them yet. And they gave her her rabies and parvo shot. They said she was pale.
The vet seemed more interested in selling us on the feline leukemia blood test than doing something to alleviate the cat's distress at the moment, and we spent a ton of money already so I'm not sure what to do. I would have hoped they would put her on an IV or do something, but I guess they figured we couldn't afford it.
The kitty does move around and come up to us when we come into the room.
Is there anything I can do to help her right now?

[nancyjac]

Dry food does not cause diarrhea and carbs do not cause anemia.  Anemia is the result of a defiiency in either iron or B-12.  The nausea may also be from over-eating after not having enough food.  

Please allow the vet to do the feline leukemia test.  It is not an expensive test and would either confirm or rule out treatments that would be a waste at best or harmful at worst without having a diagnosis.  

[opus88]

How good of you to take this little girl into your home and give her some care!!!
I would suspect this nausea is from the rabies and parvo vaccine, its common for cats to loose their appetite and not feel well for a couple of days afterwards.
However she MUST drink and eat at least a small amount. And most certainly must pee.
I would be sure to have water avail for her, if she doesn't drink on her own you will need to give her some with an eye dropper....same with the food, get her a canned food that is easily digestible like chicken, mush it up in a blender and give some by dropper.
If she has very loose stools I would mix a very small amount abt 1/4 teaspoon of psyllium husks (metamucil...there are better solutions but for a short time this would work) into her food.(disolve first)

If she doesn't pee soon, how long has it been??
she will need to see a Vet.

please keep us posted and we are happy to try and anwser any more questions you may have.♥