Author Topic: Please help! My cat won't eat!  (Read 9774 times)

Offline Fire Fox

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Re: Please help! My cat won't eat!
« Reply #20 on: December 13, 2010, 23:50:22 PM »
How are you and Nermal getting on, Petcar?  :shy:
:'( My beautiful Noah rescued 13/02/09, adopted 11/10/09, taken 11/02/11 :'( You deserved so much more.
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Offline Fire Fox

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Re: Please help! My cat won't eat!
« Reply #19 on: December 10, 2010, 15:26:18 PM »
 :hug: My thoughts are that this may have started with a food allergy, or perhaps exposure to a toxic substance inside or outside the home? Just like humans animals can suddenly become allergic to something they have used or eaten many times before. The reason I thought food allergy is you saying she might regurgitate treats but not food, and seemed to improve or worsen with changing the diet.  :hug:
:'( My beautiful Noah rescued 13/02/09, adopted 11/10/09, taken 11/02/11 :'( You deserved so much more.
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Offline fluffybunny

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Re: Please help! My cat won't eat!
« Reply #18 on: December 09, 2010, 12:25:54 PM »
Oh no, poor thing, it sounds as if you have been really through the mill.

My late boy Sooty also sat with his head to the ground like that one day - I'm sure I recall that it's a sign of a potassium deficiency, most likely caused by the fact that she is not absorbing her food properly (Sooty had been vomiting for some time so he had absorbtion issues at the other end).  It's possible that having her put on a drip to replace those essential minerals may help with that in the short term, although obviously it won't deal with the underlying issues.  Personally I would suggest getting her to the vets urgently and getting her put on a drip at least in an interim period while you decide 'what next'. 

I do hope you manage to get some answers for her very soon - is it worth asking for a specialist referral somewhere as you don't seem to be getting far with your vets.

Good luck xxx
« Last Edit: December 09, 2010, 12:29:56 PM by fluffybunny »

Offline Jiji

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Re: Please help! My cat won't eat!
« Reply #17 on: December 09, 2010, 10:39:43 AM »
I am so sorry you and Nermal are going though this I am battling to get one of mine to eat at the moment and know how frustrating and heartbreaking it is.  :hug:

Offline JackSpratt

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Re: Please help! My cat won't eat!
« Reply #16 on: December 08, 2010, 22:57:10 PM »
Poor Nermal.  :(

If they feel things are pointing towards liver issues, it's worth asking; is Nermal an indoor/outdoor cat? Could she have consumed something outside? I agree you need to keep hassling the vet.

I also feel I have to mention the possibility that nothing can be done and you'll have to decide whether it's a good quality of life for Nermal to continue being force fed. (I'm sorry, I know you probably don't want to think about it. But I felt it was necessary to say. :care:)

Poor girl, what a terribly sad picture.




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Offline Sam (Fussy_Furball)

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Re: Please help! My cat won't eat!
« Reply #15 on: December 08, 2010, 22:44:38 PM »
Ahhh poor Nermal she does look so poorly :(  Is she drinking ... if she is then try giving her some whiskas milk ... it is classed as a food and has lots of nutrients in it.  This will help with her hydration levels.  If she doesn't show any interest in it .. try adding a bit of warm water to raise the temp.

Can't really offer any more advice but I really think you need to poke your vet a bit more  :hug: :hug:
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Offline Gillian Harvey

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Re: Please help! My cat won't eat!
« Reply #14 on: December 08, 2010, 22:33:44 PM »
So sorry to hear about Nermal, have the vets ruled out tumours?  :hug:

Offline Janeyk

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Re: Please help! My cat won't eat!
« Reply #13 on: December 08, 2010, 22:21:58 PM »
 :( I'm so sorry to read about your cat seems so ill.  I do hope that she will be ok  :hug:

If I were you I would ask for a referral to a specialist asap to get to the bottom of this, please let us know how things go  :hug:
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Offline Gill (sneakiefeline)

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Re: Please help! My cat won't eat!
« Reply #12 on: December 08, 2010, 21:21:01 PM »
I am so sorry to see that picture because as far as I know , it shows a cat who is very sick and at the end of its life   :hug: :hug: :hug:

I think that there comes a time when the quality of life that a cat has determines how long you allow it to be suffering.

Personally I do not think stressing a cat out to continuosly feed or medicate them is very good.

Your vet should be playing a much bigger role in this..............is Nermal drinking?

If not, its likely that she is very dehydrated  and her internal organs will be gradually failing and she needs to be on an IV with medications put in that way, but you have to be sure by visiting that the conditions are good and they have 24hr staff.

You really should be insisting on your vet giving you some proper advice rather than just taking your money, she is not getting suffient food and wants to eat but she is not feeling well enough to do so.

This all makes me so very very sad  :(

Offline petcar

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Re: Please help! My cat won't eat!
« Reply #11 on: December 08, 2010, 21:10:21 PM »
Nermal has been getting worse and when I went to the vets last night, her weight had dropped to 2.12 Kg (previously 2.34 Kg). The blood results were in and it looks like a liver/gut problem.

She is now on the following medications:
Synulox palatable drops
Zantac syrup
Antepsin Suspension
Flagyl S

I have to syringe varying amounts of these into her mouth. I didn't realise that most of them would make her foam at the mouth. She does not like them at all!

I had been giving her 30ml of food a day but after hearing on forums how this isn't enough, and with her weight dropping again, yesterday I managed to give 90ml instead.

On people's recommendation, I got some Hills A/D today. When I got home from work she was crying for food (as she usually does) but even more anxiously than usual.

I opened the Hills and she showed no interest but when I sat on the floor with her and put some on my finger, she eventually licked it off. I was very excited as this is the first proper food she has eaten in nearly 2 weeks. However, she only ate a very small amount and then wouldn't eat any more. She did however have some of the cat treats she likes and ate much more than usual and much quicker than usual.

So I thought we were making progress until she stopped eating and started behaving strangely. She would move her head to look at the floor and not look up even if she was walking. This also prompted her to walk rather strangely with one paw not really moving properly. She would then lie down and seem to struggle to get comfortable and end up stretching one paw out.

For quite a bit of the evening, she has been lying on all fours but with her head staring at the ground (picture attached). At the moment she is fast asleep curled up in a ball as usual and you wouldn't think anything was wrong. She has never shown any of this strange behaviour before tonight. Does anyone have any ideas what this could be?

I am off to the vets again tomorrow night so will obviously get his opinion but would value anyone's views.

Thanks again for showing such concern. It's really appreciated  :Luv:

Offline Fire Fox

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Re: Please help! My cat won't eat!
« Reply #10 on: December 07, 2010, 00:48:37 AM »
 :welcome: Sorry I can't add anything new, but looks like you already have lots of great advice.
:'( My beautiful Noah rescued 13/02/09, adopted 11/10/09, taken 11/02/11 :'( You deserved so much more.
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Offline Gill (sneakiefeline)

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Re: Please help! My cat won't eat!
« Reply #9 on: December 06, 2010, 23:35:51 PM »
Please give AD diet a try, it may surpise you  :hug:

Offline CatGirl

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Re: Please help! My cat won't eat!
« Reply #8 on: December 06, 2010, 23:33:32 PM »
I'm afraid i can't help ,but i wonder if you could find a specialist on the internet? I reckon anything's worth a try,i feel so sorry for both you and your poor puss.

Offline petcar

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Re: Please help! My cat won't eat!
« Reply #7 on: December 06, 2010, 19:49:44 PM »
Thanks for all the replies.

The food I am currently force feeding is Royal Canin Gastro-intestinal which is specifically designed for convalescing cats with diarrhea.  I don't think any other sort would be any better as she doesn't even get near any.  She is really interested until I open the packet and then walks off.  This goes for all types of food.

She has had an appetite stimulant in the past but that did not do anything noticeable.  One of the many vets she has seen did mention steroids so this may be a possible route.  There seems to be a distinct lack of urgency from any of the vets which is quite different to the response of forums...

I am speaking to the vet tomorrow and hopefully getting the rest of the blood results.

Thanks again for all the suggestions.

Offline Liz

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Re: Please help! My cat won't eat!
« Reply #6 on: December 06, 2010, 19:13:28 PM »
I would be asking for an xray and ultrasound to check for blockages

Diabetes can also cause them to loose a lot of weight quite rapidly and they are thirsty all the time - I have my second diabetic here she is nearly 19 and stable now and has put on some weight we feed her anything she fancies so may be try a lot of different foods, currently pate kitten food is a favourite of Sweeties - the kittens though won't eat it so no waste on the food front :hug:
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Offline Rosella moggy

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Re: Please help! My cat won't eat!
« Reply #5 on: December 06, 2010, 17:37:25 PM »
Like Dawn, I'm wondering about whether the possibility of a blockage has been investigated.  You haven't mentioned an x ray .... although that's about all the poor little mite hasn't had.  I really feel for you both  :hug: :hug:

I've also found ours generally like AD ....

Offline Tiggy's Mum

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Re: Please help! My cat won't eat!
« Reply #4 on: December 06, 2010, 17:21:57 PM »
What a worry  :hug: I was also going to suggest the Hills A/D as it is a high calorie convalescent food but not sure if it might be too rich for her given she is having tummy troubles, certainly worth a try on your vets say so. I've also had great success with Lacto-B (probiotic) in the past.

There's a few ideas on this link, it's from a feline CRF site but it's not specific to cats with CRF. http://www.felinecrf.org/persuading_cat_to_eat.htm

Has your vet suggested an appetite stimulant or steroids which reduce inflammation and as a side effect also increase the appetite?

I really hope you can get to the bottom of this  :hug:

Offline Gill (sneakiefeline)

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Re: Please help! My cat won't eat!
« Reply #3 on: December 06, 2010, 15:09:55 PM »
My goodness what a terrible story and am sure we will all have a take on this although it must be stressed none of us are vets.

A liver problem is very likely now because of her lack of eating and I beieve that cannot be reversed and is serious.

My thoughts are all things that should be shown on blood tests, which are kidneys, thyroid and tumour.

I feel that neither vets have pushed you in the simplest direction to stop her runny tummy or her appetite.  Cats also become locked in a vicious cycle and all the drugs often course other problems.

I would also guess that right now she is very stressed.

Which area do you live in ? Someone else may live close and know a good vet.

My first line of action now would be to get som Hills ad diet, comes in a small round tin and is used for convalescing cats,your vet should have it but you can buy online but only in bulk, so would go for one tin from vets and will keep in a fridge for no more than two days.

Its very palatable to cats and his a highly nutricious food like a thin pate when stireed but can also be syringed. I would stir it well and offer no more than a teaspoonful in a dish. If that doesnt work try it on you finger, syringing is not something I like so that has to be the last option.

Id she will eat it give very small quanities very often.

If this works I would but some lacto B powder, think Vets UK are stll the cheapest and add minute quanties to every feed, this is a probiotic powder to help her tummy.
 
If all of this starts her eating again and stops the runs, thats a really good start.

If she still doesnt eat enought to at least maintain her weight, then I think you need a referral to a specialist hospital, but that will be expensive.

I am very disturbed to hear the comments about how bad it is back there and her condition because in the hospital side it should be pristine clean sand even cleaner than the vets surgery.

You need a specialist small animal vet if possible and they should be willing to show you where the animals are hospitalized and if not then dont go near that vet.

I think that Nermal has had some very bad experiences at the vets and as they put her back on meds that you took her off this does not sound like a vet who is listening.

My feeling is right now that you need to get her back eating and stop forcing meds into her as they could be doing some damage.

AD diet will not harm and most cats like it and lacto b is also harmless and tasteless.

I do hope you can at least get her eating again and then more action mayneed to be taken  :hug: :hug: :hug:

Offline Dawn F

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Re: Please help! My cat won't eat!
« Reply #2 on: December 06, 2010, 14:57:51 PM »
don't really know what to advise it sounds like you've tried everything - have they investigated a blockage of any kind?

Offline petcar

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Please help! My cat won't eat!
« Reply #1 on: December 06, 2010, 14:37:44 PM »
Hi
I'm now very worried about my cat, and having been to 3 different vets seem no closer to a resolution so I am posting on here to see if anyone has any ideas... any help, suggestions or recommendations would be much appreciated!!

Summary
I have a female 12 yr old cat called Nermal who has always been a healthy happy cat with a good appetite. To cut a long story short, 2 months ago, she suddenly stopped eating and got diarrhea, and has not eaten properly since. She has gone from being a fully rounded, slightly above average sized cat, to a tiny near skeleton weighing just over 2kg. I keep her alive by force feeding her 30ml a day of special high protein food recommended by the last vet.

I have been to 2 different veterinary practices and had a full battery of tests which are all inconclusive. The latest blood test showed that there "may be a liver problem" which I suspect is a condition caused by the non-eating rather than the underlying problem itself.

She is obviously now not a completely happy cat, however she is still very affectionate and, this may seem strange to say, she is otherwise perfectly healthy (she still sleeps purring on my lap, plays with string, and does all the normal cat things). She always cries for food too and shows such interest as I spoon it out but then when she gets close to it, turns away without even licking it.

Detailed history
About 2 months ago, she began going off her food and got diarrhea. I kept changing what I fed her from all varieties of cat food to fish fillets. This was partially successful at the beginning with her generally eating something (eventually!). Gradually however, she started losing weight over the period of a few weeks and would then only eat a tiny bit of food if I sat with her and hand fed her. I hoped it would resolve itself but by the time I went to the vets for the first time she had lost a huge amount of weight.

VET 1 - Visit 1: WEIGHT DOWN TO 3KG.
Diagnosed either (i) bad teeth or (ii) athritis.
Gave injections - vitamin B, steroid laurabolin, and metacam (for athritis).

However, she was so dehydrated I had to take her back the next day.

VET 1 - Visit 2:
Blood test - Pre anaesthetic profile bloods were taken (which eventually showed nothing out of the ordinary).
Put on drip - she was admitted for 4 days due to her extreme dehydration and kept on a drip.
Teeth - she had 4 teeth removed in case it was those causing her to have stopped eating.

She was pretty groggy after the operation (for the teeth), and started vomitting when I had her back home. The vet said the vomitting may be side effects from the operation. The diarrhea continued, but became alarmingly worse - it was now pure liquid!

After no improvement after 3 days I took her back to the vet.

VET 1 - Visit 3:
She was given more injections - vetergesic amps, clamoxyl la, 500ml saline under skin (for the dehydration), cerenia solution, and an appetite stimulant.
The vet also gave me some Protexin pro kolin paste to administer orally via a syringe.
The vet told me to come back the next day to see how she was.

VET 1 - Visit 4:
She was given another saline injection for the dehydration, and vetergesic amps and vitamin b injections.
Another vet from the same practise was called in for a second opinion, who was also out of ideas.

VET 1 - Visit 5: WEIGHT DOWN TO 2.74kg
Was subscribed Flagyl s susp syringe liquid to be administed by syringe into her mouth 3 times a day.
However, her demeanour got a lot worse after this and she started going downhill rapidly, so I stopped administering this after a couple of days.

Still with no improvement, she was getting dehydrated again and continuing to lose weight. I took her back 3 days later.

VET1 - Visit 6:
She was admitted back on a drip for 3 days due to dehydration.
A faecal analysis was taken during this time.
A flagyl s susp injection was given every day while she was there.
When I picked her up from the vets, she was in a right state. The nurse said that she hadn't eaten a single thing the whole 3 days she was there, but that "this was not surprising as it's awful back there" (referring to the place where the cats are kept). Nermal was covered in a weird residue that took days to come off (bits of vomit, poo, spit?), and was heavily mentally traumatised.

Unsurprisingly, I wasn't impressed at this stage with this vet, given the amount of money and time put into them and having got no closer to a diagnosis. I certainly wasnt going to let her be admitted back there, as she came out much worse than when she went in! Plus, although a minor issue after everything else, even after all this time and all these visits, the vet and nurses kept on referring to her as male!

After a very lengthy 10 days, the faecal test came back showing nothing. She was still losing weight and eating very little, so I took her to a new vet.

VET 2 - VISIT 1: WEIGHT DOWN TO 2.34KG
He reviewed all the paperwork sent over from the previous vets and suggested an "in depth" blood test done was done (costing £150) which supposedly tests for "everything apart from the pancreas which costs another £115".

He sold me some high protein food (Royal Canin gastro intestinal food), which he said to encourage her to eat.

Given that she will eat nothing unaided, I decided to force feed her this food using a syringe 3 or 4 times a day (I manage to get about 30ml down her each day - I mix it with a bit of water in a food processor). I follow the general advice for force feeding, and I'm careful to give it to her slowly via the side of her mouth. She doesn't like this process, but doesn't hate it either.

I am currently waiting for all the blood results to come back although he says from what has already come in it is pointing towards a liver problem.

Update
Over the last couple of days, she has become VERY thirsty. She drinks for extended periods of time, and when she is not drinking she lies or sits with the water bowl within reach. I'm happy she's drinking lots as that what's I've been trying to get her to do for weeks, but drinking to this extreme seems a little strange?

Finally, the last week or so, the only food she will eat is certain cat treats, but then she will throw them up a few hours later (she doesn't vomit up the "proper" food). However, she shows a lot of interest in food, but just won't eat it unaided!

She's still very skinny, the vets all seem to be totally stumped, and I'm force feeding her every day. What can I do next??? Please help!!!

Many thanks... :-)

 


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