Cat needs to GAIN WEIGHT!

wtexaswiggle

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My 1/2 Siamese mix Scooter is about 12 years old and is an indoor cat. He's been eating dry Iams for most of his life. He was a healthy cat up until about a year ago when he started losing a lot of weight. He was around 15-16 lbs...now he is half that at around 8 lbs. He has been through an extensive amount of test by the vet. They found a tumor (thickening) in his intestines and they told me he has but one good kidney that may not have been formed properly at birth. He was given an antiobiotic to help with vomiting/diarrhea and I gave him z-fluids for about 2 weeks to help hydration. He was then put on prescription dry KD diet food as we are trying to get him prepped for surgery in removing the tumor. The vomiting/diarrhea have gone away and he continues to drink fluids pretty well, but he has lost almost all of his appetite and I am very worried he may be too weak to go through with surgery. What once was a solid muscled cat is now fur and bones. He hardly eats anything at all at this point. The vet prescribed some meds (some form of anti-depressant it seems) to try and bump his appetite. It's been about 2 weeks and there is no change.

After doing some research myself, I've noticed that this new diet (Science KD) lacks a few key ingredients to helping add weight.....fat, ANIMAL protein, and water (moisture). The vet stressed the dry KD diet food as it was low in protein and calcium-to-phosphorus ratios and would be easier on his one good kidney. My problem with this is in looking back, I believe he is missing the added water/moisture intake that this dry food source is sorely missing along with the fat and ANIMAL proteins only found in meats. The proteins in the KD diet food come mainly from plant material. He's essentially being cut off from the animal proteins/fat he needs. As a carnovore, I can't see how this can be good for a cat. I need him to eat and was wondering if anyone has a good, easy raw-food recipe or brand of healthy wet food that could possibly get him to start eating again???

Sorry for the lengthy post...I didn't want to leave anything out and my vet is on vacation. I'm reaching a new level of "worried". Thanks for any thoughts!
 

bonnie1965

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Oh my, did you ever come to the right place. I don't know enough to be of much help, but others will be along who do.

Big hugs and healing vibes to Scooter!
 

sharky

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Please read the Crf thread sticky at the top of the forum
...

There are ways to do low protein and phos yet get wt gain.... But you and the vet should be working together....

Nutri cal

Canned foods

Homemade diet

extra treats
 

devlyn

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Maybe a high quality canned kitten food? I know my adult cats always like the kitten food better than adult and it has more calories which it seems like he needs. I'm not an expert or anything, but I wonder, if his one kidney is good, why treat him like a cat in renal failure?
IMO it's better to feed him species appropriate foods with lots of animal protein and moisture. Raw might be a good idea too, especially the raw medallions you can get in some pet stores that you can pick up frozen. That way he's getting nutrients that haven't been burnt out of the food.
Another thought is KMR. When Pippin was ill and not eating much, I mixed some in with his food to get him to eat. The vet mentioned about him getting fat, but he was actually losing weight and the KMR got him to eat, which is the big deal.
I hope you figure out something to help him eat and gain weight. I know how horrible it is to see your baby get emaciated like that and it breaks your heart just to touch them and feel bones.


Devlyn
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by Devlyn

Maybe a high quality canned kitten food? I know my adult cats always like the kitten food better than adult and it has more calories which it seems like he needs. I'm not an expert or anything, but I wonder, if his one kidney is good, why treat him like a cat in renal failure?
IMO it's better to feed him species appropriate foods with lots of animal protein and moisture. Raw might be a good idea too, especially the raw medallions you can get in some pet stores that you can pick up frozen. That way he's getting nutrients that haven't been burnt out of the food.
Another thought is KMR. When Pippin was ill and not eating much, I mixed some in with his food to get him to eat. The vet mentioned about him getting fat, but he was actually losing weight and the KMR got him to eat, which is the big deal.
I hope you figure out something to help him eat and gain weight. I know how horrible it is to see your baby get emaciated like that and it breaks your heart just to touch them and feel bones.


Devlyn
Because one kidney working IS FAILURE of 50% ....
 
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wtexaswiggle

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Thanks so much for the responses.

I took Scooter to the vet this morning. The vet was kind enough to see to him on her last day of vacation. Unfortunately, he's in bad shape right now. He's extremely weak, has jaundice, and his intestinal disease (cancer) may have spread and we're trying to figure out if the cancer is reason his liver is failing him now. I picked him up some wet food and mixed it with his KD diet and he ate a good deal before he was done. I take him home tonight to take care of him and await the blood test tomorrow morning. The blood test should reveal whether or not his bone marrow will be able to make red blood cells on its own. This will determine whether we can try and reverse the jaundice and get him up to speed for surgery to take out the tumor or whether we have to let him go. What an agonizing few days it has been. I am tired and drained and the outlook for my good buddy is not good. I know I'm new to this forum, but I'm glad I found it regardless of my bad news. Thanks for listening and please say a kind word for my little boy
 

lisah

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terribly sorry it must be awful for you , i have a sick kitty and it is horrible to see them ill , hopefully he will pull through , fingers crossed for you and your kitty
 

devlyn

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I hope he improves and is home with you soon. It's so hard to see them sick.


Devlyn
 
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wtexaswiggle

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Thank you for your open hearts and quick ears of my little boy Scooter.

The news was bad on his last blood test as it revealed that he tested positive for FIP. Now he not only is suffering from anorexia, anemia, and jaundice...now his poor little kidneys and liver are taking a beating. The blood test revealed that his bone marrow isn't producing any red blood cells any longer and his white blood cell count is dwindling as well. My poor little angel is dying. The vet wants us to try and give him the best possible care (hospice) we can while we can and say our goodbyes because he only has days left with us.

My heart is broken. I feel almost numb because the last 4 days have been so hard emotionally/physically and at 32, this young man hasn't cried that much since I was a boy. We've got Scooter on 100mL of Sub Q fluids per day, feeding him with a syringe as we can, while doing our best to get his antiobiotics of doxycycline down him along with an antidepressant called Mertizapine to help increase his appetite. Just two weeks ago we thought he was getting better because his diarrhea/vomiting ceased. He was just over 8 lbs. two weeks ago and yesterday, he weighed in at 7.2 and has jaundice. Going back to work today was even harder as I thought about him in his room. He's been with me since I went to college about 13 years ago and he's meant an aweful lot to me as a friend. I know there is no cure for FIP and he's on his last leg. Right now I'm trying to make him comfortable for as long as I can till we make that dreadful appointment. With a very heavy heart, thanks for listening.


http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v2...Scooter010.jpgOur little angel two weeks ago sunning in the back yard!
 

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I'm sorry to hear this news


I don't want to give you false hope, as the combination of issues going on with Scooter sound quite discouraging...however I want to mention that there is no conclusive test for FIP. It is a disease that is often misdiagnosed and misunderstood. I assume the blood test that revealed FIP was "titer" test, which in reality only tests for EXPOSURE to the corona virus. A very, very high percentage of cats test positive for *exposure* to the corona virus. FIP is a somewhat rare mutation of the corona virus. In most cats that have been exposed, it never mutates into real "FIP". There is no test that can conclusively diagnose FIP.

My thoughts are with you and Scooter.
 

booktigger

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I am so very sorry to hear this, and hope you spend lots of good quality time with your little man, he will tell you when the time is right for his final journey. He is lucky to have had such a good owner, and one who will do right by him now, as always. Thinking of you.
 
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