Older cat, not eating well

My cat is about 13 and had dentistry a couple of months ago as he had tartar problems and had stopped eating. It was a slow recovery but he did get back on his food, and back to the crunchy food too.

A couple of wks ago he stopped eating again so I took him to the vet and she said he had an infection on his gum where it had been scraped. She gave him an antibiotic needle that's good for two wks and a 24 hr pain needle and I got 2 of them to bring home. He really hasnt eaten a lot since then, and it's about a week later. I got a few more pain needles to tide us over the wkend last wk.

He will drink chicken broth and did drink milk and cream but doesnt seem to care for that now. He wont eat cat food, I think the smell scares him, he equates it with pain. Just a theory. I bought some chicken baby food today and he wasnt interested in it either.

I bought yogurt as he does like that and will try that tonite. I am worried about the old fella. I did rub his face with my hands and he did not react at all like he had any pain, I do believe he's just afraid it will hurt to eat.

Any ideas how to get him over this hump? I am willing to try just about anything.

Thanks
Funkynassau, Ontario Canada

I would suggest joining the assist feeding group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Feline-Assisted-Feeding/) and visiting their website: http://www.assistfeed.com/

Often, getting food into the kitty can help them get past whatever is causing them to eat, and sustain them until a diagnosis can be made. Syringe feeding is not easy, but it is important to get food into your cat. The assist feeding group is very supportive and encouraging, particularly through the rough patches. They have a ton of articles that discuss tips and techniques.

I was dealing with the same thing with my senior foster kitty, he had to have 2 rounds of antibiotics after his dental work and wasn't eating. He did take the A/D that the vet gave him, have you tried the really smelly cat food in different flavours? Does he like catnip? Sometimes sprinkling a little on their food will entice them. Maybe the vet could give you an appetite stimulant to help him get over this. Sending good vibes

Originally Posted by cloud_shade

I would suggest joining the assist feeding group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Feline-Assisted-Feeding/) and visiting their website: http://www.assistfeed.com/

Often, getting food into the kitty can help them get past whatever is causing them to eat, and sustain them until a diagnosis can be made. Syringe feeding is not easy, but it is important to get food into your cat. The assist feeding group is very supportive and encouraging, particularly through the rough patches. They have a ton of articles that discuss tips and techniques.

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Very good suggestion (as was Spookzilla's). A week or more of not eating much can be very debilitating for a cat. You don't want him developing more health problems than he's already got. The assist-feeding may "jump-start" him to resume eating on his own. The sooner you get some nutrients and calories into your kitty, the better he'll feel. Make sure that he's taking in enough water as well, since dehydration is very tough on a cat and makes them feel miserable.

Best of luck to you and your kitty - please let us know how he's doing.

I hope you can find something, it is vital he eats something. I have found cats with sore mouths tolerate dry food more than wet food, so that might be worth a go.