Sick cat won't eat. Need suggestions (long)

I have a 16 year old farm cat that had injuried his hind leg. I took him to the vet and it was determined that he had a large hematoma and that he just needed rest and time to get well plus a few days of metacam (anti-inflamatory). This occured about 3 weeks ago. Things were going well and then he started acting lethargic and not eating very well. I took him back Tuesday and they ran blood work on him. His BUN and creatitnine levels were elevated but his phosphorus was in the normal range. He also was diagnosed with a bladder infection. Vet was concerned about CRF but with the normal phosphorus level is hoping that the high BUN and Cre. were due to the bladder infection. They kept him overnight and gave him Sub-Q fluids. His kidney values were rechecked the next afternoon and they were a bit better but still high. He was started on Baytril (anti-biotic) and sent home. He still will not eat. I picked up more fluids Thursday and he's had 2 days of Sub-Q's administered by me. Thursday night he finally ate some raw pork tenderloin. (I had previously tried wet food, tuna, and raw rabbit; all of which he normally loves) The pork was the last thing he willingly ate. I've tried Fancy Feast flavors, Sheba flavors, tuna, rabbit, pork, clam juice, and chicken baby food. He refuses it all. I force fed him the chicken baby food last night and this morning but I'm getting really worried and frustrated. Does anyone have any suggestions? Since its the Memorial Day weekend, my vet is closed until Tuesday.

sounds like you are doing everything you can. So good for you.
Keep up the SubQ fluids, fluids can never be a bad thing. And try REALLY hard to continue to force feed him. If you can find A/D hills somewhere (often only carried at vets) this is the best food to force feed because it has the highest amount of calories. But any wet food will do.
Mix the wet food with some warm water (blend if its a kind of food that has chunks) and force feed this, 1 mL at a time with a syringe. Your cat may throw up, but that's OK, as long as the food is in him for 5 minutes he will be taking in calories.

Since your cat was eating pork, the other thing to try is this.... (I did this with my siamese who would have NONE of force feeding)
I sat beside him for an hour at a time with a can of gerbers baby food (WITHOUT garlic) and I would wipe a little bit on his paw. Because they don't like the way it feels they will often lick it off. I kept doing this for 1+ hours at a time till he has eaten almost half a can this way..... the baby food is the smoothest and most appealing for them to eat..... it's worth a shot if your cat will lay beside you for that long.

On top of this always keep his favourite foods around! treats, tuna anything just lying around so that if he has any inclination to eat, he will, even just a little bit.

If you are still having trouble then back to the vet when they are open, but this will sustain your kitty for quite sometime as long as he is eating....
Keep checking the colour of his skin (easiest by the years) to make sure it isn't yellowing (jaundice) do to liver failure, if this happens you need immediatly double or triple the amount of food you are force feeding.

Good luck *hugs* and keep us posted

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm headed to PetSmart to check out their cat food varieties. Someone also mentioned chicken livers as good to try, so I'll be stopping at the grocery store on the way back for livers and more baby food. I may try to find an open vet's office and pick up some of that Hills A/D.

If he goes very long without food, it can be very bad.
So I'd suggest that if you don't get him eating soon to get the vet to give him an appetite stimulant.

One other thing you can try on your own is to sprinkle catnip over his wet food.
Providing of course he even responds to nip.

Originally Posted by bird4416

I have a 16 year old farm cat...it was determined ...that he just needed rest and time to get well plus a few days of metacam (anti-inflamatory). This occured about 3 weeks ago. Things were going well and then he started acting lethargic and not eating very well..His BUN and creatitnine levels were elevated...

Click to expand...

From your description of the events, I am wondring whether/not the use of Metacam in a 16 year old cat may be responsible for his current condition. Renal deterioration is a normal part of the ageing process in cats and it might be that the Metacam has advanced that progression.

Unfortunately meloxicam is nephrotoxic, i.e. toxic to the kidneys. In fact, it can cause permanent damage to the kidneys (papillary necrosis), with the result that a number of cats seem to have developed acute or chronic renal failure after taking meloxicam.

Click to expand...

Baytril is another drug which can be quite dangerous to cats if its dosage is not carefully calculated - which often means splitting tablets which is not easily done....more about that can be found here.

I have also sent you a Private Message

I would not have given metacam to him.
My vet would never give it to my cat because it is not a safe medicine.
I wonder why the vet would give thar to him.
It is known to cause kidney problems in cats.
I have a 17 year old CRF cat on Baytril.
I would no frrd fish to a cat with bladder problems.
My cat has had bladder problems for over 2 years.
If he has CRF I can help you.
My Coco has been on Baytril since Dec because her bladder problems will come back with out it.
What are your cats numbers?

When he was first diagnosed with the kidney issues, his numbers were as follows:
BUN: 70
CRE: 8.4
PHOS: 7.1

After a day of fluids. Here are his numbers:
BUN: 54
CRE: 6.2

Other tests were run but the numbers were within the normal ranges.

His numbers are high.
They look like they are coming down though which is good.
How much fluids are you giving him?
Does the et think he has CRF?

Bird, check your PM box.

We had dinner at a local tavern tonight so I brought home the leftovers. I minced up the fish from our fish and chips (minus the breading) and some of the lamb from my greek salad with lamb kabobs. I made 2 piles and he ate a little of both. He seemed to like the fish better though. I'm hoping he will eat some more later tonight. I'm feeling a bit more hopeful now.

KEEP IT UP!!! the fact that he will eat at all on his own is a very good sign! keep us posted!

Today he has eaten a small portion of chopped squirrel, a bit of raw chicken livers and a good bit of raw ground sirloin. I had to hand feed some of it but he also ate on his own out of the bowl. He is definitely doing better. He got another round of Sub-Q fluids and sat quietly for that. I thinking he has turned the corner. Got my fingers and toes crossed that he keeps improving. Thanks for all the ideas and support.

sounds great to me! keep it up! don't be afraid to try baby food (without garlic). Its worked for me with every sick cat! Pls. keep updated!

Chicken baby food is what I force fed him. I hope I don't have to do that any more.

I took Charlie back to the vet today and his kidney values have improved. His appetite is slowly picking up and he is starting to take walks around the farm again. Looks like he isn't ready to cross the bridge yet.