Weak and wobbly cat, So-So Appetite

Hi all, I've scoured the forums but this seems to be a somewhat unique situation.

My 15-year-old cat, Leo, who has a history of chronic liver infections (though his blood panels have been great for the past year and a half), became very lethargic and stopped eating earlier in the week.

I immediately took him to the vet, where they ran a blood panel (not including WBC count) and all his numbers were normal. They prescribed Clavamox and gave him a SubQ injection.

The next day he was doing worse - refusing to eat at all and very lethargic. I decided at that point to stop the Clavamox - every time he's on it, he gets violently ill with diarrhea and loses his appetite altogether. I took him back, and the physical exam revealed nothing, so the vet gave him a steroid shot to boost his appetite. That made a big difference - he came home eager to eat and while still a little weak, was playing and moving around.

Now, two days later, he is back to hiding under the bed, though he will come out for food. He eats very slowly and doesn't finish his food. He's very wobbly and weak, though not completely lethargic. His stool is improving, though still a little soft.

My question is this - do I need to give him some more time to improve? The vet is open today for walk-ins from 8am-noon. My husband thinks I'm over-reacting and should give him some time, but it seems like after two days he would be doing better.

Thoughts?

Is this typical behavior during one of Leo's liver infections, or is this new behavior? Which steroid shot was given? Typically, I tend to think of steroids as anti-inflammatories. They can help a cat to feel better but are not appetite stimulants per se. They treat symptoms but don't "cure" them. I think based on what you're describing that there's something going on here that hasn't been diagnosed. The steroid shot masked the symptoms and helped him feel better, but as the shot is wearing off, the underlying problem is presenting itself again. I think you need further diagnostics for Leo. Sorry he's not feeling well.

I agree, and I took him in. They drew blood for a full panel, so I'll have those results on Monday. They also tested a stool sample, though that was negative for any parasites.

He is moving around the house, but he'll walk a few steps and then stop, as though maybe he's in pain. Then he keeps walking after a bit. It's a good sign that he's out from under the bed, but he's clearly feeling very bad. I do think the steroids were just masking the symptoms.

Vet mentioned IBD, GI Cancer, and a variety of other things as causes.

In terms of his liver infections from the past, he's acting how he acts while he's being treated for a bout of liver disease, so I'm not convinced it's his liver. Usually that presents as a significant amount of vomiting (food, then bile) and total lethargy.

I'm worried about him and I hate having to wait until Monday, but I've no choice. Just trying to leave him alone and keep him comfy for now.

Hi there, has the vet mentioned the possibility of pancreatitis at all? Liver disease, IBD and pancreatitis can become something called triaditis which is very serious. The vet should have given you appetite stimulants and something for his nausea. I can't believe they sent you home without anything, even if you have to wait until Monday for the results. Usually they'll give you something like Cerenia or Pepcid a/c for the nausea and something t get him eating. Is he still not eating? because by Monday the liver disease will be worse without enough calories in his system. You may need to syringe feed him over the weekend. Have you done that before?

I have syringe fed him before. For now he is eating some of his food and I can encourage him to eat more by sprinkling fortiflora on his food. I have a feeling that by tomorrow I'll have to force-feed him, though. Yesterday he ate about 3/4 of a full-size can of Wellness and a few treats. Today he's eaten a out a 1/4 can of wellness, but I'm working on getting him to eat more.

How much do you usually force-feed? Do you spread it out over the course of an hour? I think that's how I did it last time. Open to tips though, as I've not done it often.

Oh I spread it out over the whole day. He should be getting more than 3/4 of a full size can in a day! I'll send you a message.