HELP I'm freaking out

My 18 (probably 19-20 originally) Pound 5 year old Tabby has stopped eating.

He has been vomiting occasionally, but not always. - just bile - but one time it was bloody like ....tissue? I dunno it was weird and by the time I got it to the vet it had dissolved. =( NOT food, though I know that.

He uses the litter box but hasn't pooped that I've seen in at least a week - hasn't ate since probably last Saturday - we've been gone a lot so take or leave it a day or two.

I've dropped about $900 in tests, with nothing definitive

Blood work has his nuetrophils slightly elevated

He's slighty dehydrated . so the.....salt? and something else is high in his urinalysis....I didn't grab the paperwork but it was suggestive of dehydration and digesting a small amount of blood

All other tests normal.

Xrays came back clean

Ultrasound came back with a slight thickening of his stomach wall on one side. - suggestive of an Ulcer possibly.

He doesn't have a runny nose, or gooey eyes.

He's lethargic and not himself - but not...."out of it", either.

His eyes are clear

So is his mouth. No sores, no abscessed teeth.

They prescribed some "Pepcid (liquid) " and Clavamox for the possible infection and one Other I can get the name if needed but it's for tummy upset.

He purrs when I pet him, too!

But he still after the prescriptions WILL NOT eat.

I grabbed a can of "potted meat" which would normally be a HUGE treat for him and he Gagged when I put it in front of him.

I tried some chopped ham and he seemed interested, licked it a few times - then was like..... nah.....even pushed it around the table with one nail like...I'm hungry...but....

I have a friend who's a large animal vet and he stopped by and gave me some Valium injections to give to him - and THAT doesn't even do anything. No change.

I don't get it. I'm scared his liver's gonna clog up and so I've been force - feeding him as much as I can get down his gullet A/D 

He will lick the I/D I have but it's chunky - and it's almost like he's forgot how to chew and swallow? What in the serious F is going on?

I've seen similar posts but people never follow up on them so I don't know what the outcome was. =(

~Igmu

So sorry to hear your kitty is so sick. It is good you are syringe feeding him as he needs the nutrition to recover from whatever this is.

Did the vet do the special separate blood test (fPL) for pancreatitis? That's one possibility that comes to mind. The thickening of the stomach wall could be indicative of IBD or an ulcer or lymphoma. Unfortunately, all are difficult to diagnose, even with a biopsy. Your kitty does sound nauseous though. Being interested in food but walking away without eating it is a classic sign. An anti-nausea med like Cerenia may help. The Pepcid is good if there is excess stomach acid but not for general nausea. An appetite stimulant like cyproheptadine or mirtazapine may be helpful as well to help your kitty get over the crucial stage and eat on his own. A low dose of prednisolone is often prescribed for suspected IBD or lymphoma for its anti-inflammatory properties. That may also be helpful in this situation. If your kitty responds, then you have more information to work with.

Many vibes for your kitty. I hope the vet can figure this out soon. And many hugs for you. Having a sick pet is always so stressful as many of us on here can relate to.

This may not help at all but it's the only thing I can think of.  Could it be gall bladder? 

I'm thinking that last medication is Cerenia, for nausea?  Have you given him any of that yet?  If he IS nauseated, which it sounds like he is, that may help.  Plus you may, indeed, need an appetite stimulant. 

It's a very good thing that you are syringe feeding him the A/D, as at his size, he sounds like a prime candidate for fatty liver disease.  Did they give him sub-q fluids while at the Vet?  If he was slightly dehydrated, sounds like he needed them.  Are you giving him extra water via the syringe? 

Boy, this really sounded like a blockage until you said they did an ultra sound and didn't find one.  Even with you syringe feeding him has he still not pooped for a week?  Did the Vet say he was constipated?  Impacted?  That's really abnormal and should have been addressed,IMHO.

At the moment, I don't know what to tell you, other than what Vball has already stated .  Just keep up with meds and syringe feedings.  That's most important right now.  And know that the Clavamox could make him feel worse   My only cat that ever took it totally lost his appetite while on it...every time.

The vomiting up of bile is imho an empty stomach for too long.  It can be hard to give medications on an empty stomach when they aren't eating in the first place.

It can be exasperating getting a dx for some illnesses.  My own recent experience took over a month, two vets and two animal hospitals to dx a probable case of lymphoma.  My own cat was on death's door by the time they finally figured out what was going on and he was at least eating some.

If he has a stomach ulcer, he would have pain in his stomach - even being picked up or prodded.  The Pepcid would help to keep the stomach acid down, but sometimes with ulcers they also give Sucralfate which coats the stomach.  For ulcers, small feedings often is usually what is recommended (for people too) - creamy foods.

Igmu89

Went over your post again and thought of something.  We have a cat who quit eating recently.  His problem was feline acne on his chin which made it hurt when he chewed.  He to was given clavamox but it didn't clear it up.  Only thing that worked was scrubbing vigorously with betadine on a gauze sponge.  Of course, he doesn't like it and it can be messy when pimples open, but it isn't hurting as much and he's eating again.  Trying to make up for missed meals.

When it comes to purring cats will purr when they are in pain.