Syringe feeding--when will it start working?

Hi everyone! I've been reading such great advice over this past stressful week, I decided to make my own profile on here to get some advice from people who (obviously) love their cats and know how to help them.

Here's the story: My wonderful, loving 3 year old cat Fitzgerald suddenly started acting extremely lethargic about a week ago. (I will be honest--it could have started sooner and we might not have noticed. He's always been very laid back and cuddly. It kills me to think I might have missed something sooner.) He had a fever of 104 and was dehydrated. His liver enzymes were 40% higher than they should be. The vet gave him fluids, a steroid shot, an antibiotic shot, and appetite stimulant and asked us to take him home to try to get him to eat. He did not eat so they tried force feeding him a little on Friday. By Saturday, we were syringe feeding him Hills a/d and also giving him Zeniquin pills. He took to feeding very well at first, but we did not get enough in him because we were told the wrong amount.

Sunday and Monday we were able to syringe feed him an entire can of Hills a/d each day though he was starting to fight back and avoid us. All through this process he has been incredibly lethargic, but today is the worst he's ever been. He is just lying wherever we put him down and he only gets up to drink water (sometimes he falls asleep in the bowl!) or to use the litter box (he had a normal BM today and he is no longer dehydrated, according to the vet). The vet suggested placing a feeding tube but (as is a common theme on this website) the money really isn't there and we want to try syringe feeding for some time first. We also have an order of Denamarin coming in tonight so we will start that tomorrow.

Here's my question: How long does it take syringe feeding to start working? It is such an emotionally draining process and he seems weaker now (after 2 days of food) than he did when we first took him in. is there any chance we can save him in this way? Do you have any advice for us? It doesn't even seem like he wants to live anymore. Food holds no interest for him at all.

I'm feeling so discouraged and awful--I can't stop crying. Fitz is my avatar, in case you want to see what a great cat he is. Thank you for any advice you can give us. I appreciate it very much.

Hi there, we are also syringe feeding a sick kitty right now.
In my personal experience with previous illnesses, it can take several days. We had a cat where it took 4 days.
It can be quite intensive - don't get discouraged.
It seems that your vet is very involved, so that is good.
Keep doing what you are doing, and keep him hydrated.
Good luck!

Hi FarmGirl.

What are all the meds for??? As per syringe feeding a kitty the A/d Is a very palatable but not that high in calories.180 calories per can.Wellness core grain free turkey is around 230 calories.Ask your vet if you can add some gerber's stage 2 chicken babyfood(no onions or garlic) in the mix as it holds over 100calories for that little jar.I'm concerned with the meds though & what are they supposed to be for.Syringe feeding a kitty is very time consuming.It cannot be rushed at all.And no two kitties respond the same.Some will fight you which makes the situation a lot harder & an E tube is recommended.My boy Maxwell i syringe fed for 3 months straight.He had cancer.I was syringe feeding him 9-12- 25cc syringes of Iams max Cal vet food.The highest calorie food there is.330 calories per tuna size can.He was getting approx 350-400 calories per day.But this food is like gravel I had to run it through a sieve twice to get the very tiny bones out that would plug up the syringe.A sticky or plugged syringe is VERY dangerous & should be chucked.If there are other underlying illnesses your kitty, has those have to be addressed medically as per your vet.Nausea,vomiting,constipation pain,etc.When a kitty is getting enough calories & is feeling better it will want to eat on it's own.Always offer food daily even though you are syringing.There is unfortunately no timeline.HTH C. Food is life.

Hi FarmGirl .I see nothing dosed as per your vet for nausea.Your kitty is very young and the route of the problem has to be found.Nauseous cats do not vomit.I recommend an E tube but do understand the cost.Yes food is life if you have the time,dedication and will from the love for your boy plus he has to be willing & not fighting it can save his life.The longer they go without adequate calories per day the worse they get.But his actual problem as per going off food has to be found & addressed.Something is wrong in other words.Was a full blood panel done with urinalysis?That would be a start & pls ask for copies as you are privy to all documents of test results from your vet.Cat's go off food for a reason.Does yours go outside? elevated liver enzymes can be from lack of food & Hl kicking in.I'm assuming why the denamarin is coming.Or it can be something else.An average 10 lb kitty eats approx 1 can of A/D give or take.Me personally syringing it would daily add another syringe at least 5ml into the mix upping his calorie intake.If you don't think you are getting the answers from your vet pls find another one as time is going by and he is way too young to be not well.A diagnosis has to be made.JMO Hugs C.

My kitty was on the Hills A/D when he had a feeding tube.  It really depends on what the issue is.  The feeding is to protect the liver from Fatty Liver which is what my kitty had when he was on a feeding tube.  Your kitty did have a fever which could be from dehydration.  Do they know what is going on that caused the anorexia.  

Thank you everyone for your advice. Unfortunately we made the tough decision to euthanize our beloved Fitz this morning. He was yelping in pain and no longer recognized us. He was incredibly weak and breathing rapidly. The vet recommended we put him down.

I feel incredibly guilty. I also wish our vet had encouraged us to force feed sooner, or had recommended a feeding tube sooner. Deep down I know it's not his fault. I'll try to use this experience to educate my friends with cats about fatty liver disease. Again, thank you.

Right now my concern is my 1 yr old cat Oliver. He is clearly in distress missing his companion, but I know he is also a very social and playful cat and will need another companion soon. How can I get another cat when 1) I'm obviously grieving over Fits and 2) I honestly don't feel I deserve another cat after what happened the past week. Does anyone have any suggestions or experience with this?

I'm so sorry you had to have him put to sleep.  You can't beat yourself up about what you did or didn't do. You were following the advice of your vet.  I don't think this disqualifies you from owning a cat in the future.  You'll know when the time is right for another cat.  You might find that Oliver does well once he's over the grief of losing his friend.  Keep an eye on him and make sure he continues to eat, drink, and play normally. 

So sorry for you loss.

I'm syringe feeding hills ad now. Is one can a day not enough of calories?
Someone mentioned baby food mixed in, do cats typically like that?

@FarmGirl - I'm so sorry for your loss. I lost my Lucky just over a month ago, after going through things like syringe feeding, subqs, etc for renal failure. I adopted a kitty almost three weeks later as my kittens were really missing their Uncle Lucky. There's no wrong or right time to adopt after losing a pet. I've known folks that went out the day after, and other waited years. But don't feel like you were not a good parent. You did the best you could with what you knew. We've all been there at some point.

@tobyspaws - I think that would be a question for your vet. Generally it's 20 cals / lb of weight  But when I asked that question about my Lucky, my vet's answer was "as much as you can get into him". It depends on things like current weight and normal weight, etc. If you have a 7lb cat, then one can of Hill's is probably good, plus some. If you have a 15lb cat, then it's not enough. But definitely check with your vet. What is wrong with your kitty that you are syringe feeding?