My sick cat won't eat!

Hi everyone 

My cat was diagnosed with low grade pancreatitis on Tuesday, in addition to her mild CKD. I brought her to the vet due to the decrease in appetite, and even now her appetite has not returned. It's stressful for both me and her-- today, she ate a quarter can of food (thankfully with her antibiotics in it!) but now she's totally avoiding me and the food. She ended up backing into a corner growling at me when I tried to move the food closer to her. For crying out loud, I'm not trying to hurt you, just feed you! 

For the past few days, she's been eating only about half of what she usually eats (aka 1 can of food). I'm worried sick about the possibility of her getting fatty liver in addition to her multiple conditions. I don't think I could force feed her without stress as she's a very fierce cat that doesn't take well to handling. 

Does anyone of you have advice on what to do? Maybe change the food brands or something? I've tried Fancy Feast and it only has very limited success. I'm at my wits' end with a very stressed kitty who now avoids me. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

You might want to try Gerber turkey or chicken baby food. I've had success using it with kittens, geriatric, and ill cats. Slightly warmed up, it has a strong meaty smell, and is easy to lap and digest, yet protein-rich. I hope your cat begins to feel better soon!

cowcow said:

 

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I had a cat with pancreatitis and one of the primary symptoms (and  it can flare up and recede) is nausea, sometimes not enough to cause vomiting but enough to depress appetite.  The Miracle drug for this - and i'm not exaggerating is Cerenia, an anti nausea drug originally developed for car sickness in dogs.  The normal protocol is to give it as a pill daily with one day out of about 5  without giving it, although vets are discovering that on a normal dose many cats tolerate it 7 days a week like mine did.

If the cat has a bad flare up (vomiting etc) it can be given sub Q with fluids.  Zofran sub q is also very effective, doesn't need to be given with fluids but has to be given every 6 hours so its good for quick relief but not convenient for longer term use.

Bottom line, i would talk to your vet about Cerenia and see if a sub q injection with fluids (prevents stinging) is in order followed by daily cerenia by pill if needed. Sometimes every other day is enough.

Also a cat dosage of pepcid ac can help too, discuss dosage with your vet.

See http://www.thecatsite.com/t/288350/cerenia

Stephen

I syringe the vet's recommended dose of ranitidine syrup (think it goes by the name Zantac?) for her twice a day but it doesn't seem to help much. It only makes her ignore me more.

I don't have Gerber's 2nd foods where I am. I've tried a beef flavoured organic one from Heinz but she wouldn't have any of it.

Do you think I should just get her back to the vet?

C cowcow

Yes, I think you should follow stephenq 's advice, and ask the vet for Cerenia. I think it is a very good bet that your cat is experiencing nausea, and Cerenia will help alleviate the nausea, which may result in your cat having a better appetite.

I suggest you call your vet right away.

Ill cats might eat Hills Prescription A/D. I got a vet prescription for this and my cat wanted to eat it when she was ill and refusing foods. I hate the emergency vets I took her to. They saw dollar signs and did unnecessary services. My cat probably had pancreatitis. She hated the liquid medicines I had to squirt in her mouth. They made her foam at the mouth and probably ruined her appetite further. If your cat is the same way, maybe mirtazapine. That worked for my cat along with Pepcid AC and something else. It was a lot easier for me to catch my cat and open her mouth, throw in the tiny portion of the pill, and brush her throat to get her to swallow the pill. I accidentally doubled the mirtazapine dosage the first time, but it worked and she started eating Prescription A/D and Hill's Kitten kibble. As soon as she was better, I switched her off the Hill's. For my cat, Gerber baby food didn't work, fishy wet food didn't work, other things didn't work.

My vet got me started using goat's milk on any animal that won't eat.  Easy on the tummy, easily digestible, and I have seen it work well as an appetite starter--all my fur babies (feline as well as canine) have had it when ill.  After they get stabilized, I start mixing canned food or boiled chicken and rice into it, and they've all gone back to a real diet eventually.

Try switching to a raw meet diet. My 16 y old cat with mild kidney disease does a lot better on this diet than any of the special kidney diets I've tried. Those may help her kindney's some but she simply refuses to eat anywhere near the amount she needs.

Also try some cottage cheese with a little warm water. And don't force her to the point she backs away, this will created more stress around eating. As a last resort you can try witholding all food (not water!) for 24 hours, see if this will kickstart her appetite.

Try to let her outside,My cats are outside cats and they never get sick and when my dog is sick he goes outside to get some fresh air and sometimes they can eat grass and that helps the body of a cat or dog

Letting them outside depends on the cat and the environment. I'm positive my cat was a former feral/stray who loves living indoors now and does not want to go outside again. Also, the area I live in is very urban and not safe for a cat. My cat was captured in a very nice, expensive neighborhood that should be very nice for an outdoor cat to live in, but my cat still loves being safe indoors.

I always keep a tin of sardines (in water, no salt added) on hand in case one of my cats gets fussy.  I mix either the liquid or the sardines with their normal food and that usually gets them to eat. I also feed it to them as a treat sometimes. 

I don't know how the sardines would be on a sensitive tummy though. 

HI,centerfire here,I'm new on site. I agree on the suggestions. I have used most of them with success. I stock the goats milk,meaty baby food,sardines in water. Also canned chicken breast and tuna in water and vegetable oil. If none of this works you might see if your walmart/pet store carry the Fancy Feast kitten wet food. It just comes in 1 flavor and it's small cans. Have had luck perking up poor eating with it. If none of this helps I would check with a Trusted vet for something to perk that appetite.
Good luck and prayers for your baby.

Centerfire father to 67 little furry people ages 6days-18years mostly abandoned,dumped or rescued ferals

Hi. Try sprinkling flake yeast on food or even in water to increase hydration.AKA brewers yeast but again, use flakes.

Clinicare liquid, available from vets or DrsFosterSmith.com, can be very helpful.  You can give in a dish, or by syringe.  And yes, any baby food that does not contain onion or garlic and is meat (other than pork, which is low quality and which I would never feed anyone) can be very palatable to a sick cat.  

StampySnifflles said:

 
Try to let her outside,My cats are outside cats and they never get sick and when my dog is sick he goes outside to get some fresh air and sometimes they can eat grass and that helps the body of a cat or dog

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It's true that cats and dogs will sometimes eat grass to settle an upset stomach.  However, being outside is not always a healthy choice, especially for an indoor cat.  it does very much depend on whether you have a safe area for them, neighbors that don't put out poisons or pesticides, if you're far away from traffic, etc.

I would hope that your cats are fully vaccinated, spayed, neutered, and treated for fleas, as that would also be critical to outdoor health.

The other thing is that you may notice less illness in completely outdoor cats.  You observe them less intimately and cats are excellent at hiding pain.

Cowcow how is your baby doing ? I haven't seen an updated post on here.

O