Our Willow won't eat!

marshab · Nov 1, 2005

She has gone to the vet. He is going through a second round of blood tests. We have seen him twice and nothing abnormal has shown up yet. There is only 1 vet in our town. I have confidence in him. Blood tests get sent to a lab 500 miles away.

Yesterday she ate about 10 kibbel treats by coaxing her. She licked some of the mushy tuna several times. That's the only food she would eat. She wouldn't drink water all day until my wife brought it to her. She peed this morning before going to the vet.

When I got out of the shower, she was waiting for me and chirped and then ran into my office where she usually gets a friendly rubdown. So that seemed normal.

I'm thinking these constant trips to the vet are stressing her out (3 in 2 weeks). She hides when she knows she going out. All this makes it worse for her to get back to normal. Then the biotics and appetite stimulant tablets might have made her vomit, and off her food?

How do you get any cat back to normal after all that?

Thank you all for your help and interest. We appreciate it. :-)

marshab · Nov 2, 2005

I hope someone is still following this thread. :-)

Took Willow to the ONLY vet in town again. He took XRays. Took another blood test and sent it out to the nearest lab (500 miles away). He gave her an enema.
All her internal organs looked fine. He said her stomach was empty (of course), but her intestines had a lot of fecal material. He also gave her an appetite stimulant, but she didn't eat anything while she was there for the day.

We brought her home and she quickly ate something. Over the past day she has been eating a very small amount several times a day. This is a huge improvement! Mushy tuna is the only thing she licks. And dried Whiskas treats - 5 or 6 at a time. When we encourage her she will eat 2 or 3 more kibbels! Several times she has walked to her regular food bowl and she looks at it, eats 1 kibbel and leaves that. We have 6 other dried food bowls out, but no interest in that.

She is VERY thin and weak. Yet she seems to come to see me in my office for attention like always.

Tonight the vet called as he got the lab tests back. I tried to remember all he said...
No sign of inflammatin or infections
Urea is low - barely
Her glucose is high. It's been up and down in the past and he felt that might be just stress.
Some liver enzymes are elevated. He feels she does not have liver disease. The only way to check is a biopsy.

So, we will monitor her eating habits for a few more days. HOPEFULLY she will eat more.
The next step would be to give her a high energy supplement.
After that another set of blood tests to see if the liver enzymes have changed.

Whew! I don't know if that is good or bad. We are totally getting stressed out in this house. And the bills are piling up.

Any other suggestions? I REALLY appreciate your thoughts. Thanks kindly. :-)

sharky · Nov 2, 2005

a second vet opinion...sending a

for both of you

dawnofsierra · Nov 2, 2005

Poor Willow has been through so much lately, hasn't she. You're doing such an incredibly job caring for her, Marsha! What a great deal of progress she is making by eating her small meals throughout the day. I'm glad you're aware she needs to eat more. A high energy supplement sounds like a great idea. It may be time to begin assist feeding her. It's so important that she increase her food intake. I'm sure you're already aware of the dangers of hepatic lipidosis.

Precious Willow, please eat for us, baby! Feel better soon!

pat · Nov 3, 2005

I am sorry if I am coming on too strong, I am not a vet, but honestly, given the amounts you list her as eating, and that the liver values are changing, I think if she were mine, I'd be giving a high calorie supplement and assist-feeding *now*. Please don't wait, you have nothing, imo, to gain and much to lose.

Hills A/D is a soft consistency food you can get from your vet that is for building up cats who need high calories and maximum nutrition - fairly easy to syringe feed.

Fwiw, the fact she was constipated (my interpretation of her having a lot of fecal matter in her colon) can depress appetite, so I'm not surprised she felt a bit more like eating after her enema.

It costs nothing (except if you buy the Hills A/D) to assist feed her except getting an appropriate feeding syringe...your vet can tell you how to make a slurry and how many cc's of it he recommends you give in a day.

capecodcatmom · Nov 3, 2005

I'm far from being an expert, but please use a syringe and get some more calories and fluid into your kitty. The others on this board know what they're talking about.
It sounds like your hoping that her instincts to heal herself will take over, but she may not be able to. When she's feeling a little stronger, I'm sure she'll be able to do it herself, but for now, she needs your help. Try baby food, Hills, or anything she'll eat. Forget the kibble for now. Perhaps if you bought an assortment of canned food and tried them, she'd be motivated. They're made to tempt kitties! If she won't eat them from her bowl, you can puree and feed with a syringe.
Please don't wait. She's really really not getting enough calories or fluid.

touro1979 · Nov 3, 2005

Originally Posted by MarshaB

I hope someone is still following this thread. :-)

Took Willow to the ONLY vet in town again. He took XRays. Took another blood test and sent it out to the nearest lab (500 miles away). He gave her an enema.
All her internal organs looked fine. He said her stomach was empty (of course), but her intestines had a lot of fecal material. He also gave her an appetite stimulant, but she didn't eat anything while she was there for the day.

We brought her home and she quickly ate something. Over the past day she has been eating a very small amount several times a day. This is a huge improvement! Mushy tuna is the only thing she licks. And dried Whiskas treats - 5 or 6 at a time. When we encourage her she will eat 2 or 3 more kibbels! Several times she has walked to her regular food bowl and she looks at it, eats 1 kibbel and leaves that. We have 6 other dried food bowls out, but no interest in that.

She is VERY thin and weak. Yet she seems to come to see me in my office for attention like always.

Tonight the vet called as he got the lab tests back. I tried to remember all he said...
No sign of inflammatin or infections
Urea is low - barely
Her glucose is high. It's been up and down in the past and he felt that might be just stress.
Some liver enzymes are elevated. He feels she does not have liver disease. The only way to check is a biopsy.

So, we will monitor her eating habits for a few more days. HOPEFULLY she will eat more.
The next step would be to give her a high energy supplement.
After that another set of blood tests to see if the liver enzymes have changed.

Whew! I don't know if that is good or bad. We are totally getting stressed out in this house. And the bills are piling up.

Any other suggestions? I REALLY appreciate your thoughts. Thanks kindly. :-)

I hope your vet put her on an IV to replenish her fluids while you were there. If not I repeat my lack of confdence in this vet you are going to. How is everthing going. Please keep us updated.

cloud_shade · Nov 4, 2005

Have you tried giving her Fancy Feast? When Spot stopped eating, I force fed him briefly before discovering that he loved the Fancy Feast flavors with gravy. If you haven't already tried them, it's definitely worth a shot.

shelterkitty · Nov 5, 2005

I am thinking that an ultrasound to see what's up in the colon and stomach areas might be a good idea. Is there a vet in a nearby town that might be able to perform these for you if your vet cannot? Perhaps getting some fluids at the vet would perk your kitty up a little bit and get her to eating again. (fluids have helped mine get a jump start in the past). As I understand it, if a cat doesnt eat for 2 or 3 days it can lead to liver disease - so perhaps force feeding is the way to go if enticing her with different smelly foods doesn't work - I did read about one sick kitty (that had a liver problem) was force fed for 2 or 3 months before finally winning the battle! Sometimes a really fishy smelling cat food will get them somewhat interested...I used Max Cat Chicken and Ocean fish kitten canned food and also Chicken Soup for the cat Lovers Soul with chicken and salmon in kitten formula (canned) to get my old Cubby eating again after his recent heart problems stopped his eating for a couple of days. It was touch and go for awhile but with coaxing and the fishy smelly food and the fluids at the vet, he finally felt well enough to start eating. I was told kitten formula food was better for giving a little boost in energy. I have also heard that cottage cheese is really good for sick kitties and some like it a lot (unfortunately mine didn't). I wish you luck and kisses to your Willow!

marshab · Nov 22, 2005

Hi there. This is Marsha's husband. First of all, let me say THANKS to all of you involved in this website. It has been a huge help in giving us options and the links to great information.

It's been a stressful time over the past few weeks. The situation with Willow has improved. Since her return from the vet the 3rd time, she has been eating somewhat. We've tried over 13 different dry foods, and treats, and baby food, and everything else everyone suggested. What a challenge!

Now we've found dried kibble treats that she goes to the cupboard for. We give her 5 to 10 each time. Is there anything wrong with that?
We also give her a sardine tuna moist pate daily that she licks partially dry.
And we finally found a dry food that she will eat at least 1/4 cup a day.
That is a HUGE improvement from 2 weeks ago.

She used to eat a combo of 3-4 different dry foods continuously before. Over 1/2 cup a day. She has gained some weight but is still thin.

She comes to bug me in my home office and then I will follow her to her food bowl. If I sit with her, pet her and encourage her, she seems to eat longer than if I am not around. Why is that?

We are taking her to the Vet this week for another blood test to compare from 2 weeks ago. Here's hoping.

I used to own a wonderful, smart German Shepherd. Having a cute cat was a real switch. It's my wife's cat, but even I have become VERY attached. Hopefully this will all work out. It's been an experience!

Cheers to you all! We'll report back after the vet trip.

yosemite · Nov 22, 2005

We'll be waiting to hear how Willow makes out. Sounds like she is coming around but slowly. Keep up the good work and if she needs you to sit with her in order for her to eat - pull up a seat and hang around.

mybabies · Nov 22, 2005

Originally Posted by MarshaB

Hi there. This is Marsha's husband. First of all, let me say THANKS to all of you involved in this website. It has been a huge help in giving us options and the links to great information.

It's been a stressful time over the past few weeks. The situation with Willow has improved. Since her return from the vet the 3rd time, she has been eating somewhat. We've tried over 13 different dry foods, and treats, and baby food, and everything else everyone suggested. What a challenge!

Now we've found dried kibble treats that she goes to the cupboard for. We give her 5 to 10 each time. Is there anything wrong with that?
We also give her a sardine tuna moist pate daily that she licks partially dry.
And we finally found a dry food that she will eat at least 1/4 cup a day.
That is a HUGE improvement from 2 weeks ago.

She used to eat a combo of 3-4 different dry foods continuously before. Over 1/2 cup a day. She has gained some weight but is still thin.

She comes to bug me in my home office and then I will follow her to her food bowl. If I sit with her, pet her and encourage her, she seems to eat longer than if I am not around. Why is that?

We are taking her to the Vet this week for another blood test to compare from 2 weeks ago. Here's hoping.

I used to own a wonderful, smart German Shepherd. Having a cute cat was a real switch. It's my wife's cat, but even I have become VERY attached. Hopefully this will all work out. It's been an experience!

Cheers to you all! We'll report back after the vet trip.

I have the same problem with Missy. She had bad teeth and they were pulled but she STILL won't eat! SHE is on Cyproheptidine but even it is not doing much!

My late Corkie would ONLY eat if I or my Mom sat with her and THOUGHT about her whiile she ate. IF we thought about something else she knew it and would stop eating and leave!

carolpetunia · Nov 22, 2005

I just now discovered this thread, and from the first post, I've been thinking your kitty may have diabetes... which seems to be supported by the high glucose level you mentioned a few posts back. I didn't see diabetes mentioned anywhere -- has your vet considered it?

I agree with others here that you should be following their guidance about special feeding and hydrating techniques, and I also feel you need to drive to another town and see another vet immediately.

For what it's worth. All my good wishes for your poor kitty...

marshab · Nov 26, 2005

Carol,
Yes, Diabetes was the first thing that the vet considered, but was ruled out after further tests.

She now seems to eat a new dried food for a few days and then lose interest.
Then we find another one that she will eat for a few days and then lose interest.
Our kitchen is overrun with different cat foods. I think we will open a used pet food store! ;-)

Does anyone know why cats get so fussy about their food? For 6 years it wasn't even a concern!

hissy · Nov 26, 2005

If she is only eating just a little, here are some tricks I would apply. Prior to feeding her, spread out on the ground a little bit of loose leaf organic catnip. She should come to it and lay in it, roll in it and feel pretty good about it. After she has had a few minutes in this stuff, give her a plate of food (not a bowl) but a plate of food with a tiny bit of the same catnip in it. She should eat it right up.

Is she drinking water? If not, I would invest in a pet drinking fountain. She really needs to be eating more than she is. You can rub some acidopholous powder on her gums that will spark and interest in food.

She also will eat more if you sit down on the floor with her while she eats. Cats are social eaters, starts at the moment of birth when they compete at the milk bar. I sit with my cats all the time when they eat. it is preferable to just lie on the floor near them while they eat. They enjoy the company.

gailc · Nov 26, 2005

My senior cat Ox (16.5 yrs) turned up his nose at his cat food back in August. I went through several different samples, added water to the dried food. However he was eating moist food-it doesn't matter which kind thank goodness. About 7 weeks after buying a new type I thought he likes-he went back to the old food!!! He will eat the other stuff but not very much. I don't know whats up with that.
But I concur with the others that perhaps you should try a bit of syringe feeding. Did you try beef or chicken baby food (no onions however on label??)

marshab · Nov 27, 2005

Hissy, Yes she is drinking water.
GailC, yes we tried baby food, canned pumpkin and everything everyone mentioned here.

We took her to the vet (4th time in 6 weeks). It was a new vet who was substituting for our regular guy. He could find nothing wrong either. We are waiting now for the 2nd blood analysis to compare it to the first one.

Willow is eating, but just enough. She is only 6 1/2 lbs. She weighed about 9 1/2 lbs two months ago.

Again, she now eats 2-3 tablespoons moist food, about 1/4 cup dried kibbel, and 10 - 20 dried treats over the course of the day.

We've left 6 different dried foods out that she had eaten for a few days at a time over the past 4 weeks. But now she only eats one of them and leaves the other 5. So we are working on the soft stuff and dried treats.

She's not gaining weight, but holding her own.
Should we still syringe feed her ON TOP of what she is eating above?

hissy · Nov 27, 2005

If she were mine, I would syringe feed her slowly. She is not eating much and she more than likely needs the moisture and the nutrients. When they stop eating, their body just adjusts to not eating and they "feel" full because the body is essentially feeding on itself. It's a vicious cycle they fall into during this time.

scamperfarms · Nov 28, 2005

I agree that you should be syringe feeding her. I know when my little guy ares was having a tough time. I gave him about 6cc's of baby food every two hours. and moved it up to a wet food slurry. Than he started in on his own really well.

jennyr · Nov 28, 2005

If she were mine I would definitely supplement what she is eating with some high calorie stuff - try some kitten glop (the recipe is onthe Pregnant cats and kiitens thread) or just some egg yolk (not the white) beaten in some water or cat milk or goat milk and mixed with a pinch of vitamin powder. It is tasty and most cats will not fight a syringe once they are used to it after the first few tries. GO to a pharmacist and get a needleless 10cc or 20 cc syringe and introduce it tot he side of her mouth, giving her a very little at a time so she doesn't choke. I would also try very hard to stop giving her the treats - she needs proper food and they are not really providing anything. My cats also love strong cheese, grated up - try some cheddar.

Our Willow won't eat!

TCS Member

Thread starter

TCS Member

Thread starter

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

Thread starter

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

Thread starter

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

Thread starter

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member