Thoughts about why my girl isn't eating what she should be

Hi. My girl is almost 3 years old and has recently just stopped eating. Ok..she is eating, but only a fraction of what she should be.

I feed Zoey 5/8 a cup of Science Diet W/D to help maintain a lower weight due to Anal Gland issues [which they think is tied to her weight]. Last time I took her to the vet she was at the weight they want her to be.

Starting last Monday she only ate 1/2 a cup on Monday, 1/2 cup on Tuesday and 1/8 a cup on Wednedsay. I called the vet on THursday.

I think she ate some house plant and the vet said her intestine could be irratated. So...I'm following his suggestion of giving her 1/4 a Pepcid a day to help ease the distress she could have due to eating the plant.

Since then, she eats 2 oz of wet food [put the pepcid in that] and about 1/4 cup of dry food a day.

She is drinking normally [from what we can tell]. She is still as active as usual and is using the litterbox daily. It's just that she isn't eating the amounts recommended by the vet.

Any thoughts about why she isn't eating? If she doesn't get to eating her normal amounts by Friday, I'm to take her in on Saturday to find out what is going on -- but thought I would see if anyone has experienced anything similar.

Cindy

Didn't the vet want to check her out personally? Have you tried feeding a different brand of food? Is it possible that she's just sick of eating the same food all the time, and that something new would whet her appetite?
I don't really know the feeding guidelines for SD, but about 1/4 cup (30 g.) of dry, e.g., Natural Balance, Felidae, etc., and a 2 ounce can of an all-meat/fish wet is what Jamie gets as a daily ration, and he weighs over 13 lbs.

He wants to check her out personally if she isn't back to eating her normal amounts in a week [which from when we talked would be Friday].

I'm thinking it could be she is tired of her food.....but can't take her off of it until the vet sees her because the anal sac issue would creep back in if I allow her to gain even half a pound.

If the vet gives her a clean bill of health, I'd check out some other brands. There are so many weight management foods available that you should be able to find something she likes so that you can alternate. I have to watch Jamie's diet, as 13 1/2 pounds is really his maximum "healthy" weight, but I can't get him to eat light foods, so I weigh every gram of dry he gets. The dry food is really fattening, but he insists on eating it. Would your vet agree to 2 2-ounce cans of wet a day, or won't she eat that?

If you can try an all wet diet ///

Perhaps you could try to give her the pepcid with an eye dropper, and then feed her the food without the medicine in it. Would you want to eat food with pepcid mixed in it? LOL

If it tastes better it might get her to eat a little more.

She is eating the wet food just fine....just not the dry food [or at least not much].

I'm sure she would eat more of the wet stuff if I gave it to her, but the vet wanted me to keep her on dry only -- but with the suggestion of giving her pepcid--i mix it in the wet to get her to eat.

Originally Posted by cac777

She is eating the wet food just fine....just not the dry food [or at least not much].

I'm sure she would eat more of the wet stuff if I gave it to her, but the vet wanted me to keep her on dry only -- but with the suggestion of giving her pepcid--i mix it in the wet to get her to eat.

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Any reason the vet wanted to keep her on dry only? A wet food diet is far better for cats.

No clue on that...but will definetly ask when I call him again.