14 year old cat appetite issues and we're stumped

[profcat]

Our cat Lucy is 14 and has had regular healthy checkups. Last summer we noticed she was having trouble holding food in her mouth when she ate, so we brought her to the vet who found she had broken her lower jaw. We think she was running around and ran into something. She plays hard for a cat her age, especially with our younger cat! We gave her prednisone for a while and it got better. She had a checkup and good bloodwork in January but had lost some weight then. She is missing a lot of teeth from having Bartonella as a kitten. She also has some arthritis in her hips and she's gotten a couple of solensia injections for that over the winter. It's helped and she is very active!

Flash forward to 2+ weeks ago when she started not finishing her food. This is very unlike her as she always eats her wet food and then wants more. We brought her in for a checkup and the vet saw nothing wrong with her teeth and thought she might have pain from her jaw or arthritis. We tried 5 days of prednisolone, which helped a little but not a ton. Then we got her another solensia injection as she seemed a bit painful overall. The injection helped and she's up and running around. But her appetite is still not great. She is vocally hungry at breakfast and dinner but then doesn't eat much. Vet thought it might be texture-- that she's getting tired or sore licking pate food. So we add dry food to it and it seemed to help, but then this morning she didn't want anything. We bought some different foods to try. She eats them, but doesn't finish. Is she just being picky?

The next step would be more bloodwork and an ultrasound, but the vet thinks it still might be related to her having pain in her jaw/neck. What kinds of foods should we try and what else might be going on here? She's not vomiting or acting sick in any way.

 

[catapault]

While my boys do not have problems eating / finishing their wet food they do like it when I add a spoonful or two of water to their wet, pate style food and use the back of a spoon to mash everything into mush. Couldn't hurt to try this for Lucy. Do hope you find an aswer / solution, and soon!

 

[FeebysOwner]

One of the possible side effects of Solensia is lack of appetite, so that is something to discuss with your vet. If the vet thinks it is worth it for Lucy to keep getting Solensia injections, perhaps she could benefit from an appetite stimulant. There is also another arthritic pain blocker, called Adequan, that might be a replacement option. Unlike Solensia, Adequan also contains a joint supplement.
A Comprehensive Guide to Solensia for Cats: Usage, Dosage, and Side Effects - The Cat Bandit Blog

Elevated food and water dishes might be something else to try.

 

[Alldara]

I'd also suggest perhaps an x-ray on her head/neck/teeth to be sure, if that's an option for you.
The vet will be able to fully rule that stuff out if it comes back clear.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Here is an entire thread devoted just to getting cats to eat: Any Good Tips To Get Your Cats To Eat? Share Them Here!

Hoping something in there will work for you.

 

[stephanietx]

I would ask them to check her pancreas to make sure everything is good there. Pancreatitis can present as inappetence, vomiting, or diarrhea.

 

[profcat]

I'd also suggest perhaps an x-ray on her head/neck/teeth to be sure, if that's an option for you.
The vet will be able to fully rule that stuff out if it comes back clear.

Yes I think an x-ray makes sense. Especially as we know she broke her jaw last summer. It could be re-injured.

 

[profcat]

One of the possible side effects of Solensia is lack of appetite, so that is something to discuss with your vet. If the vet thinks it is worth it for Lucy to keep getting Solensia injections, perhaps she could benefit from an appetite stimulant. There is also another arthritic pain blocker, called Adequan, that might be a replacement option. Unlike Solensia, Adequan also contains a joint supplement.
A Comprehensive Guide to Solensia for Cats: Usage, Dosage, and Side Effects - The Cat Bandit Blog

Elevated food and water dishes might be something else to try.

Very interesting! She wants to eat but then only eats a couple of bits. We also started giving her a pepcid, which the vet recommended. Maybe that will help.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Let us know if the pepcid helps.

 

[profcat]

A happy update: Lucy's appetite is back to normal again! We changed the flavor of food she eats (she likes beef!), and bought something with a more chunky texture. It's easier for her to eat a chunkier food with her previous jaw injury and her appetite is back to normal again! Thanks, all!