Cat not able to eat solid foods after steroids

[justin88]

Hi all - Our cat Miles has been through a lot the past few weeks. He came down with a pretty awful fever and lethargy and after countless vet visits, exams, and finally an MRI it seemed he had an immune mediated myositis in his right hip that they can only attribute to the vaccines he received a few weeks ago. He was prescribed 5mg of prednisolone twice a day and by the third day he was almost back to normal - still a little lethargic but walking around normally and his fever appeared to be gone. On the 4th day after the steroids started he started vomited and acting really lethargic. We noticed when he tried to eat solid foods (particularly dry food or his treats) he is interested in them but when he chews them they just kind of fall back out of his mouth. This was Sunday of this week and it's Tuesday and he's still doing it. We took him to the vet yesterday - his vitals were fine but they said to just try watered down food. Still not eating. He was given Cerenia and that seemed to help with the vomiting. Today we took him back to the vet where the neurologist who diagnosed him looked at him. Since he improved so quickly with the fever she knocked down his dose to 5mg once a day. We're hoping this helps with whatever he's going through but has anyone experienced anything like this? We know he's been through a lot and there a lot of factors but it's strange to us nobody can give us answers to the refusing/not able to swallow solid foods. We're feeding him through a syringe at this point. He will eat liquid foods and snacks but for some reason he refuses to eat solid food - even if we blend it down and add water. When our automatic feeder goes off for our cats he will run to it, excited to eat (this is what he always does) but he struggles to get any down and gives up after a bit. The vet looked at him and didn't notice anything irregular with his throat. Just curious if anyone has any answers or insight here - hoping it just passes. Wondering if his immune system being suppressed is causing a weird side effect. Obviously a vet would be the logical option but they're not giving us any answers sadly. Thanks!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi
Not to possibly belabor a point, but they are absolutely sure there is nothing going on with his teeth, or his tongue or under his tongue?

Are they cat-only vets?

Would they consider consulting with a university medical veterinary department?

 

[justin88]

Hi
Not to possibly belabor a point, but they are absolutely sure there is nothing going on with his teeth, or his tongue or under his tongue?

Are they cat-only vets?

Would they consider consulting with a university medical veterinary department?

He’s been going to an animal hospital with specialists - a neurology department is who saw him and then an internist. So it’s pretty much the best place here - or so we thought. But they did look in his mouth and claim they didn’t see anything. But the poor guy (who is usually very friendly) has become a little aggressive with strangers so they said they had some issues looking as much as they could. Our concern is he possibly has mouth ulcers (from what we gathered from online research). He’ll let me handle him and open his mouth and I don’t see anything obvious - but clearly I’m not a vet. We’re going to continue to give him liquids and syringe feed him. But then maybe ask another vet for a second opinion.

 

[Furballsmom]

Try kitten glop now and then, kitten food and also some Hills A/D, he needs a lot of calories so he doesn't start to lose weight.

Kitten Glop Recipes - Supplementing Cats and Kittens with nutritious formula you make at home: presented by Bengal Cat breeder Foothill Felines.

 

[fionasmom]

It is extremely hard to examine a cat's mouth, even a cat who is calm about it. As you say, it is hard to know what you are looking for as well.

He refuses dry food, but will eat pate or stews? Are the snack hard or the soft chew kind? Or he only eats with a syringe? Food does not seem repulsive to him, or does it? Definitely keep feeding him what he will eat in the meantime.

I recall your post about the vaccine response which sounded as if you had pulled him through it. We are not vets, but his symptoms are those which are related to a mouth disorder or vaccine related loss of appetite.

 

[justin88]

Hi everyone! Good news - miraculously he woke up this morning and was able to eat solid foods slowly. And now by this evening he's actually insanely hungry and scarfing down food (which is what they said to expect on the steroids). We're not sure if he just had a weird reaction to the steroids - since the vet lowered his dose maybe he's tolerating it better. We did experience him getting better initially on the steroids so we're cautiously optimistic. But he even just started playing with his brother a bit, which he hasn't done in weeks. Hoping it was just the steroid dose being too high but we'll continue to monitor him. He has his followup with the neurologist in a few weeks. Thank you everyone!

 

[fionasmom]

Wonderful news!

 

[Furballsmom]

That was incredibly scary, so in other words it was like he couldn't operate his tongue or swallow if the food was any size or consistency at all?

What a gorgeous boy

 

[justin88]

That was incredibly scary, so in other words it was like he couldn't operate his tongue or swallow if the food was any size or consistency at all?

What a gorgeous boy

Thanks! Yeah, he would just go to his food bowl, put the food in his mouth, sometimes chew it, and it would just fall out. He would eat liquid foods fine (like those Friskies Lil Soups or Churu snacks). We're wondering if maybe his throat was irritated from the vomiting that happened on Sunday? But seems like a long time for that to happen. He does have a cold now (sneezing and congested) but he is eating. The doc said the steroid does suppress the immune system so that can happen or it's just possible with the stress of so many vet visits he got something. So just helping him get through whatever cold he has now and monitoring him - but overall he's way better!

 

[Furballsmom]

I'm so glad he's better! You might try putting him in a humid bathroom after a hot shower has run, or check with your vet, homeopet nose relief could help