Cat Not Eating 5 Days After Surgery

sixcats6 · Oct 10, 2016

I never ran into this problem before and am hoping perhaps someone else has had this problem and can pass along some advice. My 19 year old cat Maxine had surgery on Oct. 5 to remove a mammary tumor. When they gave Maxine back to me, the vet said the tumor came off very easily and the surgery went very well. Maxine was alert and responsive. I asked for pain pills but the vet said she didn't think Maxie needed them.

So, that night, Maxine mostly slept, and didn't bother with her stitches at all and never seemed in pain. Her eyes were (are) wide open and she never tried hiding (as she did when she had a painful tooth issue a few years ago). She drank a tiny bit of water but mostly slept and acted a bit stoned, and kind of out of it. But walked around and used the liter to pee.

But since I brought her home, she hasn't shown the least bit interest in food. I coaxed her to lick at my finger by rubbing some food on her tongue and she consumed perhaps a 1/4 jar of baby food one night and that was it. She begged for water but when she gets it, she flicks her tongue at the water and sticks her chin and even her nose in the water, almost as if she's forgotten how to drink. She never did this before the surgery. Sometimes, she'll lap maybe three times - tops - before giving up.

I tried different kinds of food: tuna, Fancy Feast broths, baby food, her regular food, new flavors of food, Whiskas cat milk etc. She won't even sniff them.

So, on Friday, I took her back to the vet and they checked her stiches and they looked good. They gave her a shot of something to control nausea. It had no effect. All weekend long, I force fed her A/d Recovery food and force fed her water. Today, I took her back to the vet who suspected the anesthesia shut down her kidneys. But after they did blood work, they discoved her creatin (spelling?) levels are normal. She has no temperature so no infection.

They gave her subcu fluids and something to control an acid stomach. I am giving her two of these pills (dissolved in water twice daily)

But the pills have has no effect on her either. She is still refusing to eat. And I force fed her three times today with one more session to go. (That's about all she'll stand)

The vet said she has no idea why Maxine is refusing to eat and drink on her own. But she's lost two pounds since Wednesday already, and force-feeding her is tough.

Any theories anyone?

Or any ideas how to get her re-interested in food?

StefanZ · Oct 11, 2016

sixcats6 said:
I never ran into this problem before and am hoping perhaps someone else has had this problem and can pass along some advice. My 19 year old cat Maxine had surgery on Oct. 5 to remove a mammary tumor. When they gave Maxine back to me, the vet said the tumor came off very easily and the surgery went very well. Maxine was alert and responsive. I asked for pain pills but the vet said she didn't think Maxie needed them.

So, that night, Maxine mostly slept, and didn't bother with her stitches at all and never seemed in pain. Her eyes were (are) wide open and she never tried hiding (as she did when she had a painful tooth issue a few years ago). She drank a tiny bit of water but mostly slept and acted a bit stoned, and kind of out of it. But walked around and used the liter to pee.

But since I brought her home, she hasn't shown the least bit interest in food. I coaxed her to lick at my finger by rubbing some food on her tongue and she consumed perhaps a 1/4 jar of baby food one night and that was it. She begged for water but when she gets it, she flicks her tongue at the water and sticks her chin and even her nose in the water, almost as if she's forgotten how to drink. She never did this before the surgery. Sometimes, she'll lap maybe three times - tops - before giving up.

I tried different kinds of food: tuna, Fancy Feast broths, baby food, her regular food, new flavors of food, Whiskas cat milk etc. She won't even sniff them.

So, on Friday, I took her back to the vet and they checked her stiches and they looked good. They gave her a shot of something to control nausea. It had no effect. All weekend long, I force fed her A/d Recovery food and force fed her water. Today, I took her back to the vet who suspected the anesthesia shut down her kidneys. But after they did blood work, they discoved her creatin (spelling?) levels are normal. She has no temperature so no infection.

They gave her subcu fluids and something to control an acid stomach. I am giving her two of these pills (dissolved in water twice daily)

But the pills have has no effect on her either. She is still refusing to eat. And I force fed her three times today with one more session to go. (That's about all she'll stand)

The vet said she has no idea why Maxine is refusing to eat and drink on her own. But she's lost two pounds since Wednesday already, and force-feeding her is tough.

Any theories anyone?

Or any ideas how to get her re-interested in food?

I dont have real ideas, but still some overall suggestions.

You will need to proceed forcefeed - good you got in her some, I was afraid she literally hadnt had anything in a full 5 days.

OK, use pedialyte as her drinking water. It contains some glucose so its somewhat nourishing too... Bought baby clear pedialyte, or homemade, perhaps on minerale water and honey.

Raw goat milk - or any goat milk. Chicken broth is an alternative. Or even a good kmr!

Drinking fountain may entice her to drink - cats reluctant to drink volutnarily sometimes drink themselves from water fountiain.

Keep her warm - ie active heat source. The weak ones are always freezing.

You can smear some thick glucose water on lips and gum - easiest to use honey for it, ie thick honey water. Gives quick energy...

Praying...

Last, but not least. Refusing to eat is sometimes their way to tell, its time now... So you must have eyes open for this possibility.

sixcats6 · Oct 11, 2016

StefanZ thanks so much for the reply. I'm going to run to the store and try a few of those suggestions.

I actually already have Pedialyte and a drinking fountain (for another cat who once had bladder issues). So will try those right away.

Maxie is laying in her favorite spot right now by the radiator so she's nice and warm.

You aren't the first person who has told me that her decision not to eat might be her way of not wanting to go on living. I do think that is a possibility.

It just seems so odd that she was eating so well right before the surgery. In fact she'd gained nearly a pound from the time I originally took her in with the tumor to the day the surgery was scheduled. She's a big cat who once weighted about 18 lbs. Through the years, she's slimmed down a bit. Now she's at 13 lbs., down from 15 lbs the day of the surgery.

Thanks again for your suggestions

sixcats6 · Oct 11, 2016

Miracle of miracles: Maxie just started eating today. Perhaps the antacid helped her. Or she turned a corner on pain. I noticed this morning that she was grooming herself, something she had stopped doing since the surgery. And then she casually walked up to the dish of Fancy Feat Grilled Beef and started eating. She only ate a few bites but afterwards I coaxed her to eat quite a bit of canned tuna as well as part of one of those Creamy Broths that come in a pouch.

I still force-fed her tonight the AD Recovery food to guarantee she's getting enough nutrients. I'm hoping this will be the final time with the Recovery food.

But I never needed to use the Pediacare because she's been drinking and drinking normally all day. She's also back to sleeping in many of her old locations around the house as opposed to the new strange ones she picked out after the surgery.

Really hoping she's on the road to recovery!

StefanZ · Oct 12, 2016

sixcats6 said:
Miracle of miracles: Maxie just started eating today. Perhaps the antacid helped her. Or she turned a corner on pain. I noticed this morning that she was grooming herself, something she had stopped doing since the surgery. And then she casually walked up to the dish of Fancy Feat Grilled Beef and started eating. She only ate a few bites but afterwards I coaxed her to eat quite a bit of canned tuna as well as part of one of those Creamy Broths that come in a pouch.

I still force-fed her tonight the AD Recovery food to guarantee she's getting enough nutrients. I'm hoping this will be the final time with the Recovery food.

But I never needed to use the Pediacare because she's been drinking and drinking normally all day. She's also back to sleeping in many of her old locations around the house as opposed to the new strange ones she picked out after the surgery.

Really hoping she's on the road to recovery!

Tx for the good report. Yes, I too want to think she come around the treshold of pain and feeling uneasy.

Holding thumbs!