Cats Appetite Disappeared after E-Tube Removal

[Jcrommett]

Hi All,

My cat wen't anorexic and had an e-tube inserted in order to nourish him back to health (many thanks to you all on this forum for your help during that time). He was fed on the feeding tube for ~ 2 weeks before he started getting his appetite back. He had eaten on his own completely for 3-4 days before he scratched at his e-tube and ripped off his bandage wrap. In a panic we brought him back to the hospital who said that since he was due back the next day to have the tube removed they would just go ahead and remove it. At this point we are completely ecstatic, the whole ordeal was coming to a close. The cat seemed perfectly normal, energy was back and he was back to being his completely normal self.

He had the tube removed Sunday. That night he ate his dinner slower than normal but did end up finishing it. The next morning he didn't finish his breakfast as quick as he normally would but did eventually finish. Monday night he nibbled on his wet food and didn't finish his dry food. This morning he didn't finish his breakfast (dry food) and just now his dinner he will not touch the wet food and would not touch his dry food. I was able to get him to eat a small amount of dry food but that's it.

I am seriously freaking out that we are heading right back to where we were and he's going to need the whole e-tube ordeal all over again. Has anyone seen this? His energy appears normal but he is once again slowly losing his appetite and I just don't understand.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Hi All,

My cat wen't anorexic and had an e-tube inserted in order to nourish him back to health (many thanks to you all on this forum for your help during that time). He was fed on the feeding tube for ~ 2 weeks before he started getting his appetite back. He had eaten on his own completely for 3-4 days before he scratched at his e-tube and ripped off his bandage wrap. In a panic we brought him back to the hospital who said that since he was due back the next day to have the tube removed they would just go ahead and remove it. At this point we are completely ecstatic, the whole ordeal was coming to a close. The cat seemed perfectly normal, energy was back and he was back to being his completely normal self.

He had the tube removed Sunday. That night he ate his dinner slower than normal but did end up finishing it. The next morning he didn't finish his breakfast as quick as he normally would but did eventually finish. Monday night he nibbled on his wet food and didn't finish his dry food. This morning he didn't finish his breakfast (dry food) and just now his dinner he will not touch the wet food and would not touch his dry food. I was able to get him to eat a small amount of dry food but that's it.

I am seriously freaking out that we are heading right back to where we were and he's going to need the whole e-tube ordeal all over again. Has anyone seen this? His energy appears normal but he is once again slowly losing his appetite and I just don't understand.

Hello J Jcrommett and sweet cat! I am so sorry he is having some problems. I do not have experience of this, but you might try asking daftcat75. His experiences with his (late) cat Krista were different, but he does have knowledge of feeding tubes and dietary difficulties.
It may just be the stress of having the tube out and now, adjusting to eating on his own. It may not. His vet would definitely be the one to ask about this. Maybe a change of food would result in your cat regaining his appetite. I feed high quality wet food (Blue Buffalo and Soulistic, made by Weruva) twice a day, or preferably 3 times if my 17-year-old and 14-year-old will eat that much. I want them to have 1 1/2 5.5 oz. tins daily, but they don't usually finish that much, being older and low-activity. I also have Blue Buffalo mature cat chicken formula dry free-choice, and of course, fresh water including filtered in a cat fountain.
I've seen a lot of good things about cats loving the squeeze-ups such as Inaba Churrus. Also, Gerber Second Stage (no spices!) meat baby foods (beef, turkey, chicken, lamb -- no pork!) can perk up an appetite and are easy on the throat and the digestion.
Please let us know how he adjusts, and what, if anything, his vet has to say on the subject.

 

[daftcat75]

Hello J Jcrommett and sweet cat! I am so sorry he is having some problems. I do not have experience of this, but you might try asking daftcat75. His experiences with his (late) cat Krista were different, but he does have knowledge of feeding tubes and dietary difficulties.
It may just be the stress of having the tube out and now, adjusting to eating on his own. It may not. His vet would definitely be the one to ask about this. Maybe a change of food would result in your cat regaining his appetite. I feed high quality wet food (Blue Buffalo and Soulistic, made by Weruva) twice a day, or preferably 3 times if my 17-year-old and 14-year-old will eat that much. I want them to have 1 1/2 5.5 oz. tins daily, but they don't usually finish that much, being older and low-activity. I also have Blue Buffalo mature cat chicken formula dry free-choice, and of course, fresh water including filtered in a cat fountain.
I've seen a lot of good things about cats loving the squeeze-ups such as Inaba Churrus. Also, Gerber Second Stage (no spices!) meat baby foods (beef, turkey, chicken, lamb -- no pork!) can perk up an appetite and are easy on the throat and the digestion.
Please let us know how he adjusts, and what, if anything, his vet has to say on the subject.

That was a tag fail, tarasgirl06 , but I saw this anyway.

Krista's need for an e-tube was probably different than your cat's. I actually insisted upon it because she was wobbly and cross-eyed from a ruptured eardrum and had so much dental pain, she was drooling from the procedure and the pain pills. She hadn't eaten for several days before her intake and the required dental work. I told them, "don't ask her to eat on her own given everything that's going on and the extractions just performed in her mouth." By the time I took her home several days later (it was a doozy of an in-patient stay for her), she was actually eating again on her own. I kept the tube in for a few weeks for meds and insurance--better to leave it in too long than to take it out too soon. It's unfortunate that you are learning this the hard way. The vet needs to look him over and the tube site and maybe even re-do X-rays to make sure nothing odd happened. It is, after all, a hole in your cat's neck and esophagus. It does heal up quickly. But with him scratching and whatever else, he maybe picked up an infection that zapped his appetite? I can't really even start to guess here. Besides having the vet look him over and re-examine the tube site, you may ask your vet about anti-nausea and appetite stimulant prescriptions. What did he need the tube for and has that resolved? It may have been premature to remove it. But I'm not sure how easily they can put it back in. The hole it came from has probably closed by now. I'm not certain if he needs more healing before they poke another one in him.

 

[tarasgirl06]

That was a tag fail, tarasgirl06 , but I saw this anyway.

Krista's need for an e-tube was probably different than your cat's. I actually insisted upon it because she was wobbly and cross-eyed from a ruptured eardrum and had so much dental pain, she was drooling from the procedure and the pain pills. She hadn't eaten for several days before her intake and the required dental work. I told them, "don't ask her to eat on her own given everything that's going on and the extractions just performed in her mouth." By the time I took her home several days later (it was a doozy of an in-patient stay for her), she was actually eating again on her own. I kept the tube in for a few weeks for meds and insurance--better to leave it in too long than to take it out too soon. It's unfortunate that you are learning this the hard way. The vet needs to look him over and the tube site and maybe even re-do X-rays to make sure nothing odd happened. It is, after all, a hole in your cat's neck and esophagus. It does heal up quickly. But with him scratching and whatever else, he maybe picked up an infection that zapped his appetite? I can't really even start to guess here. Besides having the vet look him over and re-examine the tube site, you may ask your vet about anti-nausea and appetite stimulant prescriptions. What did he need the tube for and has that resolved? It may have been premature to remove it. But I'm not sure how easily they can put it back in. The hole it came from has probably closed by now. I'm not certain if he needs more healing before they poke another one in him.

I didn't tag you, daftcat75 because I generally recommend the OP contact you if desired. TYSM for being so responsive and I hope it helps Jcrommett and cat.

 

[daftcat75]

I didn't tag you, daftcat75 because I generally recommend the OP contact you if desired. TYSM for being so responsive and I hope it helps Jcrommett and cat.

To be honest, I always prefer to be tagged than messaged directly. A direct message denies the next person with the same question the ability to find my answer in a search. It also prevents people with similar experiences the opportunity to chime in.

 

[tarasgirl06]

To be honest, I always prefer to be tagged than messaged directly. A direct message denies the next person with the same question the ability to find my answer in a search. It also prevents people with similar experiences the opportunity to chime in.

Noted! I'll remember that. I was concerned primarily with your privacy.