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Older cat losing weight, does not seem to be eating enough
- Thread starter diane0609
- Start Date
I'm sorry that Tibby is not doing so well, @Jill-E.
What a rough time you're having right now.
I'm sure you know about Tanya's CKD website, then? B-complex is discussed here: http://www.felinecrf.org/vitamin_b.htm, and they recommend a b-complex with iron called NutriVed. I don't anything about it, though.
I'm sure you know about Tanya's CKD website, then? B-complex is discussed here: http://www.felinecrf.org/vitamin_b.htm, and they recommend a b-complex with iron called NutriVed. I don't anything about it, though.
It is really hard when you have a senior cat that is losing weight and the vet can not figure out why. I have been there too. Some things that helped me to get my cat to eat more were giving him some goat's milk or raw chicken when he would not eat his canned food. He was also fed canned fancy feast. I ended up switching my cat to pate style wellness wet which is a grain free wet food when I noticed the fancy feast was not agreeing with him. Eventually Tegato had a stroke and put him to sleep to end his suffering. I hope you find something that will help you. One of my friends who has experience socializing ferals has had success using human meat flavored baby food to get her cats to eat. She was then able to transition them to wet food. All I can say is keep trying different wet foods until you find one your baby will eat consistently. My friend got a lot of free cat food from when I was going through this and he would not eat. Hugs to you and your baby during this difficult time.
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- Aug 9, 2013
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So sorry your baby isn't feeling well.
Although she didn't get along with the other cat and only tolerated it she still could miss it.
I had a cat once who had Chronic Renal failure, a hard one to treat, just like my IBD cat who I have now.
I remember feeding her stage 1 baby food in chicken or turkey with some plain yogurt mixed in, warmed alittle in the microwave when she was feeling bad. She would eat fancy feast turkey & giblets also when she was feeling ok. Dry food was offered very little since it is vital to get plenty of fluids in a cat with kidney disease.
She wouldn't touch the RX diets either, but Royal canin does have a canned RX diet called RC LP, some cats will eat Royal canin when they will not eat Hill's Precription diet foods.
My IBD cat will eat Royal canin Hypoallergenic Duck & Pea in the cans but he would not eat Hill's Duck RX diet in the cans.
The Pepcid I also used for it helps with acid, which makes them feel sick to their stomach.
besides the Royal canin LP there are two other canned foods that would be just as good for Kidney disease, Look at Dave's Pet foods for cats in the canned online, he has one formulated for kidney disease and there is Hi-Tor Neo diet in canned, but I think it has fish, etc in it.
The most important things are reducing the sodium amount between 0.1-0.5 , lower amounts of phosphorus and the protein levels that is debatable in cats with first and second stages of kidney disease.
Supplements, vitamins: Omega 3 fatty acids, decreases inflammation, b vitamins and Vitamin C since these can be depleted from urinating often and in excessive amounts.
The stage 1 baby food, only stage 1 since some stage 2 and so forth may have onions and onions are toxic to cats...
Try warming up the canned food you are feeding, adding a little water to it making it into a gravy, this sometimes is more appetizing to a cat when they don't feel well..
Best to you and your baby and so sorry for your loss..
Although she didn't get along with the other cat and only tolerated it she still could miss it.
I had a cat once who had Chronic Renal failure, a hard one to treat, just like my IBD cat who I have now.
I remember feeding her stage 1 baby food in chicken or turkey with some plain yogurt mixed in, warmed alittle in the microwave when she was feeling bad. She would eat fancy feast turkey & giblets also when she was feeling ok. Dry food was offered very little since it is vital to get plenty of fluids in a cat with kidney disease.
She wouldn't touch the RX diets either, but Royal canin does have a canned RX diet called RC LP, some cats will eat Royal canin when they will not eat Hill's Precription diet foods.
My IBD cat will eat Royal canin Hypoallergenic Duck & Pea in the cans but he would not eat Hill's Duck RX diet in the cans.
The Pepcid I also used for it helps with acid, which makes them feel sick to their stomach.
besides the Royal canin LP there are two other canned foods that would be just as good for Kidney disease, Look at Dave's Pet foods for cats in the canned online, he has one formulated for kidney disease and there is Hi-Tor Neo diet in canned, but I think it has fish, etc in it.
The most important things are reducing the sodium amount between 0.1-0.5 , lower amounts of phosphorus and the protein levels that is debatable in cats with first and second stages of kidney disease.
Supplements, vitamins: Omega 3 fatty acids, decreases inflammation, b vitamins and Vitamin C since these can be depleted from urinating often and in excessive amounts.
The stage 1 baby food, only stage 1 since some stage 2 and so forth may have onions and onions are toxic to cats...
Try warming up the canned food you are feeding, adding a little water to it making it into a gravy, this sometimes is more appetizing to a cat when they don't feel well..
Best to you and your baby and so sorry for your loss..
Thanks so much for your comments. Tibby only eats Organix canned Turkey with Spinach and is doing much better now. I checked out the food list on Tanya's Feline CKD website and found very few of the varieties listed would entice her to eat. Some of them caused her BUN levels to rise and then she'd start vomiting again. When I switched her back to that Organix flavor, she'd improve. This is the only one she will eat regularly. Sometimes I put a little dried duck liver in it too, but she doesn't seem to care if it's there or not.
She won't eat anything raw. I tried switching her over to several raw diet foods, adding it in very slowly, but she wasn't interested. I bought ground turkey, ground beef and ground chicken. If they were raw, she wouldn't eat them. If I cooked them, she would eat it, but not consistently. She was never one for stealing raw meat off the counter or eating the tidbits I gave to Angie either. So, I've stuck to what I know she'll eat.
I also began giving Tibby Mirtazapine to encourage her to eat. I originally had it for Angie, for a similar reason. However, Angie would yowl on it, wander around and not settle down. I hated giving it to her. Yes, she'd eat more, but since I had to put her to sleep, I still had some leftover. So, I tried it on Tibby.
Tibby doesn't yowl, but does seem to wander around a bit more when she's on it. She does eat more too, so I'm encouraged that it's working for her. I give it to her every 3 days, according to the vet's instructions. She appears to back to her normal self, for the most part. She's playful, going outside and hunting bugs, chasing off the neighbor cats, and sleeping through the night. Her weight has stabilized for now too.
@DonnaJean - Thanks for the comments. You really didn't tell me anything I didn't already know. I've had 11 cats in my life and several of them have had CKD. None with IBD, luckily.
Many years ago, I had a cat with bone cancer. I did a ton of research on every cat food back then. What I found was that 99% of them were mostly garbage, had toxic junk in them, made from non-human grade animals that are often fed pesticide laced feed, and fillers cats don't need and can't digest. Not much has changed for many of the commercial foods, though some have changed to appeal to those of us that know a lot more and care what we feed our animals. However, if you really read the ingredients listed, you can plainly see they aren't all that much better.
There are some newer brands that are a little better than many commercial foods though. These are usually found in natural pet food stores, but even some of them are going in the wrong direction now, in the name of profit. They keep changing their formulas to include such things as grains, rice, potatoes, kelp, pea protein instead of real meat, etc.. Cat's can't digest pea protein, so it's just a way for these manufacturers to make money, while shorting our animals the necessary nutrition they need to be happy and healthy. It's just a big scam, and 99.99% of the veterinarians are in on it too. Most vets are conning clients by recommending prescription diets, at high prices, that only they carry, and are made by only a few pet food companies; they are in cahoots with them, because the pet food manufactures paid for their educations and the research done at the vet schools. The vets are also keeping you coming back for more tests, then meds and and special food. However, I know from talking with a few very knowledgable vets what's really going on in the commercial pet food world. Raw diets aren't always great either, unless you are making them yourself, and start your cat on them at an early age. If I had the time, I would make my cats their food, from human grade meat bought only at Whole Foods. I'd only buy meat that was organically raised, pasture raised, naturally raised with no added hormones, no pesticide laced feed, just their natural organic diet.
Please read this article to learn more about why all these diseases in our pets are more common now than a hundred years ago.
http://www.collective-evolution.com...you-need-to-know-about-the-pet-food-industry/
I know all about the Gerber's Stage 1 Baby Food route. Maybe if it was organic baby food, Tibby would eat it, but I don't need to give it to her now. The vet tried giving her some Gerber's baby food once when I was there, after she was vomiting on a cat food brand I no longer feed her, and she turned up her nose. Good kitty! I wouldn't feed that crap to my children either! I made all my own baby food from organic foods. Tibby also refuses all dried food, which is fine with me. I stopped feeding my cats dried food before I even had her. I learned in the late 1990s how awful it is for any animal.
Many years ago, I had a cat with bone cancer. I did a ton of research on every cat food back then. What I found was that 99% of them were mostly garbage, had toxic junk in them, made from non-human grade animals that are often fed pesticide laced feed, and fillers cats don't need and can't digest. Not much has changed for many of the commercial foods, though some have changed to appeal to those of us that know a lot more and care what we feed our animals. However, if you really read the ingredients listed, you can plainly see they aren't all that much better.
There are some newer brands that are a little better than many commercial foods though. These are usually found in natural pet food stores, but even some of them are going in the wrong direction now, in the name of profit. They keep changing their formulas to include such things as grains, rice, potatoes, kelp, pea protein instead of real meat, etc.. Cat's can't digest pea protein, so it's just a way for these manufacturers to make money, while shorting our animals the necessary nutrition they need to be happy and healthy. It's just a big scam, and 99.99% of the veterinarians are in on it too. Most vets are conning clients by recommending prescription diets, at high prices, that only they carry, and are made by only a few pet food companies; they are in cahoots with them, because the pet food manufactures paid for their educations and the research done at the vet schools. The vets are also keeping you coming back for more tests, then meds and and special food. However, I know from talking with a few very knowledgable vets what's really going on in the commercial pet food world. Raw diets aren't always great either, unless you are making them yourself, and start your cat on them at an early age. If I had the time, I would make my cats their food, from human grade meat bought only at Whole Foods. I'd only buy meat that was organically raised, pasture raised, naturally raised with no added hormones, no pesticide laced feed, just their natural organic diet.
Please read this article to learn more about why all these diseases in our pets are more common now than a hundred years ago.
http://www.collective-evolution.com...you-need-to-know-about-the-pet-food-industry/
I know all about the Gerber's Stage 1 Baby Food route. Maybe if it was organic baby food, Tibby would eat it, but I don't need to give it to her now. The vet tried giving her some Gerber's baby food once when I was there, after she was vomiting on a cat food brand I no longer feed her, and she turned up her nose. Good kitty! I wouldn't feed that crap to my children either! I made all my own baby food from organic foods. Tibby also refuses all dried food, which is fine with me. I stopped feeding my cats dried food before I even had her. I learned in the late 1990s how awful it is for any animal.
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I feel your loss my cat Cinnamon the picture on icon was recently diagnosed with some type of cancer,The mass has moved all her organs out of place and she has lost a lot of weight as well.We decided as long as she has good days we`re going to let her be and carry on.We that day is coming but for now shes holding her own.She was sick a while back and I thought we were going to loose her then.She was put on a regiment of antibiotics which helped her immensely.I now feed her yogurt doesn't matter the flavor she eats it and shes gaining some weight back.
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TO DIANE0609,
Is this still going on?
I just now saw your post about the Kidney Issue. I had already written most everything here - so - I'm sending everything.
Even with Kidney issues, this could possibly also involve something as simple as worms. (And, there's some appetite-enhancing suggestions included here and Kidney suggestions).
Worm eggs are not always detected in the standard test (flotation). They are often missed.
I have a similar situation with a 17-year old cat. His generally good appetite was waning. He was throwing up frequently, and had diarrhea.
He got very picky about what he would eat. His last bloodwork was good, too.
Before I totally panicked, I considered that he might have worms. (Worms can affect even indoor cats (eg. Eggs can be transmitted by Flies on their food).
So, I started him on Fenbendazole (Panacur). This is a very gentle wormer, that must be given for at least 3 days in a row to work (because it is so gentle).
Works on Roundworms, Hookworms, and some forms of Tapeworm (Also can help with some Fluke worms. (Flukes are not detectable in the standard flotation test at all.
Their eggs are heavy, and will sink. So they need a Sedimentation test. Still, their eggs can be missed easily because of life cycles.
The Vomiting and Diarrhea seem to have stopped - after 3 days on Fenbendazole. He will receive it for 2-4 days longer, as the longer time period should also get rid of Giardia, if he has that.
And, I actually saw some worms in his stool after treatment.
I also preceded this treatment - by feeding him Babyfood (Gerber's #1 Chicken & Gravy, and also the beef formula) to build him up a bit. (Smoother formula than Beechnut).
It also is easy to add supplements to, which I did.
I added a small amount of Activated Charcoal (Anti-Diarrhea - and soothes tummy/intestine ling) - and Pumpkin - To help normalize the stool (Libbys makes Plain Canned Pumpkin with nothing else added).
He ate this with good appetite, and always wanted more, which I gave him. I believe he WAS really hungry, but, his stomach was in turmoil. And, it seemed to help.
Cats generally like meat baby foods a lot - and, as it's liquidy - it's easy to digest. Probably causes less tummy pain.
(Recommended Baby Food to a friend a couple of weeks ago for her cat - who was not eating, and had good bloodwork. He rallied on it. HIs appetite is back.)
I also gave my cat Sub-cutaneous fluids every day, since he was dehydrated from the vomiting and diarrhea (MAYBE kidney issues too. He's old.)
After a couple of days on baby food, I started adding the powdered Fenbendazole instead of the charcoal. (I get the powdered form very inexpensively from a vet in Florida - who ships quickly.
He also provides advice - and instructions on use. If you want to contact him: Arthur Wells, DVM: [email protected].
PS's:
CHARCOAL: The best form of charcoal is from Hardwoods. Less interference with food absorption. (But, charcoal can cause constipation. Not good for Kidney Failure cats, as they tend toward this anyway.
The pumpkin (plain) is safe.
METHYCOBALAMIN B12: A very safe appetite stimulant is Vitamin B12. I used the Methylcobalamin B12 form in the baby food, too (1000mg/Meal), since it is not digested by stomach acids, and, because
it is far more usable by the body. (I gave my cat 1mg/Meal).
I get the 5000mg tablets it from Swanson Vitamins or Puritan's Pride on the internet. These tablets crush very easily, and once it's powdered - you can easily estimate dosage you want to give.
(You won't overdose. It's water-soluble, so, will not build up in the system. It gets washed out quickly).
CAT FOODS: You got a suggestion(s) in this forum - to take him off dry foods. A very good suggestion - ESPECIALLY for Kidney Failure cats. They need all the fluids they can get.
In canned foods, read back labels carefully. I would not feed any fish, and only organic or poultry liver. Fish is not digested or metabolized well in cats.
It leaves lots of by-products in the blood - which have to be cleared out by the Kidneys. Liver contains toxins from the animal it comes from. These also put stress on the kidneys (and cat's liver).
(Extra stress on these organs)
And, I also would avoid any foods containing CARRAGEENAN. This is a strong carcinogen - that is also known to damage the GI system, and the kidneys, liver.
(Manufacturers will tell you they use the "safe" form. But, there is no safe form, as this form is changed by stomach acids - into the "unsafe" form.
LACTATED RINGERS SUB-CUTANEOUS FLUIDS: If your cat is dehydrated at all - it's a good idea to give these to him daily - or every other day. This will make him feel better, by washing out
toxins from his blood, and by re-hydrating his organs, Ask your vet to show you the pinch test - to check for dehydration. You can find these fluids and equipment inexpensively on the internet,
but, you need an Rx from a cooperative vet. (Or M.D.).
If you do want to try any wormers - please check with your vet first - regarding any possible problems because of the Kidney issue.
Good Luck, Jackie Page
Is this still going on?
I just now saw your post about the Kidney Issue. I had already written most everything here - so - I'm sending everything.
Even with Kidney issues, this could possibly also involve something as simple as worms. (And, there's some appetite-enhancing suggestions included here and Kidney suggestions).
Worm eggs are not always detected in the standard test (flotation). They are often missed.
I have a similar situation with a 17-year old cat. His generally good appetite was waning. He was throwing up frequently, and had diarrhea.
He got very picky about what he would eat. His last bloodwork was good, too.
Before I totally panicked, I considered that he might have worms. (Worms can affect even indoor cats (eg. Eggs can be transmitted by Flies on their food).
So, I started him on Fenbendazole (Panacur). This is a very gentle wormer, that must be given for at least 3 days in a row to work (because it is so gentle).
Works on Roundworms, Hookworms, and some forms of Tapeworm (Also can help with some Fluke worms. (Flukes are not detectable in the standard flotation test at all.
Their eggs are heavy, and will sink. So they need a Sedimentation test. Still, their eggs can be missed easily because of life cycles.
The Vomiting and Diarrhea seem to have stopped - after 3 days on Fenbendazole. He will receive it for 2-4 days longer, as the longer time period should also get rid of Giardia, if he has that.
And, I actually saw some worms in his stool after treatment.
I also preceded this treatment - by feeding him Babyfood (Gerber's #1 Chicken & Gravy, and also the beef formula) to build him up a bit. (Smoother formula than Beechnut).
It also is easy to add supplements to, which I did.
I added a small amount of Activated Charcoal (Anti-Diarrhea - and soothes tummy/intestine ling) - and Pumpkin - To help normalize the stool (Libbys makes Plain Canned Pumpkin with nothing else added).
He ate this with good appetite, and always wanted more, which I gave him. I believe he WAS really hungry, but, his stomach was in turmoil. And, it seemed to help.
Cats generally like meat baby foods a lot - and, as it's liquidy - it's easy to digest. Probably causes less tummy pain.
(Recommended Baby Food to a friend a couple of weeks ago for her cat - who was not eating, and had good bloodwork. He rallied on it. HIs appetite is back.)
I also gave my cat Sub-cutaneous fluids every day, since he was dehydrated from the vomiting and diarrhea (MAYBE kidney issues too. He's old.)
After a couple of days on baby food, I started adding the powdered Fenbendazole instead of the charcoal. (I get the powdered form very inexpensively from a vet in Florida - who ships quickly.
He also provides advice - and instructions on use. If you want to contact him: Arthur Wells, DVM: [email protected].
PS's:
CHARCOAL: The best form of charcoal is from Hardwoods. Less interference with food absorption. (But, charcoal can cause constipation. Not good for Kidney Failure cats, as they tend toward this anyway.
The pumpkin (plain) is safe.
METHYCOBALAMIN B12: A very safe appetite stimulant is Vitamin B12. I used the Methylcobalamin B12 form in the baby food, too (1000mg/Meal), since it is not digested by stomach acids, and, because
it is far more usable by the body. (I gave my cat 1mg/Meal).
I get the 5000mg tablets it from Swanson Vitamins or Puritan's Pride on the internet. These tablets crush very easily, and once it's powdered - you can easily estimate dosage you want to give.
(You won't overdose. It's water-soluble, so, will not build up in the system. It gets washed out quickly).
CAT FOODS: You got a suggestion(s) in this forum - to take him off dry foods. A very good suggestion - ESPECIALLY for Kidney Failure cats. They need all the fluids they can get.
In canned foods, read back labels carefully. I would not feed any fish, and only organic or poultry liver. Fish is not digested or metabolized well in cats.
It leaves lots of by-products in the blood - which have to be cleared out by the Kidneys. Liver contains toxins from the animal it comes from. These also put stress on the kidneys (and cat's liver).
(Extra stress on these organs)
And, I also would avoid any foods containing CARRAGEENAN. This is a strong carcinogen - that is also known to damage the GI system, and the kidneys, liver.
(Manufacturers will tell you they use the "safe" form. But, there is no safe form, as this form is changed by stomach acids - into the "unsafe" form.
LACTATED RINGERS SUB-CUTANEOUS FLUIDS: If your cat is dehydrated at all - it's a good idea to give these to him daily - or every other day. This will make him feel better, by washing out
toxins from his blood, and by re-hydrating his organs, Ask your vet to show you the pinch test - to check for dehydration. You can find these fluids and equipment inexpensively on the internet,
but, you need an Rx from a cooperative vet. (Or M.D.).
If you do want to try any wormers - please check with your vet first - regarding any possible problems because of the Kidney issue.
Good Luck, Jackie Page
Last edited by a moderator:
Well, I have a 13 yr old snowshoe Siamese, I recently switched him to raw cut up chicken, Purina indoor dry and can.......no more throwing up..... and DIAHERRA ...also, fancy feast makes appetizers......totalall natural...
Chagrin loves them and sleeps by where they are keep on the counter.... guarding them......!!!!!!! Try raw chicken...... they love it. There is also raw diets for cats..... helps them a lot. Gotta go chagrin is hissing at something. K
Chagrin loves them and sleeps by where they are keep on the counter.... guarding them......!!!!!!! Try raw chicken...... they love it. There is also raw diets for cats..... helps them a lot. Gotta go chagrin is hissing at something. K
Just wondering you said you are feeding your cat raw chcken isn't there a rish of the cat get salonelia or something else dangerous?Thesame thing about letting themeat raw burger.I wont let my cats any meat unless its full cooked
There is alot of people that feed there cats and dogs a raw food diet, look it up on the internet. Mo, they do not get the same thing as is. That is the stuff they eat in the wild. obviously they can't cook, so it is raw. Our vet says, it does sustain them more than processed can food. It is controversial, but I see a difference in chagrin.
Please don't just start feeding your cat raw food without knowing how to do it properly. There's a forum here with lots of people who are knowledgeable about feeding raw diets and can give you information if you're curious about feeding raw: http://www.thecatsite.com/f/65/raw-home-cooked-cat-food
The stuff they ea in the wild can harm your pet in serious ways by giving them deases.Thse wild animals contain parisites with high possibility of being rabied.We inherited a blotched tabby that was strictly an outside cat and she was full of worms.One of my aquaintacances/vet friend gave her a shot to kill the worms.She imeditely gained wieght from 71/2 lbs now up to 22lbs.With as much contaminated meat that's on the market now days feeding them raw food is playing Russian roulette with your pets life.
My 13 yr old cat is being treated for IBD.She was vomiting 24/7 til it was just water,dierrhea,and trouble decafitating.It is now under control because of prednisolone.He decreased the dosage and she started going dierrhea 4x a day until I gave her fortiflora.Everythings great now except she does not play at all.Her diet is hill's prescription z/d.Gross ingredients but since it's working I am ok with that.My internal medicine doc told me that as cats get old they can have trouble digesting food.She used to eat Wellness Core chicken. He also said to not feed her any raw food.She sees him for a check up and I will ask him about her not playing.It might simply be that I need to start feeding her a different kind of meat.
Laura
Laura
