Please help! What foods could make a cat gain weight fast and safely?

[OurMiracle]

Hello Cat Parents! My 18-Year-Old Maine Coon cat has squamous cell carcinoma under his tongue. He has pancreatitis and has been temporarily taken off chemotherapy. All tests have shown negative for other illnesses. They think that he is having a reaction to the chemotherapy, which he did well on for the first five weeks of treatment. We have been syringe feeding him a/d urgent care, baby food, cat treat sauces, and w/d multi-benefit. What other types of foods would make him gain weight fast? How fast could he safely gain weight? Thank you in advance!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I think what you are offering him is about as good as what anyone here could advise. There are nutritional pastes that you could try as well, just for added calories. There are some additional food ideas in the article link below, but that is more for seeing if there are things he might eat on his own - not for trying to stuff too much food into him all the time.

There is no safe way to make a cat gain weight quickly, but you are certainly trying all the foods that should help him put some weight on. Make sure he is drinking water adequately too. If his pancreatitis is severe, he might need some sub-Q fluids and some pain meds as well.

How To Get Your Cat To Start Eating Again – TheCatSite Articles

 

[LTS3]

I would err on the side of caution and go with no more than a pound of weight gain a week. Ask your vet for a recommended weekly weight gain and other suggestions for high calorie foods and supplements. Nutri-cal gel may be an option. You can ask your vet about this product: Oxbow Animal Health

 

[daftcat75]

A/D is what I would recommend. But because he has oral SCC, you may consider having a feeding tube inserted if the SCC prognosis is good. It usually isn’t. Even still, a feeding tube would likely extend his life if his other quality of life is still good. It will help you bypass any discomfort he might be having in his mouth and ensure that you get more than enough nutrition into him.

 

[louisstools]

Sounds like you're doing everything you can to me. Hills A/D is about as calorically dense as a wet food gets. Even with a feeding tube there's only so much food you will be able to get into the cat. My boy had oral SCC and passed away this past December. I hope the best for you and kitty.