Hello everyone. This is a bit long, so I thank you in advance for reading it. I've got a 12 year old Maine Coon who 8 months ago, weighted in at 19 lbs. He has had some minor heart issues, but other than that, pretty healthy. A few months ago, he stopped eating. The vet diagnosed him as having hepatic lipidosis. He lost about 9 out of 19 lbs during that but he pulled through - or so we thought. A couple of months in to our battle, while we were still force feeding him, he looked like he was dying. He lost over 1lb in a day, mostly water we think. He was throwing up what appeared to be bile. His fur was badly matted. He was hospitalized. Tests showed his liver was normal, blood work was fine, and an ultrasound looked fine. The vet gave him IV fluids, antibiotics, and within hours he was eating again. For the first time in months, he was eating some hard food.
We brought him home and kept up with his antibiotics, but his weight never recovered. As soon as the antibiotics ran out, he stopped eating again. We brought him in and the vet gave him fluids, then put him back on the antibiotics. Within a day, he was eating again. A few weeks later, they ran out again. He stopped eating once again. The vet has him on a weekly injectable antibiotic and we're giving him an appetite stimulant daily. His weight seems to be steady, within about half a pound of his now much lower normal of 9lbs. He goes as low as 8.7 to as high as 9.2. He behaves as if he's feeling just fine.
I'm here asking if anybody has any ideas as to what is wrong with him. Unfortunately, our vet is out of ideas and referred him to a specialist. They're so backed up, it will be over a month. I'm willing to try anything I can to save him. All I can get him to eat is Delectables Lickable Treats. He's going to see the vet for his weekly check up and shot tomorrow. Has anybody seen anything like this? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
We brought him home and kept up with his antibiotics, but his weight never recovered. As soon as the antibiotics ran out, he stopped eating again. We brought him in and the vet gave him fluids, then put him back on the antibiotics. Within a day, he was eating again. A few weeks later, they ran out again. He stopped eating once again. The vet has him on a weekly injectable antibiotic and we're giving him an appetite stimulant daily. His weight seems to be steady, within about half a pound of his now much lower normal of 9lbs. He goes as low as 8.7 to as high as 9.2. He behaves as if he's feeling just fine.
I'm here asking if anybody has any ideas as to what is wrong with him. Unfortunately, our vet is out of ideas and referred him to a specialist. They're so backed up, it will be over a month. I'm willing to try anything I can to save him. All I can get him to eat is Delectables Lickable Treats. He's going to see the vet for his weekly check up and shot tomorrow. Has anybody seen anything like this? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!