My cat's still not eating...

[sweetcharliecat]

Hi there, I posted a little while ago about my cat, Charlie, who lost a ton of weight while I was out of town for three weeks. (He was cared for by a live-in pet sitter.) Well, we've been home almost a month and he still doesn't have any appetite to speak of. We're having to syringe feed him right now. The vet can't seem to figure out what's wrong, and we may have to do a scope/biopsy next, which I'm really hoping to avoid for both money reasons and to spare the kitty that experience.

Has anyone else had a cat stop eating for this long and then start? We've tried to tempt him with many different foods, both human and cat, warmed the food, tried baby food. He eats a bite or two and then stops. I'm running out of ideas...Other than not eating and having diahrrea (i think from all the different foods), he seems ok, not in any pain.

[Catty1]

See jenluckenbach's posts in General.

Her black baby, Jasper, was found to have some thickening around his digestive area. Worst case guess was lymphoma. (I'm NOT saying Charlie has that, just that Jen has the same problem).

HOWEVER, Jasper was put on a larger dose of oral Prednisone. He is eating like mad, but still has diarrhea. Jen is going to try Metamucil, pumpkin, and one other thing I can't recall.

Cats usually get a shot of Depoprovera (injectable Prednisone), but Jasper can't tolerate it.

Jen also shaved Jasper's butt and got teeny baby diapers for him...helps with the mess.

Check with your vet about the Prednisone/Depoprovera. It increases appetite, and might help the diarrhea as well. Also - can Charlie have an x-ray or ultrasound or something less expensive that might show results?

If Charlie is dehydrated, some fluids under the skin might be an idea too.

[sweetcharliecat]

Thanks for the suggestions--I'm going to mention these to my vet. Charlie also has thickening of the bowels. We've done x-rays and an ultrasound so far, and nothing's shown up. However, one worry's off my mind--looks like my pet insurance covers a bit more than i thought it did, so at least the money worries are relieved. But, I'm still pretty worried that they're going to find out it's cancer.

Sick cat = much stress.... :(

[Catty1]

aww...sweetie...I hope it is not cancer.

The prednisone does relieve swelling, no matter what the cause. So Charlie would be more comfy.

If you can swing it, get some Omega 3-6 caps from the vet to break up in his food. These are really powerful antioxidants that can help somewhat.

I have two BIG kitties - they get 1 "pump" of canine Omega 3-6 in their wet food each morning, which is then divided between them. Together, they qualify for one doggie dose! :D

I had to buy some good quality but 'stinky' cat food to mix in also, or they wouldn't eat it.

If you have some Metamucil, try mixing just a tad in the syringe. If you have some canned pumpkin (no spices, JUST the pumpkin), and can get a bit down him, that might help too.

I wonder if he associates eating with a sore backside, and that's why he doesn't want to eat.

GOOD luck, and please keep us posted! Prayers to all of you!

[jenluckenbach]

OH yes, I can relate to this problem. As mentioned, Jasper had the loss of appetite AND Diarrhea. I also have a foster cat with the loss of appetite, but no diarrhea. Steroids helped them both. Jasper does better with the 5mg pill of prednisone. Mr. Meow is doing great with the injection of depo-medrol every 3 weeks. Mr. Meow was syringe fed for 3 WEEKS before he started to eat on his own again. He only likes to eat Meow Mix Market Select dinners in a cup. Maybe your cat will like them also.

[columbine]

Have you tried wiping mushy kitten food on his paws so he'll lick it off?

Love, Columbine

[fragrancehound]

Hugs! Have you tried some sort of fish like sardines, tuna, or salmon? I would think something stinky might help stimulate his appetite. Have you asked your vet for steroid injections? Your vet can also give your fur baby injections to help stimulate the appetite.

[sweetcharliecat]

Thanks for the suggestions, all. We've tried a gazillion different foods to see if we can find something that piques his interest, but no luck. Charlie has never been a big eater and is VERY picky. So, we're syringing him with Hills a/d these days. I think I'm going to talk to my vet about putting him on prednisone--it might stimulate his appetite, and if this is IBD, it might soothe his tummy. I'm sort of relieved to hear that Mr. Meow was syringe fed for three weeks and then did start eating. I was starting to feel very pessimistic about the possibility that he'd ever eat on his own again, but we'll keep trying.

[sweetcharliecat]

I'm on the phone to my husband right now, and he's reporting that the little guy is eating his dry food! Woo hoo!

[Catty1]

Yaaay! :)

[catmandu]

When All Else Fails I Try The Royal Canin Sample Bags That Are Usually On Very Reasonably. That Never Fails!!