My cat's still not eating...

[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!

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!