Kitten not eating 5 days after neuter

cantonkitty

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Hi all--new to the site.  I have an affectionate, hilarious six month old kitten who was neutered last Tuesday.  He normally gets a little over 1/2 cup of Science Diet dry kitten food per day.  When we brought him home from the vet Tuesday night, he was STARVING, and ate probably 1/2 cup of food from the time we brought him home Tuesday night until we woke up Wednesday morning.  Since then, though, he has eaten very little.  He's drinking water and behaving normally (all of his usual cuddling/running around/other antics), but I'm having trouble getting him to eat even a quarter of what he normally eats.  We brought him back to the vet on Friday once we told him what was going on and they gave him an appetite stimulant, but that hasn't seemed to help much.  I've tried tuna, multiple kinds of wet food (even warmed up), and bonito flakes mixed with his dry food.  He'll lick at the wet food or tuna that I give him and pick at it a little bit, but he leaves most of it on the plate and his appetite is still definitely not what it should be.  He was 8.9 pounds when he got neutered and 8.2 pounds when we brought him to the vet on Friday, although I'm not sure if part of that difference is due to the surgery itself.  Does anybody have any idea of what could be going on or other tips to help my kitten get his appetite back?  Is it time to get him started on Nutrical?  I'm going to call the vet back tomorrow morning if he's still not eating better today, but I hate to see my little guy struggling like this, even if he is acting normally.  Thanks for the advice!
 

random gemini

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I'd start by calling your vet. It might be a reaction to the anesthesia. Sometimes, they can advise you on what to do over the phone, but the vet is where I would start. 

Once you have this figured out, I would recommend that you start researching pet food. Science Diet is not that great a pet food, even though vets sell it. Their prescription diets do make sense, but feeding Science Diet as the primary source of nutrition is just an expensive way to feed your cat food that is not very good for him. I would recommend that you look into feeding Wellness or Blue Buffalo over Science Diet. Merrick also makes a wonderful kitten food that is just about the same price as Science Diet and it has fewer carbs. Cats don't need carbs. They are obligate carnivores, so feeding a grain free food that is low in carbohydrates (preferably a wet food) is going to be the best sort of diet for your kitten. You can find foods that meet that criteria to fit your budget. 
 
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cantonkitty

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Thanks, Gemini. They were feeding him Science Diet at the shelter so that's what we started him on. We'd been looking to transition him from Science Diet to Wellness since we know it's better food for him, but right now, we're just trying to get him to eat anything. :-( The vet wants to see him and run some tests, so I guess we're headed back again . . . it's hard because he's such a sweet cat and he's acting normally, but if his appetite isn't there then clearly something is not right.
 

random gemini

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Thanks, Gemini. They were feeding him Science Diet at the shelter so that's what we started him on. We'd been looking to transition him from Science Diet to Wellness since we know it's better food for him, but right now, we're just trying to get him to eat anything. :-( The vet wants to see him and run some tests, so I guess we're headed back again . . . it's hard because he's such a sweet cat and he's acting normally, but if his appetite isn't there then clearly something is not right.
I know how you feel, my shelter pets have all come home on Science Diet. Wellness is a great food. I think you will like the results you'll get from it, if you can just get him well.

I also know what you're going through with the vet bills and the frustration. We adopted Porter, a month ago. He's 10 years old and my daughter saved him from being euthanized at an area kill shelter. He had an injury on his shoulder when the shelter picked him up. They thought it had healed, so adopted him out. It abscessed and opened back up a week after we got him home, just as he was feeling comfortable enough to come out and explore and meet my three Labradors. It's been a month of trying to get this wound to heal and last week, I thought we were done, then he started scratching at it with his back claw and ripped it open, so we're going back to the vet today. 

This sort of ongoing process to get them well is frustrating and emotionally draining, but I can promise that once you have what he needs dialed in, the whole thing will have been worth it. I can tell you two are going to have a wonderful life together. 
 

di and bob

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I would tempt him to eat with whatever interests him, meat baby food, canned chicken, sliced deli chicken, or whatever it takes to get him eating again. 1/2 cup of food doesn't seem like much to me for a growing kitten, I've always gave them all they wanted until they were a year old.You might discuss the amount with your vet and see what they say. A kitten not eating is not normal, is his incision normal? Any swelling, drainage, or signs of infection? I hope he starts eating soon and everything gets back to normal, good luck!
 

random gemini

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Canned tuna also works in a pinch if none of the other stuff works. I'd call it a last resort as I understand cats can get addicted to fish and it's not always good for them to have it. One of my friends that has a cat that hunger strikes on her in the summers, when it's very hot and the only thing he will eat during that heat wave week, is canned tuna packed in spring water. 
 

cprcheetah

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Did he have bloodwork prior to the surgery?  He could have an underlying problem that was complicated from the surgery/anesthesia.
 

StefanZ

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If he doenst eat at all, although you try with tempting food, you must forcefeed him, nourishing fluids.

Say, a watered down canned cat food. Or  kmr...   When he starts to eat and begin to regain strengh, this will hopefully perk up his appetite too...

They need often just a starter in such situations, something to break up the stand still.

Good luck!
 

OllieandStella

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Thanks, Gemini. They were feeding him Science Diet at the shelter so that's what we started him on. We'd been looking to transition him from Science Diet to Wellness since we know it's better food for him, but right now, we're just trying to get him to eat anything. :-( The vet wants to see him and run some tests, so I guess we're headed back again . . . it's hard because he's such a sweet cat and he's acting normally, but if his appetite isn't there then clearly something is not right.
Hi there - I ran across your question while I was searching for an answer similar to my situation and just wondered what the vet said I am calling vet tomorrow but tonight I just can’t sleep worried about my kitten.
 

Dolly2002

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Hi there - I ran across your question while I was searching for an answer similar to my situation and just wondered what the vet said I am calling vet tomorrow but tonight I just can’t sleep worried about my kitten.
I have had my 6 month old Male kitten fixed over a month ago and the veterinarian had gave him painkillers for the first few days so that he would be able to sit comfortably and also be able to eat. He even receives baby food for nutrition. Meats only. I hope this helps you. 💐🥰💗
 
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