Female Cat Not Eating Or Drinking For Days...

[Cleoshuman]

Hello,

My name is Angela and I'm new to this forum sort of thing. One of my friends suggested I try this to brainstorm more ideas for potential treatment for my girl Cleo.
Story goes like this:
I have a perfectly healthy 12 year old cat named Cleopatra. She plays, eats, and loves like a kitten most days. I have had her and her sister since they left their mom. No health issues until this week.
Last week starting around Thursday night-ish my boyfriend and I were getting woken up from the sound of her vomiting. It was all clear fluid and foamy clear fluid. Happened again Friday a few times. I then noticed she was looking a little lighter and she felt lighter. Discover she hadn't been eating. Tried offering her tuna which she runs into the kitchen for if I ever open the can or any can really, but she wouldn't touch it. Tried treats, meat baby food, smelly ground meats like liverwurst, fancy broth type wet food, and nothing. She barely sniffs it and looks away.
Saturday morning I take her to the emergency vet.
They run urine, blood, and chemical panels. They also x-ray her.
All her tests come back normal. Her x-ray is pretty clear although the doctor points out one spot that could be gas. Sends me home with Pepcid and an anti-nausea pill. They gave her fluids, anti-nausea, and a GI protectant while there. Cerenia for nausea and Famotidine for the stomach acids. She still won't eat or drink but she has stopped vomiting which is great. Sunday still not eating/drinking.
Monday I take her to a regular vet office for a second opinion and follow up. This doc looks over what the emergency vet did and agrees with the course of treatment. She suggests we send out one more blood panel testing her pancreas. Suggests stopping the Famotidine since she's not vomiting anymore. They also gave her fluids under the skin again.
Sends me home with Sucralfate for a possible irritated esophagus and to coat her stomach.
Hoping this will encourage eating if she feels good.
Tuesday morning I give her the first dose of Sucralfate and she throws it up less than 20 minutes after I gave it. I call the vet and they ask me to come back in for another x-ray.
I take her in, x-ray looks exactly like the one from Saturday. Same spot in her intestines that's questionable gas, hasn't moved. Doc now suggests she may be obstructed with a hairball or feces. Gives more fluids and sends me home with: Laxatone for hairball prevention and Lactulose to encourage bowel movements. Also gave me Mirtazapine to encourage appetite after we see what happens with the Lactulose.
Because of the placement of the possible obstruction he couldn't offer an enema I guess.
We're home and we've given her the Lactulose around 7:30pm. Not sure what to expect and she's still not eating/drinking. She's been just resting since these have been a rough last few days. I know I'm exhausted so she must be just toast not having eaten in days now. Her spirits are still decent. She still purrs and cuddles with me.

Anyone go through something similar? Full recovery? Should I be preparing for the worst? I'm so worried.

Best,

Angela & Cleo

 

[babiesmom5]

This is not good. Cats that go 36-48 hours without sufficient calorie intake risk Hepatic Lipidosis (fatty liver ), a very serious condition that can be fatal.

One possibility is Pancreatitis. It is good that your Vet sent out the test for this. It may take a couple days to get back. Meantime you need to get some food into your cat ASAP!

Have you tried plain baby food chicken? I would try syringe feeding at this point. I would contact the vet tomorrow as cat may need to be hospitalized at this point.

Recovery is compromised the longer the cat does not eat.

 

[maggiedemi]

Did the Lactulose help at all? How is she this morning?

 

[Cleoshuman]

This is not good. Cats that go 36-48 hours without sufficient calorie intake risk Hepatic Lipidosis (fatty liver ), a very serious condition that can be fatal.

One possibility is Pancreatitis. It is good that your Vet sent out the test for this. It may take a couple days to get back. Meantime you need to get some food into your cat ASAP!

Have you tried plain baby food chicken? I would try syringe feeding at this point. I would contact the vet tomorrow as cat may need to be hospitalized at this point.

Recovery is compromised the longer the cat does not eat.

Vet said she's not overweight enough to be a serious candidate for the Liver issues and her chemicals came back good for kidneys and anything that would indicate she was on that path. Test came back normal for the pancreas as well.
I have tried the baby food, no dice. She finally took a few small bites of tuna from my hand today. I'm hoping that trend continues. Otherwise she is mostly herself just a bit less playful as I'm sure she's tired from lack of food and water intake. She was given more fluids and I'll be giving her more later today. Hoping she starts to trust food again soon.

Best,

Angela

 

[Cleoshuman]

Did the Lactulose help at all? How is she this morning?

Hey Maggiedemi,

I think it may have. There was a very small concentrated in the litter this morning. I'm hoping that she was the one that passed that. (three cat household here) She also allowed me to hand feed her a few bites of tuna. I'm trying to slowly offer more so she can trust food will stay in her belly again. I'm assuming she is nervous she'll vomit again. I know that feeling after having a stomach virus. NO fun. She slept with me all night and has been walking around more. I will be giving her more fluids SubQ style later today to keep her hydrated. Thanks for the support. This is so scary. <3

Best,

Angela

 

[valentine319]

Maybe someone can correct me but i didn't think fatty liver had anything to do with the cat being fat. My friend has Savannahs and one got it quite easily. She didn't notice it wasn't eating and the other cats were. None of her cats were overweight in any way.

I'm glad it's been checked but wanted sometime else to clarify if only overweight cats can get it.

 

[maggiedemi]

Yes, I think fatty liver happens when the cat doesn't eat for 3 days or more, regardless of whether the cat is overweight or not.

 

[babiesmom5]

A cat's weight has NOTHING to do with fatty liver disease. A cat of ANY weight, big, small or medium can get it. The determining factor is going without food.

If a cat becomes ill for any reason and stops eating, their liver may become infiltrated with fat. Normally, in starvation, fat is moved from the body's storage depots to the liver for processing into lipoproteins. But the feline liver was never intended to handle large amounts of mobilized fats.

It only takes 36-48 hours for a cat to develop fatty liver if they have stopped eating or are eating insufficient calories in one day.

Fluids are all well and good, but your cat needs FOOD--calories.

 

[Cleoshuman]

Hey all,

Thanks you for the responses. I expressed concern about the liver disease with all three of the veterinarians. Since her labs came back good they didn't seem too concerned. It was one of the vets whom stated to me it's higher risk for overweight cats. I'm just learning about it all for the first time as I've never had a sick cat let alone one that wouldn't eat. I appreciate the shared knowledge as I'm going to use it as a guide to ask the right questions to my veterinarian and gauge how my creature is acting from other experiences.

I am happy to report Cleo did allow me to feed her some tuna earlier today and tonight so I think she's coming around. I offered her a few other things but she wasn't ready to chow down just yet. I may try the appetite inducer now that she's showing interest. I'm going to call the vet to inquire and I have a follow up appointment this Friday as well. I think the laxatives might have done the trick. (fingers crossed) <3

Best,

Angela

 

[valentine319]

We're glad the tests came back good. What we were trying to make sure you understand is many of us will syringe feed food and water to avoid liver disease. We just didn't want you or anyone else to think a cat has to be overweight to get fatty liver disease.

Let us know how kitty keeps doing.

 

[Cleoshuman]

Good morning,

Duly noted. I will aim to syringe feed her some of the broth foods and baby foods I've got here for her to keep this liver nightmare at bay.
We gave her the subQ fluids last night. The vet sent me home with the kit so I could manage her fluids and not have to check her in to their facility. They aren't 24hrs so she would be alone all night. I'd rather she be comfortable and not scared and also have the chance to eat food at whatever time if she feels up to it. She did eat some of the dry food last night that I left out but tossed some of it this morning :/ It was partially digested. So hopefully this means it reached her stomach and she's not blocked anymore (if she ever was)
It does appear she was able to keep the tuna down though. She also made another small bowel movement earlier today. I gave her some more of the furball goop. She's starting to recognize the patterns of administering medication/food now and is not being as cooperative. I can't say I blame her, it's a bummer.
I'm going to try some more tuna before work and we still have her follow up appointment tomorrow.

She's pretty active this morning as well. I wanna hold out hope that she's fighting through.

Thank you for the concern and responses. I really appreciate any help/insight I can get.

 

[Cleoshuman]

Update:
We had her follow up visit yesterday(Friday). Doc took another x-ray and was able to see that the spot we saw in her previous x-rays in her GI tract had moved further along. There was more in her tract too indicating she was eating somethings. (yay!) They gave her an enema and more fluids to try and help her to pass it.
She tried to pass something right when she got home but the litter box indicated she hasn't been able to yet. I gave her another does of the laxative (Friday night) and now shes got a case of the soupy butt.
Saturday: She hasn't passed anything else substantial. She just has a wet, leaky butt. (sorry for the grossness, there's no nice way to put it). I had to isolate her in our spare room so I can monitor her litter and prevent messes all over the house. Shes been eating some wet food, tuna, and baby food. I gave her more fluids tonight as well just in case shes not drinking water or not enough with the upset tummy.

Any of you ever dealt with a constipated cat? Is this expected behavior when giving laxatives? How long does this process take? Should I continue to give her the recommended dosage? 2cc 3x a day. I've been averaging 1-2 times a day due to my work schedule.

This is tough cos I want to cuddle and comfort her but she leaves poo in her wake right now. I wish I could let her sleep with us. </3

Best,

Cleo's still worried mom.

 

[maggiedemi]

I would ask the vet if you can cut back a little on the laxative, I think that's what they'll have you do since she went from constipation to diarrhea.

 

[rubysmama]

Any of you ever dealt with a constipated cat?

So sorry your Cleo is going through a bad spell. I haven't, personally, dealt with a constipated cat, but I've been reading a thread by @artiemom who's been dealing with this situation for a while now. Her dear Artie is around the same age as your Cleo, and though his problem is complicated, he has had the same "leakage" issue from time to time. Here's the link to the thread, but it's very, very long: Artie and his Issues

 

[foxxycat]

Call the vet and let em know the leaky butt-they will probably have you scale it back. you can use canned pumpkin to keep constipation at bay, I am seeing more cats lately with constipation than ever before. Even us humans too.

 

[Cleoshuman]

Hey all,
Thanks for the link and suggestions. I was considering buying some pumpkin puree. A friend of mine just had to give that to their pup as he ate a buncha burrs when he was outside and it stopped him up. I wouldn't want to pass those. Ouch!
I called the 24hr vet I initially took her when this all started this morning and explained her behavior. She said it sounds like shes on her way out of it and it's a great sign shes eating as it will increase her digestive motility and should result in an eventual bm. She also said it was pretty common for it to be delayed after a bout of anorexia. She advised sticking with the Laxatone for now and stop the laxatives but to also call my vet and update her symptoms.

I am glad to finally know what was causing her to not eat. Now I can work on changing her diet to include more wet food and possibly laxatone for the unforeseen future to keep her regular.

<3

 

[spiritscript]

Hello,

My name is Angela and I'm new to this forum sort of thing. One of my friends suggested I try this to brainstorm more ideas for potential treatment for my girl Cleo.
Story goes like this:
I have a perfectly healthy 12 year old cat named Cleopatra. She plays, eats, and loves like a kitten most days. I have had her and her sister since they left their mom. No health issues until this week.
Last week starting around Thursday night-ish my boyfriend and I were getting woken up from the sound of her vomiting. It was all clear fluid and foamy clear fluid. Happened again Friday a few times. I then noticed she was looking a little lighter and she felt lighter. Discover she hadn't been eating. Tried offering her tuna which she runs into the kitchen for if I ever open the can or any can really, but she wouldn't touch it. Tried treats, meat baby food, smelly ground meats like liverwurst, fancy broth type wet food, and nothing. She barely sniffs it and looks away.
Saturday morning I take her to the emergency vet.
They run urine, blood, and chemical panels. They also x-ray her.
All her tests come back normal. Her x-ray is pretty clear although the doctor points out one spot that could be gas. Sends me home with Pepcid and an anti-nausea pill. They gave her fluids, anti-nausea, and a GI protectant while there. Cerenia for nausea and Famotidine for the stomach acids. She still won't eat or drink but she has stopped vomiting which is great. Sunday still not eating/drinking.
Monday I take her to a regular vet office for a second opinion and follow up. This doc looks over what the emergency vet did and agrees with the course of treatment. She suggests we send out one more blood panel testing her pancreas. Suggests stopping the Famotidine since she's not vomiting anymore. They also gave her fluids under the skin again.
Sends me home with Sucralfate for a possible irritated esophagus and to coat her stomach.
Hoping this will encourage eating if she feels good.
Tuesday morning I give her the first dose of Sucralfate and she throws it up less than 20 minutes after I gave it. I call the vet and they ask me to come back in for another x-ray.
I take her in, x-ray looks exactly like the one from Saturday. Same spot in her intestines that's questionable gas, hasn't moved. Doc now suggests she may be obstructed with a hairball or feces. Gives more fluids and sends me home with: Laxatone for hairball prevention and Lactulose to encourage bowel movements. Also gave me Mirtazapine to encourage appetite after we see what happens with the Lactulose.
Because of the placement of the possible obstruction he couldn't offer an enema I guess.
We're home and we've given her the Lactulose around 7:30pm. Not sure what to expect and she's still not eating/drinking. She's been just resting since these have been a rough last few days. I know I'm exhausted so she must be just toast not having eaten in days now. Her spirits are still decent. She still purrs and cuddles with me.

Anyone go through something similar? Full recovery? Should I be preparing for the worst? I'm so worried.

Best,

Angela & Cleo

 

[spiritscript]

Hi! I am not saying what your baby has, but my sweet Hannibal, (photo on the left, when healthy) Started losing A LOT of weight and drinking a lot of water, but no food at all. The vet did bloodwork and my boy had Hyperthyroidism. So all was well for about 6-8 months, he was eating, gaining weight and didn't caterwaull at night anymore. Then he started losing weight, stopped eating, etc. A clinic where my daughter used to volunteer did bloodwork, said he was fine!!! So back to the vet and he needed fluids and blood work. Vet said other than his heart murmur, could only think he had asthma, so gave a depo shot, it worked for a few months then really went downhill and was so weak he couldn't breathe. So he was an old cat and a few hours before the March blizzard we had to take him and a different vet said she thought that MAYBE she could save him and wanted to do bloodwork for Hyperthyroidism, but it would take days to know and we would have to bring him home while he was dying and no money to keep him there, so I HAD to lose him! He came to me and left me right before blizzards. I will NEVER forgive them all for screwing around!!!

 

[Cleoshuman]

Hi! I am not saying what your baby has, but my sweet Hannibal, (photo on the left, when healthy) Started losing A LOT of weight and drinking a lot of water, but no food at all. The vet did bloodwork and my boy had Hyperthyroidism. So all was well for about 6-8 months, he was eating, gaining weight and didn't caterwaull at night anymore. Then he started losing weight, stopped eating, etc. A clinic where my daughter used to volunteer did bloodwork, said he was fine!!! So back to the vet and he needed fluids and blood work. Vet said other than his heart murmur, could only think he had asthma, so gave a depo shot, it worked for a few months then really went downhill and was so weak he couldn't breathe. So he was an old cat and a few hours before the March blizzard we had to take him and a different vet said she thought that MAYBE she could save him and wanted to do bloodwork for Hyperthyroidism, but it would take days to know and we would have to bring him home while he was dying and no money to keep him there, so I HAD to lose him! He came to me and left me right before blizzards. I will NEVER forgive them all for screwing around!!!

I'm so sorry you lost your baby! After reading through a few peoples stories on here and my current experience with multiple vets and advised treatments, it really feels like the many vet offices are throwing gum at a wall trying to see what solution will work for the cats. It's so scary and I really want to trust their advice but to get multiple suggestions and prescriptions over a short period of EXPENSIVE time...it makes for an even more scary experience.
Again, so sorry for the loss of your Hannibal <3

 

[spiritscript]

I'm so sorry you lost your baby! After reading through a few peoples stories on here and my current experience with multiple vets and advised treatments, it really feels like the many vet offices are throwing gum at a wall trying to see what solution will work for the cats. It's so scary and I really want to trust their advice but to get multiple suggestions and prescriptions over a short period of EXPENSIVE time...it makes for an even more scary experience.
Again, so sorry for the loss of your Hannibal <3

I'm so sorry you lost your baby! After reading through a few peoples stories on here and my current experience with multiple vets and advised treatments, it really feels like the many vet offices are throwing gum at a wall trying to see what solution will work for the cats. It's so scary and I really want to trust their advice but to get multiple suggestions and prescriptions over a short period of EXPENSIVE time...it makes for an even more scary experience.
Again, so sorry for the loss of your Hannibal <3

Thank you so much. Yes, he couldn't take the pills so his med was almost 50 bucks every month, but didn't care! Yet, they failed him! Again, thank you! In this photo his face could see his bones and his hair was falling out.