2 weeks little food intake, 3 vet visits still inconclusive

[Perxian]

Hi everyone,
Our 5-6 year old cat Miso has been having issues for about 2 weeks. It began with a slight fever, lethargy, and not wanting to eat or drink. Vet visit #1 diagnosed her with a cold and she was given intravenous fluids and an appetite stimulant. This didn't work and she had started lip smacking and shaking her head almost as if she were trying to get something out of her throat. Slowly she has become more alert, but still obviously uncomfortable. Woke up one morning to see her walking throughout the house leaking loose stool. Another vet visit and they put her on an antidiahrreal. They said her teeth and mouth look good yet the lip smacking has become a regular occurence. She shows interest in food with smelling but either walks away or does this lip smacking. Vet visit number 3 and they have now put her on Sucralfate to see if her throat is irritated or has a stomach ulcer. This morning we noticed her retching and eventually throw up a large hair ball thick and about 4 inches in length. This would be relieving would it not be for the fact this she is still lip smacking and refusing food. Has anyone else experienced this? What can I do for her? She's lost almost 3 pounds now due to this inappetance. We syringe feed pureed wet food and every now and then she will willingly eat a creamy tube treat on her own. Refuses dry completely. We're very worried about her.

 

[maggie101]

What tests have they run on her? 3 pds is a lot to loose in 2 weeks. When will you know if the sucralfate worked. Have you tried toppers like crushed up freeze dried chicken or mixing in canned food with broth and shredded chicken like weruva or earthborn?

 

[Perxian]

What tests have they run on her? 3 pds is a lot to loose in 2 weeks. When will you know if the sucralfate worked. Have you tried toppers like crushed up freeze dried chicken or mixing in canned food with broth and shredded chicken like weruva or earthborn?

Thanks for your reply. They've run blood, urinalysis, and fecal. They told us to finish the sucralfate and start on omeprazole today in case the lip smacking is gastric acid. She's very picky about wet food and prefers only ones she can lap up. Even then we have tried two weruva, earthborn, tiki cat, and soulistic with and without toppers. We can tell she wants to eat because she sniffs and licks her lips a little but something is obviously telling her not to and activates this lip smacking, head shaking reflex. When we first brought her in she was 11 pounds and when we last checked she's 9.6

 

[maggie101]

If it continues, call the vet or take her to a specialist She has to eat

 

[tyleete]

Take her to a specialists. I adopted a senior from the shelter years back. It took 1 1/2yrs before they suggested and sent us to a Specialists. Oncologist at that. Trying all these Rx foods for 2mo at a time. None stopped her from throwing up almost daily.
She was them immediately diagnosed with intestinal lymphoma Cancer.
I was told it could have originally been IBD, but left untreated can turn into Cancer.
Don't wait around & always get a 2nd opinion

 

[fionasmom]

The hairball would have been a relief, as you say, but it might just be coincidental to whatever else is going on. If I am reading your post correctly, you have continued to go to your regular vet, just multiple times? Most of us would do the same thing initially. However, you are not getting any solutions or relief for your cat. Lip smacking has numerous reasons, but I think that you are ruling out all of the non medical ones in the face of the weight loss and refusal of food. I would start by going to another vet, at least, and not in the same practice so that the second one does not just back up the first one. If you can find a cat only clinic, or go to a veterinary internist, it would be even better. It sounds as if no diagnostics have been done and you are getting an eyeball diagnosis each time while your cat continues to decline. You mentioned standards like blood work and urinalysis, but this might require going further.

 

[maggie101]

Thanks for your reply. They've run blood, urinalysis, and fecal. They told us to finish the sucralfate and start on omeprazole today in case the lip smacking is gastric acid. She's very picky about wet food and prefers only ones she can lap up. Even then we have tried two weruva, earthborn, tiki cat, and soulistic with and without toppers. We can tell she wants to eat because she sniffs and licks her lips a little but something is obviously telling her not to and activates this lip smacking, head shaking reflex. When we first brought her in she was 11 pounds and when we last checked she's 9.6

When my cat had a bad cold she was lip-smacking and kept dropping her head like she was going to groom herself. I was worried that it could be a seizure so numerous tests were run. End up being she was just nausea but it could have been worse. Expensive but worth it

 

[Perxian]

Thank you again for the replies everyone. I wanted to attach a video of the lip smacking in question so that you can see the behavior in action.
I'm wondering if it's nausea too considering her reaction to smelling food. Though what's causing it I'm still unsure.
In regards to her vet: We went to her regular one twice and to a separate one the last time. I will call a cat specific one in the morning to hopefully get more than an eyeball diagnosis.

 

[fionasmom]

She is a lovely little girl such pretty coloring. To me, even that short clip was frequent lip smacking so I can only imagine how often it happens per day as you try to feed her. She looks distressed as she does it, preoccupied that it is somehow stopping her from eating. The fact that the appetite stimulant did not work would worry me as well. Remember that all records are yours from both other vets and you should be given them to take wherever else you go.

 

[maggie101]

Can you email the video to your vet?

 

[Catmom1234567890]

Hi everyone,
Our 5-6 year old cat Miso has been having issues for about 2 weeks. It began with a slight fever, lethargy, and not wanting to eat or drink. Vet visit #1 diagnosed her with a cold and she was given intravenous fluids and an appetite stimulant. This didn't work and she had started lip smacking and shaking her head almost as if she were trying to get something out of her throat. Slowly she has become more alert, but still obviously uncomfortable. Woke up one morning to see her walking throughout the house leaking loose stool. Another vet visit and they put her on an antidiahrreal. They said her teeth and mouth look good yet the lip smacking has become a regular occurence. She shows interest in food with smelling but either walks away or does this lip smacking. Vet visit number 3 and they have now put her on Sucralfate to see if her throat is irritated or has a stomach ulcer. This morning we noticed her retching and eventually throw up a large hair ball thick and about 4 inches in length. This would be relieving would it not be for the fact this she is still lip smacking and refusing food. Has anyone else experienced this? What can I do for her? She's lost almost 3 pounds now due to this inappetance. We syringe feed pureed wet food and every now and then she will willingly eat a creamy tube treat on her own. Refuses dry completely. We're very worried about her.

lip smacking is sign of nausea. My kitty refused food, would smell then just walk away. she actually vomited multiple hairballs, but still no appetite but lip smacked and dry heaved. I just went through this with my kitty. She had a hairball obstruction confirmed with xray/barium scan. I don't want to scare you but you need to take your kitty to a vet.

 

[kittenmittens84]

Have they given her an anti-nausea med? Lip smacking, tooth grinding, and sniffing food then walking away can all be signs of nausea.

 

[Catmom1234567890]

my kitty had to remove hairball surgically

 

[Perxian]

Hi everyone, I appreciate all the advice here!
She's gone to see another vet to get her second round of cerenia (anti nausea) and fluids and we're doing a full reset of her meds to see if any are making her sick. She's been on anticonvulsants for the past month as she's epileptic and we're doing diagnostics for that to see if her meds are effecting her negatively. Fingers crossed it's just her meds. I will update on any findings!