Cat has hardly eaten in a week and I feel like I am failing to assist feed

DaisyDane

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Hello,

My cat 13 year old cat Daisy is sick and not eating. I keep trying to syringe feed, have read everything and watched every video.

I know it’s normal for there to be a learning curve and to feel like you’re failing whether you actually are or not, but I need to get food in my cat NOW. She has barely eaten this past week.

I feel like she drools and spits much of what I give her out. More than any video I’ve seen. I can’t tell whether those cats are better at accepting being assisted or whether I am the problem!

How do I get her to not drool/spit out? How much of spitting out is acceptable?

Every source says syringe just a little at a time, but none actually clarified what “a little” means!!! I’m not talking about like... “x amount of syringes per session” but how much to actually push the plunger each time. Maybe that is where I’m going wrong? This isn’t easily googleable.

For reference, I have taken Daisy to the vet - last week and twice today - and she is on supportive therapy like cerenia and Omerprazole (forgot to ask about stimulant... I have transdermal Mirtzapine on hand but am waiting to get the okay from vet when I call first thing in the morning), so root causes of inappetence/anorexia are being addressed.

Please help. I’m going to lose my cat if I can’t figure this out.
 

amandag1

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Have you tried baby food?
Delectables bisque or squeeze ups?
Tuna?
I would definitely consider mirtazapine...
What does the vet think the problem is?
 
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DaisyDane

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Yep, literally all of those. My cats only like baby food when they’re not sick, which is unhelpful, haha!

But I spent all of last week and yesterday throwing anything and everything at her. Even fried chicken.

She randomly ate a whole can of Fancy Feast Kitten Chicken, and has eaten a handful of Tiki Cat Born Carnivore Chicken kibble twice, but then refused both of those when I offered them again at next meal.

Vet is not entirely sure, best clue is a UTI. She was diagnosed and started treatment for it today - which SHOULD have happened when we went to the ER with her last week, as I expressed concern about a possible UTI or kidney infection and asked for a urinalysis and C&S to be performed, but that vet felt it was unnecessary. 😡 Luckily the one today listened to me.
 
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DaisyDane

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Also, has anyone fed Royal Canin Renal Support liquid?

This is what the vet gave us today. There are no ingredients or calories listed, so I loooked it up, and Royal Canin’s website is incredibly vague.

Unless I’m missing something, it looks like it basically amounts to milk (I assume cow - which I already avoid when my cats are healthy, so really feel uncomfortable feeding it to a cat with significant GI upset) and “cereals”. I see nothing at all specifically indicating meat protein or fat, and I do not want to feed it if that’s the case.

There is also no mention of calorie content, only feeding instructions based on weight -

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.royalcanin.com/uk/cats/products/vet-products/renal-liquid/amp
 

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There are canned cat foods specifically made to be given to pets through a syringe or a tube. These canned foods are intended for sick cats, of course, and hence they are very rich in proteins and nutrients. The first two that come to my mind are Hill's A/D and Royal Canin Recovery.
There are also pastes that can be given right out of the tube which are incedibly nutritious and are an excellent support in those cases when a cat isn't eating at all.
And there's a broth sold in tiny bottles that is rated to support a sick pet in the most desperate cases, and a few ml of it a day are a substitute of a whole meal. This broth should also push the pet to eat on its own.
The paste and the broth I talk about are produced and sold by VIRBAC, their name is NutriPlus Gel and NutriBound (this is the name they are known with here in Europe).

To reply to your question, what "a little" means... When I had to syringe feed my sweet Lola, I used to give her about 2-3 ml each push, wait a few seconds (I would count to 10) and then again, so she would have the time to swallow. Each meal was at least 25 ml of Royal Canin Recovery mixed with a spoonful of NutriPlus Gel. Six meals like this a day would ensure the minimum energy requirement. I would warm up the syringe a bit to make the food more palatable.
It is important to keep the syinge on the side of the cat's mouth, and during this procedure I think that whispering them sweet love words, and petting and cuddling helps a lot.
And for the spitting, of course the littler food they spit the better.

How long has Daisy not eating at all?
Not eating at all for longer than 4 days could expose the cat to what it is called Hepatic Lipidosis, which is a rather dangerous condition.

If she is in this situation, do not overfeed her in the attempt to catch up what she has missed so far. There is what is called Refeeding Syndrome, that means that after a long time not eating, the system can't accept a complete meal on the first day, so it is advisable to start with about 35% of RER (Resting Energy Requirement) on day 1, about 65% of RER on day 2 and a complete meal on day 3.
To assess the RER for a cat, you can use this simple formula
RER [kcal] = (Cat Weight in kg x 30) + 70
For instance, a cat weighing 3 kg requires (3 x 30) + 70 = 160 kcal a day
Anyway, a vet could help you understand this.
 

Antonio65

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Furthermore, did you vet run a complete blood test on Daisy?
It could be useful to address any underlying cause. One of my cat had a similar behavior with food and her problem was an IBD and a pancreatitis, which later led to liver issues.
 
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DaisyDane

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Thank you for such an informative reply.

Yes we have a stockpile of Hills AD and RC Recovery at the house. I have been using AD and syringing meds mixed with baby food or Tiki Cat stix treats (a lickable treat). I also have calorie gels that sound similar to what you’re talking about. Nutrical and Nutristat. But I have been advised that if Daisy doesn’t willingingly take them, then syringing real food is preferred, and Daisy seemed repulsed by them.

I will DEFINITELY look into the broth you’re talking about! I’ve never heard of it but hopefully I can get it in the US

And thank you so much for the detailed info on the syringe! That is the type of information I was looking for. I am just trying to feed at least a 5.5 Oz can a day. Should I be paying more attention to mLs than ounces? She is only a 7 lb cat, does that matter? I’m only feeding her about 2 syringes every hour (and every two hours while I sleep) because she has anxiety and seems to not handle long sessions well at all.

I have been thoroughly advised about hepatic lipidosis and refeeding syndrome.

Yes they took blood and urine and did an ultrasound. I was actually advised tonight to call my vet tomorrow to ask about pancreatitis specifically so it worries me that you are mentioning that too. What are the symptoms of pancreatitis? She also had diarrhea tonight which is EXTREMELY abnormal for her. If anything she leans on the constipated side.

Thank you for the reply
 

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I don't know where you live but there are some liquid products both to make them eat, and also to replace the nutrition they've been losing. This is one of them for example: What is Recuperation? | viyo

My cat was hospitalized last year with infection and abnormal liver-pancreas levels. She was diagnosed with possible gallstones that led to infection (not for sure though as we didn't do ultrasound). She got treated with IV fluids and antibiotics with intensive care at the clinic. They syringe fed her the first two days, she started to eat herself as soon as the second day actually when she started to feel better. I couldn't have done by myself at home as she needed full care - she was getting dehydrated with diarrhea and not drinking enough water which was making her situation worse and she wasn't eating, it was making things even worse. IV and antibiotics right into the vein at the clinic broke that cycle.
 

Antonio65

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I have been using AD and syringing meds mixed with baby food or Tiki Cat stix treats (a lickable treat).
I'm sure you are aware of what ingredients normally present in baby food you should absolutely avoid in a feline diet (garlic, onions, lemon, etc).

I will DEFINITELY look into the broth you’re talking about! I’ve never heard of it but hopefully I can get it in the US
I know of someone who had success in contacting the company in US to have the name the product is sold under.

I am just trying to feed at least a 5.5 Oz can a day. Should I be paying more attention to mLs than ounces? She is only a 7 lb cat, does that matter? I’m only feeding her about 2 syringes every hour (and every two hours while I sleep) because she has anxiety and seems to not handle long sessions well at all.
Ounces or ml are just a unit of measurement. Follow what you are more familiar with, as soon as Daisy gets the right amount of food.
I would use a 25-ml syringe filled with this mix of food, and 5 or 6 syringes a day was the best I could do at that time, and they were about 130-150 ml a day, which equal your 5.5 oz.

Yes they took blood and urine and did an ultrasound. I was actually advised tonight to call my vet tomorrow to ask about pancreatitis specifically so it worries me that you are mentioning that too. What are the symptoms of pancreatitis? She also had diarrhea tonight which is EXTREMELY abnormal for her. If anything she leans on the constipated side.
Some of typical symptoms of pancreatitis are pain in the abdomen region (your cat might rest in a hunched position), fever, nausea or vomit, diarrhea, and of course lack of appetite.
A specific test for pancreatitis can be asked when you require a blood test.
From experience, the pancreatitis is a devil of an issue!

This is the broth I'm talking about
Nutribound

Make sure Daisy is drinking enough, or your vet might want to rehydrate her with an IV drip.
 

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What are the symptoms of pancreatitis?
So sorry you are dealing with this. My cat has IBD and currently has pancreatitis. In her case she started eating less for a few days, then the vomiting and diarrhea started and then she was refusing food completely. At first we thought it was an IBD flare. Her annual was on the 10th and she had full blood work at that time, so we didn’t do blood work at first. She was on a low dose of prednisone anyway so we increased it and gave her cerenia. the cerenia made her extremely lethargic. The next day she was refusing food again, so we added mirtazapine. That only helped for the first day. On Monday she went in for a day of IV fluids at the vet and that really seemed to help her. We had additional blood work at that time. On Tuesday we got the blood work results which indicated pancreatitis so she spent the day at the vet again yesterday for IV fluids. She is eating again on her own, but she will not eat any of her previous favorite food or treats. I’ve been to the pet store at least 5 times picking up different things and she’s latched on to two foods that she thinks are acceptable. Today I will start giving her fluids at home for the next four days.

I really think your cat would benefit from fluids. It’s something I’d ask your vet about. I’d also ask how much food you should be trying to give. A 5.5 oz can for a 7 lb cat sounds like a lot under these conditions, but I’m not a vet.

Good Luck!
 
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DaisyDane

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I don't know where you live but there are some liquid products both to make them eat, and also to replace the nutrition they've been losing. This is one of them for example: What is Recuperation? | viyo

My cat was hospitalized last year with infection and abnormal liver-pancreas levels. She was diagnosed with possible gallstones that led to infection (not for sure though as we didn't do ultrasound). She got treated with IV fluids and antibiotics with intensive care at the clinic. They syringe fed her the first two days, she started to eat herself as soon as the second day actually when she started to feel better. I couldn't have done by myself at home as she needed full care - she was getting dehydrated with diarrhea and not drinking enough water which was making her situation worse and she wasn't eating, it was making things even worse. IV and antibiotics right into the vein at the clinic broke that cycle.
I’m sorry, what do you mean by ”male them eat”? I thought only appetite stimulants could do that? Is any of this better than “real” food somehow? I’m confused on that part and what I should and shouldn’t feed right now.

I was advised to not feed her regular food to avoid aversion, but to also not try not to change her diet too much as to not upset her stomach. However, I’m currently wondering whether it was the AD giving her diarrhea...

I’m sorry about your cat :( glad she is better though! Thank you for your reply, I will look into that product more tomorrow.
 

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Just based on our own humble experiences, I think some cats may be more amenable than others from the get-go about syringe feedings. But it does get easier. :)

Buddy was the most challenging at first, because he had been a stray for quite a while, and was pretty wild. It took two or three of us to try to get any food or fluids into him, and by the time we were done, we had had a good cardiovascular workout, and practically needed blood transfusions! :wink:

In our case, we finally figured out that Buddy was a control freak, and needed to feel in control of the situation as much as possible. So I finally developed a technique where I sit down on the floor with him and gently wrap my legs around him. I cup my left hand under his jaw (on his right side) where I can scratch his chin or ears as a distraction as needed. Then with my right hand, I squirt a little bit of food into the corner of his mouth on his left side. If he starts to squirm, then I wrap my legs around him a little tighter to try to keep him from escaping (although he still manages every now and then, even after seven years of bouts of inappetence).

I don't really pay that much attention to how many milliliters I'm giving him at the time. I start out with just a few drops, and let Buddy set the pace. Sometimes he's really hungry, and I can push the plunger a little faster, and sometimes he's fussy and I can only give him a few drops at the time. But no matter how fast or slow we go, I always wait to make sure he's swallowed whatever I just gave him before I push the plunger again.

Through a process of trial and error, we found that a 3 ml. syringe works best for Buddy. He seems to be a bit claustrophobic, and maybe the larger syringes make him feel panicky. Plus, it's easier for me to position the syringe and control the plunger.

Our other cats had their quirks when it came to syringe feedings, but they all required at least two people. One method was to have one person sit down on a chair and hold her on their shoulder, and the other person stood behind them and fed her with a nursing bottle. Another was the burrito method with a 10 ml. syringe. And so on.

So please don't beat yourself up about the syringe feedings not going as smoothly as you had hoped. Sometimes it takes a while to figure out what works best for you and your kitty. I know that sounds easier said than done, especially when you're frantic to get your cat to eat. We lost one of our cats to fatty liver disease, so I'm paranoid about our cats getting enough nutrition when they're sick. Thankfully, if the vet is providing supportive care, such as fluids and whatever else your cat needs, that can help to alleviate some of the pressure of having to hurry up and get some food into your cat, which can make syringe feedings less stressful to you and your kitty.

Hope your vet gets this all sorted out soon, and that Daisy is all better soon. :vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes:
 

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I’m sorry, what do you mean by ”male them eat”? I thought only appetite stimulants could do that? Is any of this better than “real” food somehow? I’m confused on that part and what I should and shouldn’t feed right now.

I was advised to not feed her regular food to avoid aversion, but to also not try not to change her diet too much as to not upset her stomach. However, I’m currently wondering whether it was the AD giving her diarrhea...

I’m sorry about your cat :( glad she is better though! Thank you for your reply, I will look into that product more tomorrow.
They are more nutritious than regular food. Some also contain additional ingredients like probiotics/prebiotics. I wouldn't recommend getting on your own but I would bring it up to the vet and ask if they have a product like that, or if they would say it's safe to use (if they don't carry at the clinic but you can find at another clinic or pet store.)

There is also Fortiflora which is both a probiotic and also an appetite stimulant. FortiFlora Probiotic Supplement for Cat Diarrhea | Pro Plan Vet Direct But the dose for Fortiflora is once a day so even if the vet says it's OK to use and the kitty eats her food with Fortiflora on top, that will be still only one meal.

It's scary to have your cat go through sickness but hang in there. You two will get through this.
 
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DaisyDane

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I'm sure you are aware of what ingredients normally present in baby food you should absolutely avoid in a feline diet (garlic, onions, lemon, etc).



I know of someone who had success in contacting the company in US to have the name the product is sold under.



Ounces or ml are just a unit of measurement. Follow what you are more familiar with, as soon as Daisy gets the right amount of food.
I would use a 25-ml syringe filled with this mix of food, and 5 or 6 syringes a day was the best I could do at that time, and they were about 130-150 ml a day, which equal your 5.5 oz.



Some of typical symptoms of pancreatitis are pain in the abdomen region (your cat might rest in a hunched position), fever, nausea or vomit, diarrhea, and of course lack of appetite.
A specific test for pancreatitis can be asked when you require a blood test.
From experience, the pancreatitis is a devil of an issue!

This is the broth I'm talking about
Nutribound

Make sure Daisy is drinking enough, or your vet might want to rehydrate her with an IV drip.
Thank you for all of this!

I’m staying with my sister who has experience with this. She gave me a couple of different plungers to try and they were all so much better than what the vet gave me!!! So I don’t think it was a me OR Daisy problem, but more of a syringe problem!

Daisy is still spitting up but it seems a lot more normal, mostly tiny drops instead of huge globs. I was only able to get about 100 mLs of AD plus about 5 mLs of baby food, BUT I was actually confident that most of it got in her. I’m trying for at least 124 mLs of AD today.

She has taken on a hunched sort of look which was one reason why it was mentioned to me before. I asked the vet over the phone about it and she said it was possible, but it’s not like I feed my cat table scraps or my cat is one to get into things (her words). My sister said eating table scraps has very little to do with pancreatitis in cats though, so I’m not sure.

I guess I should add, Daisy has both mild CKD and HCM so fluids are somewhat of an issue because of her heart. My sister talked to the vet today though and she (my sister) is going to give her small amounts of sub-q fluids and also got the vet to agree to let us give Daisy some B12 injections and the Mirtzapine.

So far, Daisy might have thrown up, but only once the past two days. No one in the house saw or heard anyone throw up, and unfortunately my sister has a lot of cats with CKD and stomach acid issues so it’s impossible to say.

It was near the cabinet Daisy’s been hiding in, but the other cats frequent that area too because it’s where food, water, and litter boxes are, and it wasn’t yellow like all the other times Daisy puked. 🤷‍♀️

I haven’t seen anymore diarrhea but again... there are a lot of cats here and it’s hard to know who does what.

The vet told us that if she isn’t better by Monday to take her to the ER so that she can see a specialist, and earlier if she gets worse.
 
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DaisyDane

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Just based on our own humble experiences, I think some cats may be more amenable than others from the get-go about syringe feedings. But it does get easier. :)

Buddy was the most challenging at first, because he had been a stray for quite a while, and was pretty wild. It took two or three of us to try to get any food or fluids into him, and by the time we were done, we had had a good cardiovascular workout, and practically needed blood transfusions! :wink:

In our case, we finally figured out that Buddy was a control freak, and needed to feel in control of the situation as much as possible. So I finally developed a technique where I sit down on the floor with him and gently wrap my legs around him. I cup my left hand under his jaw (on his right side) where I can scratch his chin or ears as a distraction as needed. Then with my right hand, I squirt a little bit of food into the corner of his mouth on his left side. If he starts to squirm, then I wrap my legs around him a little tighter to try to keep him from escaping (although he still manages every now and then, even after seven years of bouts of inappetence).

I don't really pay that much attention to how many milliliters I'm giving him at the time. I start out with just a few drops, and let Buddy set the pace. Sometimes he's really hungry, and I can push the plunger a little faster, and sometimes he's fussy and I can only give him a few drops at the time. But no matter how fast or slow we go, I always wait to make sure he's swallowed whatever I just gave him before I push the plunger again.

Through a process of trial and error, we found that a 3 ml. syringe works best for Buddy. He seems to be a bit claustrophobic, and maybe the larger syringes make him feel panicky. Plus, it's easier for me to position the syringe and control the plunger.

Our other cats had their quirks when it came to syringe feedings, but they all required at least two people. One method was to have one person sit down on a chair and hold her on their shoulder, and the other person stood behind them and fed her with a nursing bottle. Another was the burrito method with a 10 ml. syringe. And so on.

So please don't beat yourself up about the syringe feedings not going as smoothly as you had hoped. Sometimes it takes a while to figure out what works best for you and your kitty. I know that sounds easier said than done, especially when you're frantic to get your cat to eat. We lost one of our cats to fatty liver disease, so I'm paranoid about our cats getting enough nutrition when they're sick. Thankfully, if the vet is providing supportive care, such as fluids and whatever else your cat needs, that can help to alleviate some of the pressure of having to hurry up and get some food into your cat, which can make syringe feedings less stressful to you and your kitty.

Hope your vet gets this all sorted out soon, and that Daisy is all better soon. :vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes:
Thank you for this. It is so easy to get discouraged with this!

Daisy doesn’t fight at all, she just seemed to be spitting all of it out! She’s done much better since we changed syringes but the last feeding session was a little rough.

Since she is so small (normally 7 lbs but down to almost 6) I worry if I am actually feeding her too much or too much per session? We’re doing about 24mLs per session now, spaced out every 2-4 hours, plus small shots of baby food and medicine in between 2x a day.
 
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DaisyDane

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They are more nutritious than regular food. Some also contain additional ingredients like probiotics/prebiotics. I wouldn't recommend getting on your own but I would bring it up to the vet and ask if they have a product like that, or if they would say it's safe to use (if they don't carry at the clinic but you can find at another clinic or pet store.)

There is also Fortiflora which is both a probiotic and also an appetite stimulant. FortiFlora Probiotic Supplement for Cat Diarrhea | Pro Plan Vet Direct But the dose for Fortiflora is once a day so even if the vet says it's OK to use and the kitty eats her food with Fortiflora on top, that will be still only one meal.

It's scary to have your cat go through sickness but hang in there. You two will get through this.
Thank you. It really is.

I asked about this but the vet is set on the RC Renal Care Liquid. This is a new vet, and I was told this clinic is pretty married to Royal Canin products.

And we did try Fortiflora early on to try to entice her. The vet today mentioned trying probiotics but I thought you couldn’t take probiotics and antibiotics together? Daisy is on Clavimox for the UTI.
 
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DaisyDane

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So sorry you are dealing with this. My cat has IBD and currently has pancreatitis. In her case she started eating less for a few days, then the vomiting and diarrhea started and then she was refusing food completely. At first we thought it was an IBD flare. Her annual was on the 10th and she had full blood work at that time, so we didn’t do blood work at first. She was on a low dose of prednisone anyway so we increased it and gave her cerenia. the cerenia made her extremely lethargic. The next day she was refusing food again, so we added mirtazapine. That only helped for the first day. On Monday she went in for a day of IV fluids at the vet and that really seemed to help her. We had additional blood work at that time. On Tuesday we got the blood work results which indicated pancreatitis so she spent the day at the vet again yesterday for IV fluids. She is eating again on her own, but she will not eat any of her previous favorite food or treats. I’ve been to the pet store at least 5 times picking up different things and she’s latched on to two foods that she thinks are acceptable. Today I will start giving her fluids at home for the next four days.

I really think your cat would benefit from fluids. It’s something I’d ask your vet about. I’d also ask how much food you should be trying to give. A 5.5 oz can for a 7 lb cat sounds like a lot under these conditions, but I’m not a vet.

Good Luck!
I’m sorry, I think I missed your comment before!

I’m so sorry about your cat but happy that she seems to be doing better! I just read that feeding cats with pancreatitis can make them worse and that food should be withheld for a couple of days before reintroducing. Did they do that with your cat?

I asked my vet about how much to feed but she keeps saying to feed her the Royal Canin Renal liquid which lists how many mLs to feed. I do feed Daisy a lot normally only because she is old and has early CKD so I wanted to fatten her up before her kidneys get worse. I’m not sure how much to syringe though. I think I understand, but most of what I find seems to be about average sized cats.

I’m worried about everyone mentioning fluids since Daisy has heart issues that make giving fluids difficult :( what do they do for cats like this?
 

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I’m sorry, I think I missed your comment before!

I’m so sorry about your cat but happy that she seems to be doing better! I just read that feeding cats with pancreatitis can make them worse and that food should be withheld for a couple of days before reintroducing. Did they do that with your cat?

I asked my vet about how much to feed but she keeps saying to feed her the Royal Canin Renal liquid which lists how many mLs to feed. I do feed Daisy a lot normally only because she is old and has early CKD so I wanted to fatten her up before her kidneys get worse. I’m not sure how much to syringe though. I think I understand, but most of what I find seems to be about average sized cats.

I’m worried about everyone mentioning fluids since Daisy has heart issues that make giving fluids difficult :( what do they do for cats like this?
Is she taking meds for heart issues? Usually lasix is what flushes excess fluids out.
Have u gotten the mirtazapine yet? That should get her going.
I did use Mirataz when my boy wasnt eating well which is the transdermal gel however I found giving him 1/4th tab hidden in some pill dough treat works waaayyy better
For some reason the ear gel crusted for him made his ears sore and red
 

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I just read that feeding cats with pancreatitis can make them worse and that food should be withheld for a couple of days before reintroducing. Did they do that with your cat?
She didn't eat for over a day and a half on her own, so that probably covered it.

I’m worried about everyone mentioning fluids since Daisy has heart issues that make giving fluids difficult :( what do they do for cats like this?
Abby went for IV fluids on Wednesday and I was talking to my niece who is a vet tech (not at the vet I go to) and wondering if she should go the next day as well and she asked about heart issues because you can't give as much fluid. I think you can do some, but it is limited.
 
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