Cat having trouble eating.. chewing then dropping food.

Kelly Benton

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Oct 21, 2021
Messages
2
Purraise
2
I hope some of you can reply to this. My 11 year older cat is doing this. Food is left in his bowl and this started happening suddenly. He went through a sick spell, had to be on antibiotics, and improved. The vet had concerns of colangitis. He has always been my big eater and seems hungry but doesn’t eat like he used to. Please help!
 

mewlittle

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 20, 2012
Messages
1,633
Purraise
127
Location
usa
How often in a day does he eat? What brands do you feed and how much in each feeding?, what plate/bowl do you use? and is he putting the food in his mouth and then dropping it? Is his respiratory affected?
 

crystal dawn

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Aug 25, 2015
Messages
457
Purraise
265
Location
Missouri, USA
Are you feeding dry food or wet. If you're feeding dry perhaps switch to a wet food pate style is easy to eat for many cats and can just be licked up if chewing is hard.
 

FeebysOwner

TCS Member
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Jun 13, 2018
Messages
22,431
Purraise
33,191
Location
Central FL (Born in OH)
Hi. What tests were run for the vet to be concerned about cholangitis? Does the vet think he is completely over it now? I have heard it sometimes takes more than just antibiotics, such as steroids and/or drugs used to improve the flow of bile. There are a couple different forms of cholangitis, so treatment may vary depending on the type.

It is also possible he is less interested in eating his food because he associates it with when he was really sick. If you have other foods that he likes/has liked in the past, you might consider trying them for a while to see if that helps entice him to eat more.

But, I am a bit confused by what exactly you mean when you say he is chewing and then dropping food. Nausea? A tooth issue?

I would suggest you discuss all of this with your vet in greater detail to see if they can give you some additional guidance.
 

Cutedracula

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
May 20, 2021
Messages
19
Purraise
18
Have you ever checked dental? My cat dropped dry food/treats too and it turned out to be fraction tooth.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #7

Kelly Benton

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Oct 21, 2021
Messages
2
Purraise
2
He started grinding when eating and would leave small pieces of food in bowl. Mild throwing up. Then we noticed he wasn’t feeling well about three weeks ago. No energy and loss of appetite. I took him to vet and he improved after a shot of antibiotics. Tests were run along with X-ray. The only thing that was off was elevated liver enzymes at 900. We were sent to a specialist who ran more tests and ultrasound. She diagnosed him with “suspected colangitis due to mild sludge. He finished a two week antibiotic treatment on the 13th and the last 3 days he seems to not be energetic again, sleeping a lot, and general lethargy. See pic of his food. He can’t eat a variety of food because he requires medical prescription food for urinary blockage. He’s been on this for many years .
5D928899-5F4F-4D14-BF2A-C63821835EED.jpeg
 

scoutandmaxine

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
May 26, 2021
Messages
202
Purraise
888
Location
Ohio
Have you ever checked dental? My cat dropped dry food/treats too and it turned out to be fraction tooth.
I second this. Scout had similar issues when she had dental problems. After removing a few teeth and getting a cleaning, she was good as new and her appetite came back strong.
 

mani

Moderator and fervent feline fan
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Messages
46,566
Purraise
23,328
Location
Australia
The trouble is that dental issues would be the first thing a vet would check. My two did it with their tooth reabsorption problems. So it seems there is something more going on.
F furrypurry , you had this issue. Did you find anything out about it?
 

TardisDance

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 6, 2020
Messages
253
Purraise
218
This sounds so much like dental issues, but have you tried a dry food that’s a different shape? Sango had the same issue and had to have a tooth removed. She still has issues eating even though she’s in the clear. I found that she does much better on ball shaped pieces like Dr. Elsey’s because they are easier to grasp.
 
Top