I never ran into this problem before and am hoping perhaps someone else has had this problem and can pass along some advice. My 19 year old cat Maxine had surgery on Oct. 5 to remove a mammary tumor. When they gave Maxine back to me, the vet said the tumor came off very easily and the surgery went very well. Maxine was alert and responsive. I asked for pain pills but the vet said she didn't think Maxie needed them.
So, that night, Maxine mostly slept, and didn't bother with her stitches at all and never seemed in pain. Her eyes were (are) wide open and she never tried hiding (as she did when she had a painful tooth issue a few years ago). She drank a tiny bit of water but mostly slept and acted a bit stoned, and kind of out of it. But walked around and used the liter to pee.
But since I brought her home, she hasn't shown the least bit interest in food. I coaxed her to lick at my finger by rubbing some food on her tongue and she consumed perhaps a 1/4 jar of baby food one night and that was it. She begged for water but when she gets it, she flicks her tongue at the water and sticks her chin and even her nose in the water, almost as if she's forgotten how to drink. She never did this before the surgery. Sometimes, she'll lap maybe three times - tops - before giving up.
I tried different kinds of food: tuna, Fancy Feast broths, baby food, her regular food, new flavors of food, Whiskas cat milk etc. She won't even sniff them.
So, on Friday, I took her back to the vet and they checked her stiches and they looked good. They gave her a shot of something to control nausea. It had no effect. All weekend long, I force fed her A/d Recovery food and force fed her water. Today, I took her back to the vet who suspected the anesthesia shut down her kidneys. But after they did blood work, they discoved her creatin (spelling?) levels are normal. She has no temperature so no infection.
They gave her subcu fluids and something to control an acid stomach. I am giving her two of these pills (dissolved in water twice daily)
But the pills have has no effect on her either. She is still refusing to eat. And I force fed her three times today with one more session to go. (That's about all she'll stand)
The vet said she has no idea why Maxine is refusing to eat and drink on her own. But she's lost two pounds since Wednesday already, and force-feeding her is tough.
Any theories anyone?
Or any ideas how to get her re-interested in food?
So, that night, Maxine mostly slept, and didn't bother with her stitches at all and never seemed in pain. Her eyes were (are) wide open and she never tried hiding (as she did when she had a painful tooth issue a few years ago). She drank a tiny bit of water but mostly slept and acted a bit stoned, and kind of out of it. But walked around and used the liter to pee.
But since I brought her home, she hasn't shown the least bit interest in food. I coaxed her to lick at my finger by rubbing some food on her tongue and she consumed perhaps a 1/4 jar of baby food one night and that was it. She begged for water but when she gets it, she flicks her tongue at the water and sticks her chin and even her nose in the water, almost as if she's forgotten how to drink. She never did this before the surgery. Sometimes, she'll lap maybe three times - tops - before giving up.
I tried different kinds of food: tuna, Fancy Feast broths, baby food, her regular food, new flavors of food, Whiskas cat milk etc. She won't even sniff them.
So, on Friday, I took her back to the vet and they checked her stiches and they looked good. They gave her a shot of something to control nausea. It had no effect. All weekend long, I force fed her A/d Recovery food and force fed her water. Today, I took her back to the vet who suspected the anesthesia shut down her kidneys. But after they did blood work, they discoved her creatin (spelling?) levels are normal. She has no temperature so no infection.
They gave her subcu fluids and something to control an acid stomach. I am giving her two of these pills (dissolved in water twice daily)
But the pills have has no effect on her either. She is still refusing to eat. And I force fed her three times today with one more session to go. (That's about all she'll stand)
The vet said she has no idea why Maxine is refusing to eat and drink on her own. But she's lost two pounds since Wednesday already, and force-feeding her is tough.
Any theories anyone?
Or any ideas how to get her re-interested in food?