Cat not eating but seems normal

[SylvestertheCat]

Hello everyone!

5 days ago my 8 yr old male cat Sylvester came in at his usual lunch time but when I gave him food he smacked his lips, swallowed and backed away which seemed like he had nausea. I noticed he had passed loose motion and there was some vomit with what looked like white seeds in it. Next day I took him to the vet and he gave an antibiotic shot, normal saline drip and an anti-inflammatory (some steroid I guess) as he said there was some swelling in the mouth. He told me to give omeprazole once a day but Sylvester still did not eat anything. The next day he ate just a tbsp of raw mince chicken and some Whiskas. I took him to another vet today and she said he is a bit constipated so an enema has to be given. After an enema as well as an anti-nausea medication and an IV drip Sylvester is still not eating although he does come to check his food tray and looks interested. I have tried all sorts of different foods. He seems active, is grooming himself and really just wants to go outdoors. It has been 5 days now and I am at a loss as to what to do in this situation. Any help will be greatly appreciated!!!

Thanks you!!

 

[SpecterOhPossum]

How about harness walks? Way wayyy safer.

The white seeds, are you sure they weren't worms..Did the vet check for worms? baby worms look like little seeds

Fish isn't good for cats however I would try to add (unsalted) mackeral, salmon, tuna, etc to the food maybe to peak his interest. Tiki cat has some stinky fish toppers available, well, I use them as toppers

 

[Mamanyt1953]

OK, you are getting close to the point where liver damage from not eating becomes a real concern. Your cat MUST EAT! If he refuses, buy his favorite pate-style cat food (no lumps or chunks, mix it with water, draw it up into a syringe or medicine dropper, and feed him like that. He won't be happy, but he won't die from hepatic lipidosis, either. And now that he's getting some calories on board, we can think about what could be causing this.

The swelling in the mouth may be the rood cause of all of this. He may have chewed on something that caused an allergic-type reaction, or he may have bad teeth, or...well, there are several things it could be. Has he had a dental check up? You would know for sure, because he'd have been heavily sedated or anesthetized for it. Bad teeth are WAY up on the list of what could cause both the swelling and the not eating.

 

[DesperateMistrustful]

I'm a little confused as to why no vet has offered an appetite stimulant because that's the #1 concern here. I also don't know why they jumped straight to a steroid. Since he needed fluids does that mean he's not drinking either? And how did the other vet know he was constipated, from information you gave her or was there an x-ray performed?

I'm not a vet and not giving any medical advice, just confused. Maybe they had good reasons, I wasn't there. But maybe also try another clinic if these vets were from the same one...

 

[Hannah518]

He most certainly needs to eat! The meat baby food has been said to work with some sick kitties but it has to be meat only. Like plain chicken or turkey, no fruit. It sounds like a dental issue. Especially if food peaks his interested, but he knows it is painful to chew or eat.

 

[SylvestertheCat]

Hi all! Sylvester is finally eating!!

When I had posted to this forum I had been feeling so disheartened because it had been 3 hours since we had been back from the vet and he'd still refused to eat. That was Tuesday morning. By around 11 that night, he did eat a small piece of raw chicken neck (his favorite food) without showing signs of nausea like lip smacking which was an encouraging sign. Then he simply begged me to let him outside and sat by the door. I did let him out thinking that the trip might restore his spirits as he had been kept inside since his illness. morning he came in and cried for food!!

He seemed to have regained his appetite and seems totally fine now. I think he might have had nausea and an upset stomach. His mouth seems to be fine as he is chewing the chicken neck bones. Perhaps the visit to the vet had disturbed him and that's why it took some time for the treatment to work? Regarding constipation...I am not sure, he may have had some blockage because he's had megacolon before and has been on lactulose since. The only other thing I can think of, and I am not sure if it is relevant, is that his routine had also changed since the lockdown. We would let him out at night before but these days we had been sending him out in the mornings. Anyway, he is apparently doing well.

 

[SylvestertheCat]

I'm a little confused as to why no vet has offered an appetite stimulant because that's the #1 concern here. I also don't know why they jumped straight to a steroid. Since he needed fluids does that mean he's not drinking either? And how did the other vet know he was constipated, from information you gave her or was there an x-ray performed?

I'm not a vet and not giving any medical advice, just confused. Maybe they had good reasons, I wasn't there. But maybe also try another clinic if these vets were from the same one...

One of the vets did tell us to give him an appetite stimulant through a syringe, but it was of no use, because when I did, Sylvester foamed and spat the whole thing out. The vet simply palpated his abdomen and said that, "there is some stool stuck in there." No x-ray, and I had not provided any information to that effect either. I don't know...Sylvester's had megacolon before and is on lactulose but this vet did not know that so I don't know how she immediately jumped to constipation.

 

[neely]

FYI, for future info, Mirtazapine is an appetite stimulant that comes in the form of a transdermal gel which can be rubbed into the cat's ear and works like a charm. FDA Dear Vet Letter: Approved vs Compounded Transdermal Mirtazapine

Thanks for the update, glad to hear Sylvester is eating and doing well.