Cat Refusing To Eat Or Drink

[maggiedemi]

I would ask the vet about the de-worming medication. I agree, you don't want to make him worse, but maybe do a stool test to see if there are any parasites.

 

[cat1967]

I will do that. And I will make the recipes I learned in here and see what happens. I have a butcher's shop close by which is open on Sundays so tomorrow I will make the Liver Shake. I will not be able to put the kelp in but the rest I can manage.

 

[1 bruce 1]

I should give him the pill for the worms this month but I wonder if I should do that since he is in this condition. I will have to take him to the vet again this week for more blood tests as I don't know his levels of blood sugar now. I called the vet again today and asked if I should maybe lower the dosage but he said to stay on that dosage and just add a syringe of food after the insulin injection.

There are times that I think he has only a few more minutes to live not hours just minutes. And then he stands up and goes here and there. Maybe he wants to hide away and die. I really don't know. I have been giving him Recovery which is canned food high in protein and it should have given him weight but nothing. He is totally skin and bones.

I don't mind feeding him and making a mess etc but I feel like I am torturing him and that is the worst. But as long as he is still alive I cannot stop trying.

And again everyone thank you so much for your support and kind thoughts.

I wish I had magic words to make this seem OK =(
I had a childhood CKD cat that went off food and lost a ton of weight. Parents deliberated and decided to call the vet and ask for an appointment to release him from his pain, and while on hold he got up, walked over to a food bowl and started eating. We were all so shocked! They told the vet what had just happened. They advised us to wait but not hesitate to call ASAP and they'd fit is in for an emergency. He lasted awhile, eating, drinking, doing his thing until one day he didn't. Sometimes they really do shock us and your dedication to this little guy makes me smile, not for your situation but one who does not care would be doing what you're doing.
I know I sound sappy as hell...but whatever happens, we are here and we've been in your shoes. Tons of hugs and support your way.

 

[cat1967]

I am with him most of the time. He is constantly moving from bowl to bowl as I have many in the house. This canned food as all canned foods have a lot of water and I have been feeding him one can a day but still he is hanging over the bowl. This morning he drank but since then I don't think he has.

 

[1 bruce 1]

I am with him most of the time. He is constantly moving from bowl to bowl as I have many in the house. This canned food as all canned foods have a lot of water and I have been feeding him one can a day but still he is hanging over the bowl. This morning he drank but since then I don't think he has.

If you dip your finger in the water and gently put it on his cheeks/whiskers, does he attempt to clean it off?
Maybe something like nutri-cal or nutri-stat would help, super high calories in a very small amount (1/2 inch strip of it) can really help perk them up.
+1 on the liver shake. Lots of nutrients, the kelp would be great but if you can't add it I wouldn't sweat. Right now the goal is keeping his tummy full and comfortable.

 

[cat1967]

Thank you 1 bruce 1.

I have tried with my finger but no use. He puts his chin in the water and is usually wet too. Maybe he licks a bit who knows. I cannot see it. I listen carefully though.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Thank you 1 bruce 1.

I have tried with my finger but no use. He puts his chin in the water and is usually wet too. Maybe he licks a bit who knows. I cannot see it. I listen carefully though.

Darn! I was hoping I was onto something.
I do agree with taking a fecal if possible to check for parasites, as these can be annoying in dogs but really bad in cats. If the vet does find some kind of parasite, hopefully they would know of a gentle way of ridding them without over loading his system.
We will definitely keep you in our thoughts. I hope you have good news to report tomorrow! Give him a gentle hug from all of us.

 

[cat1967]

I will definitely update you. Thank you for your kind words. Your support, from all of you, means so much to me.

 

[Furballsmom]

 

[1 bruce 1]

I will definitely update you. Thank you for your kind words. Your support, from all of you, means so much to me.

Support here doesn't fix problems but it makes them easier to deal with knowing there are folks that care.

 

[tarasgirl06]

I haven't given him milk I should try that as well as the Liver Shake. Thanks for the advice!

Just make sure you do not give him cow's milk, because that is not tolerated by many cats and can cause diarrhea, which is the last thing he needs now. And I agree on the wormer -- not until he's stronger. The vet can easily find whether or not he has worms, anyway, and I would not administer a wormer unless a cat needs one. *PRAYERS* ongoing for Benji and for you -- you are doing the right things and giving him the love he needs above all.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Just make sure you do not give him cow's milk, because that is not tolerated by many cats and can cause diarrhea, which is the last thing he needs now. And I agree on the wormer -- not until he's stronger. The vet can easily find whether or not he has worms, anyway, and I would not administer a wormer unless a cat needs one. *PRAYERS* ongoing for Benji and for you -- you are doing the right things and giving him the love he needs above all.

The only cows milk we give our cats is raw, straight from the cow, and even then we use caution when offering it to sick pets unless it's the only thing they want.
Goats milk and sheep milk can be great for some kitties!

 

[maggiedemi]

I would still get the stool test though. They can find out a lot from a poop test. It seems like everything with cats is either a poop or pee problem.

 

[cat1967]

Hi everyone. So I prepared the Liver Shake and force fed it to him. He vomited all of it after a while. So after two hours I gave him again Recovery can food and he kept it in. He seems worse every day. He is over a bowl of water all the time. Goes upstairs downstairs but always over a bowl of water. He has lost more weight, he is now 2 kg. I think I am losing him.

 

[catsknowme]

That positioning over the water bowl and not drinking is a classic sign of nausea. You could ask your vet about giving him some red raspberry leaf tea or trying a weak ginger tea - both are effective with nausea & the rr tea is helpful for diarrhea and cramping. Just remember that ginger is strong tasting and, if he has some sort of oral or throat irritation, could be uncomfortable.

 

[catsknowme]

Since he is vomiting, I would be focusing on hydration and keeping his electrolytes up. Unflavored pedialyte would be good, given drop by drop. Also, try some honey or light Karo syrup on his gums to keep his blood sugar up. Very slow and steady would be key here. - I cannot recall if you are already doing this. And is he on antibiotics? How is his hydration? He made need sub-Q fluids I have dealt with these situations far too often in my work rescuing feral cats - all you can do is keep trying. I have lost many but saved quite a few.

 

[cat1967]

He is not vomiting he just vomited the Liver Shake. He kept the Recovery in. He drank just a few drops of water on his own now. He has been like this for a month today. For three weeks he was getting IV fluids every day or every other day plus antibiotics and antivomiting injections. He is also getting insulin injections twice a day. I asked the vet if I should lower the dosage but he said it is a very low dosage so no. We are not sure if he is diabetic or his blood sugar went high because he was stressed. Also the limit was 159 for the blood sugar and he had around 300 a month ago, but he was getting kortisone shots which could take the blood sugar to a higher level, then after ten days it was a little lower and after five days of insulin injections or less it was 174 but the vet told me to continue for a week more and have him do the check again. I am going to take him sooner than a week because I think if the high levels were like that because of the general bad condition, giving him insulin injections could make him worse. I don't know, I am not a vet of course and I don't doubt my vet, actually they are three vets there, but when your cat is dying for unknown reasons you have to wonder.

 

[cat1967]

The only thing that attracted his attention and is over this now instead of the water bowl is this special cat grass I just showed him. He is smelling it not eating it but sits over it.

 

[tarasgirl06]

*PRAYERS* continue for Benji!

 

[cat1967]