Hello everyone. I wasn't sure if I should post this here or in the nutrition forum, so please feel free to move it, if you deem it appropriate.
My little cat has always been a picky eater, but recently, we noticed that she lost some weight as well as a bit of her appetite, so we brought her to the vet.
After bloodwork, X-ray, and ultrasound, we were told she had a tumor in her abdomen, and she was diagnosed with carcinomatosis. We were told a biopsy could be performed to determine the origin of the tumor, however it would not impact treatment, so we passed on the extra stress/pain for the kitty. She was started on prednisolone 5 mg twice a day and mirtazapine every third day (I cannot recall the dose). We were told to bring her home and spoil her rotten, which would have been an easy order for our other cat, who will eat just about anything, but we've been finding it a little more tricky with the little one.
To be clear, I only call her my little one because she's always been smaller than her 'sister.' She's a 14 year old tabby, who's pretty much just bones, belly, and fur. She still likes to cuddle though, still purrs, still holds her tail hight when she walks, and still sits in my lap for hours.
So the medication seems to be working - her appetite has rebounded some. However other times, she looks like she's hungry, will sniff her plate, then walk away. Maybe the medication has affected her sense of taste? We're kind of at our wits end with trying to find a food she enjoys, or really just any food that she'll eat consistently. Prior to her diagnosis, she liked Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers or Marinated Morsels (seafood flavors only), and Meow Mix Souffles. Since she's been sick, we've tried an exhausting array of different foods: Different flavors (Beef, Chicken, Turkey, Seafood), different textures (Pate, etc), different brands (Friskies, Iams, NutroMax, Great Choice (Petsmart brand), Sheba, Whiskas), Hills Prescription a/d formula, and even Gerber baby food (Beef, Chicken, Turkey, and Ham - where the only ingredients are meat, water, and cornstarch). All with varying degrees of success. (It's a good thing her sister's nickname is Garbage Can).
I would love to find the one food that she absolutely can't resist. Can anyone suggest something that we haven't tried? Maybe something that you've used in the past with success?
After reading reviews on the Hills Prescription diet, we were so hopeful, and after she devoured it the first time, even more so, but subsequent feedings have been less successful. We tried heating the food up for a few seconds in the microwave, and then also trying straight out of the fridge, as well as room temperature. There's also really been no difference between a new can and leftovers.
Also, we don't pill her at the same time as we feed her, for fear that the stress of medicating her was spilling over into dinner time.
Thank you in advance for any advice you can give!
My little cat has always been a picky eater, but recently, we noticed that she lost some weight as well as a bit of her appetite, so we brought her to the vet.
After bloodwork, X-ray, and ultrasound, we were told she had a tumor in her abdomen, and she was diagnosed with carcinomatosis. We were told a biopsy could be performed to determine the origin of the tumor, however it would not impact treatment, so we passed on the extra stress/pain for the kitty. She was started on prednisolone 5 mg twice a day and mirtazapine every third day (I cannot recall the dose). We were told to bring her home and spoil her rotten, which would have been an easy order for our other cat, who will eat just about anything, but we've been finding it a little more tricky with the little one.
To be clear, I only call her my little one because she's always been smaller than her 'sister.' She's a 14 year old tabby, who's pretty much just bones, belly, and fur. She still likes to cuddle though, still purrs, still holds her tail hight when she walks, and still sits in my lap for hours.
So the medication seems to be working - her appetite has rebounded some. However other times, she looks like she's hungry, will sniff her plate, then walk away. Maybe the medication has affected her sense of taste? We're kind of at our wits end with trying to find a food she enjoys, or really just any food that she'll eat consistently. Prior to her diagnosis, she liked Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers or Marinated Morsels (seafood flavors only), and Meow Mix Souffles. Since she's been sick, we've tried an exhausting array of different foods: Different flavors (Beef, Chicken, Turkey, Seafood), different textures (Pate, etc), different brands (Friskies, Iams, NutroMax, Great Choice (Petsmart brand), Sheba, Whiskas), Hills Prescription a/d formula, and even Gerber baby food (Beef, Chicken, Turkey, and Ham - where the only ingredients are meat, water, and cornstarch). All with varying degrees of success. (It's a good thing her sister's nickname is Garbage Can).
I would love to find the one food that she absolutely can't resist. Can anyone suggest something that we haven't tried? Maybe something that you've used in the past with success?
After reading reviews on the Hills Prescription diet, we were so hopeful, and after she devoured it the first time, even more so, but subsequent feedings have been less successful. We tried heating the food up for a few seconds in the microwave, and then also trying straight out of the fridge, as well as room temperature. There's also really been no difference between a new can and leftovers.
Also, we don't pill her at the same time as we feed her, for fear that the stress of medicating her was spilling over into dinner time.
Thank you in advance for any advice you can give!
I've never thought about toppers, and really didn't even know they existed, so I will definitely look into those!
