Has anyone tried milk thistle, yucca, or other supplements to stimulate appetite in a healthy-ish cat?

[Furballsmom]

Try Herbsmith milk thistle, it's the "cleanest" product I could find. Poppycat gets slightly less than the prescribed amount of 1/8 teaspoon twice a day, ok'd by his vet.

Since I can't rely on him to consume it, or enough of it in food on his own, I'm handfeeding it to him mixed in food, using a method suggested by my vet. I'm using a popsicle stick/tongue depressor (I'm getting these at hobby stores), scooping a little of the food onto the end of the stick, gently opening his mouth at the jaw hinge and then I scrape the food off onto his tongue.

He got sick this spring (liver, pancreas and gallbladder) and the vet prescribed denamaryn. One of these pills was found in his poop, whole except for the blue coating. So, we stopped that and I started the milk thistle. The vet said since that's half of what's in the denamaryn, and the rest is often what causes stomach upset, that we're fine taking this approach as maintenance, liver and immune support.

His appetite is better now than it's been for three or four years.

Maybe this, and the handfeeding method, would work for you

 

[cheeser]

I hear you there. Milk thistle is definitely a "go to" for the liver, and I also lost a cat to Fatty Liver, so know the paranoia that goes along with a cat slowing down their eating . I say why try it and see what happens? Here's hoping it does the trick for increasing his appetite

So sorry to hear about your kitty. *hugs you tight*

Thanks bunches for sharing. It always helps to feel a little less crazy and paranoid when you know that others have been there and really understand some of your darkest and deepest fears. Now if I could just do something about my fear of snakes, spiders, and other creepy crawlies!

Okily-dokily. I'll go update my Amazon cart!

 

[cheeser]

Try Herbsmith milk thistle, it's the "cleanest" product I could find. Poppycat gets slightly less than the prescribed amount of 1/8 teaspoon twice a day, ok'd by his vet.

Since I can't rely on him to consume it, or enough of it in food on his own, I'm handfeeding it to him mixed in food, using a method suggested by my vet. I'm using a popsicle stick/tongue depressor (I'm getting these at hobby stores), scooping a little of the food onto the end of the stick, gently opening his mouth at the jaw hinge and then I scrape the food off onto his tongue.

He got sick this spring (liver, pancreas and gallbladder) and the vet prescribed denamaryn. One of these pills was found in his poop, whole except for the blue coating. So, we stopped that and I started the milk thistle. The vet said since that's half of what's in the denamaryn, and the rest is often what causes stomach upset, that we're fine taking this approach as maintenance, liver and immune support.

His appetite is better now than it's been for three or four years.

Maybe this, and the handfeeding method, would work for you

Oh, bless you! *hearts you with the fiery intensity of a thousand supernovas*

Thanks ever so much for the rec! It's always helpful to try a specific name brand that you know others have found helpful.

Thankfully, getting Buddy to consume supplements usually isn't an issue for us. After seven years, he's gotten pretty chill about syringe feedings, so whenever possible, it's just easier for me to mix little cocktails for him that I can administer via a syringe. Or if it's a really tiny amount, I can mix it with a dab of food and smear it on the back of his tongue with my finger. I discovered that the secret was getting the crap bitten out of me a few times. After that, I wasn't afraid to stick my fingers in Buddy's mouth anymore, and I guess he sensed that, and didn't find it as much fun anymore.

 

[Furballsmom]

You're welcome
That method with the popsicle stick can be very useful for getting plain food into a reluctant cat as well, and easier on the fingers, but you're right, it's the same principle.