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- Sep 27, 2018
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My Siamese cat was diagnosed with probable IBD or lymphoma back in mid-July. I opted to not do an ultrasound or biopsy because she is almost 17 years old and very thin. X-rays showed a mass in two loops of her small intestines.
She started taking prednisolone and cerenia and things were going great; she started eating well again, no vomiting, put on weight, was more active, and grooming again. After a few weeks we tapered off the cerenia and started only giving as needed, and tapered down the pred (as per the vet’s instruction). About three weeks ago she gradually started eating a little less and less until two weeks ago she stopped eating almost completely and started having a bit of diarrhea.
Since then my cat will still hardly eat at all. The diarrhea has calmed down a bit, but on her own she will only eat 2-3 little bites of food a day. I tried feeding her different new foods, adding bone broth on top of her food, feeding her baby food (plain chicken/turkey or pumpkin purée). I syringe feed her a little, but it still isn’t enough. She fights me and seems miserable when I use the syringe. I work full-time and I feel terrible because I can’t be there with her all day to syringe-feed her more frequently.
What she’s receiving now, daily:
- prednisolone
- cerenia (anti-nausea)
- mirtazapine (appetite stimulant)
- subcutaneous fluids
Other notes:
- She has had hyperthyroid for a few years and used to receive methimazole twice daily, but the vet told me to stop giving that for now because it could make her eat less.
- She’s a former diabetic, in remission since 2013, no longer insulin dependent.
- She is probably going to start an opioid painkiller today or tomorrow, per the vet’s advice.
My vets are pretty certain now that she has GI lymphoma and that the mass (or masses) in her intestines have grown.
What can I do to make her eat a substantial enough amount? I don’t want to give up on her. What is there left to try? Her 17th birthday is in 6 days and I want her to make it and be well again.
She started taking prednisolone and cerenia and things were going great; she started eating well again, no vomiting, put on weight, was more active, and grooming again. After a few weeks we tapered off the cerenia and started only giving as needed, and tapered down the pred (as per the vet’s instruction). About three weeks ago she gradually started eating a little less and less until two weeks ago she stopped eating almost completely and started having a bit of diarrhea.
Since then my cat will still hardly eat at all. The diarrhea has calmed down a bit, but on her own she will only eat 2-3 little bites of food a day. I tried feeding her different new foods, adding bone broth on top of her food, feeding her baby food (plain chicken/turkey or pumpkin purée). I syringe feed her a little, but it still isn’t enough. She fights me and seems miserable when I use the syringe. I work full-time and I feel terrible because I can’t be there with her all day to syringe-feed her more frequently.
What she’s receiving now, daily:
- prednisolone
- cerenia (anti-nausea)
- mirtazapine (appetite stimulant)
- subcutaneous fluids
Other notes:
- She has had hyperthyroid for a few years and used to receive methimazole twice daily, but the vet told me to stop giving that for now because it could make her eat less.
- She’s a former diabetic, in remission since 2013, no longer insulin dependent.
- She is probably going to start an opioid painkiller today or tomorrow, per the vet’s advice.
My vets are pretty certain now that she has GI lymphoma and that the mass (or masses) in her intestines have grown.
What can I do to make her eat a substantial enough amount? I don’t want to give up on her. What is there left to try? Her 17th birthday is in 6 days and I want her to make it and be well again.