I'm At My Wits End. Cat Not Eating.

UnderneathTheStars

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I had finally gotten Mousse (my special needs cat) in a good place health-wise and thought I could take a breath and maybe a little break from almost 24/7 caregiving. Then, my other rescue persian, Sangria, got sick.

She is approximately nine years old and I adopted her about five years ago. She has had good health since adoption. She had a UTI the first year I had her which cleared up with antibiotics. A few months ago she got a swollen lip (rodent ulcer) which cleared up with a short course of prednisolone. Other than that, her health has been solid. Lately, though, I noticed she was eating less and losing weight so I got her in with my vet. The vet did a physical exam and a full senior blood panel.

The physical exam showed nothing remarkable. There was a mildly swollen lymph node in the neck area. Her oral health is perfect. Weight was good but she did lose a bit (about 8 ounces weight loss in two months). She isn't underweight, though. Her temperature was fine. Abdomen palpation turned out fine too. At the time, she wasn't having any diarrhea or vomiting either. The senior blood panel came back perfect as well. Nothing wrong with the thyroid, kidneys, liver, white or red blood cells, etc.

I took her home and was instructed to give her whatever she wanted to eat even if it's junky food just to try and stimulate her appetite. The next day, she would only eat a handful of treats and nothing else so I had to syringe feed. I called the vet and she prescribed 2ml of sucralfate liquid twice a day and cyproheptadine twice a day for appetite stimulation.

It started to work! She ate a bit on her own the day before yesterday and yesterday again. It looked like she was getting her appetite back. She ate her dry grain-free kibble and a whole can of her wet food plus a few treats. I went to bed happy.

This morning I woke up, gave her the medication, and she proceeded to have diarrhea in the litter box which got stuck in her fur so I had to shave and bathe her. :( Now she only wants to eat treats again and I did give her the appetite stimulant so I don't know what's going on. I've tried her usual kibble, "junky" kibble, raw food, her usual wet food, "junky" wet food. Nothing. She otherwise seems alert but she's a bit moody. I've also tried putting tuna water in her food. She is drinking water and peeing normally.

I hate syringe feeding her because she gets SO scared and it breaks my heart. What could be going on here? The vet keeps saying she isn't super concerned because her bloods were really good. But, like, I'm concerned. Why doesn't she want to eat!?
 

mrsgreenjeens

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Did you call the Vet and let them know about the diarrhea? If not, I would definitely tell them about it and see what they say. Now as to WHY the loss of appetite, that IS a mystery considering she checks out healthy :headscratch:. I can say that both of my cats have lost their appetites similar to yours, only it hasn't lasted more than a day or two, and like you, I took them in for a check-up because it's just not normal. But luckily once I started syringe feeding them, they hated it so much that they started eating again, albeit a different food to start.

Have you tried any OTHER type of toppers? Usually I can get one of mine to eat if I use FortiFlora as a topper. Also, parmesan cheese (from the green can) normally works well, as well as Purebites 100% pure meat treats, crushed or crumbled on top of their food (or any similar 100% pure freeze dried treats)

Maybe there is something in this article that might ring true for what has caused the issue, and also there is a link within the article on how to get them eating again:

Why Has My Cat Stopped Eating And Is It Dangerous?

Hope there is something in the above that will help :vibes::vibes::vibes:
 
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daftcat75

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Make her a meat stock (meat broth) by simmering meaty bones in enough water to cover for several hours—until the meat drips off the bone but far shorter than bone broth. Not only will this be gentle on her stomach, highly digestible, very nutritious, and extremely palatable (your cats will probably hover in the kitchen while this is cooking), but it will also help rehydrate her if she’s dehydrated (as cats tend to get when they stop eating) and it will settle her gut and butt. You can also feed her the cooked meat that you’ve separated from the broth.

Here’s more information. I would stop at “Round 1” which is the meat broth. Bone broth can be more difficult for some individuals.

Bone Broth Is Excellent Nourishment for Older Pets
 

amysuen

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Our picky eater didn't go for FortiFlora, parmesan cheese, or any of the other toppers cats usually like. :rolleyes3:

One thing that's worked every time (so far) are those meat sticks. I crumble a section on top of the food and once he starts eating that he usually finishes the meal. Freeze dried fish works too, but not as reliably as the meat sticks. You can always hear him breathing so I think he has narrow nasal passages and can't smell well, which is why the stinkier treats entice him.
 

Lotski

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I can’t really provide you with helpful tips, but I can say one thing: a cat eating too little or not anymore is not okay. Our cat developed hepatic lipidosis because she refused to eat her new bladder diet and ended up with a feeding tube. First she ate a little, then she stopped eating.

It’s important that they find the reason why Sangria doesn’t eat (well) anymore. I do not want to scare you because this doesn’t automatically mean she’ll develop it, but it’s really important to know. Our regular vet didn’t take her eating problem seriously, and because of that she got very sick and was even close to death. Just so you know, in case someone tells you she’ll start eating again when she’s hungry or something like that.
 
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