Low appetite cat for about 2 weeks, however with normal blood tests and x-rays

[stephanietx]

Do you run any calming agents in your home such as Comfort Zone or Feliway diffusers? I think he's suffering from separation anxiety. He is probably stressed from the move and the new house, new sounds, new smells, and new routine of the house, especially since you were with him 24/7 prior to the move. He may just be scared and sometimes it's like starting over with a brand new kitty in a new home.

 

[theorangecat]

My cat has been going through almost the exact same thing! We did find out he has an enlarged heart (heart disease) through a blood test (Cardiopet proBNP) and an ultrasound, but we're still trying to figure out his GI issues. He exhibited similar symptoms: loss of appetite and subsequent weight loss, throwing up on an empty stomach, not bathing like usual, more lethargic than usual. He hasn't had a full abdominal ultrasound yet, but they did take a peek while he was getting his cardio ultrasound, and they found thickened intestinal walls, which they said could indicate IBD.

If it's helpful, here's what he's had checked for so far:
- urinalysis to check for UTI or kidney issues
- GI panel which checked for pancreatitis and some other things that I can't remember
- liver function
- thyroid to check for hyperthyroidism
- x-ray of abdomen
- ruled out diabetes
- regular blood panel

Everything has come back normal for him except that he has low protein. That's it. Next up is an abdominal ultrasound. At this point, the vet thinks that it's either IBD or lymphoma, though in my opinion they also still need to do a test to rule out parasites. If it is IBD, they have special food to put him on that also has hydrolyzed protein to help him absorb it better.

I will say that my cat has been on both Cerenia and ondansetron for his nausea, and ondansetron worked better BY FAR. He started to act like his normal self after he had been on ondansetron for about 72 hours. Eating normally, even more than usual actually, and playing and being his usual curious self. He did have to take 2mg every 12 hours. 2mg every 24 hours wasn't enough to make a difference for him.

Of course, it could just be all the change recently that has stressed your cat out! I just wanted to chime in with my recent experience in case the issue persists and seems like maybe it might not be just stress.

 

[Cutedracula]

Update 10/22



Hi all. Long story short, we finally figured out what's going on: the upper canine teeth cavity.



I noticed one day that he tried to bite one of favorite bite but then left. He had a broken canine tooth when I got him, and the vet said it might be a problem in the future and asked me to do dental cleaning for him every year. I remembered that so I brought him to the vet and did a dental x-ray. The vet found both canine teeth had cavities and started to impact the nerve already (I can't remember those med words but that's the main finding). So we got him dental cleaning and two canine tooth extraction on Monday 10/18. When we got home his appetite came back and he ate a whole can that night. Now is Day 4 after his tooth extraction and Day 2 without Onsior (pain relief and anti-inflammatory, the vet only gave him three-day pain relief and I already asked for more), I can see he is working hard to adjust his eating behavior and he drinks water to feel better. Finger crossed that he can be better sooooon.

So guys, if you have similar issues - I hope never - just don't forget to do a dental x-ray as well to check dental problems. A lot of vets don't really put dental problems high on their list and cats are great at hiding pains.

Here is also a picture when we got back home after the extraction. The doctors also joked that he will not be Dracula any more. haha

 

[Cutedracula]

Your notes are excellent and should be very helpful for the vet.
A strange question, but is it currently very hot in his environment? My cats always eat less in summer/when it's hot.
Both Bravecto and Hartz are implicated in illnesses and worse in cats. You can search these on your computer for more information. I personally only trust Advantage flea topical and would never use a flea collar. I only put breakaway (safety) non-flea collars on my cats. If he goes out, which he does, then Advantage would be good.
Fancy Feast is not a low-quality food. It is actually not bad at all for a "supermarket" brand. But I opt for Blue Buffalo and Soulistic, available in the US through petco.com. They are higher quality foods. Soulistic is mainly seafood varieties but they also have a few meat and poultry formulae. Blue Buffalo makes a wide range of foods. Their dry food is of higher quality as well, and very palatable. I feed the mature cat formula as my cats are 17 and 14; dry food is free-choice and I feed wet 2 or 3 times a day, depending on what they will eat. Any change in food should be introduced gradually over a period of up to 2 weeks; experts suggest mixing a small portion with a larger portion of regular food, increasing the new and decreasing the regular over days until he is eating all new. My cats like a wide variety of foods, so that's what I buy for them. I try to feed poultry or meat 2/3 of the time and seafood or seafood/chicken combination in the evenings.
A little cat grass from time to time isn't bad, but random source grass can have chemicals or bacteria so I would not want a cat to eat that. You can buy oat grass or wheat grass, or seed, or kits, through petco.com or most cat supply venues. I wouldn't give it very often, though, because it is normal for cats to bring it up after eating it.
Feliway spray in the environment can help to keep cats calm.
I think he misses you very much when you are not there. He has been used to having you around all the time. I work at/from home and my cats don't even like it when I go to the grocery store or the dentist or whatever. So I always talk to them reassuringly before leaving, and greet them right away when I return. He may very well have separation anxiety.

Thanks for the reply! Finally it turned out to be his dental problem - cavities caused dental pain so he can't bite. Now I'm offering some wet food after tooth extraction, and he is learning how to eat without two canine teeth. I'll definitely try Blue Buffalo and Soulistics and most importantly, I need him to eat while I'm not home! Now he wants me to hold the bowl so he can eat... what a spoiled baby hahaha.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Update 10/22



Hi all. Long story short, we finally figured out what's going on: the upper canine teeth cavity.



I noticed one day that he tried to bite one of favorite bite but then left. He had a broken canine tooth when I got him, and the vet said it might be a problem in the future and asked me to do dental cleaning for him every year. I remembered that so I brought him to the vet and did a dental x-ray. The vet found both canine teeth had cavities and started to impact the nerve already (I can't remember those med words but that's the main finding). So we got him dental cleaning and two canine tooth extraction on Monday 10/18. When we got home his appetite came back and he ate a whole can that night. Now is Day 4 after his tooth extraction and Day 2 without Onsior (pain relief and anti-inflammatory, the vet only gave him three-day pain relief and I already asked for more), I can see he is working hard to adjust his eating behavior and he drinks water to feel better. Finger crossed that he can be better sooooon.

So guys, if you have similar issues - I hope never - just don't forget to do a dental x-ray as well to check dental problems. A lot of vets don't really put dental problems high on their list and cats are great at hiding pains.

Here is also a picture when we got back home after the extraction. The doctors also joked that he will not be Dracula any more. haha

Awww, sweet boy! May he be pain-free and feeling much better very soon! and may he enjoy eating his full portions right away, too. What a handsome boy he is!!!

 

[Cutedracula]

My cat has been going through almost the exact same thing! We did find out he has an enlarged heart (heart disease) through a blood test (Cardiopet proBNP) and an ultrasound, but we're still trying to figure out his GI issues. He exhibited similar symptoms: loss of appetite and subsequent weight loss, throwing up on an empty stomach, not bathing like usual, more lethargic than usual. He hasn't had a full abdominal ultrasound yet, but they did take a peek while he was getting his cardio ultrasound, and they found thickened intestinal walls, which they said could indicate IBD.

If it's helpful, here's what he's had checked for so far:
- urinalysis to check for UTI or kidney issues
- GI panel which checked for pancreatitis and some other things that I can't remember
- liver function
- thyroid to check for hyperthyroidism
- x-ray of abdomen
- ruled out diabetes
- regular blood panel

Everything has come back normal for him except that he has low protein. That's it. Next up is an abdominal ultrasound. At this point, the vet thinks that it's either IBD or lymphoma, though in my opinion they also still need to do a test to rule out parasites. If it is IBD, they have special food to put him on that also has hydrolyzed protein to help him absorb it better.

I will say that my cat has been on both Cerenia and ondansetron for his nausea, and ondansetron worked better BY FAR. He started to act like his normal self after he had been on ondansetron for about 72 hours. Eating normally, even more than usual actually, and playing and being his usual curious self. He did have to take 2mg every 12 hours. 2mg every 24 hours wasn't enough to make a difference for him.

Of course, it could just be all the change recently that has stressed your cat out! I just wanted to chime in with my recent experience in case the issue persists and seems like maybe it might not be just stress.

I'm so sorry that you and your kitty need to go through that. Have you seen the IBD link Maurey posted here? We did dental extraction and his appetite came back - although he doesn't know well how to eat without those two teeth. So we don't think it's IBD, but possibly I will consider feeding him some high-quality raw food to avoid more digestive problems. Hope your kitty be better sooon!!

 

[tarasgirl06]

Thanks for the reply! Finally it turned out to be his dental problem - cavities caused dental pain so he can't bite. Now I'm offering some wet food after tooth extraction, and he is learning how to eat without two canine teeth. I'll definitely try Blue Buffalo and Soulistics and most importantly, I need him to eat while I'm not home! Now he wants me to hold the bowl so he can eat... what a spoiled baby hahaha.

Soulistic is owned by Weruva, which has an excellent reputation, just for your information. You might also look into "food toppers" to encourage him, at least while he's recuperation. There are bonito (tuna) flakes, tiny dried shrimps, and other extra tempting things (not like regular treats such as Feline Greenies, which are also very good but not food toppers), available at petco.com and probably most places that sell cat supplies, at least Stateside.

 

[Cutedracula]

Do you run any calming agents in your home such as Comfort Zone or Feliway diffusers? I think he's suffering from separation anxiety. He is probably stressed from the move and the new house, new sounds, new smells, and new routine of the house, especially since you were with him 24/7 prior to the move. He may just be scared and sometimes it's like starting over with a brand new kitty in a new home.

Hi stephanietx - you are absolutely right. Although the vet did not give a formal diagnosis about separation anxiety, I still think he has it - now after extraction, he wants me to hold the food bowl for him and loves eating from my hand, but not directly from the bowl on the ground... Now I'm staying at home as much as possible, I can see he is happy with that. With ComfortZone (today is day 8) he is doing better, but yesterday I had something to do and left the house about 9 hours - he meowed a low when I came back and followed me everywhere. Poor baby!

 

[Cutedracula]

Soulistic is owned by Weruva, which has an excellent reputation, just for your information. You might also look into "food toppers" to encourage him, at least while he's recuperation. There are bonito (tuna) flakes, tiny dried shrimps, and other extra tempting things (not like regular treats such as Feline Greenies, which are also very good but not food toppers), available at petco.com and probably most places that sell cat supplies, at least Stateside.

Wow good to know! That's also what I'm thinking about. The vet said it might take 2 weeks for him to fully recover and I think I can give him whatever he likes during the two weeks. We will have the vet check to make sure he is all good. After that I think I need to work on his "picky" eating behavior.

Will keep you guys updated. You are so helpful!

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Update 10/22

Hi all. Long story short, we finally figured out what's going on: the upper canine teeth cavity.

I'm so glad his issue has been figured out AND dealt with. I'm sure he feels much better, even with the slight pain from the extractions. That will be over soon.

 

[theorangecat]

I'm so sorry that you and your kitty need to go through that. Have you seen the IBD link Maurey posted here? We did dental extraction and his appetite came back - although he doesn't know well how to eat without those two teeth. So we don't think it's IBD, but possibly I will consider feeding him some high-quality raw food to avoid more digestive problems. Hope your kitty be better sooon!!

Thanks, I did see it! I'm glad that you were finally able to figure out what was wrong and that your cat is feeling better already!!