missy sudden behavior change: no longer eating breakfast, just hides

[FeebysOwner]

Responding late - I don't know how I missed your post. Did they have to restrain Missy to give her the enema? If so, that could have caused some aggravation to her arthritis. If they sedated her for the enema, I wouldn't have thought that any kind of restraint would have been necessary.

Is Missy doing any better now?

 

[louisstools]

Responding late - I don't know how I missed your post. Did they have to restrain Missy to give her the enema? If so, that could have caused some aggravation to her arthritis. If they sedated her for the enema, I wouldn't have thought that any kind of restraint would have been necessary.

Is Missy doing any better now?

I suspect they had to restrain Missy because she was not sedated but I do not know how much effort they had to use. She is doing better thank you it’s been about a week. I think I took her about four days before she was kind of back to normal. she’s also kind of gone back to her normal eight hour routine on potty and her poop routine is what it’s been, which is normally two small poops in the morning.

she’s been eating OK but still extra difficult even for her. Most days I have to give her an extra dose in the evening to kind of give her a boost because she’ll just lose all interest in food and we have that insulin shot in the evenin.

I did have a follow up with the vet about MiraLAX, but I can’t do it. I tried a couple of things I got from the store to hide the MiraLAX in and she wouldn’t even sniff them. She just is so difficult to get her eating normal food that getting anything extra in her is just too stressful. I can really only do medicine for her that bypasses the mouth.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Did you try the stuff you got from the store with her before adding the Miralax? If not, then it might not be the Miralax but rather the stuff you tried that she doesn't like. Try some more things too. You never know when/if you might find one that she will eat. She really sounds like she is going to need something you can give her to help with her stools, and I don't think there are any that can 'bypass' her mouth.

 

[lisahe]

You might ask your vet about the Vet's Best digestive tablets that (I think?) I mentioned before. They helped Ireland's constipation start to ease and she loves them because they have chicken flavor in them. They're like a treat for her.
Cat Hairball Relief Digestive Aid
I first started her on these because I noticed a couple posts on a cat forum saying they'd helped other constipated cats.

More generally... I've probably already said this on your thread but I'll say it (maybe again?) anyway. Constipation is a constant battle that can't be ignored, particularly because it often reduces the cat's appetite so much. The trick is to find something, even something small, for a first step (like the Vet's Best tablets or even, for some cats, drinking more water) that will start to make a positive difference. But you have to keep at it. If the cat will start to eat a little more eagerly, it might be possible to start giving a medication or supplement to cat in food. And then things spiral in a good way, toward keeping the cat fed and hydrated. But if nothing's done, things start spiraling in a bad way, toward not eating and toward more constipation... And it can get out of hand quickly, particularly because stress apparently contributes to constipation. And when a cat's constipated, both the cat and the person are stressed.

We're certainly not perfect at this. Nobody is! Every cat is different and finding a good approach take trial, error, and time. When Ireland had her last episode, in early August, I found that putting catnip and freeze-dried liver on her food (out came the Sheba and Fancy Feast, too, which I prefer not to feed!) helped get her to eat just enough that I didn't need to worry she wasn't getting enough calories. Maybe there's something you could sprinkle on Missy's food, too? Crushed treats? Freeze-dried meat? Taking out an old cat fountain we had stored away also helped -- Ireland loves drinking out of it.

Fingers crossed for Missy!

 

[louisstools]

Did you try the stuff you got from the store with her before adding the Miralax? If not, then it might not be the Miralax but rather the stuff you tried that she doesn't like. Try some more things too. You never know when/if you might find one that she will eat. She really sounds like she is going to need something you can give her to help with her stools, and I don't think there are any that can 'bypass' her mouth.

Yeah, I did it without the medicine she wasn’t interested. I understand what you’re saying. It’s just too much for me. The bulk of my waking time is already spent trying to get calories into her that I can’t take this on. just getting calories into her is more than I can bear I can’t add anything else to my plate.. I just can’t explain how little interest she has in food.

it would be far less stressful for me to just take her to the vet for an enema every now and then and to try and fight and get medicine in her.

 

[louisstools]

You might ask your vet about the Vet's Best digestive tablets that (I think?) I mentioned before. They helped Ireland's constipation start to ease and she loves them because they have chicken flavor in them. They're like a treat for her.
Cat Hairball Relief Digestive Aid
I first started her on these because I noticed a couple posts on a cat forum saying they'd helped other constipated cats.

More generally... I've probably already said this on your thread but I'll say it (maybe again?) anyway. Constipation is a constant battle that can't be ignored, particularly because it often reduces the cat's appetite so much. The trick is to find something, even something small, for a first step (like the Vet's Best tablets or even, for some cats, drinking more water) that will start to make a positive difference. But you have to keep at it. If the cat will start to eat a little more eagerly, it might be possible to start giving a medication or supplement to cat in food. And then things spiral in a good way, toward keeping the cat fed and hydrated. But if nothing's done, things start spiraling in a bad way, toward not eating and toward more constipation... And it can get out of hand quickly, particularly because stress apparently contributes to constipation. And when a cat's constipated, both the cat and the person are stressed.

We're certainly not perfect at this. Nobody is! Every cat is different and finding a good approach take trial, error, and time. When Ireland had her last episode, in early August, I found that putting catnip and freeze-dried liver on her food (out came the Sheba and Fancy Feast, too, which I prefer not to feed!) helped get her to eat just enough that I didn't need to worry she wasn't getting enough calories. Maybe there's something you could sprinkle on Missy's food, too? Crushed treats? Freeze-dried meat? Taking out an old cat fountain we had stored away also helped -- Ireland loves drinking out of it.

Fingers crossed for Missy!

i’ll pick some up and try them, but I’ve never found a treat that she will even look at. Even the temptations that are supposedly kitty crack she won’t even sniff them

 

[FeebysOwner]

it would be far less stressful for me to just take her to the vet for an enema every now and then and to try and fight and get medicine in her.

You can ask the vet but I don't think they will tell you it is a good idea to get routine enemas. Not to mention that she was bothered by it in some fashion for close to a week. As has been pointed out already, constipation also can cause in-appetence - likely above and beyond what she experiences already. I think you saw that.

I know you are not a patient person when it comes to having to experiment with Missy, but I also know you aren't a quitter either.
You've already done a lot to help Missy; I know you will continue to try to help even more.

 

[lisahe]

i’ll pick some up and try them, but I’ve never found a treat that she will even look at. Even the temptations that are supposedly kitty crack she won’t even sniff them

Ireland is like that, too! Freeze-dried chicken (which her sister almost literally inhales) is of no interest. But she loves those tablets. Like I said, it's been trial and error with her. I'm not sure what possessed me to try the freeze-dried liver but even just a fine sprinkle really worked to get her to eat. (I don't think cats are supposed to get too much liver so kept that very low!)

 

[louisstools]

I know you are not a patient person when it comes to having to experiment with Missy, but I also know you aren't a quitter either.
You've already done a lot to help Missy; I know you will continue to try to help even more.

Thank you. I'm not a quitter but I gotta be honest, I'm reaching the end of my patience with her because of her constant lack of appetite. She just eats so little -- it's a literal 5 kibble at a whack and it doesn't matter if it's been 15 hours or 15 minutes since the last meal that is all she eats -- that we need 15 meals a day. I can't do anything. Even watching TV is hard b/c I have to interrupt it so frequently in the span of an hour to try and get calories into her. If I don't her weight just crashes. She just doesn't let up or give me a break, not even like today when I've "given up" and just gave her mega dose of appetite stimulant....it hardly perks her up and it wears of in minutes. Let's hope she relents and gives me some relief.

 

[FeebysOwner]

It sounds like she is eating mostly dry food? I don't know what you do to prepare each 'meal', but placing some food in a baggie and having that along with a dish, could cut out some time for you because all you would have to do is pour some kibble in a dish while you are watching TV, or whatever it is you are doing - that is assuming she is either close by or sitting with you.

I don't know what to tell you about the appetite stimulant, other than it just doesn't seem to be effective with the way you are administering it. As I said before, I have never heard anyone giving it to their cat in that manner. But, if that is what the vet and you think is the best approach, I guess it is what it is.

 

[louisstools]

It sounds like she is eating mostly dry food? I don't know what you do to prepare each 'meal', but placing some food in a baggie and having that along with a dish, could cut out some time for you because all you would have to do is pour some kibble in a dish while you are watching TV, or whatever it is you are doing - that is assuming she is either close by or sitting with you.

I don't know what to tell you about the appetite stimulant, other than it just doesn't seem to be effective with the way you are administering it. As I said before, I have never heard anyone giving it to their cat in that manner. But, if that is what the vet and you think is the best approach, I guess it is what it is.

Yeah, it's only dry food. I do use a container that holds a pre-weighed amount so it does reduce my setup time. But even when she eats, I have to remain with her to coax her b/c she'll just stop after three bites so the whole meal is time consuming.

This approach is the only one I've known or been instructed to do. She is supposed to just get one small dose a day but very often it's not enough b/c it never really "kicks in." How do people normally do it? Especially for people with cats that need that boost long term.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Feeby was on an appetite stimulant for about 3 years before she died. The 'normal' transdermal dosing is 1.5" strip every day, and that is generally what any vet I have ever known prescribes. But I think that is often too much for many cats, so there is some experimenting to be done. But, even when reducing the amount, I frankly have never seen less than 0.75" strip given at one time. The frequency is another aspect of experimentation. I originally gave Feeby 0.75" every third day, but ended up later giving it to her every other day.

I sometimes did wonder if she could have used a larger dose, because some days it just seemed to work better than others. But, I stayed steady with my dosing, as it seemed to work sufficiently enough to keep her eating.

Feeby ended up to the point that she only wanted to eat 1-3 bites of her wet food at one time, so I offered her food nearly hourly to keep her eating enough. Of course, in Feeby's case she had multiple illnesses, and I am sure to some degree that impacted how she felt about eating.

 

[louisstools]

Feeby ended up to the point that she only wanted to eat 1-3 bites of her wet food at one time, so I offered her food nearly hourly to keep her eating enough.

That's exactly how Missy wants to eat and has for over 3 years now. Exactly. And like you, I'm stuck trying to give her food nearly hourly or at least checking on the cat to see if she might eat.

But unlike your situation, Missy isn't diagnosed with anything other than diabetes and arthritis. She may be constipated any given day and she does have allergies too. But on the whole whatever combination of problems she has it's enough she never, ever shows interest in eating.

Regarding the dose, everything you said is basically what my vet said. We don't know why she won't eat but I can't pill her so we can't attempt to treat the things like arthritis, nausea, allergies, etc, she has that may be bothering her and reducing her appetite. But I can, with some fighting, rub the ointment on her ear. The intent here is to give her the least possible dose to get her to eat.

 

[FeebysOwner]

But on the whole whatever combination of problems she has it's enough she never, ever shows interest in eating...The intent here is to give her the least possible dose to get her to eat.

Her combination of problems very well could be attributing to her lack of desire to eat. Constipation can be very impacting to a cat's appetite. Her other issues don't help matters, even including any allergies she has.

The only problem I see with your dosing approach with the appetite stimulant is that it is never enough to really get her to eat with any interest. And, I still don't know, or understand, what a 1/6 dose at a time does exactly. I also know that you aren't really giving her the least possible dose when you have to give it to her multiple times in a day. It isn't like it dissipates so quickly that it is out of her system entirely from one tiny dose to the next. Maybe you better understand this approach, but if you truly don't, I'd ask the vet about what this method is supposed to accomplish better than a single larger dose given less frequently.

 

[louisstools]

Her combination of problems very well could be attributing to her lack of desire to eat. Constipation can be very impacting to a cat's appetite. Her other issues don't help matters, even including any allergies she has.

The only problem I see with your dosing approach with the appetite stimulant is that it is never enough to really get her to eat with any interest. And, I still don't know, or understand, what a 1/6 dose at a time does exactly. I also know that you aren't really giving her the least possible dose when you have to give it to her multiple times in a day. It isn't like it dissipates so quickly that it is out of her system entirely from one tiny dose to the next. Maybe you better understand this approach, but if you truly don't, I'd ask the vet about what this method is supposed to accomplish better than a single larger dose given less frequently.

I will reach out to the vet. Even on bad mornings, which are frequent, and I give her more -- like today I gave her .75 inches -- she still has next to zero interest even with the higher dose. I think the most she's gotten in the morning was 6 of the small doses, or the full 1.5 inches and even then...very little interest. I never see a HUNGRY cat. At best I'll see a cat that will eat ~7 kibble, then drink, and then resume eating instead of walking away.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Not knowing if the allergies or arthritis, or even perhaps the diabetes - or more than one, or all of them - are attributing to the eating issues, and not being able to treat some of them, means that you need to get used to what is currently happening. Constipation can also play a role in lack of appetite too; also usually treatable in many other cats.

If she can't be treated for these things, her lack of appetite is not likely to just magically disappear. Tbh, stop hoping for the near-impossible, accept what is, and continue doing as best you can, as you have been doing. It is working, and while it is not how you want things to be, you've accomplished the primary goals - to keep her alive and relatively healthy as far as anyone knows. Taking this approach will help to reduce your frustrations, not only with her, but within yourself.

I did all the things I did for Feeby, because it was more important to me to keep her alive, even if there was extra effort involved for me. Regardless of illness/age, our cats only have so long with us, often not long enough, and I was grateful to have Feeby around for as long as possible.

 

[louisstools]

FeebysOwner a couple of questions if you don't mind. So Feeby is the closest cat to my Missy that I've read about at least with the eating. I'm curious how much of a FIGHT each meal was for you two? Would she show interest in food? Would she just eat and not need coaxing to keep going?

I ask because even when I give Missy 4-5 of her small doses of stimulant, it's still a FIGHT to get her to eat b/c she has no interest of her own. I can see when the stimulant kicks in b/c I can see her having an internal fight b/c the medicine is wanting her to eat but she is trying to resist eating. She never just "eats" ... even when doped up the wazoo it still takes many, many attempts to entice her to take that first bite. It's hard to explain but it's actually easy to see when watching her. She'll act like she is taking a bite of food and then jerk her head back up. I'll have to swirl the food around with my finger and she'll just stare at it...lick her lips...and then try again and then jerk her head back up. Repeat until she braves that first bite.

 

[FeebysOwner]

There was some coaxing that went on with Feeby, but for the most part if she didn't want to eat, she didn't. However, the difference was the fact that maybe an hour later she would eat, or maybe 2 hours later, etc. She would never not eat over the course of an entire day. Because I gave her so many different foods, tbh, it was hard to tell if she just liked some of them better than others, or that was a day that the Mirataz was wearing off, or that it was a time that she was just completely off of food - I never for sure knew. I could at least rely on getting her to eat the baby food meat. As I said before, she would eat that much quicker than any of her own food. It generally took all day/evening to get her to eat 2.0 - 2.5 oz of a 3.0 oz can of food, but she could eat 2.0 - 2.5 oz of baby food meat in about an hour.

The jerking back from the food is odd, and confusing. So, most of the time Missy generally ends up eating some of her food after the initial 2-3 times of jerking away from it? I am going to ponder on that one for a while...

 

[louisstools]

FeebysOwner Yeah, it's weird what she does. SOMETIMES when we go to the bowl (I usually have to carry her) she'll just put her nose in the bowl and eat. But that's pretty rare, maybe 4-5 times a week (and we do 13 meals a day...).

But yeah, most of the time, she'll have to stare at the food for quite a while before eating. It's like she is "psyching" herself up. She'll stare at it, then lower her head and just let it be there for a moment...and then maybe she'll take a bite. The whole time I'm swirling the food around to get that aroma up and keep her focused on the bowl. Then she'll take 3-4 bites and then stop. I then have to "jump in" and swirl the food to get her going again. Sometimes she never takes that bite and walks away.

I'll normally try again in a half hour, and keep at every half hour, until she eats. She never not eats but if left to her own devices she'll go 15 hours in between eating and drinking and when she resumes from her "fast" she still only wants that 3-4 bites and generally has no interest. Even opening a new bag of food shows no interest.

 

[FeebysOwner]

It almost sounds like Missy is trying to please you by trying to eat, but she doesn't really want to eat. IMO, it seems it could be from nausea. Many cats don't throw up from being nauseous, it just kills their appetite. If it isn't nausea, then it is something going on in her digestive system, which perhaps causes stomach upset when she does eat, so she takes in just a little bit of food to try to avoid whatever feeling she is getting, or maybe she has found that only eating a tiny bit doesn't bother her as much as eating a 'full meal' at one time.

If it were me, the first thing I would do is ask the vet about this concept. There are Cerenia injections for nausea that could be tried, but each injection only lasts about 24 hours. To me, it is not feasible, nor desirable, to take one's cat to the vet for a daily injection. There are no transdermal anti-nausea meds that I know of.

When I talked to my vet about doing various injections at home (not for Cerenia), I finally convinced her to let me try. It was for things similar to Cerenia, in that, they are given sub-cutaneously, not in a muscle. So, pretty much no different than the people who give their cats sub-Q fluids. So, maybe you could persuade your vet to let you try doing so for some test period to see if this med makes any difference for Missy. It is a long shot, I suppose, as I don't know how many vets are as 'flexible' as mine was.

If not nausea, then perhaps the vet can suggest what else would cause a reluctance to eat due to stomach upset/digestive issues. Most folks would give their cat something like famotidine, ondansetron, etc., but as far as I know, there is no such transdermal version for these items. But, your vet could let you know what might be your options.

Whatever would be decided, it is a 'one thing at a time' kind of trial, so that you would know if it is or is not working before moving onto something else if needed. There is always the chance her stomach distress, if that is what's going on, can be from food intolerances too. She has never eaten anything but her usual food with any consistency in order to try to eliminate a food intolerance issue.