Transitioning Senior Cat To Wet

[darg]

Maybe another one worth trying ...

The Stella and Chewy's pate's seem to be a hit with our former dry only senior cat. Seems to have a slight preference for the Turkey over the Chicken but I think he likes them better than the Sheba even though he seems to prefer the Sheba texture (really fine puree). Only problem is that they are fairly expensive at $2.60 a box here locally. I can't find them online yet. The pate's are fairly new. One other thing is that they contain agar (agar-agar). I know there is some controversy about agar but doesn't seem to be bothering our IBD senior at all to this point.

Anyway, may be another brand that's worth a try or checking into.

 

[GalaxyGirl]

Maybe another one worth trying ...

The Stella and Chewy's pate's seem to be a hit with our former dry only senior cat. Seems to have a slight preference for the Turkey over the Chicken but I think he likes them better than the Sheba even though he seems to prefer the Sheba texture (really fine puree). Only problem is that they are fairly expensive at $2.60 a box here locally. I can't find them online yet. The pate's are fairly new. One other thing is that they contain agar (agar-agar). I know there is some controversy about agar but doesn't seem to be bothering our IBD senior at all to this point.

Anyway, may be another brand that's worth a try or checking into.

I wanted to try those with my bunch. I can’t find them locally. I’ll have to Gabe them ordered. Agar agar doesn’t bother my crew. All the other gums do. So it’s worth a try. I just got the salmon oil today. She LOVED the fortiflora. I gave it to her alone to see if she’d eat it. Then I mixed it in some of her wet food that was watered down. She ate half. I’m hoping to work her up to eating a 1.5oz of wet without it being puréed only mashed a bit.

This cat only knows crunchy.

 

[GalaxyGirl]

So here's the deal. Today I took some sheba pate and put it into her month she didn't not spit it out. She then tried to eat it on her own. So its what I thought it was she doesn't know how to eat this food but wants it. When I smash it to make it into a gruel often she misses the most of it. So I think I'll put a bit of food in her check a few times a day until she can figure out how to eat the wet pate on her own.

 

[darg]

Have you tried any of the chunky or shredded foods? Last time I tried to switch mine to a wet food I figured that with him being used to kibble, he'd take better to more of a chunky type wet food. But the chunky type wet foods and the shredded foods were a no go at all. I tried a few this time around as well with the same results but he is eating the pates pretty well now. That said, obviously every cat is different.

 

[GalaxyGirl]

Have you tried any of the chunky or shredded foods? Last time I tried to switch mine to a wet food I figured that with him being used to kibble, he'd take better to more of a chunky type wet food. But the chunky type wet foods and the shredded foods were a no go at all. I tried a few this time around as well with the same results but he is eating the pates pretty well now. That said, obviously every cat is different.

YES. She won’t touch them. She likes chicken broth and if I make the pate super watery she’ll try it. So I just think I’ll syringe feed her for a bit along side her dry and jump start her learning it’s food.

 

[daftcat75]

Has she had a recent dental under anesthesia with mouth x-rays? A texture preference can indicate mouth pain.

I don't think you're going to get enough nutrition in her by syringe when everything has to be watered down. I wish you would consider a feeding tube by now. How long has she been eating less than half her normal calories? How much weight has she lost? (Starting weight and current weight?) Any current diagnosis or treatment plan with the vets yet?

 

[GalaxyGirl]

Has she had a recent dental under anesthesia with mouth x-rays? A texture preference can indicate mouth pain.

I don't think you're going to get enough nutrition in her by syringe when everything has to be watered down. I wish you would consider a feeding tube by now. How long has she been eating less than half her normal calories? How much weight has she lost? (Starting weight and current weight?) Any current diagnosis or treatment plan with the vets yet?

She’s eating enough that’s she isn’t losing weight. I just wanted to help her transition better. The vet wants to just put her on more antibiotics. Her bowls still haven’t improved. But the appetite stimulator has helped tons. I was reading catinfo and that was an option. I know even the best dry food isn’t that great for her and can cause another flare up.

 

[GalaxyGirl]

Has she had a recent dental under anesthesia with mouth x-rays? A texture preference can indicate mouth pain.

I don't think you're going to get enough nutrition in her by syringe when everything has to be watered down. I wish you would consider a feeding tube by now. How long has she been eating less than half her normal calories? How much weight has she lost? (Starting weight and current weight?) Any current diagnosis or treatment plan with the vets yet?

Yes she has had X-ray to make sure her teeth aren’t bad. They are in very good shape with no plaque on he teeth. She’s never had anything except dry. So I want to be gentle in her transition.

 

[daftcat75]

What do you mean the bowels haven't cleaned up yet? If she's taking antibiotics, her poops will be soup.

 

[GalaxyGirl]

What do you mean the bowels haven't cleaned up yet? If she's taking antibiotics, her poops will be soup.

That’s what I think. The vet thinks they should change. She said Veraflow should firm them up. She still had diarrhea. So we are only giving Metronidazole twice daily now. She has the liquid. It was too hard to give. I’m giving the pill which is 100% easier. She doesn’t even know when I pop it in her month.

 

[daftcat75]

How long has she been on antibiotics and what are they even treating now? The antibiotics could be messing with her appetitie too. This sounds like a pill-and-pray treatment plan.

 

[GalaxyGirl]

They only did x-rays. The vet thinks its Pancreatitis. Because my in laws opted not to do an ultrasound the vet is just guessing. She has a bunch of inflamation when the x-rays were taken. That is why I'm not sure how to treat her. We've been to 3 vet visits so far just check her weight and she's doing ok except for the inflammation, pain, and low hunger.

I would pay to have my own test ran, but I just started working again. I also would seek another vet. I'm tempted to take her to my low cost vet who I trust more than this cat only vet that charges a ton. Their office looks better than a human Doctors office.

 

[daftcat75]

How long has she been on antibiotics? Is there an end to the course or do you just keep giving them indefinitely?

If you haven't yet completed a prescribed course, finish them up. If you're just giving them with no end in sight, discontinue that. Antibiotics aren't really useful for pancreatitis anyway.

If the vet suspects pancreatitis, there is a blood test for that. I think you'd be better served by a different vet. Whether it's the financial constraints you have placed on him or I don't know what, I just don't get the feeling like he's taking this very seriously.

If it is pancreatitis, that needs to be shut down as quickly as possible. Pancreatitis is basically the pancreas digesting itself. The longer the disease process is allowed to continue, the greater the damage to the pancreas. You risk EFI (insufficient digestion) and diabetes when you let the pancreatitis process continue.

 

[daftcat75]

If this were my cat, I would do the following:

1. If there is no end date for the antibiotics, stop giving them. Antibiotics should be used for a known infection for a definite amount of time. No shorter, no longer. Antibiotics abuse can make the next actual infection that much tougher to fight if the bacteria is antibiotic resistant.

2. Stop the dry food. Like yesterday! Powder up a cup or two into a small jar and use that like seasoning. Donate the rest to a shelter. Pancreatitis and dry food are incompatible! It's like trying to seal up a leaky boat with termites. The real healing begins when the insult and injury is removed.

3. Stop messing around with broth and baby food. The time for that was like two weeks ago. She won't get through pancreatits on broth and baby food. If you can't get real, nutritionally balanced and complete wet cat food (preferably a pate) in her in sufficient quantities (30 calories per lbs of bodyweight), get her the feeding tube already. Poor nutrition = poor prognosis!

4. Get the pancreatitis blood test, Spec fPLI. You need to know! You can't pill and pray. Pancreatitis takes intensive care--hospitalization if you can't get serious about it at home. The test is something like a $25 add-on--so whatever drawing blood and sending to the lab costs plus an extra $25 for the Spec fPLI.

5. Start the B-12 replacement therapy. She's definitely been malnourished plus an active disease process long enough to need it. Ask about buying a bottle, the needles and syringes, and getting a vet tech demo on how to do them at home. You can get all of this for under $100 whereas it would cost at least a vet visit plus materials (the B-12 itself) weekly if you leave it up to the vet to give the B-12.

6. Either have a talk with this vet or take her to the next vet. Ask the vet the following three questions and make sure you understand the answers. Don't leave the office until you have answers you understand:

a. Where are we? What's the diagnosis? What are we treating?
b. Where are we going and how do we get there? What's the treatment plan? Drugs, shots, fluids, folllow-up visits, etc. Don't pill and pray.
c. How will we know when we get there? What's the metrics for recovery? Weight gain? Restoration of normal eating? Lab values within range? Knowing what your vet considers recovery will help you calibrate costs.

Get serious with this cat, and with your vet(s) or I don't think the outlook will be very good.