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Pet Forum / Miscellaneous / Animal Health / January 2007My cat is starving himself!
One of my cats, a nine year old male, short hair domestic recently stopped eating. I've got a good vet that we really like, so we took him in in hopes of figuring out what was wrong. Unfortunately he's completely stumped by the cat's behavior. He's done multiple x-rays, blood work, and an oral exam. His liver, kidneys, teeth and gums all appear to be healthy, and the doctor has no real idea of what could have caused him to stop eating. He's lost a considerable amount of weight at this point, and I've been force-feeding him for almost two months now. He's the best cat ever, and it's breaking my heart to see him slowly dwindle away to a pile of bones. The vet has basically given us two options: let the cat continue as he has been (forced feeding via syringe) in hopes of a change, or an exploratory surgery that may help shed more light on the situation. Obviously the surgery is a costly option that may or may not actually help the cat. I'm running out of options, and I'm just hoping that someone may have some helpful advice. Thanks, Branden >I'm running out of >options, and I'm just hoping that someone may have some helpful advice. Have you tried an appetite stimulant like Cyproheptadine? Obviously, something is wrong with the cat, but I have one who hasn't been precisely diagnosed either (beyond interstitial cystitis) and some meds help her day to day a lot. I agree that exploratory surgery may not give any answer that you can or would do something about, and quality of life is a huge consideration.  SignatureJanet Boss www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com > One of my cats, a nine year old male, short hair domestic recently > stopped eating. I've got a good vet that we really like, so we took him > in in hopes of figuring out what was wrong. Unfortunately he's > completely stumped by the cat's behavior. He's done multiple x-rays, > blood work.... This included thyroid studies? > One of my cats, a nine year old male, short hair domestic recently > stopped eating. He's lost a considerable amount of > weight at this point, and I've been force-feeding him for almost two > months now. ............Has the vet tried pred? buglady take out the dog before replying > One of my cats, a nine year old male, short hair domestic recently > stopped eating. I've got a good vet that we really like, so we took him > in in hopes of figuring out what was wrong. Unfortunately he's Even the best vets sometimes don't "see" everything. Have you considered a referral to a vet school? More brains and pairs of eyeballs and hands can be useful at times. Kay Thanks for the replies everyone. I forgot to mention that the vet did try Cyproheptadine. I never saw any noticeable difference with it. The cat still wouldn't eat on his own or when presented with food. Another point I failed to mention is that the vet mentioned a "calcified deposit" at the back of the cat's stomach. He wasn't sure what it could be but felt pretty confident that it wasn't the cause of his problems because of it's location in the digestive tract. Perhaps there is something more to this? Thyroid studies: I'm not sure about this. The vet never specifically mentioned this. I'll be talking to him later today, so I'll make a point to ask him about the thyroid. Pred: I forget what the full name of this med is, but my vet did mention this as a sort of "shot in the dark" option. Should I pursue this further? Vet school: I hadn't considered this. I'll ask my vet for more information on this as well. > Thyroid studies: I'm not sure about this. The vet never specifically > mentioned this. I'll be talking to him later today, so I'll make a > point to ask him about the thyroid. .......Hyperthryoid cats get skinny, but they're usually agitated, mad and eat like horses. I wonder though about other endocrine problems like Addison's - extremely rare in a cat, but at this point I think you'd be looking for zebras, not horses. I think I'd ask about endocrine system problems before cutting the cat open just to look around. > Pred: I forget what the full name of this med is, but my vet did > mention this as a sort of "shot in the dark" option. Should I pursue > this further? ...........Pred = prednisone = steroid. If this hasn't been tried yet please DO! Cats have far fewer side effects than dogs. I'm assuming they've tested for all the usual feline diseases like feline leukemia, toxoplasmosis, etc.? If not they should. Both the mouth (teeth) and nose should be looked at carefully. If cats can't smell they won't eat. ......The article below mentions force feeding should only be tried for a few days. If the appetite doesn't return a nasogastric tube or PEG should be used. The second article talks about PEG and a cat with a nonspecific problem. I'm wondering if antibiotics might not help also. How are the cats stools? Some articles on the anorectic cat: http://www.vin.com/VINDBPub/SearchPB/Proceedings/PR05000/PR00168.htm http://www.fabcats.org/peg_nutritional_support.html .......good luck with your kitty. I think I'd get some nutrition into this cat using one of the above methods before doing much else. buglady take out the dog before replying > Pred: I forget what the full name of this med is, but my vet did > mention this as a sort of "shot in the dark" option. Should I pursue > this further? My 20 year old cat is wasting away and it is hard to get him to eat. He's on 5 mg of prednisone every other day and half a tablet of cyproheptadine every day. The latest thing that's working sosmewhat is 9Lives. I remembered a vet suggesting cheap cat food several years ago and for the past few days, I've been having some success with the stinkier food. Good luck. Kate I think a second opinion (either through a university or not) is definitely warranted. I'm really surprised that the doc has not looked again at the calcification. That seems like an obvious warning sign to me - maybe it's making his stomach feel "full". Did the doc do any sort of ultrasound, or only X-ray? Also, did the doc try fluids for dehydration? I think the second opinion is your best bet at this point - quick! > Thanks for the replies everyone. I forgot to mention that the vet did > try Cyproheptadine. I never saw any noticeable difference with it. The [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > Vet school: I hadn't considered this. I'll ask my vet for more > information on this as well. > One of my cats, a nine year old male, short hair domestic recently > stopped eating. I've got a good vet that we really like, so we took him > in in hopes of figuring out what was wrong. Unfortunately he's > completely stumped by the cat's behavior. I'm sorry to hear your kitty isn't eating. Is there any food that he shows interest in? Dry? Canned? People food? As someone pointed out, smell is very important in cat's eating--is his nose OK? Also you might ask the vet for some of the high nutrition paste which is good for sick kitties (can't think of the name but it comes in a tube like toothpaste) . Margaret > > One of my cats, a nine year old male, short hair domestic recently > > stopped eating. I've got a good vet that we really like, so we took him [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Margaret Nutra-Cal? S:o) Lucas has been on Prednisolone for over a week now with no signs of improvement. His condition is only getting worse. His breath has gotten very bad (renal failure?) and he never even leaves his spot on the bed. The vet agrees with us that the surgery at this point would be very difficult for him to recover from even if it were a success. It appears as though my wife and I forced to make an incredibly difficult decision within the next couple of days. Thanks to everyone for the advice. b >It appears >as though my wife and I forced to make an incredibly difficult decision >within the next couple of days. I'm very sorry. We are incredibly lucky to be able to relieve pain and suffering for our pets though, and they count on us to be strong. Best to you and your family. SignatureJanet Boss www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com > Lucas has been on Prednisolone for over a week now with no signs of > improvement. His condition is only getting worse. It appears > as though my wife and I forced to make an incredibly difficult decision > within the next couple of days. ........It's hard. I just sent my 20.5 yr old cat over the bridge yesterday. Paradoxically she always perked up the day before going to the vet after being miserable for days. Tried to do this 2 weeks ago, but the vet thought she didn't look that bad. I was glad to grab the carrier and take her back home. That good day only last a short while. It just wasn't fair any more to ask her to stay. ......I hope you have more critters in the house. If not, a cat will find you when you're ready. They always know the right time to show up. buglady take out the dog before replying >>Lucas has been on Prednisolone for over a week now with no signs of >>improvement. His condition is only getting worse. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >>as though my wife and I forced to make an incredibly difficult decision >>within the next couple of days. I'm so very sorry. It sucks, I know. > ........It's hard. I just sent my 20.5 yr old cat over the bridge > yesterday. Paradoxically she always perked up the day before going to the [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > ......I hope you have more critters in the house. If not, a cat will find > you when you're ready. They always know the right time to show up. I'm sorry for your loss, buglady. I thought today might be the day for Big Guy, my 20 year old, but the vet gave him fluids and liquid valium and he ate quite a bit. The hope is that the valium induced eating will get him to eat on his own again - I hope so. Kate Piggy backing my condolences also, Buglady. Eleven months after our KD left us it's still ahrd at times. > Piggy backing my condolences also, Buglady. Eleven months after our KD left > us it's still ahrd at times. ......Yep, sure is. Thanks. buglady take out the dog before replying > I'm sorry for your loss, buglady. I thought today might be the day for > Big Guy, my 20 year old, but the vet gave him fluids and liquid valium > and he ate quite a bit. The hope is that the valium induced eating will > get him to eat on his own again - I hope so. Thanks Kate. I called my current vet last Thurs and Monday was the first appt he could give me. I'm not used to that. I'm used to being squeezed in the very day I decide it's time. If I had been able to do this, I might have let that *good day* go on until it was over. Besides the usual issue of trying to figure out when is the right time, I finally realized that loosing this cat would mean severing the last tie to a place I lived in 2 moves ago. Seems there's always personal issues tied up in these things. I sure do miss her - she was my bed cat for many years. buglady take out the dog before replying |
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