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Two weeks in and I'm just lost here. I thought we were improving but now the food intake is backing off again. I can barely get her to eat any straight baby food, let alone try to get her to eat some mixed with other foods or anything that would be better balanced for her.
I'm through all the hints already it seems like. I don't now what is happening and she seems to be modestly interested if I wave food in front of her but won't take much, maybe a few licks off the spoon of baby food like this morning even though she didn't eat much during the day yesterday or last night. Previous days she had begun eating a fair bit out of a bowl (mostly baby food but mixed a tiny amount of something else with some success) once we were gone at work or gone to bed. We'll see what happens with today's, which is straight baby food.
She's off pretty much everything: her favorite treats are a no go. Her favorite milk, no longer useful, won't drink it. Won't take tuna water anymore. I got Clinicare RF, not interested. Fortiflora is still a no go (tried again yesterday), as is any other smelly animal digest filled food. She will eat the Friskies hairball treats that rediscovered the mention of recently; we are using that to give pills right now.
Two weeks in since learning of the CKD and I'm just exhausted because of this food thing. I thought it would be the sub-q but that is a breeze comparatively. The biggest pain with the sub-q is getting it warmed. Giving it to the cat is dead simple, as long as she is somewhere we can pick her up easily (that's the hardest part otherwise). She lays in the bed and is fairly content; it only takes a couple minutes anyway.
If the cat would just eat consistently I could relax a little. I started to, on about Wednesday. Now it's all gone again. I'm not sure where I'm going to get any mental/emotional energy. At least it's a weekend coming up and won't have to deal with the office.
If the cat would just eat consistently I could relax a little. I started to, on about Wednesday. Now it's all gone again. I'm not sure where I'm going to get any mental/emotional energy. At least it's a weekend coming up and won't have to deal with the office.
Just grit your teeth and hang in there. We're here for you and you can vent to us.
I know you are often not keen on suggestions, but...
have you (or vet) considered a feeding tube? Just long enough to get her back "on track?"
Hm, I'm not keen on suggestions? I'm not sure how I give off that impression exactly. It's not my intention. Perhaps it's that I've often I've already read about and/or tried them? I do appreciate suggestions even if it may not be evident from what I write I guess.
I will talk to vet tomorrow I think (he is closed today, and I wasn't feeling super emergency scenario even though sometimes it feels like it's all wrong and she's somehow going to die in a day or two despite that not being the prognosis). Today after I posted this she did eat some on her own while we were out. This seemed to be the new pattern, though that pattern slowed a bit yesterday. She was very disinterested tonight in me trying some food in a spoon, ran well away and downstairs (she rarely goes downstairs at this point, and her hiding down there freaks me out, although I went and found her, and she came back upstairs within about 10-15 min).
Feeding tube, well, I have read about it and thought I might be there, but we have averted that so far. Vet didn't bring it up. When I called over a week ago with how long she'd gone not eating I thought there could end up being a hospital stay. He didn't think so yet, said stay course make sure she got appetite stimulant. Then after another day I thought I would be syringe feeding more likely. I even picked up a syringe. That was over a week ago, and what happened was I went at her with the baby food that same night that I got the syringe and she ate it from my spoon instead. Things progressed fairly well with reasonable food for most of a week, but she seems to be sliding back.
Mainly what I want to talk to the vet about though, I think, is what it could be that's causing her not to eat. Because I don't think we've addressed it yet. I don't think it was dehydration or such. I think it could be stomach acid or at this point it could actually be fluid retention (we gave fluid again last night and it seems to be a lot, and I'm not well versed on figuring that out, could be we should already be going for less fluid or less frequently). There are a number of other things that it could be and I'm not sure which direction we need to go or whether she needs to go in for any testing or what.
It's the ups and downs that are killing me I guess, the downs anyway. Yesterday got better, although Friday night she didn't eat much. Talked to vet, he's a stay the course kinda guy. Which is fine really, probably what I need in the midst of taking in so much info from Dr Internet. We are upping the cyproheptadine dose a bit and will back off on fluids. Tonight will be 3 days since fluid and I'm not even sure I will give the fluid today unless it seems clearer that what is left is absorbed; might be reasonable to push it to tomorrow. Probably every 3 days will be about right after that. Those two combined should have a positive effect on appetite, indeed already did last night when she ate a fair bit while we were sleeping. I weighed her yesterday and although I stupidly didn't weigh her when we got home from vet to sort of calibrate my scale against his, I'm going to guess it's not nearly 2lbs different. She feels heavier and the numbers are 8lbs 14oz at the vet and 10.6 here about 2.5 weeks later. With the amount she has been (not) eating that's gotta be fluid retention even if my scale is off a pound.
I've also over the last few days acquired some taurine powder and suitable B-complex vitamin. Given the way these things usually work this should mean that she'll quickly be eating cat food which won't need the supplements so much. (But they'll be here if we're still stuck on baby food sometimes.) And I finally found some slippery elm which seems like a nice all around supplement for her to have, although spacing it away from the meds may be a problem some days.
So just maybe going into this week I can feel like we turned the corner. Again.
Greg talk to your vet about B-12 shots. You can give them at home. They helped my little CKD girly immensely. The vet gave her two shots, one was B-12 and one was B complex. She them 7 days apart, then dropped to every 14 days. The benefit seemed to wear off by the 10th day so we upped the shots to every 10 days.
They are sub q shots, easy to do at home, the needle is very tiny. B-12 can really help with appetite.
My little Herbie we acquired from the wild (over 11 years ago) blind and as a kitten now has cancer of the kidneys and has lost over a kilo over the last 2 months; as we have just discovered with a big bump about 3 weeks ago (even the vet is surprised he was there 2 months ago for his teeth). He is going fast, eating only really tasty titbits and is extremely thin, (all bones). I do believe he is still happy, purring, moving etc. We will try baby food warm. I think you are right because if I cook anything he wants some, even if its not good for him! Once he does not look happy or gets any thinner I will take him to put him out of his misery, but right now I think he just wants to know whats wrong?! And I just want to cry every time I look at him......
Thanks Cherokee x
Sending a hug your way. You're right; caring for an ailing kitty is emotionally draining. I wanted to suggest rotisserie chicken to tempt her appetite. It's always a favorite when I have it here.
I like the idea of the B-12 injections that cat mom suggested. Worth a try.
Since this thread was started in 2013, I'm sure that the OP has solved the eating problem with his cat.
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Perhaps it's that I've often I've already read about and/or tried them? I do appreciate suggestions even if it may not be evident from what I write I guess.
We are upping the cyproheptadine dose a bit and will back off on fluids. Tonight will be 3 days since fluid and I'm not even sure I will give the fluid today unless it seems clearer that what is left is absorbed; might be reasonable to push it to tomorrow. Probably every 3 days will be about right after that. Those two combined should have a positive effect on appetite, indeed already did last night when she ate a fair bit while we were sleeping. I weighed her yesterday and although I stupidly didn't weigh her when we got home from vet to sort of calibrate my scale against his, I'm going to guess it's not nearly 2lbs different. She feels heavier and the numbers are 8lbs 14oz at the vet and 10.6 here about 2.5 weeks later. With the amount she has been (not) eating that's gotta be fluid retention even if my scale is off a pound.
