at my wit's end about cat not eating

[rapmarks Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close rapmarks]

our cat was put on thyroid medicine about 5 weeks ago. she has basically stopped eating. I will have 4 or 5 dishes with different foods on them and she sniffs and walks away. she is hungry because she asks for food. I have gone so far as to cook up a meatball each morning, but she takes two or three nibbles and walks away. she licks the juice off some foods. I have given her real tuna, salmon, chicken, and beef. She was 5 pounds at the last visit and you can feel all her bones now. Then she tried to jump ont he bed and fell to the floor. I know her time is near and feel so hellpless. I doubt if she is eating an ounce of food a day.
anyone have any suggestions?

[vintner Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close vintner]

Sorry to hear this. I guess I would say that if the cat is licking juice, then give that to her. That would be something for her anyway.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

Sorry to hear this. I guess I would say that if the cat is licking juice, then give that to her. That would be something for her anyway.

A milkshake?

[rapmarks Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close rapmarks]

have bought cans of gravy and of chicken broth, she doesn't take them.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

you've tried everything I would suggest. If she won't eat even the yummy human tidbits it may be time. She may have a blockage but she is starving to death right in front of you. I'm sorry.

ETA Is she drinking any water?

[catwgirl Contributor - Bronze Find all posts View Profile Close catwgirl]

What does the vet say?

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

We lost our oldest adoptee Monday. He had stopped eating close to three weeks ago. He kept trying, but couldn't.

His behavior started to change a couple months ago and he had been acting exactly the same way as yours.

[rapmarks Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close rapmarks]

she is due to go in for her bloodwork to see how effective the thyroid medicine is. seeing her today, I am worried that this is it. she does drink. I noticed she threw up this morning.

[mdurette Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mdurette]

My beloved "Pudge" started acted the same way as yours. Wanted to eat, would go to the dish - but wouldn't. Just a bit of tuna juice. I brought her in with 2 days of noticing this and she was dehydrated and blook test confirmed she had Kidney Failure. She was hospilized for 3 nights (wow what a bill that was!) I ended up having to give her fluids (with a needle) when she came home and for the rest of her life. I was told 6 months - maybe a year. Well she lasted another great 3 years.

I prayed that when the time came she would go peacefully in her sleep - I had to put her down - very hard - but I knew it would be best for her.

[TravelBug Member Find all posts View Profile Close TravelBug]

rapmarks, she may be telling you it's time to go. We lost out beloved Cassandra labor day weekend...she had been with us for 18.5 years and was part of the family. She developed hyperthyroidism 3 years previously and it got progressively worse, with undetected hypertension which caused retinal detachment and blindness. About six months ago, she started developing other symptoms including severe loss of appetite, disorientation, and others. She was down to 5 pounds (was always a hefly couch potato at 14 lbs.) when she stopped eating except for licking the sauce. We tried everything including baby food. We had her in to the vets every day for fluids and nutrients. The vet said that unless we got her to start eating immediately, she would last a couple of weeks tops and would suffer as she starved. The sauce she was licking simply did not provide the needed calories to sustain life. After a week of this, we couldn't bear to see her suffer any more so made the decision. It was very peaceful and we were with her at the end.

This Christmas was very tough without her (she loved to curl up under the tree among the presents). And her sister (litter mate) is finally adjusting to her being gone. I really feel for you because it's so hard to know what to do. You're always second guessing...am I making the right decision. In hindsight, given all the other symptoms Cassandra was exhibiting and even though she wasn't suffering, I feel we waited too long. The quality of her life wasn't what I would want for myself and when you get down to it, IMHO, that's what it's all about.

Ingrid

[rapmarks Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close rapmarks]

we went to vets today. they were going to show us how to feed her with a syringe, but she suddenly perked up and ate about a quarter of a can of the special food. Then they demonstrated the IV and we are going to give here the IV each day. She may have had too much thyroid medicine. she is down to 4 pounds, 1 ounce.

thnaks for all your ideas, and kind thoughts.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Funny how they perk up when they see the syringe. Very human-like.

[mdurette Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mdurette]

we went to vets today. they were going to show us how to feed her with a syringe, but she suddenly perked up and ate about a quarter of a can of the special food. Then they demonstrated the IV and we are going to give here the IV each day. She may have had too much thyroid medicine. she is down to 4 pounds, 1 ounce.

thnaks for all your ideas, and kind thoughts.

Assuming you are giving her fluids with the bag and needle. After much research I found the easist way was this....

1. Put warm/hot water in the kitchen sink. Place BAG ONLY in the water to warm up the fluids. Do not submerge any part of the tubing or the opening of to the bag. Cats take the warm fluid better - room temp is like ice cold when you give it to them.

2. I then took an old hanger and hung it over top of the kitchen cabinet and hung the bag up there. Started the fluid into the sink first to get all air bubbles cold fluid from the tubing out before I started on the cat.

3. Place old towel on the counter and put can on it - wrap up the cat in it and lay her down. (beats getting clawed)

4. Grasp the loose skin on the neck and slide the needle in.

5. Always use a new needle for each poke.

I did this for three years and found this was the easiest. The height of the counter was best to manage her and having the sink right there to start the fluid into was easy and didn't cause a mess.

[rapmarks Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close rapmarks]

thanks, I will follow those steps.
New thing. Now we notice a lot of gagging. I think it may turn out to be futile, but at leadt we will feel like we did everything we could.

[rapmarks Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close rapmarks]

did the first several steps. However, my husband would put in the needle, I'd start the drip, and I'd feel her coat getting soaked. We just could not find a "pocket" to get into. she is all skin and bones. we were not successful today and she is not going to be patient with us much longer.