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diabetic cat won't eat
Help! We have a 14 year old obese male tabby that was recently
diagnosed as diabetic and we're having a heck of a time getting him to eat. About a week ago he got very sick and was probably leading up to this slowly for weeks. A week ago he became very lethargic and basically out of it so badly that within 24 hours we had him into the emergency vet. He had severe ketoacidosis, dehydration and blood sugar levels over 700. They told us he was literally hours from death. So he was given fluids, insulin, etc. and stayed there for 4 days. We brought him him 48 hours ago. Yesterday I force fed him 2 meals and 2 snacks and that was an awful mess I could tell he absolutely hated. This morning I tried again to force feed him and he had his jaw clamped tight and refused. Since he entered the hospital and once home he's been on a diabetic diet using special Purina canned food. So anyway, I phoned the vet and she told me it was more important to get him to eat than to worry about what so I've given him a buffet of his favorite foods today, including the hard food he's eaten and enjoyed for years. He nibbled a tiny amount of Fancy Feast and licked the gravy off another, took about two licks of a bowl of milk, and that's it. He's clearly not hungry. At first we thought he didn't like the food but we've offered some of his favorites and nothing. I know I'm rambling a bit here but I'm quite distressed over this cat. He's been such a wonderful cat and although he was so, so sick, we made the decision and went to the huge expense to have him treated. Now we are wondering if we made the right decision. Does he have something else going on that's causing his loss of appetite? Was there lasting and potentially fatal damage from being so sick? In the hospital his liver and kidney function tested normal although he did have a large amount of ketones which lessed with treatment. We're just at a loss as to how to get this cat to eat. I'm willing to force feed him temporarily but if I can't get his jaw open even that is somewhat impossible. So any suggestions as to how to get him to eat? Any theories on his prognosis? It's been an extremely emotional roller-coaster of a week and we're ready to settle down into a routine. The insulin injections are no big deal. He handles it well and we don't have a problem giving them. But without eating we don't have to do that. Thanks for reading and for the advice and input, Garland |
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wrote in message ups.com... Help! We have a 14 year old obese male tabby that was recently diagnosed as diabetic and we're having a heck of a time getting him to eat. About a week ago he got very sick and was probably leading up to this slowly for weeks. A week ago he became very lethargic and basically out of it so badly that within 24 hours we had him into the emergency vet. He had severe ketoacidosis, dehydration and blood sugar levels over 700. They told us he was literally hours from death. So he was given fluids, insulin, etc. and stayed there for 4 days. We brought him him 48 hours ago. Yesterday I force fed him 2 meals and 2 snacks and that was an awful mess I could tell he absolutely hated. This morning I tried again to force feed him and he had his jaw clamped tight and refused. Since he entered the hospital and once home he's been on a diabetic diet using special Purina canned food. So anyway, I phoned the vet and she told me it was more important to get him to eat than to worry about what so I've given him a buffet of his favorite foods today, including the hard food he's eaten and enjoyed for years. He nibbled a tiny amount of Fancy Feast and licked the gravy off another, took about two licks of a bowl of milk, and that's it. He's clearly not hungry. At first we thought he didn't like the food but we've offered some of his favorites and nothing. I know I'm rambling a bit here but I'm quite distressed over this cat. He's been such a wonderful cat and although he was so, so sick, we made the decision and went to the huge expense to have him treated. Now we are wondering if we made the right decision. Does he have something else going on that's causing his loss of appetite? Was there lasting and potentially fatal damage from being so sick? In the hospital his liver and kidney function tested normal although he did have a large amount of ketones which lessed with treatment. We're just at a loss as to how to get this cat to eat. I'm willing to force feed him temporarily but if I can't get his jaw open even that is somewhat impossible. So any suggestions as to how to get him to eat? Any theories on his prognosis? It's been an extremely emotional roller-coaster of a week and we're ready to settle down into a routine. The insulin injections are no big deal. He handles it well and we don't have a problem giving them. But without eating we don't have to do that. Thanks for reading and for the advice and input, Garland Have you been monitoring his blood glucose since he's been home? Its very important that you do even if he hasen't eaten. Does your vet know you haven't been giving him insulin? If not, you better tell him right away. Insulin inhibits the breakdown (lipolysis) of fat and slows down or stops the production of ketones. Has he urinated since he's been home? Did your vet give you urine dipsticks to monitor ketones? You might get him to eat by puréing canned kitten food in a blender with a little water and feeding it to him with a syringe. There's a gap between his teeth just behind his canine teeth where the tip of a feeding syringe will fit without having to force open his mouth. feed him slowly so he doesn't choke or aspirate the food into his lungs. He might even eat the kitten food straight out of the can- kitten food is very palatable. You could also try warming the food up a bit to a little less than body temp- warmed food is more aromatic and may stimulate his appetite. Don't worry about feeding kitten food- many vets now use kitten food to treat diabetic cats. Just let your vet know. The "Top Paws" Mothering Kit contains the ideal feeding syringe. The hole can be made larger for feeding thicker foods by simply cutting off a piece of nozzle with a razor or sharp scissors. Petsmart sells the kit for $3.99. Here's what it looks like: http://www.maxshouse.com/Illustratio...eeding_kit.jpg Best of luck, Phil |
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On Thu 23 Jun 2005 04:52:54p, wrote in
rec.pets.cats.health+behav oups.com): We're just at a loss as to how to get this cat to eat. I'm willing to force feed him temporarily but if I can't get his jaw open even that is somewhat impossible. So any suggestions as to how to get him to eat? I'm sorry about your kitty. I wonder if he's nauseous and that's why he isn't hungry? Maybe ask your vet about Pepcid AC or Zantac, and the dosage. Candace's advice is good too, but keep in mind if there's nausea, he won't eat even with a stimulant. The vet may have other suggestions for nausea, such as metoclopramide (Reglan). http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_reglan.html (they don't list any contraindications for diabetic cats) -- Cheryl "The clever cat eats cheese and breathes down rat holes with baited breath." - W.C. Fields |
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Hello Garland,
Please go onto the message board at www.felinediabetes.com. There are people there who have been through EVERY cat-diabetic situation imaginable. They are normally on the board almost all the time, and they probably have a lot of hints for you. They helped me immensely. I know with our diabetic cat -- we would first try to get him to eat anything (we had all different stinky wet cat foods, like sardines, etc.) then we would mix some of that with the food we wanted him to eat. It could sometimes be a dance. Our cat had pancreatitus too, so during an attack he would start fasting and then the fun would start... Good luck with your cat, Rhonda wrote: The insulin injections are no big deal. He handles it well and we don't have a problem giving them. But without eating we don't have to do that. Thanks for reading and for the advice and input, Garland |
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"Rhonda" wrote
Please go onto the message board at www.felinediabetes.com. There are people there who have been through EVERY cat-diabetic situation imaginable. They are normally on the board almost all the time, and they probably have a lot of hints for you. They helped me immensely. I STRONGLY second this. I knew nothing about feline diabetes when my cat was diagnosed with diabetes (unfortunately, not soon enough). Someone here sent me to the Feline Diabetes Message Board (a sub-site of the above site), and the information and support was amazing. I believe the knowledge these people have and share is unsurpassed. Walk don't run to the FDMB. People are there 24/7. Responses are quick. |
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