Cat can't hold food in

Hello all! I have a 14 year old cat that got most of his teeth pulled
a few weeks ago. He was doing okay eating until a few days ago when he
pretty much stopped. He acts hungry, follows me around the kitchen
meowing, and runs ahead of me whenever I go to feed him excitedly, but
then tries to eat for about 10 bites and gives up. He usually ends up
licking his chops hugely, almost like he's trying to clear something
from his mouth, or something is really bothering him.

I tried giving him just some tuna juice to see what he would do with
it, and he lapped it up for a tiny bit and then started the same odd
licking behavior and walked off.

Until just a few days he was happilly eating kitty treats (not quite
the kitty vacuum cleaner he used to be with them, but would get them
down) and now he even ignores those. If I try to hand feed him some
he'll take them and then drop them and walk off.

I have a vet appointment tomorrow, but was wondering if anyone else had
ever observed this and had any advice. I'm really scared that I'm
going to lose my cat if I can't get him to start eating again.

Thanks

Beth

I'm glad you are taking him to the vet. Not eating is a very serious
problem. Why not try meat baby foods without onion?
Gail
"Mariebmk" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello all! I have a 14 year old cat that got most of his teeth pulled
a few weeks ago. He was doing okay eating until a few days ago when he
pretty much stopped. He acts hungry, follows me around the kitchen
meowing, and runs ahead of me whenever I go to feed him excitedly, but
then tries to eat for about 10 bites and gives up. He usually ends up
licking his chops hugely, almost like he's trying to clear something
from his mouth, or something is really bothering him.

I tried giving him just some tuna juice to see what he would do with
it, and he lapped it up for a tiny bit and then started the same odd
licking behavior and walked off.

Until just a few days he was happilly eating kitty treats (not quite
the kitty vacuum cleaner he used to be with them, but would get them
down) and now he even ignores those. If I try to hand feed him some
he'll take them and then drop them and walk off.

I have a vet appointment tomorrow, but was wondering if anyone else had
ever observed this and had any advice. I'm really scared that I'm
going to lose my cat if I can't get him to start eating again.

Thanks

Beth

I will give that a try tomorrow! He just proved to me that he's not
feeling terrible at least, he attacked a string like it was his mortal
enemy.

I just feel bad cause it seems like he really wants to eat and is
hungry, just can't figure out how to make it work.

Hi there,

Let us know what the vet says. It almost sounds like something could be
wrong in there -- maybe he's developed an infection.

Hope he's feeling better soon.

Rhonda

Mariebmk wrote:

Hello all! I have a 14 year old cat that got most of his teeth pulled
a few weeks ago. He was doing okay eating until a few days ago when he
pretty much stopped. He acts hungry, follows me around the kitchen
meowing, and runs ahead of me whenever I go to feed him excitedly, but
then tries to eat for about 10 bites and gives up.

Just got back from the vet. Two vets ended up looking at him and
couldn't see anything wrong in his mouth. They're doing all sorts of
blood work, and while they were giving hime some fluids he ended up
urinating .. . .which after testing was found to be infected. So he's
now on antibiotics for a bladder infection and an appetite stimuliant.
They'll call with the results tomorrow

Which brings me to my next question. Any tips on feeding a cat with a
sryinge? They gave me some food that can be fed to a cat this way, and
after getting more food on me and on the floor than in the cat I figure
there has to be an easier way for me and a less traumatizing way for
the cat to do this. Any tips?

Thanks!!

Beth

Hi Beth,

Hope your guy is feeling better soon. They always fool us, don't they? A
mouth problem and then not eating -- who would have thought of bladder
infection?

I had to force feed a cat for a few weeks. The best way with him was to
wrap him in a towel, head to tail. I pulled it shut under him, and held
it under his chin (only his face was sticking out.) I laid him in my the
crook of my arm, but not flat. I kind of cradled him like a baby but
kept his head up. I didn't want to squirt it in and asphyxiate him.

Eventually, he started waiting for the syringe and I let him sit in my
lap. It's a messy process, I had towels everywhere.

Hope it goes well,

Rhonda



Mariebmk wrote:

Just got back from the vet. Two vets ended up looking at him and
couldn't see anything wrong in his mouth. They're doing all sorts of
blood work, and while they were giving hime some fluids he ended up
urinating .. . .which after testing was found to be infected. So he's
now on antibiotics for a bladder infection and an appetite stimuliant.
They'll call with the results tomorrow

Which brings me to my next question. Any tips on feeding a cat with a
sryinge? They gave me some food that can be fed to a cat this way, and
after getting more food on me and on the floor than in the cat I figure
there has to be an easier way for me and a less traumatizing way for
the cat to do this. Any tips?

Thanks!!

Beth

Thanks for the tips! Good to know that its not just me having issues
with the cat food getting all over me, him, and the floor. I'm still
really worried . . I gave him his anti-biotics today, as well as some
food and he almost immediaetly threw it up. I think he held down last
night's dose though.

"Mariebmk" wrote in message
oups.com...
Just got back from the vet. Two vets ended up looking at him and
couldn't see anything wrong in his mouth. They're doing all sorts of
blood work, and while they were giving hime some fluids he ended up
urinating .. . .which after testing was found to be infected. So he's
now on antibiotics for a bladder infection and an appetite stimuliant.
They'll call with the results tomorrow


Did the vet test the urine that your cat eliminated or did he get a urine
sample directly from the bladder via needle & syringe (cystocentesis)?
Voided urine is almost always contaminated with bacteria that normally
inhabit the distal urinary tract and should not be used for diagnosing a
urinary tract infection. Unnecessary and overuse of antibiotics leads to
antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria and the destruction of the healthy
gut flora.



Which brings me to my next question. Any tips on feeding a cat with a
sryinge? They gave me some food that can be fed to a cat this way, and
after getting more food on me and on the floor than in the cat I figure
there has to be an easier way for me and a less traumatizing way for
the cat to do this. Any tips?


Try canned kitten food mixed with a little Pedalyte or Hill's Prescription
Died a/d. Also, try smearing a little Felovite II with Taurine on his lower
belly. After he licks it off, smear some kitten food or a/d on his belly-
this might help stimulate his appetite, and, if you do it enough, will get
some food into him and avoid liver complications. Make sure he gets enough
water- at least 1 oz per pound/body weight/day to avoid dehydration and
prerenal azotemia.

If your vet can't find a cause of his anorexia, you might want to seek a
second opinion. Your loyalty belongs to your cat not your vet.

Good luck,

Phil.

Sadly he took a turn for the worse today. No energy, no interest in
any food, didn't even want to be pet. He threw up a lot and cried out
when I would pick him up. So he's at the vet's for the night, getting
fluids and x-rays. His blood work all came back really good, execpt
the things that were expected to be off due to dehydration.

He had surgery on his stomach a few years ago, so maybe something from
that is acting up and causing nausea and hence the lack of eating? I
have no clue, hopefully the x-rays will show something. Thanks
everyone for the advice and support. My cat is a trooper, has been
through a lot . . . so hopefully he'll pull through this one as well.

Sadly he's taken a turn even more for the worse. They've discovered
through x-rays that his stomach and intestines look thick and just not
right (in what I got from my lack of medical knowledge). She said the
cause could either be disease of some sort, or lympnotic cancer.
They're doing some ultrasounds today.

At least he has fluids and an IV now . . . I just don't want my kitty
to be suffering :-(