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Kitty not eating

by Jackie
(Nebraska)



QUESTION

Our 9 year old female Himalayan is not eating. We took her to the vet 5 days ago because her appetite was off for a week or so, she had a blood panel done with all results coming back to show she is a healthy cat. She is still eating very very little and now for a couple days seems to be nothing. She did drink quite a bit of water this morning and does use her box to urinate and even had a small solid deposit last evening. She has never been much of an eater and only will eat dry Purina cat chow but this is really alarming us. She acts very lethargic but will sit on our lap and purr for a short time. She looks healthy but thin. She weighs 6+ pounds.
Help!




Dear Jackie,

You MUST go back to the vet or to a different vet and continue diagnostics and get fluids for her and appetite stimulants until she eats well. Did they do complete bloodwork including a thyroid level? Did they look closely at her teeth? Did they feel her abdomen well to make sure she is not constipated? She can be constipated and still produce a small fecal ball.

It is time for x-rays and symptomatic therapy as mentioned above until a diagnosis is reached or she starts to eat really well. Don't wait until it's too late!

Have you tried a variety of foods, includng canned food of all types, especially fancy feast, but also real tuna and real turkey or chicken breast? Also, chicken baby food works well with sick cats most of the time.

Write back if you need to tell me more or ask further questions. Thank you,
Dr. Neely




Comments for
Kitty not eating

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May 28, 2011
Cat Not Eating or Drinking
by: Anonymous

I'm writing on behalf of my elderly neighbour; she is extremely worried about her cat. The cat is nearly 4 and very overweight. I have pointed this out to her, the fact she needs to reduce her food immediately!

The cat has not eaten or had anything to drink for 2 days now. She doesn't want to bother with anyone and just wants to lie in a quiet corner out of the way.

Her eyes are bright and I've checked the colour of her gums and bottom eyelids and they are a normal pink colour. She purrs when petted. She usually runs away when I go visit, but yesterday and today when I went there, she just let me smooth her and she purred.

I have told my neighbour to take her to the vets if no better by tomorrow. Do you think the cat could have something seriously wrong with her or could she just be under the weather and it will soon pass??


ANSWER:

There is not way for me to say if she has something serious wrong with her or not, however, anytime an overweight cat doesn't eat for more than a day, they can develop a very serious liver disease just from not eating. She needs to be seen by a vet right away!

Thank you for writing,
Dr. Neely

Nov 16, 2010
Xrays
by: Sarah Lapointe

Hello again, my cat is not improving much, eats a bit but not very much drinks no problem, noticed has been having BMs more but very small, tonight i got very scared when i saw him get up off my bed and started to stumble a bit, i thought maybe it was my soft bed so i put him on the floor and it happened a few more times, what could him suddenly getting dizzy mean?, i am going to take him to the vet again for xrays but i cant until next week, if the vet finds that his heart is enlarged could he get better with meds? im so worried about him, hes so tired all the time, if nothing shows on the xray what could it mean, is he dying and theres nothing i can do... and yes they did do full blood work, he is not diabetic, and im not sure if the vet checked his rear, when i go back i will have it done. any other information would help.

Sarah

Hi, Sarah,

I am sorry things are not improving. If nothing showed up in the bloodwork and the bloodwork was very complete, including a thyroid level and testing for the feline viruses, then the possibilities that are left include heart disease, neurologic disease, cancer, intestinal problems including cancer and a few other less common conditions.

Heart disease can be treated in many cases as can many other diseases. Continue working with your vet until you find an answer.

Best,
Dr. Neely

Nov 10, 2010
Same thing is happening to my cat!! help please
by: Anonymous

My male cat is 9 yrs old, and the past 2 weeks has not been eating much or having BMs, but has been drinking, and seems more tired and lazy then usual, see it concerned me so much because he has always had a strong appetite so i thought it was weird , i took him to the vet and they did blood work everything normal, even checked his sugar for diabetes, his sugar was 4.5 perfect, she listened to his heart however and found a strong 4 reading of a heart murmur, but couldnt find the reason why he wasnt eating, since i brought him home he has eating a bit but still hardly any BMs, i dont no what to do, please help my cat is my life, my baby...

Sarah


Dear Sarah,

I'm so sorry you're having problems with your kitty and I wish I could help. Unfortunately, the vet who saw him in person would be in a better position to help than I can over the internet. I can, however, share a couple of ideas with you.

1. Your cat may be having a reduced amount of stool because he's not taking in enough food to produce more.
2. I'm assuming your vet felt his colon very carefully to make sure he isn't constipated. Cats can get constipated just like humans, and they will lose their appetite if it goes untreated.
3. Did the vet examine all of his teeth very carefully? If not, that should be done because all cats eventually get some degree of dental disease, which can be painful enough to interfere with their eating habits.
4. Do you know if the vet did complete bloodwork? There are many different blood tests, and without knowing what was done, I can't be sure that everything that should have been tested was run.
5. If complete bloodwork was done and the teeth are ok, the next step would be to do xrays.
6. Heart murmurs can be present in cats for several different reasons, such as cardiomyopathy, hyperthyroidism, anemia, a congenital heart defect, and several other conditions. Most of the cats that I've seen with heart murmurs do not have their appetites affected by it, but it is possible.

It sounds like further testing is needed, and if you're not satisfied with the results, getting a second opinion is always a good idea.

Best wishes to you and your kitty.
Dr Neely

Aug 21, 2008
Kitty not eating
by: Anonymous

We did take our kitty back when she wasn't improving. They did all the tests you suggested and when she wasn't improving they did xrays. Unfortunately there were serious indications of cancer and we made the hard decision to put her down. We have her sister (litter mate)to give us comfort, but it is very hard to lose a beloved pet. Your website is helpful and a good resource for pet owners. Thank-you

I am very, very sorry. Thank you for the kind words. I only wish I had the power to make it always turn out right. At least you found out and you made the right decision so she wouldn't suffer.

I haven't found many things that help lessen the pain of losing a pet except time. Also, give your love to her sister (they mourn also) and maybe you would consider a new little one sometime soon, not to replace your beloved kitty, but to help the sister and to help your pain just a bit.

Again, thank you for letting me know and you have my deepest sympathies. I have been in your shoes far too many times and it is always very difficult.

Sincerely,

Dr. Neely

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