ScoutKitty,

Please, PLEASE research Metacam online before giving your cat any more of that potentially very dangerous drug. Metacam is NOT labeled for oral use in cats. In fact, there are specific cautions on the label against such use and warnings about its potential for renal and liver damage in cats. Metacam has been implicated in the serious illnesses and/or deaths of many cats. As a elderly feline, your cat may very well already have some degree of renal insufficiency, putting him at much higher risk of serious renal complications and damage with Metacam. I, personally, will not give Metacam to any of my cats for any reason - even the young, healthy cats with perfectly healthy kidneys.

While I agree that a dental cleaning and any necessary extractions is advisable for your cat, you should also invest in a full blood chemistry and Total T4. These will provide considerable diagnostic information which will help rule out (or in) various medical conditions that may also be accounting for your cat's rapid weight loss.

I hope that you can return your cat to a stable and sufficiently healthy condition.

Laurie

Hi Laurie,
Thank you for the caution. Ok. no more Metacam.
I did forget to mention that we did have a blood profile and CBC done on that 11/23 visit and the vet said it looked pretty good. So I will take him in for the dental exam and cleaning tomorrow and hope for the best.
Incidently today he was having a good day - he even felt well enough to walk around the back yard as i raked leaves. So perhaps me syringing food and hydrating him has helped.
Thanks again and i'll post what happens tomorrow.

ScoutKitty,

When you take your cat to the vet tomorrow, ask for copies of ALL of his test results to keep on file at your home. I can't tell you how many times vets have told me that bloodwork looked fine (or "pretty good"), only to find that there were significant causes for concern when I reviewed the bloodwork myself. There are many veterinary websites online that offer basic information on evaluating blood tests so that you'll have an idea of what may need further investigation or at least discussion with your vet. "Pretty good" really doesn't tell you anything useful. A copy of the lab report will. Also, ask your vet if a Total T4 was run to check thyroid function. If not, I strongly recommend you have that run, as well.

Laurie

Hi Laurie,
The vet called, while Scout was under anesthesia, they examined his mouth: his tongue was thickened and eroded underneath and there was a mass. This explains his inability to eat, drink and clean himself. She said this was not the kind of thing that heals or improves. We decided it was best to euthanize him while he was still under anesthesia, as it would prevent stressing him out any further. I've racked my brain beginning to second guess myself, because i just dropped him off at vet's this am not thinking that would be our final goodbye. But I think instead of waking him up and him being groggy and upset and then trying to say good bye and then wrestle with him to euthanize him, I made the right decision. He couldn't eat or drink on his own, couldn't clean himself....i could have been selfish and kept him alive for a few more days only to traumatize him force feeding him and ultimately taking him back to the vet to be euthanized. I'm sorry this doesn't have a happy ending. Please don't tell me anything to make me second guess myself anymore. This was so hard.

My boyfriend and I just finished burying him in the woods behind our house.

What gives me peace is that Scout and I had a great day together yesterday. I made sure to feed and water him and he had a nice walk outside around the house, playing in the weeds, scouting around the perimeter of the woods that back up to my lawn. And knowing that I did not let him wither away to a decrepit state or become miserable. He slept with me all night and i remember falling asleep with him and petting him while he purred.

Thanks for your concern and advice and I wish you and any furry friends you may have the best of luck.

I have a female 13 y/o cat named Khaki so now it will just be the two of us.

Heather (eternally the mommy of Scout)

Sorry for your loss, Heather.

I'm so sorry for the loss of Scout. Of course if he had some type of inoperable oral cancer, that would dramatically change the outlook for a comfortable quality of life for Scout. Your decision to give him a peaceful passing was made with love.

I wish you a peaceful grief,

Laurie

Your heartfelt condolences are really appreciated during this difficult time. Thank you schoolhouse and Laurie.

Heather

Four weeks ago I noticed changes in my Mia and finally a week before Christmas realized she wasn't eating and acting a little different. Took her to the vet and she had elevated white blood cells. Started her on Clavamox which gagged her, and we tried, possibly causing aspiration, the vet only handed me canned food and a syringe and said to get food in her. Nothing about the dangers of a cat not eating. On you tube I learned how to syringe feed her and it took another week for me to research and realize she wasn't getting nearly enough food in. At the vet again another subQ hydration, Xray and still no advice about eating although they gave me Nutri-Cal. Yet another week and I am force feeding her more, she still uses her litter box, and developed pneumonia so the vet gave her a shot of antibiotic at the last visit and told me to steam the bathroom for her. She is weaker, congested even more, so I bought a vaporizer and now she is kept locked in the bathroom and I force feed her every 1 1/2 hour to two hours. I hate forcing her to eat, and it kills me to see her struggle and weak. Day after tomorrow they want to take blood again, and they act like she will be fine until then. I am worried she needs more supportive care, and I am in an area where there is no other vet to go to. She is breathing to get enough air, and I am slow and careful when syringe feeding. I don't want to give up on my baby. I am worried sick she has too much damage to her liver. Am I doing enough?

Becky56,

I'm so sorry for what you're going through with your girl. You have my greatest respect for being willing to provide the sort of intensive care that Mia needs right now.

When you take her back for bloodwork on Monday, be sure to get copies of ALL of her test results (both Monday's and all tests run on her previously). It will help us to offer useful insights and suggestions if you could post all of her test results here so that we can see them and see exactly what's been tested and what hasn't. When you post results, please include the lab's reference ranges like so (this is important because reference ranges vary from lab to lab):

ALB 3.9 (2.2-4.4)
ALKP 90 (10-90)
ALT 67 (20-100)
etc.

From your post, here is my assumed possible progression of events (of course, I have no way of knowing whether any of this is actually correct). Mia developed an infection for which the vet prescribed liquid Clavamox. She may have aspirated some of the Clavamox into her lungs, triggering pneumonia. Due to lack of information, you underfed her while learning to syringe feed, which may have triggered hepatic lipidosis. Mia has also not been drinking, so she has become dehydrated, requiring at least two administrations of subQ fluids.

How long ago was she given the antibiotic shot? Which antibiotic was it? Is she on any antibiotics now? How long ago did she get her last subQ fluids? What are you feeding her, and how much of it are you getting into her daily? How many ml are you feeding at a time?

In case you haven't already access these online resources, they will provide you with a lot of tips, techniques, and support in assist-feeding your girl:

http://felinecrf.org/persuading_cat_to_eat.htm
http://www.assistfeed.com/

It's very likely that even with syringe feeding, your girl isn't getting as much fluid as she needs. I strongly recommend you have your vet teach you how to administer subQ fluids at home. It's really quite an easy procedure, once you get the hang of it, and it can be lifesaving. Yes, it can be nerve-wracking at first, but a little practice and trial and error will quickly make it a routine part of your girl's treatment protocol. Here is a link to familiarize yourself with the procedure:

http://felinecrf.org/fluid_therapy.htm

It is essential that you continue to get adequate food and fluids into your girl, and you can do both by continuing to syringe feed and by learning how to admin subQ fluids at home. Beyond that, you may want to consider consulting with another vet. I know you said that there is no other vet in your area, but you can still seek out a telephone consult with a veterinary specialist. I have done that on several occasions with my own cats. You can seek out appropriate vets online, depending on your girl's specific diagnosis. Be prepared, however, to pay a consult fee.

One last suggestion. Since it looks like you may be looking at a prolonged recovery for your girl, I recommend you buy a digital baby scale so that you can monitor her weight accurately at home. That will help guide you in terms of daily food amounts, as well as help you track her recovery. I bought my digital baby scale off of eBay.

You'll have a much better idea where you stand after you get the results from Monday's bloodwork. In the meantime, keep assist feeding her and working to ease her congestion.

Hang in there. I know this sort of intensive care can be both physically and emotionally draining. Post again any time you need the moral support or have any other questions. And please keep us updated on Mia's condition and on her test results.

Take care,

Laurie

I adopted a cat(Bella) for my mom for Christmas from a local shelter. We were aware that in November she was hospitalized for respiratory issues and everything seemed to be ok. Around Jan. 10th, Bella quit eating, drinking, and eventually meowing. My mom took her to the vet and Bella's temp was 105 and she was dehydrated. After an over night stay w/ iv's, Bella was sent home diagnosed w/ the "flu", and was given anti-biotics. After a couple more days of not eating, drinking, and now not getting out of bed even to use the litter box(she was peeing in her bed), Bella was back at the vet. After some testing, she was diagnosed with FIP, which there is no cure. So sadly, Bella had to be put down and we will miss her greatly. The reason i am writing this is because i initially came to this site looking for answers to help her get better, but now its to maybe help someone else looking for that same answer. FIP is tricky to diagnose because it starts out w/ the respiratory issues and then all seems well, and later on down the road, all of the other issues come into play. The loss of appetite, not drinking, being lethargic, etc. I hope this may be helpful to someone who is as puzzled as we were, but i hope there is a different reason other than this for your cats behavior.

I am crying reading all of these because I am so scared my ending will not be happy. I have had Douglas Jangles (1/2 Persian, 1/2 Tabby) for 10 years. I fed him from 2 days old and on, his mother abandoned him. He has been with me ever since.
So, what's been going on with Douggie:
He got in a cat fight about 4 weeks ago (he is declawed). He really hurt the back of his claws-there was a lot of blood due to digging him with his hind claws. All seemed to heal okay after that other than the fact that he started spraying but I assumed that was territorial. Anyway, about three weeks ago, everytime he ate his food (I get him the Costco weight control kind-have been for 2 years)he threw it up. He throws up the whole thing-looking like he scarfed it down. So, I switched him to some Friskies Indoor kitty canned food and he seemed to do really well on that for a week or two until he started throwing that up. I noticed that he has stopped drinking water. I came home on 2/2/12 and he was lethargic, he would not come to me and he would not eat (so not Doug J) so I took him into the vet that evening and she gave him fluids, something to take down his fever and an antibotic shot that should last two weeks. She said that if that did not work that they would have to do a full panel of bloodwork. That e.r. trip cost me $350.00 and I had to pay it up front and I don't get paid again until the 15th so I have to hope and pray I can research some ideas to get him to eat. Doug does not hide like some of the other cats in this forum and he seems fine other than no appetite and not drinking water. Any suggestions or ideas? Any help...my husband and I just bought a house so we have NO extra funds at the moment. I think ten is too young to give up on him, he's my buddy....

I am telling my story because I have not seen anyone mention the issues my Cleo is suffering from. First, my vet explained to me when cats get sick they revert to their feral ways and hide their sickness so as not to appear sick and get attacked by other cats in the colony. My Cleo must have had this issue for 6 months and I could only see that she was more finicky than usual about her food. I didnt see any weight loss because her hair is so long and she had no other symptoms. Secondly, she has had bouts of fever that when on the increase made her extremely lethargic, breathing shallow but fast and just an overall general malaise that made her appear to be on her deathbed.

Cleo is 14 years old with a very sweet disposition. I never noticed anything amiss until she stopped eating altogether around Christmas Day. I took her to the vet and the blood work/examination didnt reveal anything, we only knew she had gone from 8 lbs. to 6.25 lbs. The vet said we would need x-rays and ultrasound to diagnose her ($600) and prescribed cyproheptadine to stimulate appetite. I have been unemployed for over a year now so money is scarce; no further testing could be done. I found a cat clinic and the vet couldnt find anything either, the blood tests were normal except for very slightly elevated white blood cells and same with enzymes from liver; also said further testing required. Finally, with her not getting better and tired of seeing her so sickly, I scraped the money together for x-rays which revealed black spots throughout her lungs and her trachea was extended up arch-like which the vet said was typical for cancer. He told me it could be one of three things: bacterial pneumonia, fungal infection or cancer. I opted to give her antibiotic to see if it cleared up, no luck. After 10 days of zeniquin, the only thing making her better was the steroid prednisolone. I finally cashed out the last of my 401K to get the ultrasound done ($500). It revealed she has histoplasmosis, a systemic fungal infection which has permeated several organs. The treatment will take 3 to 6 months and her recovery is extremely slow. Her weight has dropped to 5 lbs. and I must assist-feed her with the help of my son. Her medication mitraconazole was compounded into liquid form and is easily administered with the vial and syringe given by the pharmacy. I administer pills with the help of "pill-popper" I got from vet. One of the side-effects of mitraconazole is loss of appetite, so even after meds started I thought she wouldnt make it. With the help of my vet who feels challenged to save her and my refusal to put her down for sake of convenience, I believe she is on the mend. This infection can run in indoor or outdoor cats but is contracted through contaminated soil; I remember Cleo getting crazy with the soil one day last spring, she must have inhaled it! If I had any more money, I would take her to a holistic vet for nutritional advice.

Best of luck to the rest of you with sick kitties, I feel for you!

Yvonne

Kimmielou12,

Im sorry no one has offered any help or advice but I understand about being desperate to help your Douggie. I am not an expert and can only say from experience not to let him get too far into this anorexia; you must feed him so he will not waste away before you have a chance to diagnose and treat him. I would advise to get an appetite stimulant from the vet; it only cost me $18 for Cyproheptadine. It didnt make Cleo's appetite return to normal but did get her to eat small amounts in addition to the assist feeding. I tried mashing the pill and putting in her food but it had a bitter taste she did not like. Better to administer with "pill-popper" if you can get one from the vet. The pill-popper is about the size and length of a pencil with a rubber opening on one end to insert the pill and a plunger at the other end so you can put it down towards the back of his throat to swallow. Yes, you will have to assist feed him. I found videos on YouTube about wrapping your cat "burrito" style in a towel and another one from a vet showing how to hold its head; it takes two of us to feed my Cleo. I bought three of those 10 ml medicine syringes and blend the food into a "slurry" that I can feed her a little at a time. Give him time to swallow it and dont overdo it or he will spit it out. I have tried different things to feed my Cleo starting with pate-style cat food mixed with baby food, a little low-sodium broth to dilute and have also mixed in fresh sweet potato and chicken breast; I also mix in some NutriCal which is a nutritional supplement. Anything to get my Cleo some nutrients but I end up giving her two of those syringes of food at least twice a day and put some water in the third syringe just to help her out (she is only 5 lbs. right now). You may read about others giving their cat tuna water or broth and thats great but the cat must have protein to survive; so far Cleo isnt gaining significant weight but I am simply trying to keep her from losing more weight until she feels better and regains her appetite. I read that others give their cat Hills AD cat food which is prescription only from vet or CliniCare liquid supplement but Ive not tried either on Cleo yet. I found my Cleo sitting by her water bowl but not drinking it; I decided to give her bottled water and she seems to like it better than the tap water; some are of the opinion to give cats filtered water, makes sense to me. Of course every cat is different and every day is a struggle but I try to change up her to foods to whatever she will eat. Some suggest "smelly" cat food for sick animals but I didnt find that to help my Cleo. I tend to think that something light and palatable is better for her (as for me too!). The vet jokingly said to feed her In-N-Out burger if she would eat it!!

Be sure to give Douggie lots of love and attention so he knows you are trying to help. Best wishes to you and Douggie J.

Hello Kimmylou,

First, here are a few links to provide you with lots of tips, tricks, and techniques for getting food into Doug:

Persuading Your Cat to Eat
Assist Feeding Website

It's critically important that Doug maintains proper hydration. Dehydration will not only seriously impact his overall physical health, but it will really do a number on his appetite, as well. If he will not drink on his own, you should go back to your vet and have him teach you how to administer subQ fluids at home. I know that sounds daunting, but it's actually quite a simple procedure once you get the hang of it and some practice under your belt. The following link will provide you with a lot of information and links to tutorials about home administration of subQ fluids:

Administering SubQ Fluids at Home

Hopefully, Doug has recovered from his fever by now and is eating the drinking on his own again, but if not, the links I have provided should help until you can get him back to the vet for that blood panel (which I strongly recommend if he is still acting ill).

Please let us know how he's doing.

Laurie

Actually she's very irritable and bad-tempered. no one can touch or carry her. I and my friend tried to force her to eat but she was so fierce that we can't even take her to a vet.
Also, i can't open her mouth to force her to eat. I think there's sth strange about her, she always bends her body and like a camel. Plz help :'(

I'm very sorry, Amr_coteet555555, but if you can't touch your cat, convince her to eat, or get her to a vet, I have no idea how to help you. Perhaps your local shelter or animal control could loan you a live trap to try to trap your girl. If you can get her into a trap, at least you can take her to a vet for an exam. It sounds like the vet would have to sedate her in the trap before even beginning the exam, though.

Good luck,

Laurie

My house was on fire last week, and it took awhile before my cat, Bella, was rescued. She is 11 and spent two days in oxygen at an emergency hospital. She was home for one day and she acted normal- eating, drinking, and using the litter box. The next day, she stopped eating. We took her back to the emergency hospital on Monday and she has been there since. They've diagnosed her with an upper respitory infection, which has now clear. Blood work is normal. Xray is normal other than some constipation. She recieved an edema and will eat a little bit of baby food. We went to visit today, and she wouldn't eat anything we tried to give her- she is very active still though. They are running more blood but they said that if itis normal, she is going home tomorrow. What can we do? What could it be? Will she be all right?

Jaded, it's fine on this forum to start a new thread for your question.

That being said, you'll probably have to trust the vet on this.

I would imagine that your cat was terrified by this experience. That could affect her eating, even if she ate well the first day you got her back.

Most cats are crazy for tuna-flavored cat food, so that might help. You can also give her Petromalt for the constipation, and make sure she has access to plenty of water, maybe more than one bowl.

My 17 years old female persian cat, Frisky got sick after she had her annual vaccination on July 3rd. When I took her home from her annual vaccination, she wasn't feeling well and hasn't drink or eaten. I thought it could be from the vaccination. I waited for few more days to see if she can eat or drink. She hasn't eaten or drink for few days so I took her to the Vet on July 6th. The vet said she has anisocoria (unequal pupils in her eyes). She stayed at the hospital for few days for IV fluid therapy and tried taking Cyproheptadine medication increase her appetite. She still hasn't eating or drinking. I'm trying to ask my Vet to give her more tests. He didn't want to give her any tests and thinks nothing he can do. On that day, July 9th, I took her home. After I brought her home, I've noticed she walked like wobbly and had alot of fluid in her stomach and back legs. I wasn't too happy with the Vet anymore because he showed no concerned and he wouldn't do anything to help her. I transferred to a new Vet on July 12th, he seemed very nice. He was willing to give her alot of tests to investigate and trying to figure out why she doesn't eat or drink at all. I let my cat stayed at the hospital for few days so they can give her tests. They performed bloodtests, ultrasound, first and second radiograph and echocardiogram. On July 16th, I came to the vet to see how she is doing. He said he found out that she has anemia, congestive heart failure and kidney problems. He gave her Lasix oral and Benazepril oral medications. He was still trying to get her to eat many different kind of food. She's finally drinking alittle but still not eating at all! I took her home that day to see if she eats alittle. She still not eating, but drinking alittle. Few days later, I took her back to the vet so he can give her IV fluid. She stayed at the hospital over last weekend so the vet can try other appetite stimulants to see if she can eat again. No luck. Today, I went to the vet. I asked the vet about how to get her eating again and will she live? He said she is 17 years old, the medicines she's taking are not helping her, she's not getting any better and the vet thinks if she continues not eating until next week, she should put to sleep so she won't suffer of not eating. I was so upset and couldn't beleive what I hear. I know the vet is trying so hard to get her eating but it's so difficult. She doesn't look like she's dying. She seemed walking alittle, meowing sometimes and sleeps alot. It's so hard for me to make a decision to let her go sooner. I don't know what to do.

Hi everyone,
I found this forum a few weeks ago when I was in a similar situation. It started off with our family pet vomiting all the time, then she started losing weight. We thought it could be hair balls so we bought her hair ball remedies and the it eased up. She started getting very thin and couldn't jump as much or walk as far anymore. We took her to the vet and found out she was at least 15, more since I remember growing up with her as a kid (we took her in after a store owner abandoned her when we moved and literally kicked her out). So I'd say she was about 18-19, maybe a tabby breed but not 100% sure
Anyway, the vet took a urine test-wasn't diabetic. Blood test-had a double white blood cell count. She weighed 4.6 lbs and for her age, should have been 8-10 but she was always on the smaller side. When you pet her all you could feel was fur and bones. The vet gave her an antibiotic shot which made her poop and sent my mom home with medicine, the diagnosis was either cancer or a kidney infection. My mom didn't get an X-ray because of the cost and surgery so took a chance on the kidney infection. The vet bill came out to be around 250, the cat started to get better, she would eat more, one day she ate 2 cans. The final days she was falling because she couldn't keep herself up and ate very little. My
Mom saw her take her last breath yesterday. Sad but she was so pitiful and in so much pain. I made sure to post this in case someone was in a similar situation. The medicine might have prolonged her by a week but she didn't finish taking it. Had my mom given her the surgery she might have lived but she was old and might have not survived it. Vets are extremely expensive and just didn't help in this case. Good luck to anyone who has a cat like mine and just keep in mind when they pass that they were suffering and in pain.

My cat has similar symptoms that started a few weeks ago, first thing I noticed was her eye was watery, then her habits changed and I thought she seemed thinner. I took her to the vet, the ran a blood panel and found that she has hyper thyroid and anemia. Her red blood cell count is very low so they started her on a steroid and scheduled an ultrasound with a specialist. Her ultrasound showed no sign of tumors, we started her on a drug for her thyroid. Her thyroid has improved but her red blood cell count is still low and she's lost more weight and now has stopped eating. I started spoon feeding her with smelly wet food, she will take a few bites then lay down and look away. I also hand feed her some soft cat treats, she eats a few and stops. As of now she's eating maybe a teaspoon or less of food a day and some water, she mostly drinks when I put the bowl in front of her. She's sleeping a lot and in strange places.

The vet and the specialist are unsure what is causing the anemia or why it's not responding to the steroid. Tomorrow she starts on a new drug that is a chemo drug, it is also used to treat auto immune problems.
I'm hoping this works and she gets better! She's 13 and has always been healthy.
She's so frail and lazy now, if I wasn't forcing her to eat I think she just wouldn't bother. After reading this forum I am going to ask about syringe feeding her and try that, I will do anything to get food into her and help her gain some weight back!

I adopted her when she was 1 from a shelter, she was a feral cat. She's been indoors her whole life since then. We lost her once when she managed to some how get out the door, she was missing for 4 months and we thought she had been killed by coyotes after a lot of searching, posting and handing out missing signs and then finally I hired a pet detective to help look for her. The conclusion was that coyotes got her...a month later I get a call that she had been hanging around this house for the last few months, they were feeding her but she was living outside!
We were so happy to have her back!! She has been close to me ever since, always within a foot of me no matter where I am in the house. I can't bear the thought of her not being around :(.
I'm praying her new medication makes her better.

Also, someone mentioned their cats red blood count was at 2? I don't know that was a percentage, but that's dangerously low and normally would be a life threatening situation that requires a visit to the ER! 25% is the lowest end of normal i believe. 10% calls for a transfusion immediately.

City_mouse,

I commend you for the exceptional care and commitment you have demonstrated with your cat. All animals should be so lucky to live in a loved and dedicated home like yours.

Two things jump to mind reading your post. First, both methimazole and anemia can strip a cat of her appetite. What dose did your vet have you start with methimazole, and what dose is she on now? Where did her Total T4 start, and where is it now? When did she start on methimazole?

What is her HCT or PCV, and is it holding steady, or is it decreasing or increasing?

Do you have copies of all of her lab results? If not, you should. It's important to maintain a set of all of your animals' labs at home so that you can track any changes and anomalies and discuss them with your vet. It's quite common for vets to not have or take the time to review past labs during vet appointments. It's YOUR job to make sure that they are aware of any changes or trends in lab values so that nothing is overlooked.

The following links will provide you with lots of tips, tricks, and techniques to help you get adequate food into your girl:

Assist Feed
Persuading Your Cat to Eat

Thank you Laurie :)

She started the thyroid meds about 2 weeks ago, her T4 (I think) was 6.6 and now is 2.6? I don't understand these numbers but the vet tells me everything that has changed from one visit to the next, she goes over previous results and what has improved or dropped. They weigh her each time too, even when I was there 3 times for blood test this week!
My vet talks to the internist to discuss treatment etc.
The steroids dose is 10mg a day, I feel this really high for such a small kitty, after few weeks there has been small changes but not enough to say the steroids are working very well.

I don't know what HCT or PCV is. I know that her red blood cell count was at 21% last week and on Tuesday it was 25%, the vet was happy about this because we were afraid it dropped and she might need a transfusion.

I will definitely ask for a copy of her labs from both the vet and internist, I've been thinking I should have these anyway, at least then I can do some research and learn what all these tests and numbers mean. The vets will tell me but really, it's so much info that I don't remember anything except whether things are better or not! I do research all the drugs that prescribed though, that way I know what I am giving her and ask questions if I have to.

The new medication is a chemo drug, I'm weary of this drug because I read that one of the side effects can be anemia..which is what we are fighting.

Today I gave her some ice cream, she ate about a half teaspoon. I also force fed her some wet cat food, she wouldn't eat it so I opened her mouth and just stuck it in there, she chewed and swallowed. I don't want to be mean to her but I don't want her to get sicker, she needs to eat.

Also, since Feb. I've been dealing with a sick dog, he's 12, he lost about 6lbs, he's only a 20lb dog. He was diagnosed with possible IBD, I had them do the ultrasound which showed inflammation of his colon etc. He started on high dose steroids and they wanted to change his diet to a prescription low fat food, I told them it would make him sicker because he does not eat grain or chicken...I tried it anyway and I was right. I put him back on his grain free dry food, Natural Balance fish and sweet potato. He gained back his weight within a couple months and stopped having digestive issues.
During this time he started having seizures (he had 1 for the first time in Dec. and nothing until Feb). He saw the internist too for his issues. They said it's very possible that he has a brain tumor but to find out would cost 3k of testing and to what result? Would I put him through expensive treatment that won't cure him? No, that would be pointless.
They gave me a supplement that protects his liver because of the long term use of steroids (he's down to 10mg now). I also got him California carrots, it is dehydrated carrots and is supposed to be really good for dogs, especially with his digestive disease.
Meanwhile, he had started having cluster seizures every 2 months, 1 day of seizures, he'd have up to 7 throughout the day. We tried seizure meds but after 2 days he started having serious problems, he was swaying and falling down and eventually couldn't walk, he was laying in his own pee. So I took him to the ER, told them about the meds and that I thought it was a bad reaction to them. After examining him the ER doc comes and tells me that based on the fact that they think he has a brain tumor from his previous visit, that he is probably in an advanced stage and that I should consider putting him down! I took him home, upset that I was probably going to have to put him to sleep the next day! I fed him lots of cookies and sat outside with him, he started walking around a little and begging for more cookies. Still in my mind I thought it was the medicine which I had stopped giving him at the first sign of stumbling. The next morning there he was, standing and begging to go out, I let him out and he ran down the stairs and did his usual jaunt around the yard, he was normal again, by the following day he was 100%! I will never give him that medication again!!
After much asking if there was something he could be given during or right after the 1st seizure to stop them, they finally gave me valium to give him when needed! They work too, he has 1 and then they stop. Now he's not spending the following week completely out of it and confused, he's better right away.
I also now give him K9 immunity that I heard about, it's supposed to be good for dog with brain tumors. He's doing well with the exception of peeing in the house, he's confined to an area with pee pads (never did this before) and now I put pull ups on him...he's embarrassed but it saves my carpet.

It seems the minute I got his problems under control the cat started getting sick. I'm running a home for senior pets! There are a lot of medications in my house for the two of them!

Sorry for the long post and going a bit off topic...just wanted to share my experience and what I've found works..if only I could figure out the cat and have her bounce back the way the dog has.

P.S. thank you for the links! I'm reading them now and my kitty is going to get some scrambled eggs!

Update: I've been offering her food every few hours, sometimes she eats a few bites sometimes more, definitely eating more than she was before. She's been more social and up and around a lot more too. Not back to her normal self but definitely doing better and obviously feeling better. Hoping to talk to the vet tomorrow. A couple times I have put baby food in medicine syringe and gave it to her, she's not happy about it but at least she's getting a little more food. She gets up and comes to see me, sniffing around to find out what food I am offering now! I have given her several different types of canned food as well as baby food chicken and turkey, she likes all of it so far..she even went to her bowl on her own and ate a couple of times, finally!! OH and I've been giving her vanilla ice cream :)

Hi everyone,

My cat Milo, strictly indoors (10 1/2) had been acting not quite like himself last week so my wife and I took him to an Emergency Vet here in SC. He was barely touching his food and water, vomiting daily and defacating on the carpet (which he only did at night or when we weren't home, he used his litter box when we were around or during the day). After giving the Doctor a background of what had been going on (throwing up of a large piece of curled up plastic), etc she wanted to run some blood work and do an x-ray of his abdomen to see if he had a blockage. The blookd work came back and revealed he had an elevated ALT, normalized ALKP, elevated total bilirubin. He was kept over night for observation and the blood work was resubmitted the next morning. It showed the ALT had come down slightly, still normal ALKP, but bilirubin was still elevated. At this time, the doctors wanted to perform an ultrasounds were performed. The imaging revealed two soft tissue masses within the liver. After discussions, we decided to wait and see how his vitals looked the following morning before rushing him to surgery. His blood work had improved the following morning, so we opted for a less evasive procedure where fine needed aspirates were taken of the liver masses and sent off to a pathology lab.

The results of the aspirates came back as 'suspicious of Biliary Carcenoma' but a biopsy would be necessary to confirm.

In their opinion he has liver cancer and it's not curable even with surgery and chemotherapy. After diagnosis they only give a life expectancy of weeks to months.

Obviously we were devastated with this news. We brought Milo home from the hospital after 4 nights in the hospital. He was discharged on 4 medicines (Maropitant 8MG which is for nausea, Marbofloaxacin 25MG antibiotic, Metronidazole 50MG antibiotic and Prednisone 5MG corticosteroid). I have to give him 6 pills a day orally which he hates and I'm hoping he will eat and drink, but so far it's up and down. Today for example he hasn't touched his water and he's picked at his food (I've tried canned tuna, canned chicken with baby food chicken gravy on top, moist whiskas and his dry Hills Prescription W/D which he's eaten the most of). I'm worried I'm going to have to get a syringe and fill it with water and squirt into his mouth to keep him hydrated.

But part of me wonders at the same time if I'm being selfish and cruel by putting him through this...

Being a pet owner brings such joy, but such agony at time as well...

My cat, Chip was put down Tuesday. I have 5 cats and one has a sensitive stomach so I decided to try a new dry food. They have been on Iams for years. I read the labels on several foods and looked for ones that had meat or poultry as first ingredient. For two or so weeks I tried 2 different dry foods. They all ate one of them, the other none of them ate. Up till then they were all fine. Chip quit eating, had diarrhea and dribbled urine once. My daughter bathed him (long haired cat) to clean this rear end a week and a half ago. Soon after that he was lethargic, lost weight, didn't want to move around. He had a discharge from one eye.
Friday I took him to the vet. He had lost 2 lbs. since July. He was 10.6 and now was 8.6 lbs. The vet wanted to keep him for the weekend to run tests and try to get him to eat. His white blood cell count was high so they gave him fluids and antibiotics. Monday they called and said he could be picked up later in the evening.
I went to pick him up and the tech took awhile to bring him to the room. When they brought him in, the vet came in to talk to me. When they got him out of cage they noticed his stomach was distended (fluid). The vet had drawn some of the fluid and told me it was yellowish in color. She was very concerned about this. They brought him into the room and he didn't look good at all. When I put him on the floor he was unsteady on his feet.
The vet suggested to keep him another night to watch him and rum more tests. Next morning I got a call saying he had taken a turn for the worse, His blood work was all out of wack and she said he was very sick and was going downhill very fast and asked if I wanted to do drastic measures, maybe send him to emergency vet that could do extensive tests. I said no that he had been through enough. (The night before when I was to pick him up he was trembling) I told her I would call her back as I wanted to discuss this with my daughter. We decided to let him go. I was so upset because he went downhill SO fast.
Now I am second guessing myself, Did I make a mistake by not at least trying to nurse and comfort him. The vet said cancer. But that fast? He was 12 years old and until this he was happy and healthy. He was a smart cat. When he wanted something, he would stare at me until I paid attention. He would lead me to what he wanted, water, food, to go out. If I didn't follow him he would come back and stare some more. When I did follow, I could see his ears listening to make sure I was following him.
I am so sad at the loss. a month age he was fine.

I am so sorry for your pain over losing your beloved Chip.

With unconditional love for our pets comes the knowledge that one day we will need to make an agonizing decision. From what you've described, it sounds to me like you made the right decision. You wouldn't want to prolong Chip's life if it also meant that you'd be prolonging the suffering.

I've been there twice. Both times, I agonized over whether I could or should have extended my dear cat's life, even after the vet's reassurances. But in retrospect, I know I made the right decision and now, years later, I am grateful for the many years I had with them both.

(Hugs)
Mira

So sorry about Chip.

Yes, this illness can happen that quickly. I took both of my elderly kitties in to the vet every six months for their geriatric check ups. Only two months after hers, my eldest kitty's abdomen filled up with fluid while I was away on a trip. I had to rush home early, and the diagnosis was carcinomatosis. She'd been harboring tiny tumors in her abdomen which finally caused her to leak fluid into her belly. She seemed fine days earlier.

No treatment would have comfortably extended her life, so I had her put down. At least, I was able to be there with her.

So, yeah...sometimes these things happen seemingly quickly. Hang in there.

I also had a same issue that my cat stopped eating anything than i found some trick on internet which i found very helpful.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pets & Animals

Hi There

I have a 14 and a half year old male cat Sylvester who is currently suffering from an unknown illness.

He is a very very intelligent cat, he has been allowed outdoors whenever he feels like it and has hunted mice/birds in the past also. Here is Sylvester a year ago

Around 1 year ago he started to sit with one of his back legs facing outward - we noticed this immediately however as nothing had changed in him apart from this - we let it go. However, around 2 months ago, his condition started to deteriorate rapidly.

He now has very weak, slow back legs. He has a dip in his spine around the hip area and very thin hips. Over the past 2-3 months he has also developed a twitch which is gradually getting worse. His twitches are extremely bad whenever he starts drinking his water. He was previously a very tall, large (not overweight) but big boned cat. Bigger than a Jack Russell dog. We have been taking him back and fourth to the vet (he has had the same vet since he was born - she knows him very well) for around 3 months now. He has been prescribed Loxicom and J/D food for arthritis. However, after multiple appointments he is now off Loxicom and taking a steroid and some Lactulose to help him go to the toilet. He has been fed only the best Hills Science Plan dry food all his life and some wet food as a treat, so he is very healthy. We take him for 3/4 walks on his lead a day (as the vet suggested that his days of venturing on his own are over) or whenever he sits by the door waiting to get out we take him a walk - this increases his appetite a bit more too and stimulates him to do the toilet. Recently we have been feeding him cat milk and more wet food to help him go to the toilet. However when he does go to the toilet for a poo, just after he is done he falls over in his litter tray almost as if his back legs have given up. Very recently, only a few days ago he has started to have less of an appetite. He is still sipping him milk and eating one or two cubes of hard food and 1 or 2 licks of wet food but apart from that, nothing else. I cant even tempt him on his favourite treat - tuna.

The vet has checked his blood results twice, both indepth, and we have been shown the results and all vital organs and blood work are fine and in great health - except an enzyme in his liver but neither of the 4 vets at the practice seen this as any problem. He has been tested for Hyperthyroidism and kidney problems - everything came back clear. His reflexes were tested and is showing very weak reactions in his back legs. He was given an enema to help releave his bladder and get rid of some poo inside him - just incase he was blocked up inside. His anal glands were full aswell before they were releaved. He is such a clean cat and he hates going anywhere near his litter tray but if he is desperate then he knows where to go.

The vets have even giving him holistic medical help too - he has had 4 sessions of reiki which has helped him to sleep much better and walk a little better whereas before his twitching was keeping him awake all night and at one point he scared himself in his sleep because of a large twitch.

We cannot put him under anaesthetic for X-Rays as he is actually allergic to anaesthetic and 5/6 years ago he had a tumour between his shoulder blades and after surgery he almost didn't wake up and come out of it. Our vet does not want to risk this again even though medicine has moved on. We trust our vet and is the only one who knows him well enough to make any judgement. however just to be sure, like you would with your own health, we have seeked the opinion of 2 other vets too.

Tonight a vet is coming to perform acupuncture on him to see if this will help him at all and on Monday he is getting another session of acupuncture and also an ultrasound to see if this will show anything whatsoever - at this point we will try everything we possible can to help our wee boy.

We think this might be neurological however we don't know if this would cause his back legs to be as weak as they are. One vet also agreed that this could possibly be neurological. The nearest Neurological clinic for animals is 4 hours away in Glasgow (I live in the Aberdeenshire area of Scotland). We would take him here but think it could be too stressful a journey for him. But if needs must, it will be done to help him. However we have tried out best to get information from them.

Could this be a slipped disc? or trapped nerves? A viral tumour?? Its not just 'old age' which some vets have put it down too. I refuse to believe that. His mind is still very active and old age doesn't just deteriorate the bode like the way his has deteriorated.

Any help would be very very much appreciated - any treatment suggestions would also be appreciated - no matter the cost. Money is no object when it comes to the life of our Sylvester. Although he is on steroids and pain relief and medicine to help him go to the toilet and relax his nerves - we feel he isn't actually being treated for anything at the moment.

Im sorry for the long post, I am just at a dead end as to how to help him?

Thank you

Rachel x

I agree with that he really isn't being treated for whatever is causing his symptoms. I wouldn't waste time on the acupuncture since the symptoms really sound like a neurological problem but would instead make an appt at the Neurological clinic asap. I also wouldn't worry about the 4 hour drive being too stressful since it's usually the humans that are stressed more than animals. Before the trip try to determine if Sylvester is comfortable looking at the scenery or if he prefers hiding behind covers. He may prefer a small crate vs a large one, or he may do better with a harness tied to the seat belt. Getting him comfortable will make for a better trip for everyone. : )
I once made a 4 hour drive with my Mother's cat (who had never been in a car) and discovered that she loved sitting in her flexible carrier in the rear window area. Once we unzipped the end flap so she could see out better, she laid down, watched cars go by and never meowed again.

Do keep us updated on Sylvester. I wish him the best with his next appointment.

Rachel........forgot to add that you should post your question as a new thread since this one is nearly 8 years old. You'll get more responses if it shows up as 'new'.

Thank you very much. I have now posted it as a new post. He is weakening still and getting thinner and thinner. Hes actually eating and still has an appetite. We will hopefully get an ultrasound for him this evening and another session of acupuncture. We also may think it could be diabetic neuropathy. I will update when I have some more news :)

**NEW**2015

Hello to All that will read Frisky's story this year or in the years to come. He is a 13-14 yr old male kitty cat. He is a Medium-haired Persian who used to a big boy who weighed close to 20lbs once. I read almost all of the posts and they were all informative. My cat Frisky was diagnosed with Diabetes in Oct and in Dec i rushed to a new vet for blood his urine fo possible UTi. He was given DM food and insulin-- He got better and gained weight to become ideal from 5.2- 5.5 kg. In early Feb i had to rush to vet again because he stopped eating/drinking for two days. Was given antibiotics and pain relievers. Less than two weeks ago he starts eating less and eventually started just licking and slurping certain foods. And gradually drinking less and less. As time went on, his back legs were getting weaker and to the point very wobbly-current state. Early am on Tues rushed him to emergency vet cause he was just laying down, very lathargic and making a groaning sound. They diagnosed him, gave him fluids and did bloodwork to say he was in the worst shape they've seen him since his 1st visit. They wanted to do more tests but i didn't have money being unemployed. Without the tests they said that he has Pancreatis, he was Anemic now, and his abdomen was swollen possibly cancerous with a swollen spleen. And top it off there was something affecting his brain called Acromegaly -- which is what caused Diabetes in him in the first place. All throughout his visits from Dec i had to give him Claveseptin, Chlomicalm, Clovomax, and Metacam, Famotidine, and Trimadol. I wasn't always instructed well to give him the meds especially Metacam which continued to give until it ran out. Which might hav been an errors on part. But he is alive and i will give him a/d mixed with NutiCal and water in syringe. He is very wobbly and goes back and forth from his bed on top to under the bed. He is still going to pee in box, but hasn't pooped since Sunday. He is very weak, i hope combining a/d and NutriCal will help a little. I am at the point i would have him put down, but since he isn't just my cat but parents too, i don't have much of a choice. If any one has any advice or similar story, please do comment or write. Thank you.

Dave

Dave and anyone to whom this may concernl, I strongly recommend felinediabetes.com - the forum and online community there is absolutely great and their collective knowledge about feline diabetes & state of the art treatments is phenomenal - up to 20% of diabetic cats can go off insulin altogether with a low or no-carb diet. Diabetes is skyrocketing in dogs and cats for the same reason that type 2 diabetes is in humans iobesity/ high carb diets. And for those cats who become well regulated (getting right insulin at the right dose) they can go on to lead long happy lives, before eventually dying of something else entirely. The community at FDMB was (and still is) incredible - with support and interest of my vet I learned how to do my own blood glucose testing and dose adjustments.

Sadly, not every cat can be well regulated though...for one thing the insulins available are made to be used by humans, not cats who are somewhat different physiologically and sometimes sadly the right dose and the right medication just doesn't seem to exist. With related conditions like pancreatitis those can be a chicken and egg kind of thing (which came first, the diabetes or the related complications). All the best to sick kitties out there and their humans.

Ihttp://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/acromegaly-iaa-cushings-cats.12/ acromegaly forum

My eight year old cat, "Lefty", can be finicky at times, but I've found he loves yogurt. I live in the Northwest, and 'Tillamook Oregon Strawberry' is what I usually buy, but he will eat other flavors too, including 'Vanilla Bean', 'Mountain Huckleberry', and Raspberry', but the strawberry is his favorite. He started by licking it off the lid and he wanted more, so I spoon some on the lid, and he will sometimes eat it from a plate. He's hears me taking it out of the fridge, and will meow and jump on my lap until he gets some. I haven't ask my vet if yogurt is safe for cats, but the active culture is probably good for GI health as it is for humans, he always has healthy movements, and seems to eat more of his food and drink more when he's had some yogurt, and the extra moisture seems to help him stay hydrated. I don't know if dairy is so good, but I don't give it to him every day, but he's eaten it for years with no side effects I can see. He will only eat Science Diet dry food, doesn't like any wet food, and has 'Sensations' cat treats every day, which are his favorite. When I can't get him to eat, or he is eating less than usual, he usually goes for the yogurt, and then that seems to make his eating "regular" again.

I don't have a cat, but my dogs vet told me its ok to give my little girl a spoonfull of plain yogurt once in awhile, but never flavored. He didn't say why and I didn't ask.

Be careful if a yogurt is low or no fat. If it is sweetened with xylitol it can be deadly to dogs, and possibly cats.

I don't see any ingredients that would be harmful to a cat or dog, if eaten in moderation (with the exception of extra sugar) My cat has never shown any signs of being lactose intolerant either: https://www.tillamook.com/products/yogurt/oregon-strawberry-lowfat.html

What anguish I read these comments with. My beloved Maine Coon Cat at age ten gradually stopped eating after his requisite vaccinations. He gradually lost a third of his weight. I took him to the vet. Blood work was done. Palpations were done. He stopped eating, or, as far as I could tell, drinking. I was distraught, and, finally, on a weekend took him to the Pet hospital, where he is now.

After reading many of these comments, I am very afraid. He is ten years old and we have had him since he was three weeks old. He is laid-back, thoughtful, and has command of much vocabulary. How can we get along without our beloved cat? He is to have an ultrasound tomorrow, and I shudder at what the news might be. . .

what can I do for my sick cat I have no money to take her to the vet she want eat she in loss to much weigth

Have you tried canned wet food? Does she drink water or other liquid? Drinking is very important.

Hi my cat is 20yrs old she's has stopped eating in the last few weeks and she has lost a lot of weight I've also noticed that she is deaf and we think she can't smell we are going to the vets tomorrow has anybody got an idea what can be wrong

Cats depend on smell quite a bit to eat, so if she can't smell her food that may be part of the problem. Can she smell the wet canned food?

Just let you all know we had to have our cat to sleep very upset we had her for 20 yrs the trouble was dementia plus she only had 1 tooth left

20 yrs is a long time. I'm sure it's hard to let her go.

So sorry.... having lost a 22 yr old not too long ago Its so hard when you have had such a long history together. Rest in peace, dear kitty.

Maybe try to foarce feed him some baby food my cat like (turkey) I know how it feels to be going through that I am right now hope this helped you. I wish you the Bestiest luck❤️