Cat won't eat

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Tricky

Member Since 2014
New member with a newly diagnosed cat (1 month ago). Tricky has been on insulin about a month with a diet change to dry m/d and r/d food. This morning he didn't eat much and had none tonight which made us skip his insulin. He doesn't seem in distress, appears content, appears hungry, but snubs anything we try to feed him?

In general, he's a better in terms of energy and weight, but has a ways to go to be in a condition I would consider acceptable. Worried about all this crap and don't know what to do? His BG is still high and takes 1 1/2 unit of insulin in the am and 1 at night. Monitoring blood is a nightmare and makes getting a curve impossible.
 
Have you tried feeding him wet food? Fancy Feast or Friskies type foods in a pate style are low in carbs and will help get him quickly regulated. 99% of dry food out there including Hill and any prescription dry food a vet pushes on you is bad because it's high in carbs. Be careful when you switch to low carb wet though because you kitty's insulin needs/dosage will drop dramatically. Make sure you're monitoring his glucose if you switch. A low carb diet is key to controlling his diabetes. Hopefully he'll love the wet food and start eating again! :-D
 
Hi extra sweet Tricky and your caregiver. Would you share your first name with us please?

What insulin are you using? You said 1.5U in the AM and 1U in the PM.

We have this link to tips and tricks on the how to's of ear testing.

We have this link to a write up on ear testing psychology, by member Kpassa, to find methods that make your cat more comfortable with the testing process.

Have you tried any of these ideas for getting your cat to eat?

Food suggestions for poor appetite
sprinkle food with :
- forta flora -- a probiotic you can get at vets or online. is very smelly and cats love the taste of it.
- parm. cheese
- smashed crumbles of dry food
- bonito tuna flakes
- halo chicken treats -- crumble into dust over food
- poor a little water from tuna in water over food ( I use low sodium/no sodium added as other kinds in water has veg. broth in it and I assume that means onions, which are toxic to cats-- check labels)
-powdered oregano. yep sounds weird . but some cats like it and it will entice them to eat.

other ideas of foods to offer your kitty to stimulate their appetite:
- trader joe tuna for cats
-baby food -- beechnut turkey and broth or chicken and broth. they have no onions or other additives. some babyfoods have onions . please read labels if you can't find beechnut.
- kentucky fried chicken
- deli turkey /chicken
- plain cooked ( boiled or baked ) chicken breast
-canned chicken for people (watch the label that their are no onions)
- chicken broth -- low sodium
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for the helpful replies. Talked to the vet this morning and scheduled an appt. friday. Tried some canned Prescription m/d which he ate with enthusiasm this afternoon, hopefully he'll dig this canned food to get some muscle tone back? As I mentioned yesterday, he didn't want to eat the few varieties of the Prescription dry foods we got from the vet, but he was definitely hungry as I know my cat's "feed me something good" behavior (hope this makes sense)? I think the dry food just ran its course?..

I was able to get a BG at midnight which was over 300. I expected this as he hadn't had insulin in 15 hrs., but I wanted to know. His exam Friday should get us some answers and a course of treatment.

Trick and I appreciate all the concerned replies and have benefitted quite a bit in the short time I've discovered this forum, you guys really made my day! We're learning something everyday and I'm happy I've got some relief if just for today. I'm exhausted from yesterday, late night for us, gonna take a nap.

Tony and Tricky
 
Deb and Wink hit on awesome incentives to get him to eat.
Some cats are finicky too.
Jerry is and has been on Friskies pate as his diet which does have terrific results with diabetics and cats overall. He took to it super enthusiastically as if you were prescribing a chocolate and ice cream diet to a human - LOVES IT. However after awhile he would start not eating, only a little out of his bowl and then wouldn't eat later. I realized that he is somewhat picky and gets bored with his flavors and that was why. Sure enough I'd take him in a new flavor when he left the other untouched for hours and he went to town. Surefire fix in this house so hopefully he's just a cat being a finicky cat. :lol:
 
Thanks Deb, I think your right about him being finicky. We got him eating canned m/d which is what the vet wants prescribed, but now he won't touch it after he loved it yesterday? In order to just get something in him, we know he'll eat turkey, and he ate it all. But now the next feeding is a crap shoot in terms of what he'll eat so we bought a bunch of stuff hoping something will work. He's been on dry food for 8 years with 100% success until now. I know I'll find something he'll eat, but after seeing the vet yesterday our goal was consistency for 2 weeks on the m/d canned food to get more accurate BG levels as we are planning to do a curve-now I'm afraid this diet fluctuation will screw it all up?

Appreciate your tips on food and will continue to feed him anything reasonable for now. He's on 1.5 x2/day, Prozinc.
 
Many cats get sick of the M/d flavour really quick so I am not surprised! I would try Friskies pates, Fancy feast classic pates or Wellness grain free canned if you are in North America - if not we can recommend others. Those are low carb so are good for diabetic cats and may help with remission!.

You don't need to do a curve so much as a few tests a day to give really good data , I usually recommend 3-4 tests a day

- always before the shot - this is mandatory as you don't want to shoot when too low. As a newbie this too low number is 200 but is reduced over time once you have the data to know if its safe.
- mid cycle - 5-7 hours after morning shot depending on your schedule. This is to see how low the cat’s blood sugar is going. The low point "nadir" is what you base dose changes on since you don't want the cat dropping too low (under 50).
- before bed (2-3hours after Pm shot) to get an idea of what the cat's overnight plans are. If this number is less than the pre shot test number you may want to set the alarm for a test a few hours later as this implies an active cycle.

Also as a newbie we don't recommend you shoot under 200 for now. You might also want to check out the PZI board: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewforum.php?f=24


Wendy
 
The Friskies pate worked good so far. Building an arsenal of options for future dilemmas. Hope to report with a good update as we dial Tricky's routine in. Thanks!
 
How did things go at Tricky's exam at the vets this past Friday?

Glad to hear that Tricky is liking those Friskies pates. I tend to stay away from the Mixed Grill flavor for my sugarkitty Wink, because that one is 11% carbs. With those Friskies pates, there are a nice variety of flavors, available in 13 oz cans, can be found at most stores, and fairly inexpensive.

Building an arsenal of options for future dilemmas.
Click to expand...
I remember when I was transitioning my diabetic cat Wink over from dry to wet food. It took forever to find a flavor he would eat and finally found the Turkey & Giblets flavor. Then, I kept giving him little servings of other flavors to try. I was so worried that he would one day refuse to eat his one special flavor so it was such a relief when he started to eat more variety.

Hope you have the same luck with getting Tricky to eat other foods.

Wink was a dry food addict, so I used most of thesetips for transitioning a dry food addict to canned food, from vet Dr. Lisa Pierson. I think Wink's favorite trick was to crumble some freeze dried treats on top of the canned food. I might have to do that 2 or 3 times to get him to finish a couple of ounces of food, but it did work fairly consistently.

Just wanted to add another document to your arsenal of information for getting a picky cat to eat.
 
The vet changed his insulin to 1.5x2/day for consistency (previously it was 1.5/1.0). Another vet in the office made the this change, not me, and my usual vet made an issue out of it even after I explained? Weird...

Going to try and keep him consistent on the new insulin dosage for 2 weeks as long as he eats, then we'll go back and check up.

Tricky seems spunkier some days more than others, I assume this is par for the course? He's been hungry and is eating well, but he seems sluggish today vs. yesterday. His diet has been a whirl wind of changes lately, maybe this is why? Btw, we bought the Friskies turkey and giblets pate to great success, many thanks!
 
I understand. The BG levels have been 300+ thus the .5 increase. We're checking with the vet to see if dosage is working in a week. He's on Prozinc, not sure how to use the link you forwarded if the insulin brand is different?

This afternoon he won't touch the Pate, on to the next...
 
Sorry no, lantus is a totally different insulin. I assumed you were on it.

Since you are on prozinc, I would go check out the prozinc board, they should be able to help [urlhttp://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewforum.php?f=24][/url]
Wendy
 
Would you please go into your User Control Panel, Profile tab, Edit Signature and add some tidbits of data there for us? It would help us to help you better and we'd really appreciate it if you would be willing to do this.

Something like this:

Your name, cats name sex and age
Diagnosis date
Name of insulin used and name of meter used for home testing
Diet

Example from what you have told us so far. I was guessing at some of the information so you'll need to fix any of my goofs.

Tony & Tricky (male, 10??)
Dx 02/15/2014 ??
Prozinc, meter name???
Dry Hill's M/d and R/d, canned M/d, Friskies pates

While you are in the user control panel , if you would please consider an update in the Profile tab, Edit Profile with your country, state/province and nearest city, that would be useful information to have also. It let's us know where you live to give country specific advice and what time zone in case of emergency and someone needs to stay up with you to help.
 
I'll give the profile some time tonight. In the mean time this cat is driving me insane. I can't find anything he'll eat for more than 2 meals, except sliced turkey. He's hungry, but being a PITA!
 
Tricky will only eat the same thing for 2 meals and then it's on to something new? Ok, at least he seems to be eating something because it's very important that he continues to eat.

Is he walking over to the food, sniffing it then walking away? Or is he exhibiting some other sort of behavior, in regards to the food, that you could describe to us?
 
Spoke to vet, just getting something in him was the advice.

He is hungry, anxious to eat and is then disappointed and leaves once he smells it. The turkey is consistently successful, but I'd prefer a more balanced diet of course. The morning meal (Fancy Feast) was a hit last night as well, but snubbed by the afternoon? We keep switching foods around clinging to hope of consistency, but it doesn't seem near. I assume this SOP for many cats with feline diabetes?
 
I found that sometimes its the texture of the food. Mine wont eat the pates but loves the FF Chunky versions. They are all under 10% as well. You can also try sprinkling some Parmesan cheese or oregano on the food. Cats love cheese! You can also purchase some Fortiflora which is like crack for cats. Not only does it make them want to eat but its good for them as well. Its a probiotic and its good for the intestines. You can also take some of the dry food, put it in a bag and beat the mess out of it till its a fine powder and sprinkle it on top as well.

Are you hometesting? I didnt see where you said you were.

Here is a list of foods under 10% that you can try but maybe pick up a couple of the FF Chunky (Chicken, Turkey and Chopped Grill). There is a link to the master list of foods done by Dr. Lisa Pierson. It has most of the major companies and the carb count on them (Column C)
Wet Food under 10%

Here is the link for Fortiflora. You only have to sprinkle a little on the top so depending on how many times you feed a day, you could keep a packet for a couple of days or just a full day.

Fortiflora for Cats
 
He might be nauseaus.

To test that idea, you might try 1/4 of a Pepcid. (Famotadine) about 20-30 min before feeding.

If difficult to pill, get an oral syringe, remove the plunger, put in the quarter tablet, put the plunger back in, draw up a bit of water, cover the opening while you shake well to dissove it, then administer.

If that helps, then he isn't being a pita, he's sick. Cats often hide that they are ill.
 
If he's still not eating on his own by today, I would suggest taking him to the vet to have hi, and his blood work checked out for anything that may be causing him to not eat. Cats are very stoic, and will never show signs of being sick.

I'm wishing for him to make a full and speedy recovery.
 
Thinking of switching vets. I'm not feeling enough concern and getting little pieces of info at a time that leave me helpless once that advice doesn't work. I'm calling them on a daily basis cause it's one thing after another.

Now he won't eat anything. Gonna call around for a better vet tomorrow.
 
See my signature link Vet Interview Topics for some questions you may wish to ask.
 
Brought Tricky to the vet this morning as he won't eat. They are giving him fluids all day and pain meds as he may have Pancreatitus? We're bringing him home tonight and may go for a sonogram to check his organs. This will depend on his appetite. Not sure what this all means, but hope he can recover. Thanks for the help and concern.
 
Im bringing him home shortly and much of the info from link on Pancreatitus was done with Tricky. Hoping he'll feel better and eat later, otherwise I'll go to vet with sonogram for further analysis. Thanks for the info!
 
Just to update Tricky's status:He hasn't eaten really today while at the vet, but was on IV fluids all day and will have more tomorrow. Pain meds were given and I'll give them every 12 hrs as needed.

Waiting on blood and urine tests results tomorrow and will know more hopefully. I'm planning on getting a sonogram from a cat-only vet I trust more once he's been given treatment tomorrow.

Trying to get him to eat to no avail, but he's drinking and doesn't seem in distress (although I realize the seriousness of the situation). Going to make him as comfortable as possible tonight, and get my giant cat back on the track to health!
 
One trick that I've seen is KFC chicken. Even when cats are not feeling well, they'll often eat this. I haven't had to go this route yet (thank goodness because I hate KFC), but it seems to really work.
 
In case anyone is following Tricky's condition, I brought him to a cat only vet and was immediately impressed at the level of care. He has Ketoacidosis and He spent the day getting fluids, new insulin, appetite stimulants and tests. On paper he looks better than in person, he's still lethargic and isn't looking good at all. He's at an ER vet tonight as our vet doesn't have 24hr. care, and we agreed he needed care throughout the night. He'll be back to our vet in the morning.


The ER vet didn't make me feel to good about his condition. I guess they have to cover themselves, but it's still hard to hear when hope was more promising at our vet? I've prepared for the worst long before this, but it's sobering to say the least...

Hope to see him in the morning for a trip to the vet.
 
There are numerous metabolic derangements which happen with DKA and they have to be cautious addressing them as correcting too much of one can make another factor spin out of control. Slow and steady wins that race.
 
Thanks, I've learned a lot today, and I understand what you're saying regarding slow and steady. It's hard to see him just lying there so out of it (went and visited him tonight), but the new vet mentioned his recovery could take a while. He's getting 24 hr care now, but I am disappointed in the vet who originally diagnosed him. Wish I had found our new vet sooner.
 
Tony, I'm sorry about Tricky. I just went through the same thing with my kitty boy Jack. He was in the animal hospital for 4 nights last week with DKA. He didn't start perking up until the 3rd day. Your kitty was probably dehydrated and may have had low potassium and phosphorus levels which can really make kitties look and feel terrible. It takes a few days for all that stuff to balance out. Just try to visit him frequently if you are able. Sometimes seeing their owner can help to perk them up. Good luck, and sending positive thoughts your way :)
 
I hope he feels better soon. (hugs) He is in the best place right now - keep us updated.

While you wait for him to come home its time to do some research to get ready so you can give him the best care when he gets home!

- read the Prozinc dosing protocol BJ provided above - ask us if you have questions!
- get a home testing blood kit. Shopping list below.
- buy urine ketone strips so that you can catch the diabetic ketoacidosis if it happens again and before it gets serious
- throw out any dry food and treats and make sure everything else is low carb wet or low carb treats!

Wendy

Getting started shopping list
1. Meter ie Walmart Relion Confirm or Micro.
2. Matching strips
3. Lancets - little sticks to poke the ear to get blood . new members usually start with a larger gauge lancet such as 28g or 29g until the ear learns to bleed. Optional - lancing tool.
4. Cotton balls to stem the blood
5. Neosporin or Polysporin ointment with pain relief to heal the wound
6. Mini flashlight (optional) - useful to help see the ear veins in dark cats, and to press against
7. Ketone urine test strips ie ketodiastix - Important to check ketones when blood is high
8. Sharps container - to dispose of waste syringes and lancets.
9. Treats for the cat - like freeze dried chicken
10. Karo syrup/corn syrup or honey if you dont have it at home - for hypo emergencies to bring blood sugar up fast
11. A couple of cans of fancy feast gravy lovers or other high carb gravy food- for hypo emergencies to bring blood sugar up fast
 
It's been several days since I checked in and a lot has changed for Tricky. We found he has DKA and has been especially ill since Friday. New issues have appeared and we continue to trouble shoot as they arise.
Tonight we are doing a blood transfusion as his red blood cell level is very low and blood tests (CBC) are being done to see why the count is low. He ate for us at the ER a couple of times, which is the first solid food since monday. His phosphorus and potassium seem to drop quickly, keystones were not found in the urine as of today, but he is very weak and needs the transfusion to analyze how his bone marrow is at regenerating rbc's. Furthermore, results for biopsies of his liver and spleen will be in Monday. The Liver values are off and it appeared "bright" in the ultrasound? The spleen has spots, which normally is smooth, so a more definitive diagnosis should be available tomorrow. Possible outcomes are Feline hepatic lipidosis, hepatitis or lymphoma. We're both really concerned and upset, the waiting is hard too. I'm suspecting the liver is the issue as it has been consistently off throughout. Steroids have been mentioned as part of the treatment depending on the results, but I'm concerned about their use as they conflict with Diabetes? My cat seems to be fighting to live and is so sweet, I'm struggling to make decisions that are right for him, but the vet thinks he has a chance of recovery. Praying the tests don't reveal serious complications, just writing to folks who understand makes me feel better. Thanks.
 
I'm so sorry :( But the steroids might not be a bad option. It is true that they will elevate his BG but they are also powerful anti inflammatories and if lymphoma is on the table the steroids can also act as a chemotherapeutic option (in high enough doses). They will also make him hungry so he will eat more and help resolve the hepatic lipidosis. Good luck and keep us updated!
 
Got a call Sunday night at 9pm from Vet, seems as though Tricky had some positive blood test results which are encouraging. Waiting for pathology reports on monday, but the DKA and key tones have gotten out of his system (he's been at a great 24hr. ER vet specialty hosp. in San Diego). RBC's improving, white count normal, potassium/phosphorus normal. The vet is waiting for more info from the liver/spleen results, but his expectations are that we can get back to just treating his Diabetes eventually. I wasn't expecting news like this after seeing him today?Trying to be realistic, but I'm much more encouraged and happier, but won't celebrate until I get the official call.
 
Fingers and paws are crossed for good news! If you have to give steroids, you can still treat the diabetes. You may have to give more insulin for the higher BG but that's okay. Since ProZinc is an in and out insulin, it's easy to change the dose based on numbers. My Gypsy wasn't on any consistent dose as she reacted weirdly. :mrgreen:

Keep us posted! You are in my thoughts.
 
Tricky came home tonight, finally! He was a sick little cat, but managed, with incredible care from our Vet's to pull through. Once the DKA was out of his system there were some biopsy results we were awaiting, which luckily came back negative for Lymphoma. Ran a test for infectious diseases, and should know the results in a few days. The last hurdle revolved around his low RBC count (partly the reason for the infectious disease labs). They suspected other possible causes besides the Diabetes for the slow regenerative rbc counts, but they felt it might be taking him longer to regenerate them for a variety of reasons more likely related to the stress of the illness. Eventually they did stabilize and we got him home!! Appreciate all here who offered their support and advice, it meant a lot when I was really down. I'll try to post a photo of him (in my avitar) soon after getting home tonight (time is of essence too as I'll probably have to sell this computer to pay his bills ha!)
 
Yay! Tricky is home! Please continue to let us know how he's doing and the results of the infectious disease labs. :YMHUG:
 
YEAH!!!! I am so thrilled Tricky is home!!!!!!! I know that has to be a huge relief to you. If you are anything like the rest of us, you will now be following Tricky around with a ketone stick like a stalker....LOL.

Keep us up to date on what the tests come back with. :-D :RAHCAT
 
Thanks for the reply Wendy. Sorry for the delay as well. I've been following up with the Vet and ran a blood curve on Friday. His numbers are much better since we've switched to Lantus (thanks everyone for the suggestions) and we going back in two weeks for another to verify the correct dosage. He is very happy and eating with a normal appetite again. You realize how much they mean to you once they get ill, I couldn't imagine not attempting to do whatever necessary to help him. He's my buddy. I know most of you have been in this position and understand.
While visiting him in the hospital, I would check with the other cats and dogs near Tricky as they needed attention to, right?! Some were quite ill and I got to know a couple of their parents (owners). One in particular was a 15y/o cat named Roscoe who had kidney issues and I came to find out he didn't make it. His owners contacted me today to check on Tricky's condition and were so happy to hear he was doing well. In addition, they were so graceful to donate their cat's insulin to us through the vet knowing Tricky's was diabetic, all this while dealing in their own grief. You really meet wonderful people who love animals (and I include all here on the forum too)!! What an experience the last couple of months have been, whew! Thanks to all for your advice and caring!!

Tony
 
You join a great big family when you start posting here. Everybody understands how much we love our kitties and want to help you do your best for them.

Have you considered home testing? It's a great way to make sure your cats BG (blood glucose) levels are high enough to shoot before you give the insulin and helps to keep our kitties safer.
 
Home testing will come. For now it is too traumatic and inhibits him from eating (because my technique sucks). Once he's more normal I'll begin.
 
Check my signature link Secondary Monitoring Tools for some assessments you can make until you're able to blood test easily.
 
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