Diabetic 13 year old won't eat or drink

Status
Not open for further replies.
S

StefanieB

Member Since 2013
My 13 year old has had diabetes for 5 years. Taking Lantus everyday. He hasn't eaten or drank anything on his own in 24 hours. I have been giving him water through a syringe and trying to give him pureed food in the syringe as well every 2 hours. He is getting stronger and more oriented and has shown signs of improvement. But, still not eating on his own or urinating (unless he is going while I'm sleeping). I am determined to nurse him back to health at home and would like some advice from other home medics.

I had another diabetic cat that lived to be 18years old. She suffered through many glucose curves at the vet and weekends being observed in the vet hospital. I won't do that again to this kitty. The doctors never had better answers than I was able to find through research and other diabetic cat owners.

My questions:
What foods should I get him to entice him to eat?

I have been feeding him 20ml of liquids every 2 hours for 12 hours and that increased from the first 12 hours because he was vomiting and I wanted to make sure he could keep it down (and he has ! YAY) So I will increase it again and see if he can handle it.

What about elimination? Could there be a blockage? or am I not feeding him enough and he is just that dehydrated? Anything other than water to re-hydrate?
 
morning..... ~O)

This is supposed to be helpful for sick cats. You can syringe feed it. I'm guessing he won't eat any thing that he used to love.....

You didn't say when he used the litter box last. I wouldn't get overly concerned about one day.... but if it continues. An x-ray can show blockages.
Also the vet can feel if his intestines are full/hard.

When you pull on the skin around his scruff, does it slide back in place or stay out? That would indicate dehydration if it's not going back to normal.

You don't have to leave him with a vet.
You can learn to do fluids at home. Or stay with him while the vet does it if he needs them.
But I wouldn't avoid the vet if he continues to feel puny. If he were to have a blockage, it's important to get him help asap.

Have you been monitoring him for ketones? That is very important especially when a diabetic cat is sick. I know you said he hasn't urinated but you need to get some
ketostix and try to catch him in the act. I have success with putting a plastic bag over the box. Some people can catch it in stream. :?


There are so many things that can go wrong quickly with cats.
I think I'd at least consult with the vet , let him get checked out.







THE '~LIVER SHAKE~' FOR SICK CATS

This liquid food is appropriate for cats suffering from conditions where they are eating very little or not at all such as anemias, leukemias, deficiency states with symptoms of lethargy, listlessness, and weakness.

1 cup RAW LIVER (BEEF, or CHICKEN)
1 cup FRESH CARROT JUICE or V-8, or Tomatoe Juice
1/4 cup *FRESH FILTERED WATER
1 RAW EGG YOLK
1 tsp.KELP POWDER OR SPIRULINA


COMBINE AND MIX IN A BLENDER UNTIL LIQUEFIED. (Note: it will be frothy)

Dosage:

Administer 10cc daily 3-6 times a day. (6Occ per day max)

Some cats will need to be force-fed with a syringe, while others will drink it out of a bowl.

This food has a sweet and salty taste, and the energetic properties of tonifying (energy boosting), warming and stimulating and supports the kidneys, spleen, liver and stomach.

This drink is a complete dinner for a sick cat until they feel good enough to eat by themselves again.

*Substitute rice water if the cat has diarrhea. Rice water
is made by boiling white rice (2 Tbsp) with water (1cup) for 30 minutes.
This liquid aids digestion and assimilation and inhibits the symptoms of diarrhea.
Click to expand...


Keep asking questions.....
We all love to help.
 
If you get to 48 hours with no food, go to a vet, due to the risk of hepatic lipidosis a potentially fatal condition where fat breakdown for calories overwhelms the liver and prevent it from working properly.

Ideas:
- warming the food to 'just killed' temperature; it gets smellier!
- sprinkling grated parmesan on the food
- sprinkling dried bonito flakes on it; check an asian market of pet supply store
- engaging in some active play to trigger the hunt, catch, kill, eat behavior cycle
- adding some tuna juice to the food (packed in water, low sodium)
- hand feeding
- picking up the dish, stirring it, and putting it down again (Look! New food!)
 
also.... if you have a KFC or other chicken fast food nearby....
try a piece of fried chicken... peel off the outside and just offer the meat. That has enticed quite a few to eat.

or lunch meat.... mine loves ham. It's better if you can find one without sugar but it's okay if you can't.....
the more important thing is to get them to eat something.



Please let us know how he's doing.
 
I just lived thru this so understand exactly how worried you are right now. I ended up syringe feeding KT for 3 days before he started wanting to eat a bit on his own. Until yesterday, I was also having to sprinkle the top of the food with some crushed dry food powder I made in my blender. Today he's spoiled and wants it on his food but TODAY, he's back to doing well so we'll have to wean him off that.

BIG HUGE HUGS!
 
Are you hometesting? Have you been giving insulin while he is not eating? If he is not eating, please do not give insulin or you risk him becoming hypoglycemic.
 
Try Pedilyte (unflavored, of course) to keep him hydrated. If he's still not urinating and you can't test him for ketones with a test strip, smell his breath. A smell like fingernail polish remover, or acetone, means he's going into DKA and you'll need to get him to a vet ASAP.
 
Hello and welcome to the board!

What are you feeding him normally? I am worried about the cause of this issue.. did he have a hypo? Is it diabetic ketoacidosis? or pancreatitis?

let us know on the home testing and other questions above..

Wendy
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top