Feeling defeated

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Julie mueller

Member Since 2019
I can not get my cat to eat . He will lick all the gravy up but not eat the food. He may have eaten 1 oz of pate today . I'm getting him to drink a little and will lick all the gravy up .

I can't figure out what's wrong with him and neither can the vet besides the ear infection and trace ketone . I'm at the point now that I just cry while trying to get him to eat . It's a 2 hour process and I get no where . I've tried every kind of food out there including people food .
 
I feel so sorry you're alone with this, I wish I had a solution for cute little Smokey !!
I'm sure you tried all this, but...

- does he seem hungry ? is he coming if you call him to eat;
- did you try another type of wet food like Fancy Feast pate or a different flavour; ( you seem to be using Friskies)
- if he likes gravy, did you try Fancy Feast Florentine (the White Meat Chicken is carb OK 4%); it's tick gravy with small pieces of meat;
- did you try freeze dried or kibbles if he likes them? (just a couple to see if he'll eat some);
- if he licks gravy, maybe try just pate (like FancyFeast) with his usual gravy mixed in (no chunks);

- is he vomiting, does he seem nauseous;
- is he playing, purring; LB OK;
- peeing more; drinking more;
- if you take him in your arms, does he look in pain;
- how about his mouth, any red gums or teeth problems (is he due for dental?);
- any kidney problems (ckd cats are very hard to get to eat); any blood work done lately ?
- did vet suggest any appetite stimulant or what is he suggesting?

:bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
I had a sweet little boy kitty with Feline AIDs. He would get gingivitis something fierce, and refuse to eat. Hand fed him many many times to get him to eat at all, so I understand the frustration.

A couple of thoughts. He had the ear infection. Did he get antibiotics for that? Those meds can make a kitty nauseous, and then they won't eat. Ask the vet for an anti nausea med. It might really help. Some folks use over the counter Pepsid, but I don't know the dosage for that. The antibiotic also could have upset his digestive system. Some Fortiflora or a little plain yogurt could help get the balance back. Don't give it at the same time as an antibiotic though, they work against each other. The vet could also give you an appetite stimulant.

Other than that, keep offering a wide variety of flavors, as that can help, as can a little of a stinky fish like tuna or sardines. (Not good for feeding all the time, but can sometimes get a reluctant kitty to eat.)

Warming he food ever so slightly can also help. Cats eat with their nose, and warm food is smellier.
 
How’s he doing this AM? The others have given you some good ideas. It’s important that he eat something, even if it’s not the best food for a diabetic kitty. Not enough calories can increase the chance of his developing ketones. If it’s a higher carb food, you will have to increase his insulin to get his BG into good numbers. If he seems to feel fine but just doesn’t like the food choice, try adding some fortiflora. I have a kibble addict that will only eat wet food if I sprinkle some on his meal.
 
Is there anything that will get Smokey interested in food? If your kitty is nauseated, he may lick at food and walk away. Anti-nausea meds, like Cerenia, may help.

Have you discussed an appetite stimulant with your vet? mirtazepine or cyproheptadine are both used to stimulate appetite.

FWIW, an ear infection, at least in humans, can be really painful. Years ago, I had an ear infection and it made me appreciate why kids scream when they have one.
 
I agree, talk to the vet about something for nausea and possibly an appetite stimulant. You may need to also syringe feed him until he starts eating on his own. Puree the canned food with some water to make it very soupy.

An ear infection can also cause issues with sinuses and affect the ability to smell. That also may be contributing to your cat not eating. Also, some antibiotics can make a cat nauseous.
 
Did you try Weruva? My cats Dusty and Beni just loved Weruva Mideast Feast and Lick'n Chicken. I've never seen a cat love food like they love this. It is on the safe list and is so close to human food I'm tempted to taste it LOL. We have some ferrel cats at work and one day one didn't want to eat the usual Friskies we feed them. I brought in some Mideast Feast and he just devoured it. Something to temp him is some Underwood Liverwurst spread, my cats love that too! Just throwing out some ideas...:cat:
 
Sorry to hear about Smokey how's he doing today?.

One food that has worked with my cats (and dogs) when they are sick is Hill's a/d is pate like very smelly (which helps entice them) and since it is formulated for sick or recovering pets you do not need to give a lot of it for it to be enough, and since is soft you can easily syringe feed it and is mid carb so not so bad for DB

If you think he has nausea or something is bothering with his stomach you could also consider giving omeprazole (5mg every 24 hours), I wouldn't recommend omeprazole for a long term use but is really effective and I think ok to give for 3-4 days
 
Sorry to hear about Smokey how's he doing today?.

One food that has worked with my cats (and dogs) when they are sick is Hill's a/d is pate like very smelly (which helps entice them) and since it is formulated for sick or recovering pets you do not need to give a lot of it for it to be enough, and since is soft you can easily syringe feed it and is mid carb so not so bad for DB

If you think he has nausea or something is bothering with his stomach you could also consider giving omeprazole (5mg every 24 hours), I wouldn't recommend omeprazole for a long term use but is really effective and I think ok to give for 3-4 days


He seems pretty normal except the appetite.. is that the same thing as zofran ?
 
If you think he has nausea or something is bothering with his stomach you could also consider giving omeprazole (5mg every 24 hours), I wouldn't recommend omeprazole for a long term use but is really effective and I think ok to give for 3-4 days
He seems pretty normal except the appetite.. is that the same thing as zofran ?
No, Zofran (generic is ondansetron) is a anti-nausea med while omeprazole is a stomach acid reducer like Pepcid AC (generic is famotidine) .
 
sorry i didnt read all the responses but have you tried fortiflora?
I so know this feeling. When mt Waldo was refusing food I cried 3 times a day. thats every time i offered food. But he had RCM and was just plain slowing down. sigh sendig prayers and eating positives!
j.
 
Did you try Weruva? My cats Dusty and Beni just loved Weruva Mideast Feast and Lick'n Chicken. I've never seen a cat love food like they love this. It is on the safe list and is so close to human food I'm tempted to taste it LOL. We have some ferrel cats at work and one day one didn't want to eat the usual Friskies we feed them. I brought in some Mideast Feast and he just devoured it. Something to temp him is some Underwood Liverwurst spread, my cats love that too! Just throwing out some ideas...:cat:

(I just joined this site today.) Where is the "safe food list" you mentioned? My cat is a diabetic senior and does not like her canned DM food. Today I put parmesan cheese on top and she gobbled it up. I'm wondering if I should get a few varieties for her to try. Thx!
 
And @Candro , if you start your very own new thread, we'll give you advice and suggestions specific to your cat and situation. It's easy to start your own thread. Go to the top right of the screen. You'll see a box that says "Post New Thread". Click on that, start typing your message, and then click on the Post Reply" icon at the end of the text box to send it.

Hope to see a new thread from you soon.
 
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