Problem with civvie

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Squalliesmom

Squalliesmom

Member Since 2015
I have a civvie who is about 1 1/2 years old who has IBD. After searching for almost a year for a food she can eat that doesn't give her diarrhea, we finally hit on a winner. Except...now she refuses to eat it, and almost anything else I offer, as well. My kitchen trash is full of cat food cans of different varieties that she won't even look at! This has been gradual over the past week to 10 days; she has eaten less and less until now she just won't eat most of the time. She will, however, claw like a madcat at the drawer where I keep treats. From that, I figure she still has an appetite, just not for any of the food I give her. If I put toppings on her food she will eat enough to get the toppings, if it's something she likes.

I am at my wits' end. She is already thin and can't afford to lose any more weight. I can't afford to take her to the vet until next week. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!~

Thanks!

P.S. At this point I don't care if the food causes a flare of her IBD, I just need to get calories into her! We did some syringe feeding with her in the past and it does not go well at all, so would like to hopefully avoid that again.
 
Have you tried Fortiflora. or pure bites freeze dried chicken or cat man do bonita flakes or baking chicken breasts and cutting in bite suze pieces ? You could also try tuna water broth.
Have you considered making the raw food. Im sorry kitty is refusing to eat. Thefortilora is what they put in commercial foods.
I dont know too much about IBD hopefully you can get her eating
 
I feed Fritz raw rabbit. I order it frozen in 3lb packages single ground and add Alnutrin supplements already pre packaged and then I partially thaw and mix well in the supplement. Fritz loves it. Just an idea :cat:
 
Sometimes a bit of tuna juice on the food will tempt then. Since kitties are very smell oriented sometimes the smellier the better to entice them to eat.
 
DebG said:
I feed Fritz raw rabbit. I order it frozen in 3lb packages single ground and add Alnutrin supplements already pre packaged and then I partially thaw and mix well in the supplement. Fritz loves it. Just an idea :cat:
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Where do you get your rabbit? Does it have ground bone in it, or do you add eggshells or bone meal?
 
DebG said:
Have you tried Fortiflora. or pure bites freeze dried chicken or cat man do bonita flakes or baking chicken breasts and cutting in bite suze pieces ? You could also try tuna water broth.
Have you considered making the raw food. Im sorry kitty is refusing to eat. Thefortilora is what they put in commercial foods.
I dont know too much about IBD hopefully you can get her eating
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She gets fortiflora sprinkled on all her meals, it really helps with her IBD. She loves the freeze dried chicken and bonito flakes but will only eat them off the top of the food and leaves the rest of the food behind.
 
Squalliesmom said:
Oddly, she doesn't like tuna water. All my others go crazy for it!
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Darn...that is my go to remedy if either of my two kitties won't eat. If they won't eat with tuna juice then I know there is something more serious going on.

Good luck in finding something to get Squallie eating. It is very distressing when out kitties won't eat

:bighug: :bighug:
 
I just get the stuff at the grocery. I can't stand to feed it raw, so I put it in the micro for a few seconds-doesn't take long- and cover it, it pops. It comes out partially cooked. All but one of my cats go crazy for it. Hope it helps.
 
Sharon14 said:
I just get the stuff at the grocery. I can't stand to feed it raw, so I put it in the micro for a few seconds-doesn't take long- and cover it, it pops. It comes out partially cooked. All but one of my cats go crazy for it. Hope it helps.
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Thank you, I will try it!
 
Critter Mom said:
Is she showing any symptoms of nausea, Lucy?

It saddened me to read that she's only eighteen months of age with IBD. :( What's her name?

:bighug::bighug::bighug:


Mogs
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Oh, Mogs, she's my little baby Bengal, Candy. She came from a hoarding situation and, sadly , a lot of the kittens from there developed IBD. I have had her for just about a year, and this past month and a half is the first time she has EVER NOT HAD DIARRHEA. since I have owned her. It just breaks my heart! I was so pleased that FINALLY we found something that worked for her, and she was gaining weight and eating with great gusto, and now she doesn't eat enough to even amount to one of the 3 0z little cans of food, a day. She is losing all the weight she gained (she only weighed about seven pounds). She is still active when she is awake but it seems to me that she is sleeping more than she used to (but that could be my paranoia, too), her eyes are bright and her coat is good, and I do not think she has any nausea. I don't think she purrs as much as she used to, but she doesn't seem to be in any kind of pain. She will try to claw open the drawer where I keep treats, so I think she must be hungry. I just don't understand. And I am scared to death for her because this is what happened when I lost another beloved cat to kidney disease. I am just so worried about her.
 
At this stage is there ANY food you could get her to eat...even dry food. It is so difficult trying to balance IBD and what foods work with that, but with Candy not eating, even junk food would be better than nothing.


:bighug: :bighug: :bighug:
 
I just offered her some treats and she gobbled them right up with no hesitation! I so wish I could get her to eat real food with the same eagerness.
 
Have you tried heating up the food? When Squeak is being difficult, I find that warming her food up just a bit in the microwave helps. I hate the smell, but she seems to like it.

Also, have you thought about or tried raw food with Candy? When I was researching raw, I'm fairly sure I read a few stories about Bengal kitties with IBD (and other kitties with IBD as well) doing better on a raw diet. I could be wrong of course, but for some reason that's sticking in my head - might be worth Googling.

Hope you can get her eating!
 
Elle & Squeak said:
Have you tried heating up the food? When Squeak is being difficult, I find that warming her food up just a bit in the microwave helps. I hate the smell, but she seems to like it.

Also, have you thought about or tried raw food with Candy? When I was researching raw, I'm fairly sure I read a few stories about Bengal kitties with IBD (and other kitties with IBD as well) doing better on a raw diet. I could be wrong of course, but for some reason that's sticking in my head - might be worth Googling.

Hope you can get her eating!
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Thanks! She was on raw for a while, she did okay but it still gave her diarrhea, although not as bad. I may try it again though, just to get her eating!
 
Well, after much lengthy coaxing and cajoling, I got her to eat maybe an ounce of her dinner. I will try her with some baby food - just because I have it on hand - and maybe a little forbidden dry food (It's YAZC) and see how that goes. Then tomorrow to the grocery store for liver and liver shake ingredients.
 
Critter Mom said:
I'm glad you managed to get her to eat a little bit for you, Lucy.

:bighug:


Mogs
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Thanks, Mogs, me too, but it's nowhere near enough. I don't know how long she can go on like this before she is at serious risk for hepatic lipidosis.

How are your lovely girls doing? Please give them some gentle scritches from me. :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
Hi Lucy
Might be worth trying AD from the vet
Not the best food ever but mostly organ meat high calorie and pretty low carb. :bighug::bighug:
I am going to try the chicken livers too:cat:
 
Lucy, I'm so happy to hear that your girl ate today :woot: It's really hard when our little ones won't eat and we just can't convince them otherwise. I'm so curious to know if you tried the liver shake? Or did you just give her liver?
 
Jan Radar said:
Lucy, I'm so happy to hear that your girl ate today :woot: It's really hard when our little ones won't eat and we just can't convince them otherwise. I'm so curious to know if you tried the liver shake? Or did you just give her liver?
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Hi Jan, I was away all day to day, dealing with a family emergency, so everything else kind of got put on the back burner for the day. My son took care of her for me while I was gone and said she did eat her breakfast, but not all of her lunch. I brought home some liver with me and gave it to her for dinner but she wouldn't eat it. I keep trying every hour or so to see if she will eat that, or some cat food, but she just walks away. I'm not sure she can smell the food, I don't know why that would be but it kind of seems that way to me, just the way she'll sort of pass her nose by it and just keep going. I dunno, sounds stupid, probably, especially if she ate earlier. So again mybe 3 ounces for the day? Not much. I do worry about hepatic lipidosis, I know it doesn't take long for it to set in.
 
We've been having a lot of tummy issues at our house lately and I've observed a similar tendency in Radar... he doesn't want to eat if he can't smell the food. I've started putting the food in the microwave for a bit and then putting Bonito flakes on it. Radar really loves the bonito flakes and I really think its partly because he can smell it better. I'll be curious to know what happens if you do end up trying the liver shake.... sending good appetite wishes your way.
 
Squalliesmom said:
I'm not sure she can smell the food, I don't know why that would be but it kind of seems that way to me, just the way she'll sort of pass her nose by it and just keep going.
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Have you tried getting her to lick a little food off your finger to 'kick start' her interest in the meals? (I'm assuming you have, Lucy, but I thought I'd chuck the idea out there just in case.)

:bighug:


Mogs
.
 
Jan Radar said:
We've been having a lot of tummy issues at our house lately and I've observed a similar tendency in Radar... he doesn't want to eat if he can't smell the food. I've started putting the food in the microwave for a bit and then putting Bonito flakes on it. Radar really loves the bonito flakes and I really think its partly because he can smell it better. I'll be curious to know what happens if you do end up trying the liver shake.... sending good appetite wishes your way.
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Candy loves Bonito flakes, too. She eats all the toppings - flakes, or whatever - off the top of the food and then won't eat any more of it. I've tried warming it, but it doesn't seem to matter. It's so frustrating!!!

Thanks for the good appy wishes! I'll let you know if I try the liver shake! :)
 
Lucy, poor baby Candy. Have you tried the bone broth from the IBD site? Smokey won't eat it by itself but a little mixed in his food he does eat it. The gizzards and liver I made he eats but since I didn't add the nutrients it's not complete so I give him a tsp once a week. The Sheba perfect portions he loves and you wouldn't be wasting to much if she doesn't eat it. Smokey prefers the beef and it does have quite a bit of juice in it, maybe she will lap up the juice. Once you open a can try just a little if she doesn't eat it, freeze the rest. Maybe when she is eating better, you can thaw it and she'll eat it. The other night we had t-bone steak. Gave a few pieces to Smokey and he gobbled it down, then went and ate his own food.

Just throwing this out there-what about cerenia for nausea and metro is used for IBD and has anti inflammatory properties. Might be worth a try.
 
Critter Mom said:
Have you tried getting her to lick a little food off your finger to 'kick start' her interest in the meals? (I'm assuming you have, Lucy, but I thought I'd chuck the idea out there just in case.)

:bighug:


Mogs
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I have, Mogs, thanks, when I can get her to hold still long enough. It's like trying to hold onto a slippery eel, she's long and lanky and sinewy, and she's always "Busy, busy, busy, places to go and things to do, can't stop to visit!" I have also tried the sleepy eating trick, because she is still, then, lol, but it doesn't work with her. This morning I got her to eat about 1/2 ounce of a 3 oz can of FF.
 
Woodsywife said:
Lucy, poor baby Candy. Have you tried the bone broth from the IBD site? Smokey won't eat it by itself but a little mixed in his food he does eat it. The gizzards and liver I made he eats but since I didn't add the nutrients it's not complete so I give him a tsp once a week. The Sheba perfect portions he loves and you wouldn't be wasting to much if she doesn't eat it. Smokey prefers the beef and it does have quite a bit of juice in it, maybe she will lap up the juice. Once you open a can try just a little if she doesn't eat it, freeze the rest. Maybe when she is eating better, you can thaw it and she'll eat it. The other night we had t-bone steak. Gave a few pieces to Smokey and he gobbled it down, then went and ate his own food.

Just throwing this out there-what about cerenia for nausea and metro is used for IBD and has anti inflammatory properties. Might be worth a try.
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Thank you, Paula, I hadn't thought of the bone broth, and the Sheba Perfect Portions are a good idea, I'll check them out, too. She has been on Metro in the pa st, getting it into her is a nightmare, we get more on ourselves, I think, lol. I don't think she is nauseated, she doesn't show any signs of nausea at all, and she doesn't act "sick", she just won't eat, only the smallest bite or two here and there, if you know what I mean. I have Cypro for Squallie, I have been wondering about trying it on her, but I don't know the dosage because she is much smaller. Also don't know if it would be a problem for her IBD, can't see why it would. And my vet, of course, is closed for the long weekend holiday so I can't call and ask his advice.
 
I really feel for you, Lucy. :bighug:

Got similar issues here with Saoirse. It is such a struggle to get her to eat her normal small, frequent meals while she has the collar on and she has vomited twice in the past 48 hours due to excess stomach acid build-up (even with her famotidine and ondansetron on board. That in turn creates problems with keeping her properly hydrated and giving her her insulin. :( She hasn't been able to groom herself properly for a couple of weeks and I'd swear that's most of what's making her itchy. I've ordered a pet shampoo for her to give her a bath (she's gonna just love me for that :rolleyes:) but it won't be here till Wednesday (bank hol tomorrow). :(

BP or no BP, I've had to resort to giving her tiny doses of cypro to get her to eat otherwise I fear that we, too, would be tiptoeing around HL territory. Our vet is so hung up on blood sugar levels that he's completely losing sight of the other complications arising from lack of appropriate treatment. Adjusting insulin round the steroids would be a far better approach in terms of Saoirse's quality of life.

Sorry for the whinge; things have been tough here lately, hence the tsunami of empathy coming your way. (I know how worried you are and how hard things must be right now at your end).

:bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug:


Mogs
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Woodsywife said:
Lucy, poor baby Candy. Have you tried the bone broth from the IBD site? Smokey won't eat it by itself but a little mixed in his food he does eat it. The gizzards and liver I made he eats but since I didn't add the nutrients it's not complete so I give him a tsp once a week. The Sheba perfect portions he loves and you wouldn't be wasting to much if she doesn't eat it. Smokey prefers the beef and it does have quite a bit of juice in it, maybe she will lap up the juice. Once you open a can try just a little if she doesn't eat it, freeze the rest. Maybe when she is eating better, you can thaw it and she'll eat it. The other night we had t-bone steak. Gave a few pieces to Smokey and he gobbled it down, then went and ate his own food.

Just throwing this out there-what about cerenia for nausea and metro is used for IBD and has anti inflammatory properties. Might be worth a try.
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Thank you, Paula, I hadn't thought of the bone broth, and the Sheba Perfect Portions are a good idea, I'll check them out, too. She has been on Metro in the pa st, getting it into her is a nightmare, we get more on ourselves, I think, lol. I don't think she is nauseated, she doesn't show any signs of nausea at all, and she doesn't act "sick", she just won't eat, only the smallest bite or two here and there, if you know what I mean. I have Cypro for Squallie, I have been wondering about trying it on her, but I don't know the dosage because she is much smaller. Also don't know if it would be a problem for her IBD, can't see why it would. And my vet, of course, is closed for the long weekend holiday so I can't call and ask his advice.
 
Critter Mom said:
I really feel for you, Lucy. :bighug:

Got similar issues here with Saoirse. It is such a struggle to get her to eat her normal small, frequent meals while she has the collar on and she has vomited twice in the past 48 hours due to excess stomach acid build-up (even with her famotidine and ondansetron on board. That in turn creates problems with keeping her properly hydrated and giving her her insulin. :( She hasn't been able to groom herself properly for a couple of weeks and I'd swear that's most of what's making her itchy. I've ordered a pet shampoo for her to give her a bath (she's gonna just love me for that :rolleyes:) but it won't be here till Wednesday (bank hol tomorrow). :(

BP or no BP, I've had to resort to giving her tiny doses of cypro to get her to eat otherwise I fear that we, too, would be tiptoeing around HL territory. Our vet is so hung up on blood sugar levels that he's completely losing sight of the other complications arising from lack of appropriate treatment. Adjusting insulin round the steroids would be a far better approach in terms of Saoirse's quality of life.

Sorry for the whinge; things have been tough here lately, hence the tsunami of empathy coming your way. (I know how worried you are and how hard things must be right now at your end).

:bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug:


Mogs
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Don't apologize, whinge away, Mogs, I can SO relate! I have to agree with you as far as adjusting the insulin around the other issues, seems to me that that's a no-brainer! Sorry your vet doesn't see it that way. Did the vitamin E help Saoirse at all? My former vet used to give me square pads soaked in some sort of blue-ish liquid to apply to itchy skin, I'll go through my records to see if I can find out what it was; it seemed to help soothe a great deal, and is especially nice if you refrigerate ithem for a bit, makes it nice and cooling, too.

Do you think it would be okay for me to try Cypro with Candy? I don't think it can hurt, can it? Squallie gets 2mg b.i.d., I thought, since she is smaller, maybe try 1mg and see if it helps at all? At least until I can get in touch with my vet - we have a long holiday weekend, too, nothing will be open 'til Tuesday here, either.
 
Squalliesmom said:
Thank you, Paula, I hadn't thought of the bone broth, and the Sheba Perfect Portions are a good idea, I'll check them out, too. She has been on Metro in the pa st, getting it into her is a nightmare, we get more on ourselves, I think, lol. I don't think she is nauseated, she doesn't show any signs of nausea at all, and she doesn't act "sick", she just won't eat, only the smallest bite or two here and there, if you know what I mean. I have Cypro for Squallie, I have been wondering about trying it on her, but I don't know the dosage because she is much smaller. Also don't know if it would be a problem for her IBD, can't see why it would. And my vet, of course, is closed for the long weekend holiday so I can't call and ask his advice.
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I don't know about crypto. But being holiday weekend I think I would try the cerenia if you have it. She could still be nauseous even though she isn't acting like it. It might settle the tummy some.

If your cooking hamburgers or steaks this weekend, try a little with her, it might work. Of course it's got to have nothing in or on them.
 
Woodsywife said:
I don't know about crypto. But being holiday weekend I think I would try the cerenia if you have it. She could still be nauseous even though she isn't acting like it. It might settle the tummy some.

If your cooking hamburgers or steaks this weekend, try a little with her, it might work. Of course it's got to have nothing in or on them.
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I don't have cerenia, but I have some ondansetron, might try that. Thanks, Paula!
 
I'm not a vet, Lucy, so I can't advise you about whether or not to give the cypro. :( For all that I give out about my vets at times, I always run Saoirse's treatments past them before administering them.


Mogs
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Critter Mom said:
I'm not a vet, Lucy, so I can't advise you about whether or not to give the cypro. :( For all that I give out about my vets at times, I always run Saoirse's treatments past them before administering them.


Mogs
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I understand completely! I usually do, too, but I may try it, I can't find anything that indicates it would be dangerous for her. :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
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