Tom keeps reducing his food intake.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Anonymous
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
A

Anonymous

Guest
Am a bit concerned that tomtom seems to have lost interest in eatting. Even his favorite meal of the day...raw rabbit, is a take it or leave it proposition to him. I coax him to eat a bite or two and then he walks away.
He has gone from consuming 8 ounces of food a day, rather like a hoover, to barely consuming 5 ounces. I feel that number may go down as well.
This is concurrent with his bg's becoming fabulous. This is not sudden, it has been gradual, still the really great results are connected to the time he has lost interest in eating.
He is still fairly active, taking several outdoor walks during the day. Sleeping alot but he IS a cat. He purrs alot when I am with him, he poops, pee's and preens. Does he play???? hmmm, I guess I would say his mood is more serious as of late and he does not appear to be in a playing mood.
These are things it would be nice to explain to a vet if I had one I could actually talk to.
I don't think it's time to run off to the vet, but I would like your thoughts.
He has taken to hiding a bit, under the bed, in the closet....very unusual places for tomtom to hang out.
He sleeps with me, still purrs first thing when I wake up and reach for him, still does his yoga stretches before getting out of bed.....grasping for straws here...please tell me you think he is ok.
lori
and tomtom
 
When I was trying to get Cedric regulated, he seemed to be eating more (I was giving him 6 oz a day at one point; b4 dx he was eating 3oz + 1/2 cup dry and was still 17.6 lbs in April). He stopped eating all 6 oz so I dropped him down to 5.5oz, as that food is expensive ($1.39 for a 3 oz can of Wilderness is expensive). It might be that Tom is going thru something similar. The hiding thing worries me a little bit. confused_cat
 
could it just be the heat? Or is Lord Thomas getting snacks outside?

Could he be seeking a cooler spot in the house when he hides?

What I do for my long-haired cat when he seems really hot --- I take a metal baking pan and lay it on the floor or couch upside down (so there is an air gap underneath). He likes to lay on it while it is cool and will move off after it gets hot from his body heat.
 
Summer heat may make him lose his appetite but if he's never done that in the past summers, I'd be a little concerned.

Junior is going through something similar where it was a challenge for him to eat 2 cans of Fancy Feast. We reduced his hyperthyroid meds and now he's eating 3 with alot of coaxing.

If it's been awhile since he got his blood work done, it might not hurt to get another test. 5 oz doesn't seem like it's enough calories for a cat and I wouldn't prolong it too long b/c it might cause other complications. Maverick (of Karrie and Maverick) died of fatty liver disease (feline hepatic lipidosis) where the cat starts using its own body fat to compensate for the shortage of calories. The liver is overtaxed from trying to process the fat that it can be fatal. I think the way to determine if they have fatty liver is through a tissue sample. I asked my vet about it and she said fatty liver is often associated with overweight cats. Karrie said that skinny cats can get it too b/c they lost too much weight too quickly.

So just keep an eye out and try to get him to eat his normal level of calories.
 
oh gosh, ok.
Phoebe... :lol: the things we do to see our cats properly comfortable :lol: I don't think it's the heat. And if by snacks you mean fresh catch of the day...nope, he dines on those indoors after the catch...and leaves a bloody mess. And he does not leave the property for hoomans to feed him.
Temps have not been too high, humidity is way up, but here on the beach I'd say 80 was the high and it's mostly in the 70's.
In the past Tom gets a cold wet clothe rubdown when the heat gets too much.
Larry I don't own a scale but I could try to obtain one to see about his weight. He was 14 pounds at his last vet visit. I say solid muscle and she says FAT.
And I could try different foods but you know how a mama can just tell, it's a lack of hunger thing. I will try some more interesting foods. I can see if he'll lick up my plain yogurt like he normally loves to do.
I'll keep y'all posted ok.
Lori
 
Reduced food intake is something that you do actually need to keep an eye on. You mentioned that his numbers are great - this could be due in part to the reduced food. Generally we aim to balance insulin amount with carb intake (I know this is a bit simpl, but will do for now), and so you will see better numbers with the same dose and less food.
 
Lori, you are right to be concerned .... a kitty that eats well then starts cutting down, needs to be watched and yes, if need be, coaxed with different foods.

Since we know he likes raw food :razz: have you tried adding raw chicken gizzards, liver, turkey meat to his diet? maybe he is bored?

I lost one of Payne's civvies last year, to fatty liver disease, out of the blue. She was only five and very over-weight but a good eater. It was at the time Payne was Dx. and I just lost track of everything else, I still feel guilty ......

I think you are on top of it, just realizing what could happen, makes you aware.
 
Lori, I would suggest getting a scale to monitor his weight, and I would keep an eye on things. But I suspect it may just be a product of him becoming better regulated... his body can now better process the food that he is taking in. Is he only eating raw at this point? Raw diets contain very little filler, so cats are able to very efficiently get everything they need nutritionally from relatively small amounts of food compared to even "high quality" canned foods. If you start noticing weight loss, I'd suggest maybe getting a full blood panel done to make sure that all is normal.

Is he at an ideal weight now?
 
His Vet(s) always tell me he is a pound or so overweight but they don't seem to recognize he is barrel chested and has big shoulders...I think it is muscle and they don't REALLY look at him. I will weigh him as soon as I can. Just picking him up tho' he feels a bit lighter.
I rubbed his body down and don't feel ribs or bone or anything like that.
I saw he only nibbled at his breffis so I had an idea. It's not ideal diabetic food, plain yogurt. I have actually given him that to raise bg's at times but he loves it.
I pulled some out and he liked it, licked for a bit...but became bored and walked away. Time was he would always want more more more.
I am sad, anxious and worried this morning.
As a cancer survivor....I am having lots of memories. I put up some pics on community.
'Memories'
I just now am having a bad morning.
Lori
 
ok, i'm sure between the yogurt and not the temptation treats i gave him i am blowing our sweet numbers goodbye.
but i am very excited to say he purred loudly and ate with joy when i presented 3 little temptation kibbles.
and it took away my thought that his teeth may hurt cause i heard him crunch crunch with no problem.
soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo....to kibble or not to kibble, that is the question?
 
Hi Lori

You know what I'm going to say, right? He needs to get to the vet for a full physical, blood pressure, and blood work including thyroid. Turning down food is not normal for him, and though cats don't have many ways to tell us they don't feel well, that's a classic one. He needs to see the vet.

I should mention that my cat eats very little when it is very hot out, but this has always been true for years. If it's 85+ and I haven't turned on the AC, he eats some breakfast and some dinner and spends the rest of the time on his back in front of the fan :) But that is not how Tom usually is, so this is concerning, and he needs a check up pronto.

Fingers crossed, please keep us posted.
 
What does Lord Tom normally eat? Is it possible they've changed the formula and he doesn't like it?

Otherwise, there is usually something wrong when a cat doesn't eat. A workup at the vet may be in order.
 
Well, tom just ate a half can of ff turkey because i sprinkled my latest purchase "grandma lucy" freeze dried roasted chicken all over it.
what is it about these freeze dried foods that have cats who otherwise won't eat, start purring and eating?
I did'nt push for him to eat more as it is likely his stomach has shrunk and I could tell he was about done.
I also bought this strange new food. it comes in a little pouch, it's called Natural Balance Platefulls and I have'nt opened it yet but it feels like just a thick liquid. It does not say no grains but it says no corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors or colors and it is turkey, chicken and duck in gravy. Apparently it is complete and balanced diet. According to their weight calculations tom would need about 6 packets a day...18 ounces. At a buck a piece I don't think this will be his daily diet, but if he likes it I will pour some over his other foods. It literally has no 'solid' anything from the feel of this aluminum pouch.
Jess, I know Tom needs to see the dr.
I know.
And it will likely include xrays and maybe ultra sound I'm thinking.
I hate taking him in...he hates it so much we never arrive without a poo and a pee in the car.
I suppose you could say it 'scares the crap out of him'
I know he needs to go tho'
I guess I've been waiting for him to snap out of it.
Amps 100 .2u
fed temptation treats and yogurt just to get him eatting so was really surprised to get a
+7 78. He did eat a small portion of his regular breffis as well.
Any comment on that?
Lori
 
I don't know what his issue might be. Could it be that he's just turning up his nose at some of that food you have used? But for a couple of days? The hiding part is what bothers me. We prayed for you at our prayer lunch today. Maybe a visit to the vet is in order. You know the old adage: better safe than sorry...
 
OMG! :o Tom just came back after he ate his first half can sprinkled with freeze dried chicken....begging for food!!!!! I sprinkled more 'stuff' over the 2nd half of can and he cleaned his plate!!!!! WTH????
It was just so good to have him ASK me for food. I am somewhat relieved...but feel like an emotional hangover from a strange day....filled with fears from my past. I've been happy and free for months and months and this feeling of fear just hit me like a brick today.
I guess it is normal part of post traumatic stress. And my own cancer was nothing less than traumatic in the midst of a long term relationship break up and horrid horrid chemo (boo!)
Happy Lori
and Full Tummy Tom
 
Tom continues to purr and enjoy his food doused with both freeze dried chicken and some gravy (no grains) made by natural balance platefuls. He ate a small breffis...but he ate happily, purring.
He had a small poo, but that makes sense since he has'nt been eating much.
I shall take him on a car ride to see if he's constipated and needs to poo more. He'll poo and pee in the car!
Also....I see it is terribly hot around the country but I want to let you know it is not so here. About 70, maybe topping out at I don't even think we'll see 80 today. Right now likely only 68!
Don't be jealous, here at the beach we kind of enjoy warmer that this weather.
I'm going to get some feliway for our vet visit.
Lori
 
Hey Lori- just a thought...how old is Tom? I know a lot of human (men especially) lose their sense of snell as they age. A 70 year old guy at my job was the designated dead-mouse retriever cuz he couldn't smell them. Maybe Tom is losing his sense of smell? Or it is diminishing? Things just don't taste good or right without their smell. That may be throwing him off? And the crumbled freeze dried chix may be extra smelly so he can enjoy the fuds again? Just thinking out loud. I hope it's nothing more serious than that.
 
well claudia, tom is not of a definet age that i know of...so i'm gonna say 14.
he is willing to eat dry crunchies. he just ate a batch. why would a cat who was perfectly happy with his wet food, crazy about his raw food, now only be satisfied with dry kibble?
i'm gonna post this question on health.
 
I posted on the other thread, but reading this one made me think of something else.

When Yittle got diagnosed with diabetes and was in the process of going from 20lbs to 13lbs while we got his blood sugar numbers under control he ate a ton. I basically decided that until he got over 15-16lbs or stopped looking like a walking skeleton despite the fact he weighed more then other cats - I would feed him as much as he wanted, when he wanted, except for the 2 hours before we did the pre-shot blood tests. So that meant I was feeding him 12x a day, and he was being given either 1/2 can (1.5oz) of Fancy Feast or 1/4 can (1.25 or so) of Friskies and eating anywhere from 3/4-all of it each time. After we got his blood sugar stableized and he was having frequent dose reductions of Lantus he started asking for food less - it went down to 8-10 times a day. Once he was in diet-controlled remission he again stopped eating as much and went to about 6-8x a day. At that point he was around 15lbs and looked good, strong, healthy, the correct weight for his frame. Not fat, not skeletal.

So its possible he's just going to need a bit less food as he nears diet-controlled remission. That and even with AC - I swear all of my 8 cats loaf around and don't eat as much when its nearing the 90's outside. Its like they know, even when its still 75 or less in here.
 
Gina, :YMSIGH: , eating at all....has dwindled to nothing. Replaced by what seems to be a fear of food. I put something down and he approaches it like it might bite him.
 
Take him to the vet, now. A cat not eating for days is serious and we are into days ..... plus you say he is off, if there ever was a time to go, it is now!!!
 
Lori, he sounds nauseated based on the behavior you are describing. You need to get him to the vet. It could be anything, really, even something as simple as a UTI that raised kidney values and makes him nauseated as a result. Sometimes worrying about what might be is actually worse than finding out, you know? You do need to be concerned about FHL though. Eating much fewer calories for even a short period can lead to it quickly, so getting him seen so you can figure out what is wrong and how to treat is important. If Tom has issues with the car, get some Rescue Remedy and rub it on his head.
 
he has not eatten any fresh catch since the video'd baby mole catch like a month ago.
so....no outside eatting. of this i am 99.9 % certain.
 
Well, I hope you get it sorted out. Sometimes its the strangest thing too, I've had cats stop eating on me for all sorts of bizarre reasons - including the time we suspect Yittle found a prescription pain killer pill that a houseguest must have dropped and lost under the sofa several years prior. We found one a week or so before he got sick, and one 2 weeks after he stopped eating, threw up blood and nearly died on me. Luckily a few days at the vets in emergency care and a week on subq fluids and being given appetite stimulants sorted him out. He just would stand and look at the food and cry but refuse to eat - like he was afraid of it. We never did find the pill he swallowed, we assume it either dissolved or he threw it up and we missed it amongst all the partially digested food. But the pills did cause stomach bleeding and that the vet couldn't figure out anything else wrong with him before or after. It did however screw his liver levels all to hell for 3-4 months, they had just started to become normal again when the cancer got him.

As I told the vet at the time - I'll trade knowing why he got sick for having him get better. Knowledge is overrated when compared to a successful outcome. Hoping and praying Tom gets better, even if you never figure out why he got worse.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top