Cat Will Not Eat

[StevieD]

Any Vets or cat lovers out there?

My little buddy of 14 years, Frisbee The Cat, has stopped eating. He has lost a lot of weight. I had him to his regular vet around 3 months for a routine check up. Everything was fine except he was too fat, as usual, and the vet said he had a bad tooth that had to come out.

Now, everytime we see this guy something is wrong. Frisbee was on special food that can only be bought at the Vet. Pills for his over active thyroid. Even though he was fat.

When Frisbee stopped eating about a month ago we thought it must be the teeth. But I didn't trust this vet so we took him to another one. This one looked him over, and said everything looked good. I asked about his teeth and she said his teeth are fine. She suggested Pedic AC with his food.

We did that and he kind of came back. He was eating every other day but had gotten his strength back.

Monday he stopped eating again. I took him to Angel Memorial Hospital with the though of putting him to sleep. But the doctor there said he had a urinary tract infect. And he was dehydrated. And his teeth are fine. She gave me an anti biotic and and IV to give him every night, an appetite enhancer and special food for cats that don't eat.

Tonight I am thinking of taking him back to put him to sleep. He has not made any progress.

Any one have any experience with this?

 

[bjfinste]

This happened to my family cat a few years ago. Eventually we discovered that he had cancer and we had to put him down. It was a horrible experience and I sincerely hope it isn't the case with you. It's bothering me just to type this. Just make sure you have a vet your trust and do what is best, and hopefully the news will be positive.

 

[IntenseOperator]

might also be some stage of liver failure

GL

 

[Jake DeNiro]

Our experience was kidney failure which happened very fast after he stopped eating. We ended up having to put him down.
gl, thoughts with you and yours.

 

[pickpro]

Have a 15 year old cat that had some of the same simular symptoms a couple years back- she stopped eating became very lathargic, we thought she had cancer and was going to have to put her down- After alot of test and visits to the vets she had a urinary tract infection and a few other minor things- We put her on a antibiotic and this miracal drug mirtazapine- its actually an antidepresent for humans but our vet said there had been studies that have shown benifits for cats and older animals. To say the least , its been almost 2 years that she been on it and she eats like crazy and is doing great, We give her the mirtazapine every 3 days and when she gets it she runs around like she is 5 and eats like crazy, It mabye be worth a shot to try, its worked great for our cat, Hope everytnig works out Ok

 

[shamrock]

Steve, sorry to hear this, usually when a pet refuses food or water, its a sign he or she is ready to pass on. My service dog of 15 years this happened to. Also brought her to angel Memorial. They said the humane thing to do was put her down. Otherwise she would die slowly of dehydration & organ failure. Sorry to hear this. I would go to angel, or Tufts animal Hospital in West Boylston. They are 2 of the absolute best. My boxer, as I told Jake meant everything to me, very sorry for your situation.

 

[The Sponge]

Stevie im not sure this is it but have you heard of the dog food that is being recalled? Now they are talking about cat food being contaminated. I couldn't find the article. My brothers old girlfriend who recently moved out and took her dog with her (killed me) is having the same problem. Dog wasn't eating like usual and this sucker was hungry 24-7. If it didn't snow she would have never notice the blood in her urine. Before anything check the food. Try giving the cat something else and see if she eats it. Find out about that food!!!

 

[The Sponge]

Have a 15 year old cat that had some of the same simular symptoms a couple years back- she stopped eating became very lathargic, we thought she had cancer and was going to have to put her down- After alot of test and visits to the vets she had a urinary tract infection and a few other minor things- We put her on a antibiotic and this miracal drug mirtazapine- its actually an antidepresent for humans but our vet said there had been studies that have shown benifits for cats and older animals. To say the least , its been almost 2 years that she been on it and she eats like crazy and is doing great, We give her the mirtazapine every 3 days and when she gets it she runs around like she is 5 and eats like crazy, It mabye be worth a shot to try, its worked great for our cat, Hope everytnig works out Ok

Pick have you ever tried any of that stuff? Sounds like some good stuff. Wonder if Anna Nicole ever heard about it.

 

[gardenweasel]

stevie...you`re aware of the pet food recall that`s going on,aren`t you?....

those symptoms sound alot like the symptoms that affected cats have been experiencing......

i guess you had bloodwork done.....were the kidneys o.k.?....

here`s a link.....

http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/petfood.html

we adopted a year old stray around 9 years ago....wandered up on the deck....and it developed diabetes 2 years ago...two insulin shots a day....watching the kidneys and the hind quarters for any signs of neuropathy...

had the hypoglycemia scare a few years back...convulsions...the whole 9 yards....very nasty stuff..

everybody loves the little beggar,though....

i feel your pain...

hope everything turns your way...

g.l.

 

[Jake DeNiro]

Frisbee was on special food that can only be bought at the Vet.

When I replied I had just taken it for granted that you knew about the "food" problem going on. I know here in Canada that vet's sell Hill's products which I don't know if it is one of the ones that was recalled but I'm also sure your vet would know that. Our cat had an urinary track infection also...stopped eating, lost weight, kidney's went and that was when we had put him down. I agree with what Shamrock had said, when they stop eating....that was my experience with animals that I had. Jakey refused steak and chicken. Once again, gl

 

[DOGS THAT BARK]

Stevie -had one same symptons and like B's it had cancer--however the vets should have been able to diagnose that in yours.--could be the food deal mentioned--hope its neither and Frisbee recovers.

If worse comes to worse just remember--you gave Frisbee 15 carefree years--and I might suggest it was better for me to let Vet dispose of my cat.

 

[Another Steve]

Really sorry to hear this...Lost my Murphy a while back..now have Clhoe.

We had xray shot and found a growth...Not giving you bad news just recommending the xray...

Good Luck...Pets are Family..

 

[SixFive]

Not sure why your cat won't eat, but I can correlate this to people. I see lots of anorexia and malaise in my older patients who have been sick. There are lots of appetite stimulants for people, maybe there are for pets as well?? The drug mentioned above is Remeron, and I'm pretty sure Periactin is also used for appetite stimulation in cats as well. I just lost my 16 year old cat in February. She was a constant fixture on my lap or laying beside me when I slept. She was chronic renal failure for several years. Tough to lose one.

 

[kosar]

Stevie,

Go to menufoods.com/recall . Towards the bottom, it gives the 75 or so brands (dog and cat) and code dates that were potentially affected.

Menu is a co-packer that makes brands, mostly, for Walmart, Publix, Proctor & Gamble etc...under those labels, not Menu. Their high end brands (Iams, Eukanuba, Nutro) were very much affected and those are the so-called high end brands that compete on the vets shelves with other so-called high end brands like Hills' Science Diet.

They do a very small amount of co-packing for Nestle-Purina (Ralston, Alpo and Friskies) and Hills, who have voluntarily pulled those small amounts that were produced during that time.

The culprit is almost certainly tainted wheat gluten, that adds protein to pet food. Menu could not find it at one point in the US and went to China for it. Rat poison in the wheat gluten from China has been detected and is assumed, so far, as the problem. Menu is trying to say it also could be plastic from food bowls, but that's ridiculous.

Any protein oriented 'disturbance' attacks the kidney system in pets and that's why we're seeing the deaths and sicknesses by renal failure in a large amount of these complaints.

I have nothing against Menu, as I talk to, or email their 3 of their 4 plants(Kansas, New Jersey and South Dakota) daily ( I rarely talk to their Ontario plant as our plant manager in Boston deals with them) and we sell them plenty. This has been my business for 13 years. However, I strongly encourage you to check the link I put up there and see if there is anything to it.

They have already gotten 9,500 complaints, some certainly bogus, but many not.

Good luck, man.

 

[StevieD]

Thank you for the kind words. I am aware of the cat food problem. I did buy him one can of Iams when he wasn't eating his dry food. But he was already not eating at the time.

Sad to say the IV's and the appetite stimulant and the anti biotics do not seem to be doing much at this time.

I was told to give him three days to kick in and tomorrow will be day three.

I will have to go to Angel Memorial tomorrow night to get him more iv's anyway. I will bring him with me and I will ask about mirtazapine.

Thanks again.

 

[The Sponge]

Thank you for the kind words. I am aware of the cat food problem. I did buy him one can of Iams when he wasn't eating his dry food. But he was already not eating at the time.

Sad to say the IV's and the appetite stimulant and the anti biotics do not seem to be doing much at this time.

I was told to give him three days to kick in and tomorrow will be day three.

I will have to go to Angel Memorial tomorrow night to get him more iv's anyway. I will bring him with me and I will ask about mirtazapine.

Thanks again.

Good luck Stevie. That first vet you might want to visit and kick him right in the nuts the thieving scumbag. Better yet try to knock a tooth out. Some of these crooks have no conscience.

 

[MadJack]

from what i can see (we use dry Iams for our dogs) it's only the cans and pouches that are recalled. Am i correct about this?

sorry to hear, stevie, and sorry i can't offer suggestions. i know nothing about this stuff and i haven't been paying any attention to the recalls until i saw this thread.

 

[kosar]

from what i can see (we use dry Iams for our dogs) it's only the cans and pouches that are recalled. Am i correct about this?

sorry to hear, stevie, and sorry i can't offer suggestions. i know nothing about this stuff and i haven't been paying any attention to the recalls until i saw this thread.

Some dry products have now been added to the recall. Check the list and code dates, Jackson, against the food you have in your house.

Also, Delmonte has now voluntarily recalled some of their products.

 

[StevieD]

Some dry products have now been added to the recall. Check the list and code dates, Jackson, against the food you have in your house.

Also, Delmonte has now voluntarily recalled some of their products.

The Vet from Angell Memorial told me the list keeps getting bigger everyday.

 

[fatdaddycool]

Tonight I am thinking of taking him back to put him to sleep. He has not made any progress.

Any one have any experience with this?

Not really "putting them to sleep" exactly, but I do have some experience with kitty cat euthanasia.

Hope things work out for you and Frisbee. Very tough deal to go through. Cat will probably not like it either.