# cat seems too scared to eat or drink



## layanna_jade (Sep 29, 2010)

Hi, I'm new here so Hi.

I'm very worried about my cat, she's 11 yrs old and hasn't eaten or drunk anything since saturday. She was treated with Frontline on friday evening and then spent all saturday, sunday and monday morning being sick. I took her to the vet's on monday afternoon as I was really worried and he couldn't find anything wrong with her that was obvious (no temperature, nothing causing a blockage) so gave her some anti-nausea drugs to help her.

She still hadn't eaten anything so I took her back yesterday and he's taken some blood and urine to test (urine was fine so no diabetes or kidney issues). He gave her an appetite enhancer and she's now meowing for food but seems too scared to eat it. I've tried all her favourite things and she just sniffs it, meows and walks away. She does the same with her water bowl.

Any ideas on how I can get her to eat and drink?

Thanks


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## billyboysmammy (Sep 12, 2009)

try some tuna

warm it in the microwave slightly, the smell usually stimulates them.

As does (hate to admit it) something like whiskas. 

As she has gone so long without eating its imperative you get her to eat today, no matter how great a quality it is.

Has the vet checked her teeth?

If she hasnt eaten by this afternoon i'm going to reccomend syringe feeding, but we'll cross that bridge if we come to it.

let us know how you get on x


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## layanna_jade (Sep 29, 2010)

Hi

Thanks for this. Will give try her with some tuna shortly. Already tried the whiskas this morning but to no avail.

If I can't get her to eat anything, then I'l get a syringe and puree some food for her. 

Her teeth are fine (she doesn't really have many left now as most of them were taken out about three months ago due to severe tooth decay (I've not had her long personally).


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## hobbs2004 (Mar 12, 2010)

Have you tried smearing some food on her paw? On her nose? Sometimes just the taste of food is needed to get cats to eat again after a spell of not eating?

Do you think she could have licked the flea treatment and that made her ill or do you think the two are unrelated?


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## layanna_jade (Sep 29, 2010)

Tried the smearing trick first thing. She could well have licked the flea stuff as she does tend to overgroom so that may have caused the vomiting initially.


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## hobbs2004 (Mar 12, 2010)

Have you tried it today? Might work now considering she is hungry.


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## layanna_jade (Sep 29, 2010)

yup, to no avail. Looks like syringe feeding is going to have to happen 
 she really doesn't want any food in her mouth at all.


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## hobbs2004 (Mar 12, 2010)

I presume the vet examined her mouth for ulcers etc? Blisters? If she reacted to the flea stuff it might have affected more than just her stomach. Does she go out? Could she have eaten something that irritated her mouth, throat and stomach?

Could you try smearing some on her inner cheek without it being too traumatic for her and without you losing a finger?


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## Aurelia (Apr 29, 2010)

I have a feeling here, and what I suggest is you take her back to the vet and see if he will get her on a drip to make up for the lost food/fluid. Then ask them to look at her throat again. I just have a feeling that force feeding her might make things worse in this instance.

She could well have some irritation in her throat. If she is asking for food, but not eating it, to me it would suggest another problem. Something that is not obvious on an initial examination.


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## layanna_jade (Sep 29, 2010)

Hi there

The vet checked everything on Monday and yesterday and couldn't find anything. She doesn't really go out - just to sit on the patio for about 5 mins and then she comes back in again. We moved about a month ago and she doesn't really like the new back garden yet.


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## hobbs2004 (Mar 12, 2010)

They carefully checked her mouth and throat? 

Just to be clear, how long has it been since she had anything to eat or drink?


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## billyboysmammy (Sep 12, 2009)

agree with hobbs, has the vet checked her mouth for any blisters, ulcers or anything else that could be causing discomfort especially . I also assume he has checked her throat for anything that could be embedded.

As she had surgery only 12 weeks ago i would be inclined to consider an infection, has the vet checked for this?

Tuna a no go?

Fipronil is toxic when ingested, i would be going back to the vets hun before you start syringe feeding. Just incase it makes things worse, she may need a drip for her nutrients until she gets the ok to feed.


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## layanna_jade (Sep 29, 2010)

Thanks for the advice guys

I'll get her back to the vet again today and get him to check again. Will let you know what happens


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## Aurelia (Apr 29, 2010)

Layanna, do you feed her bones of any sort?


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## layanna_jade (Sep 29, 2010)

nope, no bones just boiled chicken and fish occasionally with Hills senior dry food down when she wants to nibble.

It's all happened very suddenly


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## Aurelia (Apr 29, 2010)

Did the chicken have any bones in it at all, even a tiny bit? Just thinking if it could possibly be a small fragment of cooked bone that's got stuck somewhere between the mouth and the stomach. If it is at all a possibility I'd mention it to the vet 

I hope you find out what's wrong soon, it's bad enough when our pets are poorly, but not knowing why is even worse.


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## hobbs2004 (Mar 12, 2010)

Did you go to the vets? Any news?

Did you get her to eat something? Is she drinking again?


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## Chez87 (Aug 11, 2010)

Just wanted to put my two cents in. When my cat went off her food about 8 months ago, and was acting scared of food, (she actually tried to eat some turkey from our hands as she was so hungry, but she yelped and ran away) the vet discovered an abcess in her mouth. He said usually when they start acting scared of food it is usually because it causes them pain to eat. So just echoing what they others said about getting her mouth and throat checked properly.


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## Gernella (Dec 14, 2008)

You must be really worried by now. Maybe a second opinion from another vet.

When our oldest cat was ill a couple of years ago and lost a dramatic amount of weight we put her on the A/D food, which is for both cats and dogs on convalescence. It is expensive and very rich but the good thing about it is that it can be mixed with water which makes it easier to lap and swallow.

For a vet to say he can find nothing wrong is not helpful when you know better, and let's face it we all know if there is something wrong with our pets long before the vet confirms it.


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## layanna_jade (Sep 29, 2010)

Hi there

the test results haven't come back yet so still waiting on that. The vet wasn't concerned as she's a good weight for her size and there's nothing wrong with her mouth or throat.

She has at last drunk some water that nearly came back up but she managed to keep it down and she's had three cat treats earlier but still won't eat any proper food. The vet said that he'll see her again when the results come in


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## hobbs2004 (Mar 12, 2010)

Can I just clarify how long it has been since she has eaten something (other than the three cat treats)? And drank something other than the little bit she had earlier?

What tests are those? Swaps? Blood tests?


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## layanna_jade (Sep 29, 2010)

apart from the treats this morning and the water last night, it's been since saturday. Urine test has been done and all clear and the others are blood tests.

I did mash up some food with water yesterday and spent about 30 mins with her placing it on her mouth so she had to lick it off so she had a small amount yesterday that just about stayed down. It was about a teaspoon of Hills pate mashed up with water.

She is a lot brighter in herself and is chatting again.


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## hobbs2004 (Mar 12, 2010)

Your cat hasn't had anything to eat in 5 days and your vet is not concerned about it? Really? 

What exactly did he/she say to you? Not to worry?


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## layanna_jade (Sep 29, 2010)

yup. it's amazed me too. when I speak to him again today, if I'm not happy with the response I get, then I'll be asking to speak to the manager. If she was a lot worse than she is, then I'd insist that they take her in immediately but as she seems fine in herself.

That said, if she doesn't eat anything else by the time I see him again later, then I will insist that she's taken in to the hospital if for no other reason that getting some food inside her using a drip or something.


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## thelioncub (Feb 9, 2009)

Does she seem interested in food, but then doesn't actually eat it? 
It does seem very odd, especially that the vet isn't too worried. 5 days is quite a long time. When our cat didn't want to eat, our vet explained that it's because food was making her feel sick, so she associated food with the horrible feeling. Have you tried food specific for sensitive cats? I believe it's usually duck flavour?


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## Cleo38 (Jan 22, 2010)

Personally i would be booking an appointment to see another vet.

5 days without eating or drinking is much too long to 'not worry about'


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## hobbs2004 (Mar 12, 2010)

Cleo38 said:


> Personally i would be booking an appointment to see another vet.
> 
> 5 days without eating or drinking is much too long to 'not worry about'


* Agreed * This is time to be majorly worried by now and to be seeking more advice. This has nothing to do with losing weight but everything to do with doing damage to the liver. Personally, I cannot believe a vet would say it is ok.

Did you try to mash up the food with water again today? Did she not eat that? Warmed tuna?

When you talk to the vet tonight, ask them for Hills a/d, which is particularly palatable and high in calories.


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

Cleo38 said:


> Personally i would be booking an appointment to see another vet.
> 
> 5 days without eating or drinking is much too long to 'not worry about'


Have to agree,I would be wanting a second opinion.I'm sure if I hadnt eaten for 5 days I would be feeling far from " fine in my self." It is a long time not to eat/drink.


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## layanna_jade (Sep 29, 2010)

Hi all

Back from the vets (I asked to see the senior vet this time) and she's been admitted and put on a drip to get some fluids in. They'll see how she is in the morning and then contact me. If she's perked up and is eating, then I'll be able to collect her tomorrow night and if not, then they'll have to do more bloods and xrays and insert a feeding tube.

Thanks for all the really helpful advice guys. You've been wonderful and I'll keep you all updated with the outcomes xx


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## hobbs2004 (Mar 12, 2010)

Best of luck!


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## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

why is your vet inserting a feeding tube and not first attempting force feeding? There's a lot I don't quite get in this post.


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## layanna_jade (Sep 29, 2010)

probably because she hasn't had anything to eat since saturday and the vet wants to get some calories into her and it's less distressing maybe? I don't know having never had to deal with this before.


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## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

layanna_jade said:


> probably because she hasn't had anything to eat since saturday and the vet wants to get some calories into her and it's less distressing maybe? I don't know having never had to deal with this before.


but that's my whole point.... force feeding can involve a lot of force and can be very distressing.... but it can also be the most voluntary non-stressful thing in the world... you simply never know until you try.

That's why I don't understand why the vet is opting for tube feeding without first even trying force feeding (the name is misleading -- it is just a syringe filled with special high calorie and highly palatable food... ) I can stick a syringe in a cat's mouth and it can fight against it and hate it... but it can also say "hey that's actually quite nice... I think I will work with this and not against it". In my experience of force feeding cats... the vast majority of times it has been a very "voluntary" affair. Hardly any force involved at all.


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## Cleo38 (Jan 22, 2010)

Have you had any news today?


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## layanna_jade (Sep 29, 2010)

Hiya

Just spoken to the vet and she's doing a lot better today. The vet had a closer look in her mouth and realised that one of her teeth is wobbly (right at the back so I missed it last time I brushed her teeth) and it presses right on her tongue so that's probably what's caused the vomiting.

She's being kept in again tonight so they can monitor her progress and hopefully be able to bring her home tomorrow for a few days to build up her strength. She's eaten some food this morning after having some pain medication then she's back in again on monday or tuesday to have the tooth/teeth taken out.

I don't understand why the first vet didn't pick up on it tbh but she's at least on the mend now.


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## Cleo38 (Jan 22, 2010)

Am so pleased that she is making progress. It must have been a really worrying few days for you


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## layanna_jade (Sep 29, 2010)

very much so. Thanks to all once again for your support and advice.


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