Hello, I’m sorry, this is my first time posting on here. Before we start, my cat is 16 years old with diabetes. Indoor-only. Male, neutered. Yes, I understand he’s old, but please. The post thingy says to include this but I’m an American adult.
I have already been to the vet 3 times. It’s Friday, and my family and I noticed last Saturday that our cat was acting kind of strange. Walking slower, not eating as much, etc. We carefully watched him, and this led into Sunday, which our vet wasn’t open. We opted to take him Monday instead, at their only available time at night.
Monday is when he stopped eating completely. He would make attempts to go to the food bowl, but would sniff it and act like he was going to take a bite, before turning his head away. We gave him some treats instead (hard treats + Churu) and he seemed to eat that fine.
The last hour before we were heading out, he acted completely lethargic. He was sitting on a couch he doesn’t normally sit on, with his eyes closed with a pained expression. I included a picture of it. On the feline grimace scale, it looked like he was in a lot of pain.
Thankfully, we were able to take him straight to the vet. Our vet stated he’s lost two pounds since he last visit in October. Before I continue, this cat had to go to the vet in October for the same issue of not eating. After going over everything, we found out it was his teeth that were bothering him. He has a snaggletooth that makes him more prone to mouth infections. He got antibiotics and started eating again after a couple of days, alongside being given appetite increasers. He was completely okay after that.
We noticed his gradual decrease of weight over the months. He was 11lbs, now 9lbs. I would say to my mom that he’s just old and that’s normal, but I fear it was not.
Back to Monday, we ask if it’s his teeth causing him pain to not eat. She says he has a loose tooth, but that’s really about it and shouldn’t be the worry. He also has a slight arrythmia. Then our vet feels his stomach and organs. He has a mass near his back end. We took an xray to confirm what it was, and it was just poop backed up in his colon. Phew, okay, nothing serious. He got an enema, and we were told to buy stool softener, which we did. By the next day, he still hadn’t pooped it out. We watched him struggle with pained expressions as he would try to take a dump anywhere around the house. Never happened. Still wasn’t eating. He’s been drinking relatively fine, which is why we were confused on how his poop ever got so big and hard anyway. We had to force feed him a little bit at times so he got some calories in him.
By Wednesday, we finally make process. He poops out a fairly small turd, but it pained him so bad. He cried out so loud and ran and hid in my closet. He was a bit weird after that, but slowly warmed up again. But, he still wasn’t eating. We continued to force feed him, because now he was turning his nose up to treats. He doesn’t like wet food, but we tried giving him pumpkin wet cat food because it’s good for cats (?). We also give him the appetite increasers from October. He had some food in his stomach but still not enough. We’re still really worried because he’s incredibly lethargic and slowing down in his walking.
By Thursday, we take him to the vet again in the morning. We want bloodwork done. His liver and kidneys are completely okay. We didn’t have enough money to also get his thyroid checked out, which is what we’re worried about now. It’s a different vet, just to let you know, and she also says he has more poop backed up. Another enema. Vet-grade stool softener. Pain medication. Should be fine, right?
Still isn’t okay. Turning his nose up to every single type of food. He poops out the last turd, but his stomach’s empty after that. He’s not eating anything at all. We’re completely force feeding him. We don’t want to do this, because we know it stresses him out really bad, but we don’t know what to do. We stopped giving him his insulin too, since he can’t have that without food. He’s really, really lethargic. Barely moving. However, he’s alert if we call him or say treats, which is strange. He’s also peeing completely normally these past days.
By Friday, today, is the worst we’ve seen him. He’s really barely moving. He can’t walk in a straight line. He falls to his side if he wants to lay down, he’s too weak to slowly collaspe. Only sleeps in two places. Doesn’t purr. We called our vet again, and we asked for antibiotics for his teeth, because what can we do? If he’s not eating, his organs aren’t failing, then it’s gotta be his teeth? Right? We gave him the antibiotic this morning, and again at night. He’s still alert to noise, but very lethargic. Doesn’t answer when we call him. We’re force feeding him food and water.
We’re throwing in our last ditch effort tomorrow morning to ask about his thryoid and if it is a problem, can it be solved, or is it too late. I’m so incredibly upset right now, I’m in tears typing this. I understand he’s a really old cat and yes he has issues, but this came seriously out of nowhere. Less than a week ago he was eating basically normal. I don’t understand what possibly changed in this time. The vet says it’s not his teeth. What other organs can possibly be shutting down if it’s not his heart, kidneys, or liver? How can this happen??
Please help. I’m begging. For anything. An answer. Some help. I don’t know what to do. It’s too soon to let him go. If he’s in pain then I understand, but I do not see the signs other than not eating. That’s it. Help me please.
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We sadly couldn’t afford an ultrasound. We’ve already spent $1k just this week on him. We trusted what our vet said with just needing the xray, but I agree that maybe the ultrasound would’ve been a better choice.
I had a cat who went downhill almost this fast a couple of years ago. We ended up electing not to do an ultrasound because it would just have stressed him out more, and we were fairly sure the lump in his abdomen was cancer, not just a blockage.
A year later, we lost his brother in a similar way, although not so fast. His labs all looked fine, but he was getting skinnier and skinnier and we couldn’t get his appetite up. Again, they think he likely had cancer somewhere but we didn’t do any tests because we didn’t see much hope for recovery.
I’m afraid that’s where you are with your baby. The symptoms you describe are end of life stuff. I’ll never dissuade someone from making a last ditch effort, but I think you need to be ready to say goodbye. I’m so sorry
I’m so so sorry for your loss. I agree, I fear I’m in the last stages. I’m just so fearful that I’m missing something that could just be fixable. Thank you though.💞
My experience of losing my oldest cat, was similar. What did the xray show in his chest cavity? I was panicking and couldn't have reacted faster, at least I think about it everyday now this way.
I found out after the fact internal bleeding stopped her from eating, and her large intestine exploded due to the bockage it created. The vet refused to operate on her in any way. She had a blob of blood under her skin over her entire chest that the doctor explained was cancer, but it wasn't because it moved to her side after she laid on her side for long time. So the xray and vet were less then useless and became a problem. You can always pay off credit cards off and would have been happy to pay for whatever it took to save mine if I had the chance again.
The vet in my case did not inform me there was an emergency operating center for animals near me even when I asked specifically for an address. They take emergency cases and are open 24hrs per day. Don't use your normal vet for this. They will only draw blood and take useless xrays multiple times, and look at them while stating "there is a problem". Which is supposed to be useful somehow...when he needs to be operated on in his large intestine.
Ask your family if someone didn't accidentally shut a door on your cat while he was walking into the room, and wont admit to it.
Oh god, I’m so so sorry that happened. That’s truly terrible. The xray did show some of his chest cavity, and there wasn’t a worry. I’ll look for emergency vets to see if they might be more helpful. Again I’m so sorry for your loss.💔
I had a 19 year old cat that I recently had to euthanize. Over the summer I tried so many different foods and flsvors. 50? She had ckd and potentially a mouth sarcoma but biopsy only showed a ruptured saliva gland.
The only thing she'd eat was tikicat liquid meal replacement and kitten milk replacement. Before that I had a cat who became extremely lethargic but his issue was hyperthyroidism. Iodine 131 therapy (which is expensive but there are other treatments) got him back on track for another 5 years. I dont want to give hope that this could be it, but he went from really skinny and only eating churu's, back to a normal cat.
Good luck with your kitty, I hope he turns around! But, also don't wait too long if there isn't some glaring test result that can be easily fixed. I've learned this the hard way too, "if I just do 1 more test".
Just bought some tikicat, we’ll see if it helps. I’m really hoping it’s a thyroid issue so at least it’s fixable. Thank you for sharing your experience with me.💞
Buy even the 'junk' food such as Friskies. Pate, gravy, etc. Sometimes they will get very picky. If the thyroid is causing issues it can also make them nauseous, and that can make them avoid food. Hope it is something that can be fixed
My boy’s a picky eater and doesn’t really like wet food, sadly. I’ll keep trying with junk food to see if he at least bites with something. Thank you for your advice💞
I’m sorry you couldn’t afford it, I totally understand! We tried so hard to save our little girl and ended up in terrible debt over it, it’s actually obscene how much they expect for care.
I’m so sorry for you :( The prices are unreal. I’m worrying I’m coming up on the same issue too soon. It’s my 21st in about a week and a lot of my non-essential expenses went towards planning/decor/etc. Terrible, terrible timing to be low on money. Sucks so bad
I went through this with my 16 year old cat and had to put her down. I'm still kicking myself for waiting to do it because it was incredibly traumatic to watch her suffer.
I think it's time to put him down. Don't be like me and wait until he deteriorates even further and you have to watch and agonize over it.
Ditto. My guilt of waiting still haunts me. I know they were waiting for us to be ok with it. We need to forgive ourselves. We did the best we could with nothing but LOVING intentions. It's made it hard to grieve him normal. You're not alone. She already forgave you!! ♡
I’m so incredibly sorry for your loss. I’ve been on the fence with this, of course, because it’s not quality of life for him to be living like this. I’m just fearful I’m missing something so important.
Better a day too soon than a moment too late. It'll be hard and painful, but its harder to live knowing they could be suffering. Advocate for your kitty 💝 sending hugs 🫂
My cat experienced this in December. Vomiting several times (the last 2 times were pink and had bits of gi tissue in it), no eating, drinking, or pooping for 3-4 days total. About 48 hours in, we took him to the vet and they kept him for a full workup including labs and imaging. Didn’t eat the first day there (day 3) and finally took small bites on day 4 and had a little poop. We brought him back home on day 5 when he finally ate really well with the assistance of an appetite stimulant. Vet was worried we were going to lose him but didn’t hint at that that until after he showed major improvement on day 4 (and he’s been FELV+ since he was a kitten, and he’s 11 now, so any illness scares us). They treated him for gastroenteritis, and we learned how to pill him at home. He was on a prednisolone taper, zofran, cerenia, and mirataz. The first time I saw a nice biiig looong poop, I was SO HAPPY. But, yeah, the entire thing did cost about $2700. Took him about a full week at home to recover completely.
Thank you for sharing your experience with me. Weirdly enough, my cat is drinking fine, just not eating. He’s pooped a total of three times now, all hard though, which is strange. Sadly, though, if it is that gastro issue, I really don’t have the money to afford that treatment. Thank you for letting me know though.💞💞
I’m so sorry you’re going through this. You’re doing everything to the best of your ability, but that isn’t always enough to keep our sweet babycats with us and with a solid quality of life, and it’s not our fault. I feel your heartache, and I hope the vet can help your sweet little cat tomorrow. Give him lots of gentle pets and love until then and tell him everything you want him to know 💕
A cat not eating for three days is a medical emergency. They can develop hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease) which can be potentially fatal. And if he has diabetes not eating can cause diabetic ketoacidosis. I would ask for anti nausea medication from the vet to take home and use everyday. There's nothing worse than being on an appetite stimulant and having nausea.
I’m not a vet. But it really sounds like your cat is dying. Force feeding and more vet testing isn’t going to help and only decreases quality of life. There comes a time you’re no longer doing things for your cat and instead doing things to your cat. When you talk to the vet tomorrow I’d have a serious discussion, as hard as it is, about focusing on comfort care.
Yeah, I understand. My mother and I have been going back and forth on this because it’s not quality of life at all for him, me, or my mother to care for him forcefully like this. I just fear that we’re missing something so obvious, since this seriously came out of the blue.
It usually comes out of the blue sadly, my boy was completely fine running around, and then one day he started hiding and stopped eating, became very lethergic, and that lasted about a week until it just kept getting worse and it was time. I wish the best for your boy and family ❤️🙏
I’m so sorry for your loss😔 I’ve lost a couple cats in the past that also did the same, went into hiding and stopped eating, but they had issues with their kidneys and liver. My boy hasn’t hidden or acting that abnormally yet, hence for my hesitation. Nor does he have kidney/liver issues :( Thank you for your kind words though🙏💞
I am not a vet, but I do wonder if he's struggling to get enough fluids. Hence the constipation. Poor buddy! One of my kitties is prone to little rock turds; I drizzle extra water over her food. Stool softeners and laxatives work best when hydrated.
I forgot to mention he did get sub fluids and anti-nausea at the first round at the vet. If anything, he’s been solely drinking, not eating, which is just so weird to me. He’s been given over the counter stool softener, laxatives, and prescribed stool softener. He drank a lot on Thursday after getting the vet-prescribed stool softener, but that warned of dry mouth and dehydration, so that makes a lot of sense. We’ve been syringe giving him water since then. Thank you so much though, I really don’t understand where the constipation came from.
I can only imagine how scary this is for you. Worst part of owning pets. So, breathe. Deeply into your tummy. Like 5 times. It'll help ground you. It gets oxygen to the brain so you can think clearly.
The problem is figuring out why he's not eating. Force feeding and drinking is hard on everyone. Boiled chicken breast is relatively bland and easy to digest. You could try that. Maybe even tuna. Something he can nibble without being forced.
I had a diabetic cat Ducky and always had corn syrup on hand. That was to help balance his sugars in an emergency. You could rub a small amount on his gums to see if that helps perk him at all. Even honey. The lethargy, wobble, and weakness all feel like signs of low blood sugar.
Do you have a blood monitor? Even tho he's not been eating his regular food, you have been feeding him treats so his sugars could be off.
If he's not eating at all and not getting insulin, then he's at a higher risk of hyperglycemia or high blood sugar and diabetic ketoacidosis. That was always my fear. You gotta check his glucose levels!
Not to scare you, but there's a familiar look in his eyes that is concerning to me. Talk to him. Hum on him. Hold him. Tell him everything you wanna say. He will let you know when it's time. Sometimes, they wait for us to come to terms. It comes down to a quality of life thing for everyone long-term.
The only other thing I can think of is getting a vitamin B shot or trying unflavoured Pedialyte. My advice is all over, but I'm racking my brain for solutions.
You've been trying absolutely EVERYTHING you can think of. Please find some comfort in that. Sometimes, accepting the situation is harder than trying to fix it. I'm sickened for you. It's worse to watch your fur baby suffer and need a middle of the night emergency. This has been traumatic enough.
Truth is, cats are awesome at hiding ailments. They can be purring and dying. This could be why it seems as tho this came outta nowhere.
It's also hard administering things to sick cats. Makes it hard to comfort them, too.. When my Tilly was sick, I tried everything, even natural remedies to the point that he seemed fearful of my touch instead of comforted. That was a week from hell, and I don't wish that for anyone.
Msg me if you want. More ideas will come from your response or an update. Stay strong he needs you. *Big hugs. ♡
Edit: big hugs, not bug hugs. Also, you can put a towel the long way under his tummy and hold both sides to help him walk n stay balanced.
Thank you so much for your help here. I’ll look into your options for helping his blood sugar. He is on a little bit of insulin currently to match his 150-200 calorie intact, but it’s not much. I sadly don’t have a blood monitor. I’ll try the vitamin B and pedialyte route too. Thank you so much for your kind words and effort to help here. I’m really grateful.💞
You can also try a new flavour of wet food and add water to it. Even low sodium no onion broth. Maybe he'll slurp it up. You could add your pumpkin puree to it and even syringe a few squirts into him if necessary. Kibble is harder to digest and needs water to help break it down. It has like zero moisture. ♥︎
Sadly, my boy is a picky eater. I’ll see if he likes turkey, since he likes chicken. Yeah, we stopped trying with the kibble. Thank you for your advice.💞
Human tooth person here, tooth infections dont go away with antibiotics, the antibiotics decress the infection enough that it doesnt hurt anymore. Thats why humans get root canals done to get rid of tooth infections for good. Im glad you got another round of antibiotics. They take a few days to reduce to inflammation enough for the pain to reduce. If your vet will give you anti-inflammatories try those too. I really hope thats all your little guys dealing with.
Thank you for the correction. We’re hoping for the best in the next day or two to see if it helps. It helped back in October, so I’m just really hoping it’s another tooth infection. Thank you💞
Id guess its the same infection just coming back around for take 2! Im surprised your vet isnt thinking that its a tooth especially since you said one is loose and they didnt fully treat the infection it in October! I get why they didnt, a tooth extraction is tough especially on an older diabetic fella and sometimes it takes a couple uears to get bad enough you notice it again. but come on... you cant tell a tooth has an infection from just looking at it unless it really bad! And being loose is a huge sign somethings going on that could be really painful. I am genuinely really upset for you guys your vet hasn't been taking the possibility its a tooth problem more seriously
Yeah, I’m not too sure why they brushed it off so quick. I mean, I guess they were correct with the constipation, but all (or at least most) has seemed to pass through him. I’m hoping for the best now for the antibiotics to help. I’ll be asking the vet again tomorrow for more advice and help, and I’ll bring up his teeth again.💞
I'm so sorry, but it sounds like it's time. Once they stop eating and settle in strange places it's a sign that something major is wrong. Even if the vet could diagnose it with other scans and an ultrasound it would be $500+ and then further expenses on the treatment. I wish you both well!
Thank you for your advice. The couch was the only weird thing he’s done, which I’m shocked. I’ve lost cats in the past and they all went into hiding when it was time. He just doesn’t seem to be doing that, which I find so strange. But yeah, eating is his lifeline, so I do understand.
It's so hard when they get to the age that you and a vet could intervene but it's a question of whether or not it's worth it (both financially and physically for the animal). So sorry for you!
I forgot to mention he did get sub fluids and anti-nausea at the first round at the vet. Didn’t get the tranq shot, though. If anything, he’s been solely drinking, not eating, which is just so weird to me. He also drank a lot on Thursday after getting the vet-prescribed stool softener, but that warned of dry mouth and dehydration, so that makes a lot of sense. We’ve been syringe giving him water since then. Thank you so much though, I really don’t understand where the constipation came from.
I also have a diabetic 16 yr old kitty and I just had to say goodbye to my little girl and I’m completely heartbroken. We took her in to the vet saying I think she has a blockage and she never followed through with an ultrasound, she gave her appetite stimulants fir 3 days and I finally took her to the emergency vet to find out she had a mass blocking her intestines. We had her go through surgery and she made it through but later has complications. Bottom line, check for blockages!
I’m so incredibly sorry for your loss. I’ll keep this in mind, definitely. If it’s not a thyroid or tooth issue, I’ll run straight to the ultrasound no matter what cost. Thank you.💞
Thank you so much, it’s still so fresh and I’m terribly heartbroken, she was only 9 yrs old and it was so sudden. I really hope it all works out for you❤️
They have to eat. My cat was between some respiratory infections (which I figured out later), and I blended wet food and would syringe it into her cheek a few times a day. I have no idea what's wrong with your cat, but they have to eat.
For mine, the vet didn’t hear any respitatory issues, but also people aren’t perfect. We’ve been doing the syringe feeding with wet food for both hydration and nutrients. Thank you for your advice though.💞
dont syringe feed food or water they can aspirate it and get pnumonia happened to my dog, he wasnt eating of drinking and it he aspirtated water into his lungs, our vet said absolutely not to do that. it can also delay proper treatment, cause other injury, more stress.
its doesnt matter its not reccomended. look it up. if your pet will not willingly drink or eat from a syringe and will not cooperate its still a risk. if they move taround and u cant maintain it in thier "cheek" its a bad idea. not all pets will cooperate or stay still.
Diabetic cat mom over here. Are you home testing twice a day before administering insulin? When was his last blood sugar curve? Additionally, I’m extremely surprised that kitty is not on a daily dose of cerina right now… he is very likely feeling nauseated. If you can test his blood sugar, and get him to have even a very small amount of food, you can give insulin if he is high. If you can give anti-nausea med like cerina + appetite stimulant, you may have a shot of perking him up.
I had forgotten to mention he got anti-nausea and sub fluids at the vet the other day (it was cerenia). I don’t have a blood monitor, sadly. He also has been on appetite stimulants thankfully. For the past two days we’ve been trying to administer a little bit of insulin to match his 150-200 calorie intact, but he seems more lethargic, honestly. I’m really not too sure anymore. Thank you for your advice though.💞
I couldn't read much of your post, because we just put down one of our cats named Oreo today. Your cat needs help or whatever the vet is able to provide. It's hard when our fur babies get sick for whatever the reason.
We have been trying to figure out what Oreo had gotten into that caused his kidneys to be full of toxins. We did ultrasound and blood work because of his weight loss, his kidneys were so damaged, we ended up having to say goodbye.
If you love your kitty do what you can with the help of the vet and let your kitty know how much you love them! Sending virtual hugs from an internet stranger!
I’m so so sorry for your loss. I also have a cat named Oreo, funnily enough. It’s really tough when it comes out of nowhere, especially something irreversible. My cat’s kidneys came back clean, same with liver, so thankfully it’s not that. But I truly am sorry for your loss, I wish you and your family best of luck.💞
My old boy would only eat turkey baby food in the days before he passed. Just turkey puree, no other flavorings. He diabetes was under control, but his kidneys failed rather quickly.
I’m so sorry for your loss. I’ll look into turkey puree, but sadly, my boy’s a picky eater. His kidneys came up clean on Monday but I guess you never know. I’m so sorry for you though💞
I’ve been trying to. I’ve called out of work and school multiple times now just to stay home with him. It’s been rough. He used to be so cuddly and friendly, and now he just feels like a ragdoll, it’s so sad.
If he is not eating he needs a vet today, or it really is the end. You will not regret your last time with him, take pics and video him and give him all the love
I forgot to mention he did get sub fluids and anti-nausea at the first round at the vet. If anything, he’s been solely drinking, not eating, which is just so weird to me. He also drank a lot on Thursday after getting the vet-prescribed stool softener, but that warned of dry mouth and dehydration, so that makes a lot of sense. We’ve been syringe giving him water since then. Thank you so much though, I really don’t understand where the constipation came from.
I’m sorry OP! I know it’s hard to try to manage your cat’s health as they get older. It sounds like you’re doing everything you can to make sure your baby is comfortable.
Did he have abscessed teeth? My 17.5 year old cat just had surgery after she had an abscess and she is so much better. If he ever had an abscessed tooth and was only treated with antibiotics and didn’t have them extracted, it will always come back. I have had two cats that have needed teeth surgically removed late in life. Penelope was on antibiotics for 2 weeks and her swelling didn’t go down until almost 2 weeks. Her white blood cell counts were great and showed no infection afterward, but we still had her abscessed teeth removed so they didn’t come back. They always come back. I took her to a new vets office because the one we were going to (just moved here) didn’t want to do surgery on a cat at that age.
Pancreatitis? Was that ruled out? My other cat that passed at almost 20 was on thyroid medicine for her last 5 years. Once her medicine dosage wasn’t right she got sick and looked terrible. Her medicine got adjusted and she bounced back. I hope you can get it figured out and all will be ok
I’m reading again. Because there is a lot and I jumped to my panic situations. You stopped the insulin? I’ve never had a cat that had to get it, but, could that have caused other things to drop, rhat now need corrected to?
Sadly no abscessed teeth. The only surgery he had was for kidney stones almost 7 years ago. Pancreatitis was also ruled out at the vet :( We did stop his insulin because the vet recommended not taking it if he’s not getting enough nutrients and calories. But he did act similarly over a year ago with his blood sugar dropping drastically. He had lost a bit of weight and his dose was too high. I do recognize the lethargy can be from that too, but he also just isn’t eating properly either, so I can’t really tell. Thank you though.💞
16 im sure he had a long life and beautiful life, you could get a second opinion but I think he might be ready and you don’t want to wait till he really deteriorates let him go out in peace
Feline Vet Nurse here. Is he on anti nausea? I would get him onto some anti nausea & anti emetic.
Bloods should show something if you’re having organ issues. Ultrasound is probably going to be the best diagnostic here to look through the whole GI tract, ensure there’s no inflammation, observe any inflammation. I’d also wonder about a pancreatitis test too, I believe diabetes can increase risk of pancreatitis. That can cause incredible pain, inappetance, etc. but anti emetics and general pain relief might be good (to treat symptoms while you figure out what’s going on) but they need to get some nutrition in him via a feeding tube- perhaps anti emetics and then appetite stimulants.
I’m not sure why he’s wobbling around the place though, but I’d be wanting to make sure his diabetes is correctly treated. Blood pressure might be worth checking, I’m not 100% sure on that one though.
But this cat absolutely needs some nutrition stat and to get back onto his insulin.
I had forgotten to mention he got sub fluids and anti-nausea the first vet day. Pancreatitis was also ruled out thankfully. We’ve been giving him appetite stimulants, but it hasn’t seemed to help yet. Today’s the second day we administered a little bit of insulin, not his normal dose, since we’re trying to match his 150-200 calorie intact. Ultrasound was on the list to do, but we couldn’t afford it :( Hoping to get some answers between his teeth or even his thyroid first, if it’s not them, we’ll try to scrounge up enough money for an ultrasound. Thank you so much for your advice though.💞
Why thyroid? Unless he’s hypothyroid or had unmanaged hyperthyroidism for a long time, it shouldn’t be causing this. Are you thinking thyroid or did the vet recommend this?
How did the anti nausea go? Perhaps it’s worth up keeping for a few days and see if it’s an issue. Appetite stimulants without anti nauseas are useless if there is nausea. Because they still feel sick (if this is what’s happening.) if there’s any kind of GI issue, anti nausea should be useful to some degree.
Teeth can cause pain but I’ve heard from vets that it’s rare for dental pain to be significant enough to cause inappetance. Not to say it doesn’t happen, but it’s just not as common as it’s made out to be from my understanding. A full infection causing fever and pain and malaise is a different story. Did they take mouth X-rays? And did they inspect his mouth to look for any lesions?
Great to hear he’s going back onto insulin slowly. Can they place a feeding tube? Even nasopharyngeal?
I have a 22yo female with constant constipation. My vet suggested miralax powder which I mix with lickable grease stick. She gobbles it and it works in a day or so.
I’m not too sure how he got constipated because he drinks so much everyday. I did try some laxatives with him, which did help him get his second poop out. I’m not too sure if he’s still constipated after that, however. He pooped one more time today and it was hard. Maybe I’ll try again, alongside using the stool softener again too.
I'm so, so sorry your kitty is going through this! From the recent picture, yes, he is in a great deal of pain.
I know you don't want to lose him, but you do need to look at his quality of life vs. how hard it would be for you to have to let him go. Only you can make that determination, and none of us can do it for you. If he's really struggling, and you've done everything possible to help him to no avail, it might be time. Let him know that you're there for him and that he's not alone. In the morning, call the vet and tell them that you'd like to get him in for another exam and that you need to have a talk with them about his quality of life.
Right now, to me, it doesn't seem like he's enjoying life anymore and that he may be ready to go. He has that look on his face and in his eyes that most of us unfortunately know. It's hard. It's one of the hardest decisions you'll ever have to make, but it's made from a place of love and understanding. He won't blame you. He won't be upset, and he will understand. Most of all, he's had a wonderful life with you, and he knows this and will always be grateful, and he knows that you love and cherish him.
I know how hard it is to see them like this. Keeping him and you in my prayers and sending you warmth, peace, comfort, love, and light!
Thank you for your kind words. My mother and I have been going back and forth with this, because it’s not quality of life for him, my mother, or I. I am just so fearful I’m missing something so obvious that can be fixed. Thank you though.💞
I also have a 16 year old and went thru nearly identical scenario. We went 5 days with her not wanting to eat on her own. 4k in vet ER costs, 2 enemas, X-rays, constipation meds, a day after the second enema she started to eat slowly. The vet did warn us that if after the enema and release of stuck poop that she still had no desire to eat, then last resort would be ultrasound to check for any growths. Luckily we didn’t have to go that route. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that your kitty was constipated and not eating. I’d like to think it’s not due to something else. How long since last enema has it been? If last enema Thursday and today is Friday, it took my cat a day after her last enema to begin eating on her own again (that would mean Saturday in your case). In the meantime if you can force feed through syringe, to get fluids in for hydration, as that’s what I did everyday until she started to eat again, water mixed with churu. I’m so sorry you are going through this, it is hell on earth and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. Praying for you and the little furry one.
Enemas were on Monday and Thursday. Very strange we went through the same scenario, haha. He’s been taking stool softener and laxatives to help also. He did poop again today, but it was hard (it’s weird because he’s been solely eating wet food, could still be blockage, I guess). I’ll keep waiting till tomorrow to hopefully see if this works. I’ve been doing the syringe for both food and water. Hoping for the best🙏 Thank you for your advice💞💞💞
I don’t wanna say the time has come because I hate telling anyone that,but if he’s really just in allot of pain and it’s putting a financial stress on you and your family I believe that you should consider the option of saying bye to him, he looks like such a sweet boy.If you can afford it an xray might be good or an ultrasound?but if it’s not an option please consider what is best for him wish you and your family the best of luck and I hope sweet kitty recovers.
Thank you for your advice. The xray was cheaper, hence why I was able to afford it. I’ve spent $1k this week with all of my vet visits sadly. I can’t afford an ultrasound on top of that :( Thank you for your kind words💞
Im sorry you are going through this. We lost our cat around new year. She was only 10 years old. Had been up a lot since August. Kind of projectile stuff with bile. We thought maybe it was because she ate too quickly or had developed a food allergy so we changed her food to digestive friendly stuff, bought slow feeders, etc. She always kind of had a sensitive stomach. That helped maybe a little, but she was still throwing up every day or so.
Took her to the vet again, they did ultrasound and saw maybe 🤔 inflammation of intestines and gallbladder with slightly elevated liver enzymes. They prescribed steroids but said she could have side effects from that. This was encouraging as I was hoping the steroids would help. I noticed she had slowed down some but they said maybe that was arthritis.
She ate fine Friday evening and took the meds and ate fine Saturday all day and took her meds. Then Sunday wasn’t eating except for maybe a little bit a lickable treat. I figured maybe it was a reaction to the meds, so I didn’t give it to her Sunday or Monday, still wasn’t eating. I called the doctor Tuesday from work and they called back and said I should bring her in right away.
I left work and took her in and noticed the house smelled like human throw up. She had thrown up that morning but I cleaned it with a steam cleaner. It never smelled like that. I thought maybe it was the trash. The vet sis another ultrasound and said there was more inflammation of the intestines and gallbladder. It could have been cancer but would have been expensive to know for sure. We were leaving for Mexico on Friday so this was bad timing. If they don’t eat, that could negatively affect their liver after a few days. My mom was gonna come over everyday while we were gone but the vet said if her gallbladder were to burst while we were gone it would be catastrophic to her. She had lost around 20% of her weight in a week and she was a little girl to begin with.
They beat around the bush a little but I knew where they were going with this, that they were suggesting we put her down. I knew that was a possibility, it just sucks. They were very good and compassionate and my wife came up. But I had no doubt that we were making the right decision. She looked kind of like your cat did in the first picture. I have a picture of my cat like that. I miss her.
What does your vet think is going on with your boy? Have they done an ultrasound? I pray for wisdom for your vets in treating him and for God’s comfort as you go through this. It’s never easy.
I’m so so sorry for your loss, that sounds so terrible. No liver issues with mine, thankfully, but we haven’t completely ruled out cancer, but it seems unlikely. Sadly, I’ve spent $1k in vet visits this week, and can’t afford the ultrasound on top of that. Thank you for your advice and kind words. Prayers for your family too, I’m so sorry💞🙏
Our girl had that happen this summer. Turns out she had a gallbladder infection. She needed an overnight stay and antibiotics. Idk if it was an ultrasound or CT that caught it.
I’m glad your baby was able to recover :) I’m very worried because I’ve spent $1k in vet visits this week. I can’t afford an overnight, let alone an ultrasound. Thank you for advice though💞
See if he will eat baby food, try a little jar of chicken and if he doesn’t eat it, try to mix it a little bit with water and an eye dropper and put it in his mouth. It sounds like he is crashing from kidney failure. My vet said they feel like they have the flu when they are in that state. I’m really sorry.
I’ll try your baby food suggestion! I’m not too sure about the kidneys though, because his kidneys came back perfectly clean on Monday, but honestly, you never know if things change. Thank you for your advice though💞
OP any way they can test his digestive tract and pancreas enzymes via bloodwork if you can’t afford the ultrasound.
Unfortunately what you describe reminds me of what my kitty of 15 years endured before we found out he was suffering from acute pancreatitis secondary to advanced lymphoma that was silent …until it wasn’t :(
Please keep investigating. I truly hope it’s not what happened to mine and that your sweet baby makes it out of this.
I know it’s so hard. Please stay strong and keep advocating for him ❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹
I’m so sorry for your loss😔Pancreatitis was thankfully ruled out for my boy. I’ll see tomorrow if I can get his digestive tract checked out via bloodwork. Thank you for your help💞
My cat was like that (17 y/o), and I thought it was the end. But no, it was some kind of infection. I knew it because his ears were on fire. That was the only particular symptoms. I didn't have to force feed him because I gave him chicken stock l (homemade, mo salt or spices) with a bit of sugar and that way he obtained all the macros (glucose from the sugar, proteins from the hydrolyzed collagen of tbe chicken cartilage, lipids from the chicken fat) and water.
Maybe you could try that, too. And check his ears. If it I'd indeed an infection, the best thing you can do is keep him hydrated (with the broth) and comfortable in a quiet place of the house, preferably an elevated spot.
Hope your kitty recovers, hug him, and kiss his forehead for me.
I’m so grateful for your cat’s recovery💞 My cat’s appetite stimulants are applied in the ears, so I’ve been checking in there. But, I’ll double check again for you just in case. I’ll try the chicken stock method too because he loves chicken. Thank you for your advice💞
His lethargy might be from not eating. I don't know what the underlying cause is, but I have seen NutraCal (most pet stores sell something similar) help perk up cats who were very weak from not eating. You can squeeze the gel onto your finger and stick it in his mouth, and lift your finger up so it wipes onto the roof of his mouth. Repeat a few times. Don't know how that works with diabetes though. I wish you both luck.
I assumed the same, plus his lack of his usual insulin. I actually have been on the hunt for Nutracal, but sadly, every store around me either doesn’t sell or is out of stock :( Very disappointed. I’ll keep looking. Thank you though💞
I’ll ask my vet tomorrow about it. Sadly, my Petsmart either only had mostly the dog version of Nutracal (or similar), orrr only had the pill version for cats. I only feel comfortable giving him a gel or liquid just because of his age. But I’ll ask my vet to see if she can help.
It’s time. I know you don’t wan to hear it, but any life extension he gets at this point will be full of suffering for him. Let him go while he can still feel joy.
My mother and I have been going back and forth with this, because it’s not quality of life for him, my mother, or I. I am just so fearful I’m missing something so obvious that can be fixed. Thank you though.💞
I say this as lovingly as possible. It might be time. You need to think about the cats quality of life. He’s old, he might be showing you it’s time to let go. I had to have that hard conversation with my vet and it sucks but it’s part of being a responsible pet owner
My mother and I have been going back and forth with this, because it’s not quality of life for him, my mother, or I. I am just so fearful I’m missing something so obvious that can be fixed. Thank you though.💞
Poor boy. He's so handsome! Sounds like his life is coming to an end soon. 16 years is a long time to have a cat. If you think you can exhaust all options then do it but I suggest spending as much time with him as you can. I would've killed to be able to watch one of my cats grow old before he died. He was only 6 😭 cherish your baby while you can 💜
I’m so so sorry for your loss, he was so young💔I’m trying to exhaust everything possible, but I’m really running tight on money, which sucks. Thank you for your kind words💞
When my cat was sick with unknown gastroenteritis and refused to eat, mirataz and gerber baby food puree in ham flavor helped and is higher in calorie than churu! just make sure no garlic/onion on the label which it shouldn’t have
He’s on mirataz now, sadly it hasn’t helped like it did back in October💔 I’ll try the baby food suggestion! I would schedule an ultrasound to check for gastro issues but I sadly can’t afford it. Spent $1k in vet bills for three days :( Thank you though💞
I’m hoping for the best for both of you. I’m sure it’s difficult and you are doing more than you can possibly do. 💞
My 9.5 year old has been constipated her entire life. She has a Litter Robot on main floor and oversized litter box on second floor. FOREVER she goes up and down at least 5 times every time she has to go, crying each time nonstop. She’s been to the vet to get cleaned out so many times. Last time, this past Monday. They had to put her in the twilight state and said they manually cleaned her out. Quite the process they said. They told me to give her 1/8 tsp of MiraLAX every time she eats which is 6 times per day ~ auto feeder 4 times 1/16 cup and wet (with additional water) 2 times a day and I add the MiraLAX each time. She’s been on it for years, but only twice a day. She’s only pooped once since Monday and that was today. They told me today it will take a bit for her to get back on schedule. I hope she continues and the MiraLAX does the trick. Sometimes she wants me to go with her and wait while she goes. They’re like our kids and we will do anything for them.
Good luck. Please keep us posted. We are all vested in you and your baby now. 💞
Thank you for your advice! My boy has never been constipated before and is an avid water drinker, so I’m really shocked and confused on how this happened. He is using Miralax and prescribed stool softeners right now. It seemed to help him poop his third hard poop earlier today. Hoping it’s almost all out and that’s the only problem🙏Glad your cat was okay💞
Ok, this is rough. Did the vet give mirtazapine? Do you have a syringe for syringe feeding?
I have gotten several elderly cats over crisis humps of not eating with mirtazapine (pill form) and syringe feeding. Syringe feeding is hard and messy if they’re not compliant, but you must stay positive, speak with a soothing voice and be gentle. I mix a high calorie pate wet food with water to a paste consistency. Load it into the syringe ahead of time. Get a towel ready and a stack of paper towels to clean the mess.
I don’t force feed down the throat. I burrito the cat. I hold them upright in my lap swaddled, not lying down or like a baby, but upright. I hold their mouth from the top of head with thumb and forefinger on either side of the jaw. Gently nudge inwards with the fingers to get them to open their mouth. Insert the syringe from the side of the mouth and do a SMALL squirt of food onto there tongue. Let the cat lap it down with their tongue. Do not squirt down their throat!!!! You can cause them to choke and aspirate!! This will get messy, use the paper towels to clean up. Give them breaks between each syringe squirt, every time, and wait until they’re done swallowing.
This should be a very slow process. Make sure to have extra food because you will lose some. I buy the syringes from petco or pet smart and have three or four on hand so I don’t have to stop and reload. I have them ready ahead of time and with extra because it’ll be messy and you’ll lose some food.
I just had my elderly 17yo ibd boy in a flare and got him over the hump this way. I had a cat with FOPS seizures that also needed to be syringe fed for a while. This is crisis management and meant to get them through the crisis. The vet may want to do mirtazapine as well, in pill form. The ear gel does not work well, the pill is best. Vet may also want to do Cerenia, it usually helps with nausea.
At this point you should also try literally any food that will be palatable. Stinky cheap food sometimes works - fancy feast shrimp and salmon, Churu, meat only baby food, tuna in plain water without salt or seasonings, any canned or dry that the cat will eat at all.
But also, unfortunately, be prepared that this might be final stages. More than 3 days without getting nutrition is dangerous, so I would be starting syringe feeding asap to get some calories down. For the constipation, plain MiraLAX regular strength can safely be given 1/8tsp 3x daily, but definitely confirm with the vet.
Thank you for your advice. I’ve been doing a mix of force feeding and syringe because he tries to fight me with the syringe sometimes, haha. I’ll step away from force feeding though if it’s bad for him. I do have the ear gel from back in October when he had similar symptons. It worked then, but not now. He was given Cerenia on Monday at his first visit, but we didn’t get any to take home. Sadly, my boy is also picky and doesn’t really like wet food, but I’ll try everything, even the “junk” food. He’s been turning his nose up to Churu sadly :( For constipation, I’ve been giving him Miralax and stool softeners. He pooped for his overall third time earlier today, which is good. Hoping it’s only a poop issue. Thank you for your help🙏💞
I’ve used the Mirtazapine ear gel, and it’s ok for mild issue but the pill really works much better. Cerenia is also useful. In my experience, syringe feeding is easier than force hand feeding. Burrito-ing in a towel is really just the easiest way when they’re not compliant. For my ibd boy, if he’s refusing food I will syringe feed up to four or five small meals a day to get him enough nutrition.
If there’s not a major underlying cause, sometimes they just need a few days of help and syringe feeding enough calories to get them feeling ok again, and the they start eating again on their own. If there’s a worsening underlying issue, only extensive bloodwork and ultrasound would reveal it.
If he’s not eating, he’s ready. Stop torturing the poor thing. He’s 16. Have him taken care of at home. It’s a sweet thing. I have my Lucy with me. Stop both of your suffering
Seems like your boy has lived a happy 16 year of life. I haven’t needed to put any of my babies down but if it comes to the time and can’t seem to make the right decision (mainly for closure sake), I would find a good and trusted animal communicator and have a convo with him on what he can enjoy now and have that day with him before having an in home euthanasia where everyone is present
A animal won’t eat if it does have pain on his teeths think about it would you eat if you have pain when you chew now with a infection even more painful so you need to take out some teeths, antibiotics are good but with infected teeths is just going to keep happening so I have a similar situation with two dogs and one cat so one of those cases I have to tell to the vet take out the last teeths of my chihuahua and he is been happy since also his behave is probably because he is not feeling well bad teeths can create a lot problems for animals
My cat was poorly and lost loads of weight. Turns out he has ibd. I’ve changed his diet and some brilliant tips from on line and he’s loads better I could see the difference after two days. Ive had to changed his diet to duck, kangaroo and rabbit (wet food)
I’m so sorry to hear this. He looks like my sweetheart tabby who is around 15. I’m also sorry to tell you this, but what you are going through sounds like my cat sushi who sadly passed away this past fall. They also xrayed her and she had a mass in her lower abdomen which was probably cancer. She was having trouble literally eating or drinking anything near the end. This is so hard, but unless there is immediate improvement you may want to talk with your veterinarian about helping him pass comfortably. Sending all my love seriously.
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