Feeding tube complications?

Hi! I'm sure you all remember Morton. I he was on an NG tube for almost half of august and I'm worried it did something to his brain trying to learn to eat on his own again? That sounds stupid but I've posted before on how crappt his appetite has been he is almost fully recovered from his dka scare. Pancreatitis and was in sepsis. He will only eat if his food bowl is next to my bed. Does not eat at his scheduled times anymore like he did his whole almost 2 years of life small meals 4x a day next to his kitty friend.

For example today he has eaten at 4am next to my bed and its 11am and hasnt eaten anymore. Sometimes he will eat better if I sprinkle pieces by him and not in the bowl.

His pattern usually is eat most of the food for the day I measure out before 11am and then have a snack in the afternoon wanting more of the food then eat very late at night/early morning again. I feel we gave fallen into a bad pattern and I dont know how to fix it. He is acting great just acts hungry and I show him food and he changes his mind. He isnt nauseated. I just want his old self back with a better appetite.

 

Here is a link to stimulating cats appetites
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/suggestions-on-how-to-stimulate-kittys-appetite.130770/

Also have you tried new foods with Morton. He may be associating the food with when he was ill.

 

I have. he refuses. He Literally just are all the rest of his food for the day in bed on the comforter and the rest out of my hand....

 

That is so wonderful that Morton acting great! I was so worried about him for a while.

I can't comment on your theory, I've never really dealt with anything quite like that before. My first guess was like Bron, that if you are feeding the same food Morton was getting when he was sick, he could have developed a food aversion. Of course, he might just like the attention!

Are you positive it isn't nausea? Cerenia is a good drug, but Slippery Elm Bark certainly wouldn't hurt at all to try.

And I think that you've tried Cyproheptadine as an appetite stimulant, but Mirtazapine is available as an appetite stimulant as well. It would be good insurance against DKA if you can get him in the swing of eating better. The last thing you want to happen is for him to get an infection, and then if he is still not eating well... that could set you up for a bunch of worry.

My oldest cat has chronic kidney disease, and she ALWAYS eats more after I give her fluids. Have you or the vet tried giving sub-q fluids?

Does he still have pancreatitis? Have you read http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/a-primer-on-pancreatitis.83108/ ? It might be worth looking at, some of the suggestions are good whether it is pancreatitis, or just some other food issue.

Hopefully you'll get some other suggestions too!

Give some hugs to Morton for me please

 

Thanks for your info and for caring about Morton.

I'm pretty sure it isnt nausea because he will eat treats to no end and his inaba churu (meat tube) when he is nauseous he won't eat a meat tube or play and he is playful like a kitten in the evenings and night. I do give him some marshmallow root or try to every day I have it in a size 3 capsule. Ondansetron is a godsend for him and I use it if he turns down a treat. He is not dehydrated but yes he has always perked up after like say when he has a fever. His mouth and nose is moist so I know that he is hydrated. His nose was so dry when he was sick and even recovering. Weekly b12 shots have been going on for a month I do them myself for him and I feel that was the best idea! Also..cypro works far better than mirtazipine..that stuff was crap for him. Same with cerenia vs ondansetron Cerenia did nothing! Ondansetron works in 30 mins if he is nauseated and he will eat

He is finally not anemic. He was since August and eating litter and breathing heavy it was so sad and to see him pale. He had a mycoplasma parasite they think was overriding his weak immune system and a week on baytril and been on 2mls of pet tinic one or the other reversed the anemia! I still have him on pet tinic. He is also on chinese herbs and mushrooms. I added one thing in at a time for a week to make sure nothing was making him ill. He has extremely playful days and others like today he cuddled my old kitty before I went to work and they were still there when I got home. Its midnight now and hes finally wanting to play and old kitty is playing along.

The eating thing just ahhh! And another reason I know he isnt nauseous is he will eat out of my hand or on the bed but the bowl is what he eats out of when I'm asleep. Even though he sees the bowl on the floor he will wake me up and meow and I'll stick my hand in the bowl and he jumps down and eats *facepalm

 

I was going to ask about his anemia but wanted to focus on the problem at hand. That's good.

I'll tell you that our oldest has her food bowl on a small piece of plywood (to stabilize it) on top of the bed for this same reason. She eats way more there than when it is down on the floor. It's a good thing I'm pretty still when I sleep! Oh the things we do for these little critters!

Edited to add: I was only mentioning fluids as a way of maybe making him feel better so that he'd eat (assuming no heart issues that would contra-indicate it) not because he is dehydrated. But that is great that his hydration is on track now!

 

I think what concerns me the most is I have a 1.5 year old cat who has an appetite of a senior. He did eat quite a bit at 3am and then again at 7am and I dont expect him to eat again until 4 or 5 maybe. I had this theory the feeding tube caused an infection in his throat when all of his lymph nodes swelled up to the point it was hard for him to swallow but he also was positive for the mycoplasma and I read the host spot it near the nose/throat

 

Just checking in. How is baby Morton now?