MY CAT HAS STOPPED EATING!

and I am desperate for some guidance. Bear was diagnosed with feline diabetes in June of 2011 - started Lantis and switched from dry food to grain free dry food. Went into remission in 2-3 weeks. Back on Insulin and then again in remission first of Aug, 2011. Went back on Insulin in Nov and off in Dec.- and then back on in January first on Lantis and then Pro Zinc - but he was not responding to either and kept drinking excessive amounts of water (and of course urinating excessively as well)

Finally at the end of March 2012, I found this website and read about giving cats only canned food. I got a grain free canned food - the very next day he stopped drinking water and on April 7, 2012 I stopped the insulin and he has been off every since (I did buy a meter to home test).

Bear has always eaten anything and since I put him on a grain free canned food a year ago - he was fine till mid-February. The short version is he stopped eating the canned food - so I kept buying other brands and other flavors. At first he would eat some - then none. I have tried canned tuna and salmon, baked fish, I got chicken thighs yesterday (baked in oven) thinking maybe I would buy a meat grinder but he at a tiny amount then none - tried chicken liver this morning - no to that. So really he will only eat the salmon. I tired some canned with dry food mixed in which he would eat a little of, but today he would not eat that either. So far - if I give hims some dry treats or dry food only - he will eat that.

I have had him to the vet twice - ran a complete blood panel - nothing wrong and he acts fine - but he cannot go on like this. I think if I were to give him only dry food he would eat it (and have to go back on insulin). My vets are puzzled and they only thing they can suggest is ultra sound and/or x-rays - but he seems fine - even playful.

If anyone has any ideas I would appreciate it. My big boy (17.7 lbs) is a rescue and a such a cool cat. I want to help, but am running out of ideas.

Thank you!

Joan and Bear

 

Can you fed him with a syringe? If the cat tolerates it I would do that.
Next would be to try dry. He has to keep eating.

 

First, hugs to you because I know firsthand how stressful it is when your cat stops eating!

My cat Mac has gone down a very similar path and currently, he will eat only the higher-carb-supposed-to-be-off-limits Fancy Feast (marinated morsels, or some of the Florentine flavors, neither of which is considered appropriate for a diabetic) OR ... dry food.

Through this board, I did find a ZERO CARB dry food - I had no idea such a thing existed before, but several members here sent me PMs with the info, and I decided to give it a try. The one I get is called Young Again and I buy it online: http://www.youngagainpetfood.com/10brow ... egory=cats So far the only downside is that it's a bit pricey, but the bag seems to last a long time.

It is my understanding that there are a couple folks on here whose cats have gone into remission on the Young Again dry food. So if your cat will ONLY eat dry, it may be a good option to try.

PS. Please be aware that they have other flavors which are not zero carb, so if you choose to order, make sure you've selected the zero carb flavor.

GOOD LUCK!

 

My cat started doing the same thing and he will eat dry food and treats with no problem but I don't want to start up insulin again. All his bloodwork was fine so someone here suggested maybe pancreatitis which requires a separate test. The SnapfPL said yes but I am still waiting to hear about the SpecfPL. So I am trying out nausea meds, pain meds and appetite stims.

Is Bear nauseous? I didn't realize it at first but he would back away from his food and lick his lips. Kind of got this yuck face whenever I offered him food. It seems a lot of people whose cat has diabetes gets it. There are a ton of posts in the forum about it. A very helpful post about pancreatitis

I am sure anyone will tell you, this is a rough disease. I am frustrated and overwhelmed and practically going crazy over it. Milo did great yesterday but today isn't going well yet. BUT it's treatable so that is good news.

ETA: Another dry food you can try is EVO. It has 7% carbs. I have been giving Milo 1/8th cup a day for 3 days so far and it isn't raising his blood sugar. 1 cup is 602 calories so you don't have to give very much to feed enough a day.

 

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HELP! I may go ahead and order the Young Again food and maybe even try some other food like the no-no fancy feast - had a cat that ate that his entire life! Certainly, I wish all of you success with your cats as well.

Oh I liked the charts you are using. I will have to see if I can locate them - right now I have everything in a notebook.

Joan and Bear

 

Hi Joan,

What is his BG level these days?
Have you ever tested his urine, using Ketostix, for the presence of ketones? If not, it would be a good idea, just to rule out the possibility.
Ketones can happen even if BGs are not crazy high.

 

Some folks recommend a course of vitamin B12 shots to stimulate appetite and increase well-being. Maybe something to ask your vet about..?

 

BG levels were higher than usual this week - 3/25 in the mid afternoon it was 111 and about two hours after he ate the morning of the 26th it was 126 - it has been increasing since this finicky eating has gotten so bad.

 

And I have not checked his urine yet but will consider doing this as well.

Thanks again everyone!!

Joan and Bear

 

For some cats, 1/4 Pepcid AC, (not complete) 15-30 minutes before a meal, helps with nauseau due to acid stomach.

 

Thanks for this tip - he did throw up almost 3 weeks ago and it retrospect, I think it was coincidental, but the vet gave me this and I tried it for a few days - but it didn't seem to make a difference.

 

How do his teeth and gums look?

 

teeth and gums look great - his lab work was better than a year ago - two vets checked him out a week apart and no signs of anything!

 

Did they run the specific pancreatitis tests?

You may need to syringe feed.

Yahoo Assisted-Feeding Group

 

No they did not and of course I would consider syringe feeding if I don't find another solution.

 

Infobit: Cats may develop hepatic lipidosis with as few as 2 days of not eating, or as many as 7 days.

Be on the lookout for jaundice - yellow pigment in the skin or eye whites - which can be a sign of this.

 

Thanks - he has not stopped eating completely - but has refused most everything except salmon. I am keeping a close eye on him

 

Wow, thanks for this. Im trying to get all my three eating wet pates, but meeting resistance with two of them. Luckily, the diabetic cat will eat anything I put in her dish, bless her.

What's amazing that even their non zero carb food, the 50/22 Cat Food only has 5% carbs or less according to their site:


http://www.youngagainpetfood.com/10brow ... egory=cats

Young Again 50/22 Cat Food matches Mother Nature’s nutrient profile for small creatures with 50% protein (from animal sources not plant proteins), a balanced fat level of 22% and less than 5% carbs.

 

You are so welcome! I know it was a godsend for us... Mac just wouldn't eat otherwise, but he seems perfectly happy to chow down on the YA, and was soooooo happy to get some "kibble" again. He actually stopped for a minute, looked up with his little mouth full, and shot me a look like, "THIS IS AWESOME, THANKS!"

I was so relieved! And it does seem like their ingredients are good quality. Macs BG is decreasing steadily on this food, too... he was in the mid to high 200s a few days ago, now down below 200 which is also making me :RAHCAT

 

An update on my kitty, Bear. He vomited Sunday and would not eat at all that day. (other days he was always eating but I had to keep trying different things). I called my vet Monday who referred me to a cat specialist in a neighboring state and I took him in yesterday. He does have pancreatitus, is back on insulin and the big surprise - all four canine teeth are infected and once the infection is gone will have to be extracted. - something the local vets missed. He is being hospitalized and I hope to pick him up late tomorrow. So I just wanted to thank all of you for your suggestions. I feel he is in great hands now.

Joan and Bear

 

Sending prayers for you and your kitty. Hope he gets to feeling better soon.

Terri

 

Thank you Terri! Prayers always help!

 

Something to be aware of is that infections and dental issues can cause higher BGs, so once that's taken care, BE SURE YOU'RE TESTING HIM as his insulin dose might very well need to be significantly lowered. (Or even better, he might go back into remission!)

 

Hi,
Just wanted you to know that there was an adjustment after having all 4 canines pulled. Suddenly it was different trying to take bites of food. I found myself making the canned food in little
tiny chunks ( with a knife) so that my cat could eat. And now she can't manage to eat without pushing half the food off the dish. I'm not sure why it became more of a challenge other than
I noticed that she doesn't extend her tongue to get the food.
But life without fangs is an adjustment for them.

 

I am hoping some of you may have some experience and/or suggestions for me and Bear. I took him to a neighboring state to a vet who only treats cats on Tuesday, April 2. It turned out he had abscessed canines and pancreatitus and had to go back on Lantus (BG level was 344 when I took him in). He was in the hospital till Friday - and had to have TEN teeth removed. He was on IV meds and fluids until I brought him home. BG levels kept going down - his last insulin was Sat am - i unit. Just after midnight he went into a hypoglycemic crisis and I rushed him to a local emergency hospital. BG was 23. Immediately was given dextrose. put on a heating pad and monitored very closely for the next 12 hours. His BG went up and down but mid afternoon I brought him home. He has not had any insulin since then and his BG level has hovered around 250. He has been on many meds - daily he gets pain, antibiotics, anti nausea, metronidazole, and sub Q fluids every other day.

I thought once his mouth started feeling better he would eat better - but he is just a finicky as he was before he went to the vet on April 2. He will not eat the Royal Canin rabbit or duck - I have given him tuna, some other grain free cat food, salmon, sardines and baby food. He will eat something and then stop and look at me - then I give him something else - and that goes on and on. In a half hour I can give him 4 different things. I started him on Cypro yesterday - so far I have not seen a big difference. Right now I think the pancreatitus could be the problem. I do not take him back to that vet until the 22nd. Before that I may have to put him back on Lantus if his BG level goes up - but I have to be really careful as he responds quickly to insulin and I do not want to repeat the crisis we had over the weekend.

He is not as active as he normally is/was - even before he went to the vet April 2. But such a good sport about being poked and "pilled" all day long.

If any of you have any information you might share with me - I would be so very grateful. And do any of you know about something I found online called Pancreas Booster?

THANK YOU!

Joan and Bear

 

He may be nauseaus - and giving an appetite stimulant to a cat with nauseau doesn't work well.

You might try 1/4 of a 10 mg Pepcid AC regular (not complete) about 15-30 minutes before feeding or ask the vet about an Rx for ondansetron. Its possible to dissolve it in an oral syringe with some water and squirt it in rather than pilling.

 

Thanks. Bear is already on Cerenia and he only got one Cypro yesterday - which doesn't seem to have changed his eating one way or another.

 

Are you assist feeding with a syringe?

Yahoo Assisted-Feeding Group

 

No because he is eating - but I just have to keep giving him different foods. He will eat a little of this and then a little of that and then he will eat a bit more of something else.

 

You may want to invest in a digital baby scale to monitor his weight. A second-hand baby store, Craigslist, etc, may be good places to look.

 

Thanks - but as of this weekend he had not lost any weight. He is a big cat (not fat and flabby) and weighs between 17 and 18 lbs.

 

I am sorry you are having so many problems. Just to confirm, the issue is that he is eating a little of his food and then stopping and looking at you until you give him something else?

Is he currently back on Lantus? How is his BG?

But honestly this sounds to me like my boy Tiggy who will eat a little and stop if I am watching to see if there is something better coming. He may have learned to eat a bit and when he gets tired of the initial flavour hit, wants to see if mamma will give him something else. which she has been!

I would give him the food and walk away. Or even give him the food (maybe sprinkle fortiflora or crumbled freeze dried chicken on top) and leave so he is on his own. Choose the type of food you think he likes best and try that. Thats assuming he isnt on insulin. Also try feeding him somewhere else rather than the usual location.. sometimes "found" food is better.

 

Thanks - I don't know if this has become a game or not - he used to eat two 5 oz cans of anything (well grain free, etc) a day. Also, I have walked away and left the food - like you, I am using every trick I can think of. He will probably go back on insulin tonight - but only 1/2 unit. Do now want to repeat a hypoglycemic crisis again.

Joan and Bear

 

whats his blood glucose like?

wendy

 

It has been hovering around 250 for the past few days

 

Yeah it looks like you will need to start the insulin at a low dose.

Here are some tips for getting him to eat:

 

Boy you have a lot of suggestions! I have CORE which he didn't like - tried chicken (and chicken liver and baked fish) but that was before he had 10 teeth extracted so until his mouth is healed he has to stay on softer foods - like the baby food which he does eat and I do heat things too. Also, he started Cypro yesterday. But I may try some of your other suggestions especially the FortiFlora.


My vet still thinks it is related to his pancreatitus and we are both hoping that was a result of the infection in his mouth. No one has replied about their experiences with pancreatitus so maybe if someone reads this they will. Anyway, thank you for taking the time to send me so much information!

Joan and Bear

 

Has anyone given you this link on pancreatitis?

http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=83108

 

....so he has been home almost a week now after having 10 teeth removed if I read it right.

I think that and the pancreatitis are enough of a reason for your cat to be hesitant to eat....

I didn't deal with 10 teeth at a time but I did do all 4 canine teeth a year ago with my cat and my best comparison was it seem to be as huge an adjustment for Shadow as it would be for a woman getting a mastectomy.
I believe losing her fangs took her down a notch... (actually several notches)
She was the queen of the house, our fierce little lioness and after those extractions, she was meek for quite a long time. We helped her retain and regain her alpha status in our house.

It takes a long time for cats ( and many people) to recover from the affects of the anesthesia so that's a factor.
Many teeth pulled... another factor.
Pancreatitis and nausea... another factor.

He's doing well that he's eating some.
I would continue giving him other choices of cans myself...even if I had to waste some food...hopefully you have another cat who will eat the ones he won't.
I think his mouth needs more time to heal.
The minor dental I just had on my cat a couple of weeks ago, I observed it took her about 8 days to act normal again after the anesthesia and she was having appetite issues.

I went back to my shopping list and even went and bought her some fancy feasts and friskies which I normally don't give her.
And that also perked up her appetite. - something different.
She also suddenly wants to eat mozzarella cheese...

You have a lot of factors to deal with right now .
I hope you will keep posting and letting us know how he is doing.
Paws crossed that his appetite will get a little better each day.

You are a great mamabean for trying so hard to help him.

 

Thank you! Bear continues to keep me on a bit of an emotional roller coaster. After his BG levels went above 250 (274 last night) two vets agreed to give him 1/2 unit of Lantus - he was active all night and ready to eat this morning - ate the Royal Canin he would not touch before - then some other food and then some tuna. All in all a good 5 oz or more. BUT I checked his BG level first and it was 57 and an hour later 63. Vet seems to think this is OK and he may be on 1/2 unit a day or every other day - BG levels throughout the day will let us know what to do. But he does seem fine and I don't think he really cares about his teeth - this kitty (rescued from a death sentence and a high kill shelter) is so cool - nothing bothers him - even the vet techs said that during his hospital stay - in fact two of them wanted to take him home! He has been super through this very long ordeal.

I did print out the Primer on Pancreatitis and have added that to his file. Thanks again for everyone's help!

Joan and Bear
I would add a photo but haven't figured out how to do that.

 

What time did he reach 57? How long was it after the shot?

 

He got 1/2 unit of Lantus Thursday at 7pm - at 7am Friday his BG level was 57. Has not had insulin since and BG has continued to increase. I suspect, after talking to his vet this morning that he may get another 1/2 unit later today or more likely tomorrow. We do not want to repeat the crisis we had one week ago.

Thanks

Joan and Bear

 

Do your syringes have half unit markings? Bear could just need a very small amount - my Bailey could have a hypo on 1/4 unit but his BG would rise a lot if I didnt give any, so I had to learn how to give very small doses.

You might want to try and reduce the dose to 1/4unit.. see pictures below and see how that goes. However I wonder if he dropped under the 57 at night or if 57 was the lowest number - you might need to do night spot checks.








Wendy

 

Although the micro-dosing is tricky - it does work.
I reduced my cat's insulin down to literally 1 drop (ie. a drop coming out when the plunger is pushed) - I had her on that for a while just to give her the little boost she needed.
She's now been off insulin for over 2 months.

 

Thanks to both - We have already determined that 1/4 unit was too much and I gave him about .25 earlier so will be monitoring him for that and Denise, I am glad to hear that there is another cat out there who needs micro doses of insulin. I think that might be the trick for Bear.

Thanks!

Joan and Bear

 

How is Bear doing?

 

Ragnar had Pepcid too, but it made his gums bleed, and I think around his claws too. There may have been bleeding inside - this bleeding in some patients is a known side effect of the med. So we put him on Prosilec instead. You should probably ask your vet before giving him either one.

 

If he will eat salmon, give him salmon! Ragnar had the same thing a few weeks ago, blood tests all good, just would NOT eat and was crazy for water. He may have had a sore throat or sore esophagus from being pilled, but Dr. didn't want to subject him to sedation at his age for an endoscopy. If your cat is younger and could take anesthesia, you might want to ask your vet about this - there's a condition called Erosive Esophagus that will stop them from eating and requires a feeding tube until the esophagus can heal.

Since he's eating at all, it's likely not erosive esophagus. It may be whatever Ragnar had, and we never did figure out what that was. He would eat only mackerel packed for humans (a variation of the salmon!), and I gave him that, then worked in a little Fancy Feast gradually. He's now eating Friskies again, though a different flavor than before. We had to stop the mackerel because there was too much sodium in it (might be in the salmon too, but they have to keep eating something or might get hepatic lipidosis, another nightmare).

Our best guess is that Ragnar's throat and/or esophagus have been sore, even without being erosive, and that might be what's wrong with your cat too, especially is he's had pills.

Blessings!

Shirley and Mr. Wouldn't-Eat-Either

(Edited because I replied before reading your latest updates - obviously, his teeth were not OK!)

 

Thank you for your lengthy email and suggestions. Actually Bear is eating much better now and I believe that his pancreatitis is improving and he is on the mend. He returns to his out of state vet next week but I am hopeful that most of his pills and subq fluids will be a thing of the past!

Joan and Bear

 

I'm glad to hear that Bear is doing so much better! Please let us know how it goes with the out-of-state vet next week.

 

I sure will and thank you again!

Joan and Bear

 

Bear went to the out of state vet yesterday and looks pretty good - controlling his diabetes with about a drop of insulin but he is still having eating issues - which likely is part of his improving pancreatitis. But now he doesn't want to eat any food but dry! The vet sent me home with some Royal Canin kitten food - which he was eating - but also drinking more water. I tried Core dry kitten food - higher protein and less grain but he didn't like it. I know ideally, he should be on canned - that switch is what had him in remission for a year - but if he won't eat it !

Do any of you feed dry food and if so, what kind? But know that I am persistent with getting him to eat and do have Cypro if all else fails - and to prove that he is not starving - when weighed yesterday he was still 18.5 lbs!

Thanks.

Joan and Bear

 

If dry food is the only thing he'll eat, you might check Binky's Page Dry food list.

The 3 main ones are Wellness Core Original, Innova EVO Cat & Kitten, Young Again 0 Carb

Have you tried any raw food? Nature's Variety Raw Instinct is 7% calories from Carbohydrates per Binky's Page.

 

I have an outdoor cat that adopted us that is now getting Young Again Zero Carb dry...
pm me your address if you would like a sample to see if Bear likes it....

it's the only one I would go with in a dry....

 

Nice of you to offer a sample. I think I have seen this online. Is that cat diabetic? I know I would need to check the protein first.

Joan and Bear

 

here's the info on it..... a 25 lb bag is supposed to almost last an entire year because after the initial introduction stage, they slow down and don't eat as much....
and a diabetic cat would slow down after getting into regulation numbers or remission.
https://youngagainpetfood.com/10browse.asp?category=cats&ProductCode=92125
and more info
http://youngagainpetfood.com/page.asp?c=966#hydration

here's her spreadsheet for an example
switched from evo dry to Young again dry


I haven't had my outdoor guy tested....
He's young, he was overweight ( but getting better now) and he's the low guy on the totem pole for expenditures....
I keep meaning to go test his ear and see what I get.

 

It's amazing what switching to a lower carb food can do to help drop the BG numbers. I've read so many posts on here that indicate switching even a few percentage points lower on the carb content has helped several kitties. It's one reason why we try to have people switch from the Hill's m/d foods with their higher carb contents to a food with <10 % carbs.

Joan, Keep up the good work you are doing with Bear.

I remember reading on here that this process of treating diabetes with our cats is a marathon, not a sprint. Keep asking questions and we will try to help. Good luck with Bear.

 

Deb and Rhiannon,

Thank you both for your comments and suggestions. I have called Young Again and they are sending me some samples. If he eats that and is not drinking a ton of water - which started as soon as I started giving him the dry food - maybe more with the Core kitten than the Royal Canin kitten - but I have no idea about carbs in either. So let's hope we will soon have a solution for Bear and will even be in remission! And Deb, you are right about this not being a sprint but a marathon!

Joan and Bear

 

If that's the case then I will make sure not to buy the 25lb bag. My cats tend to get sick of the food after it's been open awhile even if it's in an air tight container. So you say they will eat less as time goes on...how does that work exactly? Like for example if my cat needs 200 calories a day if they eat that food then they won't need 200 after awhile? That doesn't make any sense to me. So even at the same weight, in a few months they would need less calories? Or do you mean they won't WANT to eat as much? Milo rarely wants to eat anymore so I can't go by how much he wants to, I have to go by calorie count and weight loss.

Evo is wayyy cheaper and has about the same calorie count so my sample will have to convince me. Plus Milo's glucose doesn't change with Evo.

 

I would not buy the HUGE bag either - IF Bear eats the samples - the most I would buy is the smaller 8# bag because he may also stop eating it after a while. But I do want to ask you Rhiannon - what Evo are you feeding your cat?

 

its a high calorie food so they don't need as much....
Ninja ( the cat in the spreadsheet example ) ate more when her bean first bought it but then slowed down.... just as the website claimed.....
she only eats approximately 2 tablespoons.

I do not feed dry to Shadow .... my avatar... my diabetic altho' she has had a kibble or two of the Young Again as a treat or crumbled on her food to inspire her to eat....
She was a canned food cat before diagnosis and she is now in remission.

The outdoor cat we have has eaten every brand out there and last year got fat from all those carbs and less activity. (He's killed every critter within a few doors down on my block...
eats lizards, birds, gophers :thumbup , chipmunks, squirrels and baby rabbits :cry:
Now that there isn't anything to hunt and he's gotten older, he gained weight.
I give him canned food too at least once a day .... but he gets a controlled amount of Young Again too.
He needs a home.... I let him sleep in our garage... has a heated bed. He needs someone with a barn full of mice....
We have coyotes everywhere so I give him shelter since he found us.

Shadow would be most unhappy if he came inside. She doesn't share. And she's my baby so I won't stress her out by bringing another cat in.

I prefer the canned only BUT...
I know there are those out there who don't want to deal with canned or have a cat that won't eat canned ( like Ninja won't)
I believe its Your choice what you feed.... no judgement from me.
it's just that after watching Ninja struggle ...and she was on a high dose of insulin because of the Evo dry food..... and then went into remission after switching to YoungAgain....

I want anyone who is choosing to feed dry to know about the Young Again.
Ninja's owner doesn't post on fdmb because she felt ostracized for having a cat that wouldn't convert to canned food.
I tried every way I could to help her think of ways to get her cat to switch.
I'm allowed to share her story. see the post from earlier below to see her spreadsheet ......

 

Thanks again for all the detailed information!

Joan and Bear

 

I get what Ninja's owner feels. I almost feel like I am breaking a law giving Milo dry food. I also get that most of the people just want to help, they aren't judging. It still makes you feel bad though. I have tried with Milo but with the pancreatitis he just will not eat enough canned. Even when he is nauseous he will eat dry.


Joan---I use the Evo cat and kitten. The purple bag. I think it's still on recall though right now. And fyi, the fish one smells HORRIBLE. I tried it once with my cat that had hemolytic anemia. Never again.
I guess I am lucky that Evo doesn't raise Milo's glucose. Hopefully that won't change. Right now I am trying Nature's Variety chicken since I can't get Evo. It's not as calorie dense as Evo or Young Again so he needs a bit more which is not ideal. And I am not sure if it's the reason his numbers have been around 100-130 or if it's the pancreatitis. I want to try Young Again to see if it brings him back down to his normal 80s.

Milo got diabetes while on Evo as well but I wasn't feeding him the right amount. I had no clue about calories and everything. I just let them eat whatever they wanted. So he weighed 25 pounds and that is most likely why he got diabetes, not necessarily the food. Now he is at 16 pounds and in remission and hopefully he will lose more :smile:

 

While I hate to see anyone going through all this - it is somewhat comforting to know my cat and I are "not alone" Thanks for the Evo info - I did know they were on recall. I am anxious to try the Young Again - meanwhile just coping with whatever - oddly - or probably not - Bear ate some Fancy Feast classic a while ago. Keeps us on our toes!

Joan and Bear

 

That might be like eating saltines with nausea for humans. Seems to be less irritating and less likely to provoke vomiting.