Need Advice On Getting My Aging Cat To Eat

I looked at the list of ingredients again. I was mistaken as the ingredients are ground chicken, water, and corn starch.

Regarding pills. Have you ever tried to put the pill in something called pill pockets? They are essentially a soft treat with a hole in the middle to place the pill. You just close the treat shut once the pill is placed. My elderly kitty inhales it. :)
 
My kitty had the same issue (kidney disease) and would not eat. You've gotten some really good suggestions. My vet gave me some food that would stimulate his appetite, I think it was a hill's brand. Of course with the kidney disease, you want to limit the amount of protein he gets because the abnormal kidneys don't process it well. If you're doing the baby food, try to use as little as possible to stimulate his appetite. We used to feed our kitty K/D and heating it up helped quite a bit.

We also had some medication that you put into his ear and it stimulated his appetite. It's really important for kitties to eat. If none of these tactics are working you may want to use a syringe to get some food down him.
 
Thanks for all your responses; I really appreciate it. I've got three more questions:

1. How many ounces of food a day do your kitties eat? I've only been able to get my cat to eat about three ounces a day and it's freaking me out.

2. My cat won't eat his kidney food so I'm letting him eat any kind of smelly wet canned food that he likes. Am I doing the right thing, or should I keep trying ways to get him to eat his k/d?

3. Once your cats reached the phase where eating became a problem, how long did they live?

I'm taking him to the vet on Saturday so maybe they'll be able to give him an appetite stimulant.

Thanks again,
Shelbygirl
 
Shelby - my kitty used to eat about 3 oz a day and that seemed to be enough for him to take in without losing weight. That is the key really is how much weight he's losing.

Really I think you are probably doing the right thing by just letting him eat what he likes. I think it's more important for him to get some food in him than to give him k/d if he ignores it. Unless you are willing to syringe feed it to him or possibly try to make your own homemade food for him. Here is a website with some recipes you can make for kitties with CRF. http://users.ameritech.net/critterz/crf_recipes.htm

My kitty was a fussy eater with CRF for about 6 months. It did get to the point where he had lost too much weight and he wouldn't eat or keep anything down. After that he went very quickly.

Are you giving him fluids at all? We did subq fluids and that helped him a lot. You could tell after his fluids that he was a lot more perky and felt better.
 
Hi Tess.

We aren't giving him any fluids at this point. He only really just stopped eating properly a short while ago (he still weighs about 10 pounds).

How do these subq fluids work? I assume they have to be done at the vet. How often does it need to be done to be effective?

Shelbygirl
 
The subcutaneous fluids are administered under the skin behind the neck (in the "gruff" area). There are a few different solutions that vets might recommend. They help the kidneys to flush waste better. They gave me a lesson on how to do it at home and so I would do it about twice a week. It's hard at first but once you get used to it and get a system down, it's a piece of cake.
 
Definitely get him on fluids if at all possible. I'm surprised that the vet hasn't recommended this already at this stage.

I've had two cats with kidney problems. One with chronic renal failure, whose lifespan was extended by my giving him daily fluids. Another with less advanced kidney problems, whose kidneys improved for quite a while after I gave her fluids first every other day, then twice a week.

Sub-Q fluids can help so much. I even gave some to my cat who recently had problems with FLUTS (feline lower urinary tract syndrome). The vet had mentioned that some feline vets suggest this course of treatment, and I was quick to volunteer to do it, because I'm pretty much a pro now at doing sub-Q stuff (after giving twice-daily insulin shots to one cat for about 4 years, and giving sub-Q fluids to three different cats (the two with kidney problems, and a few times to my diabetic guy when he was feeling punk).

It seems quite daunting before you try it, because the needle is big (it actually seems HUGE compared to the thin little insulin needles), but if you grab the ruff, where there are fewer nerve endings, massage it a bit to kind of deaden the area, then pull it into a tight tent into which you push the needle, it's pretty much painless to the cat. The biggest problem is figuring out a position that is comfortable for you and the cat for several minutes. I usually would do it on the bed, with the cat between my legs, and the fluid bag hung over the back of a door on a hanger.
 
>
>
>Regarding pills. Have you ever tried to put the pill in
>something called pill pockets? They are essentially a soft
>treat with a hole in the middle to place the pill. You just
>close the treat shut once the pill is placed. My elderly
>kitty inhales it. :)
>
I never heard of the pill pockets.
What a great idea. Do you get them from a pet store?
>
 
Thanks, Tess and Kathryn, for the information on fluids. The problem with my cat is that he becomes a wild maniac whenever something needs to be done to him. The vet can't even get a blood sample without giving Sidney some valium. I seriously doubt I'd be able to give him fluids myself. Sidney even had to be given anesthesia to have an x-ray done this past January.

The vet hasn't suggested fluids yet most likely because the most recent blood work (done last January) indicated Sidney was still in the very early stages. (I'm pretty much am assuming he's now in the mid stages, but that hasn't been confirmed yet with blood tests - we are doing that this Saturday).

Sidney is such a fighter. He's had cancer twice, he's had stomach surgery to remove a fake Christmas tree branch that he ate and just last January he had surgery to remove a benign tumor from his intestines. He absolutely hates going to the vet, though, and he always has a complete meltdown when he's there. (I always feel like I should by the vet's office presents when we are done there!).

Well, in any event, I'll find out more about his condition this Saturday. On a brighter note, he did start eating better last night. Let's hope it continues!

Thanks for all your help,
Shelbygirl
 
Shelbygirl,

Have you tried the k/d chicken flavor? This is the only one my female will eat. I also have to give her a subQ injection once a week. It really makes a huge difference in her energy level! :)
 
RE: pill pockets

Do pill pockets work with cats? Dogs will gobble up just about anything, so they'd work fine with them, but cats are notorious for 'eating around' any kind of pill.

I find that pilling isn't too hard: much easier and less messy than trying to get liquids down a cat. I just use my fingers (but it doesn't work well for people with larger hands...I have pretty skinny fingers), tipping the cat's head back a bit while opening the mouth with one hand, and putting the pill as far back as I can (sometimes putting a bit of margarine/butter/oil on the pill helps it go down easier), holding the chin tilted up and mouth closed until the cat's tongue comes out (showing that s/he has swallowed....if you don't wait for that, stubborn cats can hold a pill in their mouths for quite a while, and spit it out after you think they've downed it).
 
RE: pill pockets

Hi Kathryn,

I believe it depends on the cat. The pill pockets work well for both my elderly cat (who isn't a fan of having pills shoved down his throat) and for my neighbor's cat. However, my vet used to carry pill pockets for cats as well. They stopped carrying them because several owners complained that their cats ate the treat but left behind the pill....

Lorrayne
 
Good luck to you and kitty. I have a two year old cat (we adopted Teddy after he was living in our garage for about three months) who is having some kidney issues. Our dog (who is 12 now) is starting to also have kidney issues. Do not give up! I think all the suggestions given so far are excellent. Maybe try some chicken broth (homemade - too much salt in the store version). Also, you might check out a book by Dr. Richard Pitcairn. He is a holistic vet and has a slightly different approach then more conventional vets. You could try your library - his book has been a handbook for caring for pets for years, or buy the latest edition at Amazon, etc. It's called "Dr. Pitcairn's Natural Guide for Dogs and Cats". Just might give you some ideas. Also, if worse comes to worse don't be afraid to go the subcutaneous water route. We did it with our cat, Fuzzers, for about two to three years and extended and I think added to the quality of his life. Your vet can teach you and give you all the supplies. It was more of an expense, but it was for Fuzzers. You actually have a saline solution that hangs from a rack. You insert a needle under his skin and give him fluids. This is only if things get bad. I will say a little prayer for kitty.
 
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