Our poor kitty is only ingesting pills.

December 28, 2009 11:53 AM

Sick, maybe dying kitty filter:Our geriatric (15 year old) kitty had a UTI last week. Since we found her showing the symptoms after we came home from work and our vet had closed, we took her to the emergency animal hospital.

The hospital held her overnight and, after checking with our vet to avoid prescribing the meds that make her nauseated, released her with a prescription for 15 days of antibiotics. We are 5 days into her treatment regimen, and she has stopped eating entirely.

Any advice? She has been a healthy if thin cat with lots of personality, but now she is starving. Should we stop the antibiotics? Are we being blind to the need to put her to sleep? I just don't want her to spend her last days starving and being force fed pills, or being carted to the vet (which she hates) to give more urine and blood samples.

posted by bearwife to Pets & Animals (25 answers total)

Best answer: You need to take your kitty back to her regular vet, stat.
posted by gsh at 12:00 PM on December 28, 2009

Have you tried tempting her with the foods that she never fails to eat? Can you go out and get some fresh salmon or tuna? Her reaction to those should tell you a lot.

I hear you on the wish to not spend her last days starving, being force fed and carried to the vet. We went through this last year when my cat was diagnosed with lymphoma. Fortunately and unfortunately, he passed before we had to make a decision on endless car rides to chemotherapy.

He made it very clear to us when the time had come for us to fulfill our end of the agreement as his caretakers.
posted by micawber at 12:01 PM on December 28, 2009

Also, hang in there.
posted by micawber at 12:01 PM on December 28, 2009

My dear kitty had to be put down at about that age, after being on diabetes meds for his last 2 years. In preparation, I asked the vet how I would know when it was time - how to know when the suffering outweighed the happiness of my pet. She said that, like people, cats like to eat. When the cat no longer did activities he had enjoyed, such as eating, it would likely be time to let him go. He didn't eat much for a day or so, and on his last day, even refused his all-time favorite treat - buttermilk. That was the sign I needed to take him in to be put down - if his favorite thing didn't entice him, what joy was he getting out of life? It was the hardest thing I've ever done - it was 5 years ago this month, and I'm crying at work as I type this. I'm so sorry for you and your kitty in this hard decision.
posted by dorey_oh at 12:03 PM on December 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

I've been in your situation . . . first, it doesn't sound like the treatment is working if she's stopped eating so if you haven't already, I'd take her to your regular vet and have her/him advise you.

It sounds, though, that your kitty may be coming to the end of her time here on the planet and if that's the case I have two bits of advice from my personal experience of having been through this three times.

You will want to hang on longer than your kitty probably will--you know her and you will get a sense of when she's retreating/withdrawing/isn't herself. I will tell you that the worst experience I ever had with a dear cat was ignoring these signs, trying to keep her going with subcutaneous fluid injections, etc etc only to have her die a horrible death suddenly going into a seizure. Trust me, you don't want this.

Find someone--your vet will know--who makes housecalls to euthanize your dear kitty. If you do this at home, in your (and her) own environment it ends up being a *much* better situation all around than going to the vet, or worst, rushing at midnight to the emergency vet hospital.
posted by donovan at 12:05 PM on December 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

I'm sorry your cat is so sick. Hopefully, your vet will be able to advise you as to what's going on and if it is time to let her go. For us, we knew it was time the morning our cat (also 15 yrs old) stopped resisting when it was time to receive her medication.
posted by onhazier at 12:11 PM on December 28, 2009

Best answer: You need to take her (ar at least talk) to the vet, your vet, the one you trust. Not only for the cat, but for you -- vets deal with this heartbreak every single day, and can tell you when it's worth it to keep trying, and when it's time to let go. I'm so sorry you're dealing with that; putting my Stripe down at her ripe old age of 18 was the one of the hardest things I've done. In the meantime, make your kitty as comfortable as possible, keep trying her favorite foods, and pay attention to see if there's anything at all thats making her life enjoyable -- cuddling, playing or eating anything. If there isn't, you'll know your answer.
posted by cgg at 12:19 PM on December 28, 2009

Try baby food (some kind of meat-flavored version) or even fresh grilled fish or chicken. Something that smells really, really tempting and delicious might help. I did this with my 18-year-old cat when she had a UTI and it got her eating again.

Good luck -- you are being very caring to your geriatric kitty.
posted by vickyverky at 12:39 PM on December 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I'm sorry to hear this. Having a sick pet is an awful, stressful situation.

Ask your vet for anti-nausea meds. My fatboy cat Toby needed those this summer. It was like a miracle. Thirty minutes after getting the dose, Toby was eating. He'd refused almost all food for two days before he took the anti-nausea meds. BTW once she's eating, be careful to only give small amounts of few every few minutes. You don't want her to gorge and vomit. The vet gave me a handout on a mild foods diet - basically tuna and chicken. Toby ate that for a few days while his tummy healed.

Call your vet. It may be the antibiotics that are making her tummy ache. There may be some options there. (Space the doses to let her eat? Change of Rx?)

Good luck. Lots of love and snuggles to your kitty.
posted by 26.2 at 12:41 PM on December 28, 2009

IAAV (IANYV, though) and it's important to remember that cats really rely on their sense of smell to stimulate their appetite and their appetite is one of the first things to go when they don't feel well. The easiest thing to do is to make the food more smelly. If she normally eats dry kibble, try wet food. If she normally eats wet food, try heating it. If she doesn't show interest in heated wet food, then we used to try warmed jarred meat baby food, usually lamb or chicken.

Test it first on your hand to be sure you haven't overheated it and stir it to get rid of hot spots. Take a tiny amount (pea-sized or smaller) and put it on her lips with a tongue depressor or the back of a spoon. Cats generally don't like the feeling of food on their faces, will go to lick it off, and realize that hey, eating something might not be such a bad idea after all.

See your real vet, though, to 1) verify that this plan is appropriate for your kitty and 2) that there isn't something else going on (the UTI is the first sign of chronic renal failure or there is another underlying condition that should be treated). I don't think stopping eating is necessarily a sign that it's time to put your kitty to sleep, but it may be time to try more intensive measures to get her appetite back.
posted by marmot at 12:41 PM on December 28, 2009

Response by poster: There are great answers here, and I also apologize for stirring up some very sad memories.

I should have added that our kitty doesn't really smell much at all anymore due to a (treated) disease which per our vet scarred her nose, and also has trouble eating anything that is shredded due to having bad teeth pulled over the years. (I know it sounds like she is a wreck, but actually she just has a cute snuffle and is on a soft food diet.) What really worries us is that this morning she refused cheddar cheese, her top favorite food.

What we are specifically wondering before we take her to the vet is whether to stop giving her the antibiotics and see if her appetite comes back . . . or are we just inviting a more resistant type of UTI??

I will call our vet re the anti nausea meds 26.2 suggests -- if that doesn't work, maybe the final vet visit is in order. (I'm torn about doing it at home . . . it is tough for me to visit our vet's 2 dog exam rooms, as we have put down a very elderly, sick dog in each in the past.)
posted by bearwife at 1:13 PM on December 28, 2009

Best answer: When my geriatric girl (14 years old!) was going through some kidney issues, she initially stopped eating. She dropped from around nine pounds to under six pounds in an exceptionally short period of time. Getting her to eat again was sort of tough - she needed to be on a particular diet but she hated (and still hates) the dry kibble I offered. Once she started feeling a little better, though, she started eating. In fact, she started seeking out food anywhere she could, including reaching into the fridge when I opened it and snagging food from there. Even now, months later, when she's still insistent upon being fed according to her schedule (gods, I spoil this girl!), she's gained enough weight to tip the scale at a tiny 6 pounds, 9 ounces, a fraction of what she used to weigh.

I don't have much advice, but I'll just add another voice to those above (especially marmot's): get her checked by her normal doctor, have her blood checked for her BUN level then go from there. Perhaps she just needs another few days before she feels well enough to eat again.

To marmot's suggestions, I'll add one thing: Tomlyn's Nutri-Cal for cats. It's a high-calorie supplement that's sticky and oily and smells oh-so-nasty. My elderly girl loves it and will paw at the tube until I squeeze some out for her. This was the stuff that kept her going while she was still sick (of course, at that time, I would swipe some onto her paw/fur and she'd groom it off).

As a side note to the "when to put down" question: in April 2009, I put my 16 year old down. Just prior to making that decision, she had been coming to me to be groomed and 'comforted'. It was odd behavior for her - particularly the need and request to be groomed - and I knew that she was really telling me it was time to go. If she wasn't in my lap, getting groomed, she would hide in a dark cubby, away from the other cats. She didn't run away when her doctor came to my home to put her down.

Good luck with yours.
posted by LOLAttorney2009 at 1:28 PM on December 28, 2009

Bearwife, I'm very sorry to hear about your sick kitty.
I just wanted to share a story regarding end of (pet) life at home.
We did this with a much-beloved (and younger) cat, one who really truly hated the car, and was usually mildly traumatized by the vet's office (as are many pets). Our vet came to our house, and just sort of hung out for a half-hour, until our cat was used to the fact that he was there. Then, while my husband held him, and whispered his goodbyes, he gave our cat two shots - one to knock him out, and the second to stop his breathing. It was very peaceful, and felt as though we had done the Right Thing. This was in our living room, and it wasn't sad for me to be in that room afterwards - I think because our cat was so *un*traumatized by the procedure; he passed in the arms of someone who had loved him his whole life, and he felt safe and warm.
My heart goes out to you.
posted by dbmcd at 1:29 PM on December 28, 2009

LOLAttorney2009 has a good tip with the Nutri-Cal. We also use Petromalt, which is supposedly just for hairballs but also seems to be an appetite enhancer, too. Smear a bit of the goo on your kitty's muzzle and see if that tempts her to lick it off.
posted by vickyverky at 1:50 PM on December 28, 2009

I would talk to your vet about your kitty not eating, but here's my experience. My cat is about 16 years old and last year stopped eating and lost a ton of weight. The vet sent me to the emergency vet for tons of elaborate tests with no real answers, and my cat was prescribed mirtazapine, which apparently has a side effect of making cats really hungry. He stayed on that for a couple of weeks and since then has been eating well.

I have to really mix up what kinds (flavors and brands) of food he is eating to make him interested in it and I also give him duck fat that I buy in the meat department at the grocery. Before the mirtzapine, I also fed my cat tons of baby food, but someone told me to get only the very stage 1 type, without onions or spices added, but I'm not sure why. I also fed him nutri-cal and some sort of cat pet milk.

There is a yahoo group called feline assisted feeding that I found really helpful.
posted by katinka-katinka at 2:51 PM on December 28, 2009

Katinka-Katinka: Onions and garlic cause kidney issues in felines. That might be why someone suggested using unspiced baby foods.
posted by LOLAttorney2009 at 3:31 PM on December 28, 2009

I am so sorry your kitty is so sick. You sound like a very loving and caring pet owner, who will make the best decision for your cat. IANAV, and my experience has mostly been with dogs, but it is possible it is time to help your kitty move on from this world. Your vet can advise you best, but I'd also suggest following your instincts. If you think the antibiotics are doing more harm than good, maybe it's worth taking her off them for a day or so and see if she improves. Best of luck during this difficult time.
posted by katemcd at 4:03 PM on December 28, 2009

Best answer: Definitely ask your vet about stopping the antibiotics. My cat went through a terrible (and forever undiagnosed) illness earlier this year for which she was on IV antibiotics at the vet for 5 days/nights. When we got her home she still wasn't eating, and we were supposed to continue antibiotics via pill/food/etc. Well, as a former feral she was impossible to pill, so we were trying to hide the antibiotics in her food. But she could smell/taste it from a mile away and wouldn't touch it.

At the vet's suggestion, we stopped the antibiotics to give her a break and see if she'd eat without us constantly messing with her food (and the possible tummy upset the antibiotics may have been causing). She quickly regained her appetite and did just fine. Per the vet's instructions, we never resumed the antibiotics because she was doing well.

Since you've already been giving your kitty the antibiotics for 5 days, definitely ask your vet if you can pause/stop giving them to see if it helps with the appetite issues. 15 days seems like a lot, although IANAV. I'm sorry your kitty is sick. My thoughts will be with you.
posted by misskaz at 4:37 PM on December 28, 2009

Best answer: Our cat stopped eating when on antibiotics following an operation (for a twisted bowel in his case). Turned out it was purely the antibiotics making him nauseous, and he got better in leaps and bounds as soon as the course ended; but prior to that, when he was just lying about listless and not eating, we went through the same questions about maybe it being time to put him to sleep. I'd talk to your vet; they'll at least be able to hydrate your cat. On a few occasions I was able to coax ours into a few mouthfuls of something reaally yummy, but mainly I think he was behaving pretty logically: he only threw it up again whenever he ate anything. Anti-nausea meds sound promising - I hope they help you!
posted by springbound at 4:47 PM on December 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

I'm so sorry about your kitty.
I've been through this with my oldfurfolk. We used tuna water and chicken water (from canned tuna/chicken) to get appetites going again.

If you can get her hydrated too, that might bring back her appetite.
Good luck.
posted by pywacket at 6:42 PM on December 28, 2009

I'm crying reading this thread too, and remembering having to put my own 13-year-old kitty to sleep. He was at a point where he had pretty much stopped eating, too, and we were having to force-feed him using syringes.

One suggestion (a piece of advice I found right here on Metafilter, as a matter of fact): try Sheba brand cat food. The original poster likened it to "junk food for cats," and it was the only thing our cat would eat on his own, without being held down and force-fed. (The potent smell maybe? Just a heads up...)
posted by polyester.lumberjack at 7:28 PM on December 28, 2009

And, of course, good luck and good thoughts for you and your kitty. I've been there, I know how hard this is. :(
posted by polyester.lumberjack at 7:29 PM on December 28, 2009

Best answer: The hospital held her overnight and, after checking with our vet to avoid prescribing the meds that make her nauseated, released her with a prescription for 15 days of antibiotics. We are 5 days into her treatment regimen, and she has stopped eating entirely.

Please do visit your regular vet again and don't assume the worst--my Sammy Katz (young and spry, at 4 years!) has lost his appetite on antibiotics, and usually a quick change of meds fixed that promptly. You might also try giving the next dose of pills in plain yogurt, which can mitigate the nausea.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 8:25 PM on December 28, 2009

Best answer: I'll second PhoBWanKenobi's suggestion that a quick change of medication may be helpful. Our geriatric cat (now 15) has had numerous UTIs, and we had a great deal of trouble with clavimox making her extremely nauseated and unwilling to eat until we discovered Baytril was also effective (though required longer courses to keep infection away) without suppressing her appetite or making her nauseated. There have been times we have had to syringe-feed her, but it's certainly worth seeing if there is another antibiotic that will be effective yet won't be nauseating.

Good luck!
posted by enoent at 11:33 PM on December 28, 2009

Response by poster: Thank you again, very much, to everyone for all your help. I have a happy ending to report, thank goodness. After reading a lot of your responses, I called our vet, and we meanwhile took our cat off her antibiotics. The next day, we took her in and she got a shot of a new med -- sorry, don't have the name but could get it if you want to me mail me -- which apparently is good for at least a week and works well for kitties that have adverse reactions to other antibiotic meds. Our kitty is back already today to purring on my lap and eating well. Hurrah!
posted by bearwife at 2:51 PM on December 30, 2009 [2 favorites]