Is he off his food or being awkward (Harry again!)

[PinkSparklyPussyCat]

He's currently having Pronefra for his kidney issues and, to start with, he was taking it in his food without a problem. Now he's eating less and less of his breakfas and dinner containing the Pronefra. Last night he ate a quarter of his dinner and the same again for his breakfast this morning.

I really don't think there's a lot wrong with him as he practically inhales his tuna pouch for lunch so I'm thinking he's either gone off his breakfast and dinner pouches or he's decided he doesn't like the taste of Pronefra! The vet has agreed I can take him off it for a few days to try and work out which.

We've been told that if it's that he doesn't like the Pronefra the vet wants us to syringe it directly into Harry's mouth. I immediately said no to that as I'm not comfortable opening his mouth because of his jaw. I'd never forgive myself if I damaged it again.

As he won't eat the renal food I have no idea what to do if he won't take the phosphate binder either...

Achhh. He's a devil. Have you tried mixing it with a tuna pouch to see?

Could you syringe it into a dreamie? Long shot I know.
Cut out a meal to make him hungrier?
Put it in something really stinky and irresistible like just tuna?

Does he enjoy Lik-E-Lix? How many ml do you have to mix in at a time?

Lik e Lix could work!
Isn't there a cat soup too?!
Mine loved coley done in the microwave. Worth a try?

Thank you for all your suggestions. Unfortunately he's odd and won't eat Dreamies, Lik E Lix or cat soup!

He's just inhaled a pouch of tuna and squid so I'm confident he's not actually ill as he's currently trying to get the pattern off the bottom of the bowl!

I'll try him on his normal dinner tonight without the Pronefra and see what happens - at the moment my main aim is to get him to eat! I don't really want him to have 3 tuna pouches a day as I presumed it wouldn't be good for his kidneys but if it comes to that I'll have a very happy cat!

Rubbish, I'm not sure how many mls he has as the syringe is marked by weight and we measure it out for a 5.3kg cat.

Does he need three meals a day? Perhaps if he's hungrier he would eat the dosed food? Does he have to have the meds twice a day? Long release version?
You have my sympathies. Old girl was on about four pills a day. Hard!

Bizarre cat. Fingers crossed he's just being awkward. Could you try putting it in one of those treats you hide tablets in?

We've got him on three meals a day as it's what he's always been on. We can't leave dry down for him so he now has a pouch for lunch instead. His weight is stable so it seems to be working.

Once we know what he does want to eat I'm going to have a word with the vet and see if it's possible to put both doses in one meal.

Toddler, you've summed him up well, he is a very bizarre cat! Unfortunately he won't touch any treats or any human food (although he did nick some mashed potato off my plate once!) so it makes it very difficult when something like this happens.

Once he's decided what he does want to eat.
Ha ha good luck with that. He'll go off it as soon as you buy loads.

When I typed the original post I was looking at box containing his food delivery from Pets at Home!

Fatal.

I stand corrected there, though. He might like the box.

Very true. The box may be acceptable!

At the risk of making him sound more odd than he already is, he doesn't like boxes. Give him a sheet of paper and he'll happily sit on it though!

He's not odd. He's unique!

Unique sounds so much better!

He he is on his Christmas wrapping paper!

Sorry. Not quite unique. My mad torties do the same!

Try swapping to a tuna breakfast with dose in it, then normal breakfast pouch for lunch without dose and see what he does?
They don't make Pronefra suppositories do they?

I'll try swapping the pouches around weeds but if you think there is any way I am trying to administer a suppository you've got another think coming! I wouldn't live to report back whether it was successful!

Glad to see he's not the only one who likes paper Wolfie! The sad thing is we've still got the paper on the floor 6 months later!

Well there's nothing wrong appetite! Dinner went down (minus the Pronefra) at 6.45pm and has nearly all gone. It could be a long night for all of us!

At least I know he's had 2 full meals as the vet told us that the most important thing is that he eats. I'm going to gradually reintroduce the Pronefra on Thursday after he's had every pouch in rotation so I know which ones he wants and which he doesn't. I can then see how he gets on with the Pronefra.

It sounds as if it's the Pronefra.

Is that your only option?

There are other phosphate binders - ipakitine (powder) and renalzin (paste). They don't have the "added" benefits of pronefra (it's suppsedly a 4 in 1) but they all bind phosphate as well as each other and that's the important thing. Have a chat with your vet

Ah. Thanks, Elle.