help - kibble only eating cat and dental surgery

[Batinahat]

Hoping for some advice, my 9 year old DCat has only ever eaten dry kibble and yesterday she had dental surgery - double canine extraction with large cuts required to remove everything. Poor little thing, she's in a cone and feeling understandably sorry for herself. The vet advice is soft/wet food only for a few days at least while she heals. She last ate on Monday evening so I know she's hungry and she's visiting the bowl to sniff at the food but she's refusing to eat any wet food (tried 2 different varieties already and I know this is a hiding to nothing as she has never eaten wet food). I've also tried soaking her usual kibble but she's also refusing that after sniffing at it. Any advice or tips?

Have you tried scrambled eggs? In my experience cats like them when they're recovering from surgery.

One of mine had to have soft diet, she'd eat a bit but not enough. I gave up and let her have biscuits again.

Scrambled eggs eh? Will give that a try! I understand that it's not an option to give her kibble at least until the vets review her wounds on Friday as kibble can damage the extraction socket or become lodged inside causing infection.

If it’s just her canines that were extracted, she may manage to crunch her kibble at the back of her mouth, using her molars. I doubt she would even try to chew it at the front, it would be too painful on the sockets.

Ah, sorry, cross posted! Eggs it is then.

I’ve got one cat who only ever eats kibble but when she had a bad mouth ulcer a couple of years ago the vet gave me some special prescription wet food which is apparently highly palatable and meant to entice the most reluctant eaters. My cat absolutely loved it and wolfed it down.

One of mine only eats kibble but really enjoys cat soup. They aren’t a complete food but it’s something, for a few days.
He also likes human wet food, so a bit of roast chicken and gravy on a Sunday, a tablespoonful of Bolognese sauce etc.

Cat milk?

Or our cat likes the water from a tin of tuna in spring water - I sometimes put some of the tuna in too to get her to eat that...

Have you tried tuna cat food or the soups?

Thank you so much for the suggestions, going to try some cat soup, cat milk, tuna juice and everything else you've suggested!

Mine only eats kibble too. However, she absolutely loves lick e lix. Chicken and cheese flavours, not liver. It's a yoghurt like consistency. With the cat treats, asda, Sainsbury's, ocado.

Mine also like chopped cooked chicken.

@Canshopwillshop
Do you know the name of the wet food your vet gave you? Thank you.

One of ours is the worlds fussiest cats. Will only eat one type of dried, and 1-2 types of wet (none available locally!)

Anyway when he had to have soft food a few days he would eat:
Greek yogurt, cooked fresh chicken, Lactose free milk, salmon.

He wouldn't touch scrambled eggs, rice, white fish or anything else vet recommended.

@ElizabethMainwaring - just googled and I’m pretty sure it was the Hill’s Science Plan nutrition mousse chicken and turkey. Sorry don’t have a clicky link. It’s made mainly for kittens and pregnant/nursing cats but might be worth a try for your kitty. Hope she’s better soon.

Canshop. Brilliant. Thank you for that.

@Batinahat Has she managed to eat anything yet?

So far she's refused cat milk, 3 different wet food pouches, scrambled eggs, cooked chicken and the soaked kibble! I tried blitzing her usual kibble in my mini chopper with just enough boiling water to turn it into a soft pate type consistency and she's shown interest in that so I've left her alone to see if she eats it as she doesn't really like being watched. I also think she's finding it hard to eat with the cone on. I've raised the bowl up off the floor about 6 inches on a upturned box so hoping maybe that will help? Thanks for all the messages, will update again soon...

Could you take the cone off for eating?

@dementedpixie I was wondering if I need to remove the cone just to see if she will then eat. I will have that as next option. You know what cats are like though...I'll take it off and there will be no eating, then as soon as it's back on she'll try to eat

You may find if you take the cone off she'll just want to wash herself and that will take priority over eating. A plate might be easier for her than a bowl while she has the cone on. I feel for you, OP, it's heartbreaking when they won't eat.

Not to scare you, but please talk to your vet (and remove the cone when eating). Cats are not very good with not getting food, they quickly develop liver problems. When ours was ill, he was admitted because he didn't eat for a couple of days and they were afraid of liver damage. When he came home, we were given 'hills restorative care' wet food to feed him (with a pipette and later a teaspoon).

So hopefully not a problem for you, but please ask your vet.

Like madambee says, have a word with your vet. When Harry had his teeth out he wouldn't eat so the told me to put him back on dry food. This was despite having a broken jaw and losing 12 teeth! He also didn't have a cone as they were worried he'd hurt himself trying to get it off.

Good luck, I hope she's feeling better soon

Does she need the cone? My girl has had two dental ops, and not had the cone on after either.

Thanks everyone, am working my way through some more pouches and a soup option, got a couple more to try but if she still isn't interested I will give her a small amount of dry food as I think it's important she eats for her recovery. The cone was provided by the vets with clear instructions not to remove until she's seen for her review on Friday. All surgeries are different but it is to do with the large size of the wounds this time a cone was deemed important. Vets are open until 8:30 so depending on how things go in the next hour I will call for their advice if she is still refusing the wet options.