Getting my cat to eat after IV fluids

[thecatsthecats]

Hi all.

My lovely cat has had a rough old year of vet interventions - the latest month being due to eating something in the garden that made her vomit blood.

She had another episode over the weekend (much milder for blood, but had days of poor hydration due to heat), resulting in an overnight drip because we were so worried about her fluids.

She's back now after coming off the drip yesterday afternoon, and we have a follow up appointment on Thursday. They have recommended an ultrasound, but there are no results in her bloods or other checks that she has a bowel issue - just a run of bad luck.

We're worried that she isn't eating or drinking enough between now and the vet visit. We're not opposed to giving her the scans except for the fact that she hates the vet. And I mean HATES it.

The vet has even confirmed that she's hypersensitive to disruption. She's lost a significant amount of weight due to the series of misfortunes this year, so we're keen to keep intervention as minimal and spaced out as possible.

So please, for the sake of a very sulky cat who's only accepting the smallest bits of ham and chicken - how do I get more food and drink into her?

try mixing tuna water with wet food

or

i gave this to my very elderly cat when he was getting on in years to help keep his strength

https://www.amazon.co.uk/VetIQ-001384-Nutri-Vit-Plus-Cat/dp/B000RXWXQ4/ref=sr_1_3?crid=IBJGFJYC1KIK&keywords=cat+calorie+paste&qid=1687251035&sprefix=cat+calorie+paste%2Caps%2C200&sr=8-3

Lix-e-lix (or however you spell it) is a winner with my cats, either on its own or on top/mixed with other food.

Ooh thanks - I was wondering about one of those pastes. I'd be more than happy to bulk her out a bit - she is 14, and a good eater, but she's just had one thing after another.

The vet very much agrees that her tendency to sulk doesn't help!

You know what, I have lick e lix, and it was a real hit for the past couple of weeks, and it was going really well for building up her weight, before this latest episode. Now she's "off" it again, but I do want her on it because it does seem to work.

Just had a bit of a breakthrough, because she's been passive-aggressively flicking her bandaged foot at me as if to say "take this off".

But then her foot swelled up below the bandage line, and I decided to go for it, and her attitude improved a lot! Purring and happily ate a bit more food.

Just waiting on a callback from the vet to see if we need the foot checked, but hopefully she'll be allowed to let it rest better. Gave a little kitty foot rub that didn't seem to hurt.

With my old cat we tried lots of different foods, the complimentary food he seemed to like such as Applaws or encore. Or bits of what we were having for dinner hahah, chicken, bacon, scrambled egg. He wasn’t eating at all and we just decided it was better he had something than nothing at all. We had to switch up his food regularly because I think they get put off foods easily if they feel unwell, the natural foods he seemed to enjoy the most like blink but they were expensive

Thanks, yeah, this is part of it. The "I love it" can do a 180 to "why on earth are you giving me that" haha.

Chicken is out, but chicken skin isn't. And she bit my thumb so hard it bled when I offered her ham.

Poor thing.

My cats aren't a fan of tuna, they prefer salmon (tinned or not!)

You can also try warming meaty food a little bit - just a few seconds in the microwave - to release the aromas.

What about cat milk?

Salmon lickelix was her favourite until it wasn't!

Neither of our two are a fan of cat milk, which is a shame as it was great for medicating and keeping the weight of previous cats up.

I will head down to the shop to get an assortment of everything! Main thing is to keep her going, I think.

The latest breakthrough is that she'll eat so long as both of us are sat next to her stroking her... Good job we work from home!

That's all my DCat would eat in his final week

Homemade chicken stock for fluid? Needs to be homemade I’m afraid as the bought stuff is too high in salt.

My our first cat was very elderly and I'll he could only eat mashed tuna. It has a strong smell which the vet said would stimulate his appetite.

Cook a chicken breast and shred it up.

Ah, she knows what she's doing :)

You can also buy bone broth made for cats and dogs (important because it doesn't contain all the salts etc) which you can serve as liquid, jelly or frozen and warm or cool. Think you can get beef, pork or lamb broth.

Lots of nutrients.

She really does - she's a clever little miss, and quite clearly signals what she wants.

My latest trick is to include a teeny amount of cream with a Lix, and she'll be convinced it's cream (we don't routinely feed her cream, but she has a decent tolerance for lactose). Alternating with salmon water.

And the better chicken (we have the cheap stuff!).

I think her training programme is going well, we both jump up and do what she wants on the hour!

Thanks all - she's not had loads, but she has steadily had little snacks and fluids all day, so as long as she keeps demanding, we'll be happy!

A PP has mentioned it - the water from a can of tuna in spring water has been great for getting my awkward puss with a kidney condition to drink in this heat.

if you refill the can with water and leave it over night, that becomes tuna water too..

after an operation when he was far too sulky to eat, I used to put a flake of tuna on his nose. he'd lick it off and then graciously accept some spoons of food sometimes I wonder why I slog my guts out to keep the ungrateful moggy alive