Cat not eating properly

kitty08

My oldest cat (I have three!) vomited her dinner on Tuesday and since then has been very picky with her food, only eating a small amount of wet food. She is normally very greedy and food oriented (more like a dog than a cat) and usually prefers dry food, and especially some treats, but she is now refusing to eat much of either. She is urinating as normal and does not appear to have either diarrhea or constipation. She is an indoor cat, so uses a litter tray and isn't being fed elsewhere.We went to the vet on Wednesday for a thorough physical exam and blood tests (kidney, liver function, thyroid and other things as well, I can't remember which). She had a very slightly raised temperature (39.1C I think, but vet said this could be due to stress). She had also lost 400g in weight since March this year, but she does tend to lose weight over the summer and put it back on again in the winter.The vet said her thyroid felt slightly enlarged, and she is on Onsior for her arthritis, hence all the blood tests.
Back to the vet Thursday, saw a different vet at the same practice, who gave her another thorough physical exam. This time her temperature was normal. All bloods were normal. She is 13 and spayed, and apart from arthritis in her lower back is in good health, her weight is around the 5kg mark, which according to the vet is slightly overweight for her size and build, but not dangerously so. She seems quite happy in herself now, and is sleeping in her normal places, not hiding away anywhere, when she walks her tail is up and she has started purring again, and asking for affection and for food, but will still only eat fairly small amounts of the soft meat. On occasion she will try a few pieces of kibble or treats, but then stops and won't eat any more of them. It's not like her, as she is usually frequently and vocally demanding treats. We haven't changed her food at all, and haven't even opened a new batch of the dry food, so I am ruling out a change in recipe. She has a clean food dish (china saucer) for each meal and the water is changed every day and the bowl (stainless steel) washed thoroughly at least once a week.
We have another vet appointment tomorrow (Saturday). Please does anyone have any suggestions? Should I push for a dental exam under anaesthetic? Thursday's vet had a good look in her mouth, but I understand painful things can go on under the gum line in cats, and not all dental or mouth issues are always immediately noticeable from an exam when the animal is fully conscious! She isn't the most co operative patient either! She is insured, so money isn't an issue, (Petplan have paid for dental procedures for my other cats) we just want the best for her.

chocolatelover93

So sorry to hear that I would try with the dental first to see if she has any issues there

Hope she gets better soon!!

paddypaws101

Hmm I would have said to try Metacam if you think her teeth are causing pain, but if she is already on Onsior that might not be an option.
You could ask vet for an appetite stimulant...Periactin/ Cyproheptadine is often effective with very few potential side effects. Sometimes they can have too much acid which affects appetite so Famotodine can help with that.

kitty08

Thank you, Paddypaws and Chocolatelover, for your replies. She is eating much better today, and is regularly asking for food, but will still only eat the wet food. Although she is approaching her food enthusiastically, she is also eating "carefully", not hoovering it up in her usual fashion, whch is why I keep thinking there is a source of pain in her mouth or jaw. If you didn't know her, however, you would probably say that everything looked fairly norma! Chocolatelover, she used to be on metacam for her arthritis, but we had to switch to onsior when it stopped being effective. (We discovered her arthritis when she started poohing on the bathroom floor instead of using the litter trays. Tests and Xrays revealed the problem, and she went onto metacam. All was well for a few years, and then the problem started again. She was switched to onsior, which gave an instant solution. she is also on cosequin, which does seem to help her)
Today we saw Thursday's vet again, She was very thorough, and had a very good look round her mouth again, but couldn't see anything to give cause for concern: her gums are a good colour, teeth look ok (a little tartar, but less than would be expected for a cat of her age), and there is nothing on or under her tongue. Temperature was normal again. The vet has recommended she has a dental exam and a good look round her mouth, throat etc under anaesthetic, as she feels they can't really do much more with her fully conscious! She is booked in for Tuesday. I know anaesthetic carries a risk, but we do need to get to the bottom of this, as I don't like to think of her being in pain.

chocolatelover93

Glad to hear she has perked up a little bit

Good news that her teeth are good for her age but as you say it is harder to see when they are fully concious. One of my cats wouldn't even let you near her mouth so know what they are like!! lol

Hopefully the dental exam under anaesthetic will get to the bottom of it

Hugs to you both xx

Rachelishere

If she's eating wet you can buy Fortiflora from your vet or online via amazon etc. this is a powder you can sprinkle over the food and it apparently smells incredible to cats and encourages them to eat. My elderly cat got fussy in her old she but sprinkle a third of a pack and down the hatch it went!

I know it's not good to move cats from food types but you might want to move her to soft food fully just to keep her eating. I'd suggest something like applaws which is 70-80% meat so must be good for her! It will also give her organs a rest from digesting grains etc if she's usually on biscuits!

kitty08

Thank you all for your helpful advice. She has continued to improve, and is eating more or less normally today. The dental exam under anaesthetic went well yesterday, and the vet had a very thorough look round her mouth, teeth, gums, jaw, throat etc. Her teeth and gums all appear to be fine, and no abnormalities in her mouth were detected. They gave her a scale and polish, so now her teeth are shining, although she did have less tartar on her teeth than would be expected for a cat of her age. Another blood sample was taken and has been sent off to the lab, as one tube of the first sample taken last week clotted. And they didn't charge me for this second test. We're just waiting for the results, but now they are thinking she had possibly picked up some kind of infection, and that put her off her food. Maybe it will go down as one of life's mysteries? Or maybe this latest round of blood tests will show something? She is sitting next to me as I type this and asking for treats, so she is obviously feeling better this morning. :j

chocolatelover93

Glad to hear she is feeling better