Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK

Cat Health & Behaviour => Health & Behaviour General => Topic started by: Gillian Harvey on February 09, 2007, 18:04:52 PM

Title: Elsa just eat a FULL plate of food!
Post by: Gillian Harvey on February 09, 2007, 18:04:52 PM
Elsa, my 19 yr old (20 this year!) has just eaten a full plate of food and I'm just over the moon - why? because she's not been well for the past month, first she started being sick a lot, so vet put her hyperthyroid meds to a lower dose, but she stopped being interested in food at all. She wouldnt eat any of the raw I normally give her, so we tried natures menu, eat that for a day, didnt want it the next, tried felix senior, eat that for about a week, then didnt like it any more - the only thing she's eaten for the past few weeks has been a few Olli biscuits evey now and then. I was beginning to despair, and then it got worse, she picked up a respiratory infection and that meant she didnt want to eat at all.

Consequently she's lost a lot of weight, so yesterday she had a combined antibiotic, steroid, vitamin B injection and actually seem much worse when I got her home, wobbly and depressed. Vet thought prob her kidneys are failing too, but not done blood test yet (already got Suzie with kidney failure  :( )

I cooked some chicken breast and flaked it up and she eat a few bits this morning - but tonight she's much more alert, was waiting in the kitchen for food with the others, and eat the  selection of things I'd put on her plate, flaked chicken and  raw beef - the most she's eaten for weeks and she was looking for more  :yayyy:

I realise this might be the combined effect of the medications and may be only temporary, but boy is it good to see!
Title: Re: Elsa just eat a FULL plate of food!
Post by: Gill (sneakiefeline) on February 09, 2007, 18:10:39 PM
So pleased she has eaten well, you arte right ir maybe the meds but I remember being so happy if Kocka ate a full tin of AD over a day...................just  trying to get them to eat something makes one soooooooo very happy  ;D
Title: Re: Elsa just eat a FULL plate of food!
Post by: Christine (Blip) on February 09, 2007, 18:33:05 PM
Encouraging news  :)
Title: Re: Elsa just eat a FULL plate of food!
Post by: Baggy on February 09, 2007, 19:12:58 PM
Can really empathise with that feeling - it's miserable when they won't eat and such a relief when they do.
Title: Re: Elsa just eat a FULL plate of food!
Post by: Rosella moggy on February 10, 2007, 11:49:58 AM
Just tried to post but something went wrong... anyway, second attempt

Well done Elsa (lovely name).  Here here everyone, nothing worse that when they won't eat. You feel so helpless.
Title: Re: Elsa just eat a FULL plate of food!
Post by: Gillian Harvey on February 11, 2007, 19:27:39 PM
Well, apart for a lack of interest in food Sat morning, she was back to eating again Sat evening, AND this morning - only thing is, she won't eat anything but cooked chicken breast at the moment, which is fine for the time being, but not exactly balanced! She also tends to walk away from the plate before its finished, BUT, if I then tempt her with the remaining bits - she'll eat 'em if I hand feed 'em  :Crazy:

Heres the girl,



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Title: Re: Elsa just eat a FULL plate of food!
Post by: Gill (sneakiefeline) on February 11, 2007, 22:26:18 PM
Elsa is just stunning  ;D
Title: Re: Elsa just eat a FULL plate of food!
Post by: Debbie on February 11, 2007, 22:39:48 PM
How pretty is Elsa, I just love the colours in her fur  :Luv:
Title: Re: Elsa just eat a FULL plate of food!
Post by: smudgepickles on February 11, 2007, 23:34:47 PM
Oh thats brilliant news Gill lets hope and pray its not just the meds and she is on the way back to recovery....give her a big kiss from me and head kisses from poorly Bella and Thomas.

I had the self same thing with Bella and the only thing I found she would eat in the end was the whiskas kitten food the Pate looking food. Not ideal for a geriatric of 25 but I had done what you did and tried everything until i ended up in tears with worry.

Hope she continues the make a full recovery and stop worrying her lovely Mummy

 :catluv: :catluv: :catluv: :catluv: :catluv: :catluv: :catluv: :catluv: :catluv: from all of my fur babies for a speedy recovery

xxxxxxx
Title: Re: Elsa just eat a FULL plate of food!
Post by: Desley (booktigger) on February 12, 2007, 08:11:13 AM
Aww, I am glad to hear that. Is the vet going to run blood tests to check her kidney function? Hyper-t can often mask kidney issues, and that could explain why she doesn't want to eat.
Title: Re: Elsa just eat a FULL plate of food!
Post by: Gillian Harvey on February 12, 2007, 18:57:52 PM
Thanks Smudge - I'll try some of that Wiskas kitten food as well, I know what you mean about the desparation when they won't eat  :(

Desley, I know about the hyper T masking CRF from the felinecrf site, but I'd always thought that would be obvious sooner than this (its a year since she started hyper T meds? but anyway, my vet does think her kidneys may be failing and so we'll have to get blood tests done. She's still eating - had another plate of chicken (and a few pieces of liver) tonight, so thats good, but I know she's not 100% at the moment.
Title: Re: Elsa just eat a FULL plate of food!
Post by: Desley (booktigger) on February 18, 2007, 12:03:47 PM
Gillian - I suppose it would depend on how her thyroid levels were. How is she now?
Title: Re: Elsa just eat a FULL plate of food!
Post by: Baggy on February 18, 2007, 13:07:55 PM
Elsa is so pretty  :innocent:  Really hope she keeps on eating.  One of the last cat foods the Proot has shown an interest in is the Gourmet Gold beef in gravy so don't know if you've tried that - it actually smells delicious!
Title: Re: Elsa just eat a FULL plate of food!
Post by: Gillian Harvey on February 18, 2007, 14:09:39 PM
Gillian - I suppose it would depend on how her thyroid levels were. How is she now?

Yeh, I see what you mean - they were very high to start with (90.1) so it could have taken a while for the levels to get down to normal again? She's still fine and still eating, not drinking quite as much as she was, but still more than normal, and seems brighter.

Elsa is so pretty  :innocent:  Really hope she keeps on eating.  One of the last cat foods the Proot has shown an interest in is the Gourmet Gold beef in gravy so don't know if you've tried that - it actually smells delicious!

I'll give that a go too, I've noticed since she's only been eating chicken breast (and some turkey breast) her coat is a bit dandruffy - not enough fat in the diet, so it would be good to get her eating something else. I would squirt some salmon oil onto the meat, but she's suspicisous of anything extra I put on her food at the moment, and don't want to put her off eating!
Title: Re: Elsa just eat a FULL plate of food!
Post by: Christine (Blip) on February 18, 2007, 14:30:44 PM
Have you tried a spot of tuna (Almo Nature do two good varieties, one with cheese as well, or even 'human' tuna in springwater) or pilchards which just might kick start her appetite? And be oily too.

 :Luv:
Title: Re: Elsa just eat a FULL plate of food!
Post by: Desley (booktigger) on February 18, 2007, 18:45:36 PM
If they were high, it could explain why the kidney issue is only just showing itself. But, if she isnt drinking as much, that is a good sign. I am glad she seems better in herself though. Fingers crossed you can sort her coat out - didn't think fish oils were the best ones to use on cats?
Title: Re: Elsa just eat a FULL plate of food!
Post by: Millys Mum on February 19, 2007, 09:08:11 AM
Fish body oils are ok, its cod liver oil thats not so good because of vit A issues.