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Thread: How to get cat with upset stomach to eat?

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    Senior Member jp1's Avatar
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    How to get cat with upset stomach to eat?

    Our cats are both pushing 15 years old. One of them has a hyperthyroid disorder and takes medical chew treats for it, which he loves. Wednesday, though, he spent the day throwing up, culminating in dry heaves several times overnight. So I took him to the vet yesterday. Blood tests show that 1) he needs a higher dose of the thyroid med because that count was pretty elevated. 2) He has elevated pancreas enzymes. The combination is why he has an upset stomach. They prescribed pancreas meds for a week and higher thyroid meds dose to hopefully get both numbers down. That will make him feel better so he can eat. Then we can test again in a few weeks to see if it was just the thyroid problem that caused the pancreatitis or if there's a separate underlying cause for the pancreatitis.

    The problem is that because his stomach hurts he refuses to eat the meds that he normally loves. I'm about to see if mushing the meds up in canned tuna water will do it. That's another thing he LOVES. Any other suggestions? It's an annoying catch 22. He doesn't want to eat because his belly hurts, but if he doesn't eat his meds he won't start feeling better. Arrrgh.

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    When I had to get meds down an elderly cat, turkey baby food helped.

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    In humans we would use IV meds in this situation. Eating can make pancreatitis hurt more.

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    Senior Member iris lilies's Avatar
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    I am sorry your cats is ill like this. I have told myself that I wont be fighting to get a pill down my cat’s throat, they get to decide what they ingest. Fortunately our two cats didnt require that in their last days. We did do subcut fluids with the last one, though. She didnt mind that.

    Anyway, other than his favorite foods, not sure what to give him. There is that nutrition in a tube stuff, I think most pharmacies have it—beef flavored is the one we used years ago for another cat, but that was more about getting calories into him.

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    Senior Member rosarugosa's Avatar
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    We once had a cat (Boris Karloff) who would only take pills if we wrapped them in that thinly shaved roast beef from a sandwich shop. So we would order a junior roast beef, no roll, and keep it in a baggie in the fridge to wrap his pills in.
    Best of luck with your sick kitty, JP1.
    Last edited by rosarugosa; 1-12-19 at 10:20am.

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    Senior Member jp1's Avatar
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    Thank you all for your advice and kind thoughts. He didnt want the delicious meds even when mushed into tuna water. But mushing them in tuna water enabled us to use a syringe to squirt them in his mouth. The dual benefit being that he got some fluids as well.

    Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

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    Senior Member pony mom's Avatar
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    When I had to medicate my cat, I would crush the pill and mix it with Vaseline. Then somehow I would smear it on her gums. She'd lick it off and ingest it that way.

    Raw chicken livers might entice him to eat.

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    My cats have always responded well to any meat baby food. They especially have liked ham. Just make sure there aren't any flavorings added, just the meat puree.

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    Senior Member Teacher Terry's Avatar
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    Cats are so much harder than dogs when it comes to medication. I think my mom hid it in butter. Priscilla loved butter.

  10. #10
    Senior Member jp1's Avatar
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    They syringe with his meds and a little liquid ended up being effective. He's not a fan of this process but he's obviously feeling a lot better so the meds must be working (yesterday he was feeling feisty enough that he managed to draw blood from both of us...). Last night he finally started eating and drinking water. It was steak night, his most favorite food in the whole world.

    For years he's loved the thyroid meds so hopefully he'll start liking them again. If we have to keep doing the syringe thing for forever it will get really old really quickly.

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