Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have an 11 y.o female cat that I typically feed Purina One Senior formula dry cat food. She had no problems with this and had been eating it for several years until recently. I typically fed her a small handful twice a day.

However, she has quit eating in the last few days and she has noticably lost weight. I can tell it when I pick her up. I have been giving her wet cat food so she'll eat *something* and she does nibble on that a bit, but I'm still worried about her not eating as she normally did.

This seemed to start after a recent trip to the vet's office for some reason. There haven't been any other major changes in our house that should affect her.

I am thinking I need to take her back to the vet again and see what's going on, but was wondering if anyone else had any suggestions for me?

Thanks in advance!

Please do get her to the vet immediately. Don't put it off -- go in first thing in the morning. Cats not eating is a sign of something going on. If they go more than a couple days without food, they can have liver complications.
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Tammy
Stanley and Pookey

Hi,

Yes, you do need to take your cat back to the vet, and you need to do so ASAP! A cat that has stopped eating is very ill, and is at high risk for developing fatty liver disease. This is fatal if not treated.

Your cat should have a full blood panel done, and a urinalysis, possibly even x-rays. Chances are that whatever is going on with her is treatable, and you need to find out what it is.

Please take your baby in and let us know how it goes.

Regards,
PHKitkat

Thanks for the suggestions! My kitty went to the vet this morning and they did some blood work and tested her feces for worms and such. They found from the blood tests that she has pancreatitis, most likely from the high fat content in the Senior formula cat food I had been giving her.

They said all her other numbers were good from the blood work though, and gave her a shot to help clear the pancreatitis up. They are also putting her on some special food that is better for her and should help keep it from reoccurring.

I will also be bringing her back in to get her teeth cleaned as soon as possible, as they had some build up on them and were a little inflamed, which the vet said may have contributed to her not eating.

Thanks again!

Good news! Sounds like you have a good handle on it -- it is a relief to know, no doubt!
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Tammy
Stanley and Pookey