Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My cat hasn't eaten since yesterday. How long can I wait before I take him to the vet? He seems fine but his gums look a little red. He's about 7-8 years old.

Hi There,

I would take him tomorrow, if possible. Cats that stop eating can develop something called fatty liver disease within 2-3 days. This is extremely serious and can be fatal without treatment.

Unless your boy starts eating normally by morning, please make an appointment and take him in.

Please keep us updated.

Regards,
PHKitkat

Took Teak to the vet this morning. He had blood work and x-rays. His small intestines were very, very hard to see. The vet thinks he has Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) so he's on Metronidazole and Periactin to stimulate his appetite. I have to feed him a/d with a syringe. I'm a little worried becasue with IBD the cat should be vomiting and have diarrhea and Teak didn't have either, just stopped eating. Please keep good thoughts coming to him.

Hi Again,

Thanks for the update. I'm glad you took Teak in.

IBD can be difficult to diagnose without actually getting surgical biopsies or having an ultrasound done. I agree, a cat with IBD will usually have diarrhea and/or vomiting, but sometimes in medicine you see things that are unusual. Metronidazole is a good drug, used by some vets to treat IBD and other intestinal problems. Please try to give it when Teak has something in his stomach, as it can be a little harsh for some cats. It's also very bitter so if Teak drools from it, try not to worry.

It will be interesting to see if anything unusual shows up on the labwork. Please re-post when you get the results as I'd like to know what they are.

If Teak does have IBD, at least it is something that is treatable and most cats do very well. Sometimes it's a matter of finding the right treatment for a particular cat. Steroids are often helpful and I had a cat with IBD that did very well for years on pred. Some cats will require a special diet. My baby was able to eat anything as long as she got her steroids.

I will definitely keep you and Teak in my thoughts and prayers. I know how scary it is when your cat may have a chronic health problem.

Take care, and feel free to post again anytime.

Regards,
PHKitkat

All Teak's blood work came back normal. He still is not eating. He hasn't pooped either. I'm force feeding him but I'm not sure it's really been enough for him to have a bowl movement. Only about 6-8 tablespoons a day, he weights 11 pounds. I just now gave him 2.5 ounces of baby food-chicken. It's hard to force feed him that much, he's starting to fight me. I hope this is a sign of getting better. I've read that the only real way to diagnose IBD is from a biopsy. I'm afraid to do that. I think I'm going to take him Monday for a second opinion. Since he isn't vomiting or having diarrhea I'm wondering...

Just had Teak for a second opinion and it doesn't look good at all. They don't think it's IBD they think he as a tumor of tumors. He has fluid around his belly. He's getting an Ultra Sound tomorrow to see if anything they can do. I'm a mess, I may only have tonight with him.

Hi,

I am so sorry that Teak has fluid in his abdomen. It's a very tough, tough, thing to deal with. Almost 2 years ago, one of my cats went through this, and she ended up having a tumor, in addition to heart disease. She was also very old so treatment wasn't an option.

I sincerely hope that Teak has something treatable. Ultrasound is a excellent diagnostic aid and needle biopsies can be taken during the procedure if a mass is found. The vet may even recommend surgery, which sounds terrifying, but sometimes tumors can be removed surgically and cats can do well.

Please post when you find out something, if you can. I know what you are going through and I want to support you no matter what happens. You and Teak will remain in my thoughts and prayers.

{{{{{}}}}}

Regards,
PHKitkat