Kitty Needs Food to Take Antibiotic, But Won't Eat

[Firejade1111]

I'm still hesitant to try to force bad tasting medicine down her throat when she's barely eating as it is. She might be eating 1/4 cup a day and she's a big kitty. She is still on appetite stimulant. She drinks water, goes to the litter box, will eat a little bit in the evening with prompting and tempting her and maybe a few bites in the morning, but she isn't getting better or worse. I called the vet and they said we can try another diabetic wet food, but she won't eat any kind of wet food or bring her back in to check her kidney values. I'm really concerned to do anything that will throw her off balance and impact her stress levels when she's not eating much as it is. It's frustrating, because the vet isn't giving me any good options to get her moving more in the right direction. I know it sounds bad, but I can't keep spending money on more tests and I don't want to keep putting her through sedation, which they have to do to get blood from her or to work on her in any way, because she isn't a good patient. I feel frustrated and in limbo. It's nerve wracking and draining trying to get her to eat all day and waiting to see if she will. Our vets in town are all closed on the weekend, so there is no vet help on the weekend unless I want to drive my kitty an hour one way to an emergency vet if something were to happen. I just like to think ahead. We're still getting her to eat, but it's with the stimulant.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I'm still hesitant to try to force bad tasting medicine down her throat when she's barely eating as it is.

That is the whole point in trying something other than her 'regular' food to get her to take the meds. You've been given some other options to try hiding the food in, but I am not sure you've tried any of them. If you don't try, you won't know. You've never said what the BP med is or how much she is required to take, or why she needs it twice a day. I know the BP med that I give my cat, Amlodipine, really doesn't have much of a taste and can be crushed and hidden in lickable treats or baby food meat. Her BP was off the charts before she started taking it and we started at the very lowest dose just once a day, which brought her BP down to a reasonable level. I personally think if you don't find a way to get the BP meds into your kitty that she doesn't have much of a chance of getting better, if her BP is part of her problem. I think I asked before what her BP reading was/is, but if you said, I can't find it.

As has been mentioned a couple of times before by members, getting her to eat is more important right now than getting her to eat kidney care food. (You mentioned diabetic food above, but I trust you meant the kidney care food). Right now, getting her back to eating and trying to get the BP meds down her are the priorities. She needs to get her strength back and you can deal with the kidney food later. I say this not knowing exactly where her kidney levels are, but I seem to recall you previously said they were back near the normal range. That being the case, the kidney food may not be absolutely necessary at this point in time. What food will she eat? What was she eating before all this started?

I know all of this is very stressful, and giving a cat meds can sometimes be downright miserable, but how do you suppose she can get better if she is not getting her BP meds taken and eating enough food?

 

[Firejade1111]

Doc prescribed her 1/2 tablet of Enalapril 2 X a day. It says 2.5 mg. Not sure if that's for a half tablet or whole.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Doc prescribed her 1/2 tablet of Enalapril 2 X a day. It says 2.5 mg. Not sure if that's for a half tablet or whole.

Were the pills already split in half for you, or do you have to split them yourself? I ask because if you have to split them yourself. the whole pill is probably 2.5mg and each dose would then be 1.25mg. But, if you want to know for sure, you could call and ask the vet.
Enalapril is not only supposed to lower BP and help the heart function better, but it is believed that it helps with blood flow to the kidneys for better function on their part. So, there appears to be more than one reason to get those pills in your cat.

 

[Firejade1111]

They're split.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Let me ask you something else - do you have copies of your kitty's blood work, BP testing, and urinalysis (assuming they did one)? I'd be happy to take a look for you and it might help with giving you some additional suggestions. I am not a vet, but I do have some experience in reading and assessing these kinds of test results, just by very virtue of all the testing results I have reviewed on my own cat. I thought it might be easier for you than me asking a lot of the questions that I do.

 

[Firejade1111]

Crushed some in a bit of tuna and she ate about half of the tuna. She seems to have trouble chewing tuna. I mashed it some more and added more water. Leaving it out for her. Hubby got some beechnut chicken we'll try soon.

 

[silent meowlook]

Do you know if she was sedated when they checked the blood pressure? Do you know if they checked it and found it high on more than one occasion? Do you remember what the blood pressure reading was? Did they check the blood pressure in the room with you?
when you call the vets office, are you speaking to the vet or the front office staff?

 

[Firejade1111]

Kitty ate quite a bit of tuna yesterday and we got some meds in her. Trying this again today. Will try the baby food today as well. The BP, urinalysis, blood work, etc. I'll need to contact the vet to find out.

 

[Firejade1111]

Let me ask you something else - do you have copies of your kitty's blood work, BP testing, and urinalysis (assuming they did one)? I'd be happy to take a look for you and it might help with giving you some additional suggestions. I am not a vet, but I do have some experience in reading and assessing these kinds of test results, just by very virtue of all the testing results I have reviewed on my own cat. I thought it might be easier for you than me asking a lot of the questions that I do.

I don't know if I have the BP, but I have all the other results. Thank you. Let me know how I can share the document offline. I don't feel comfortable putting it on forum. Thanks.

 

[Firejade1111]

Do you know if she was sedated when they checked the blood pressure? Do you know if they checked it and found it high on more than one occasion? Do you remember what the blood pressure reading was? Did they check the blood pressure in the room with you?
when you call the vets office, are you speaking to the vet or the front office staff?

I wasn't in the room with her because she's not a cooperative patient so I did drop off and then did all the treatment then. I don't have her BP readings. I have all the other information I got from the vet today with her readings.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I don't feel comfortable putting it on forum.

Is this because of personal information on the reports (your name, and ?)? If so, you can make a copy of the reports, black out the personal information, scan them, and attach them here as files.

Call the vet and ask them to either give you a report on the BP readings, or have them give them to you over the phone. In most cases, a vet will take 3 separate readings throughout a vet visit to ensure that they can get a more accurate number.

Also, a follow up appt to have the BP rechecked is usually required after you have successfully gotten those meds down her for about 2-3 weeks. It is the best and only way to determine whether the dose is appropriate, and if not,they will adjust it at that time.

 

[fionasmom]

I don't feel comfortable putting it on forum. Thanks.

If so, you can make a copy of the reports, black out the personal information, scan them, and attach them here as files.

Members who post test results either black out, cut off, fold over, or otherwise obscure any and all personal information. This includes the name of the clinic, address, or other location of any kind, any information about yourself. We don't need to even see the cat's name or what breed they say she is.

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. If you don’t want to post bloodwork, do you want to just put down the numbers for the creatinine, the BUN the phosphorus and potassium? If you have it as well, maybe write down what the PCV was or the HCT the albumin and globulin.

 

[FeebysOwner]

How are things going?

Did you see the above post yet, where you could just type in certain numbers from the report, and not share the entire results? If you do go that route, please include the ranges that the lab provides too.

We want to help and just thought this information might be beneficial for sharing with the members here.

 

[Firejade1111]

I'm sorry I haven't responded. I got overwhelmed and needed a break. Kitty is eating a little better, but still not as much as we would like. She'll mainly eat tuna, which isn't ideal, but at least she's eating. She'll pick at her regular food. Tried a fishier kidney food hoping she would like it, but she won't take any kind of regular wet cat food. Tried meaty baby food without additives and she wouldn't touch that either. We have been able to get the blood pressure medicine in her 1-2 times a day by crushing it in tuna. She seems to feel a little bit better with it. Sorry, I don't have the info on blood pressure. I have finals to grade this week and will get that info when I can.

I've included her numbers attached. You can see the dates. The first one in '23 is when she initially came in and her kidney values were off the charts, and the second date a few days later in '23 are her numbers after hospitalization, fluids, and medications. Thanks for all the help everyone.

Best,
Rachel L.

 

[Firejade1111]

This cat will only eat tuna in the last couple of days and won't eat her dry food. I don't want her to get too much protein. Vet wants her to stay on stimulant for time being.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Jade's numbers are not that bad in the latter test results. She has kidney disease, but the treatment they administered brought those numbers down to very reasonable levels.

Personally speaking, her kidney values do not warrant being concerned about her protein intake at this point.

I'll take a closer look later, but at first blush, the test results are actually pretty good.

 

[Firejade1111]

Jade's numbers are not that bad in the latter test results. She has kidney disease, but the treatment they administered brought those numbers down to very reasonable levels.

Personally speaking, her kidney values do not warrant being concerned about her protein intake at this point.

I'll take a closer look later, but at first blush, the test results are actually pretty good.

Thank you

 

[FeebysOwner]

I need to look at everything again tomorrow, I am a bit tired today from dealing with a family medical issue.

But, it would be very helpful if you could confirm if the only meds she is taking is Enalapril 2 X a day, an appetite stimulant (Mirataz or mirtazapine?), or are there others? And, what exactly is the name of the food that the vet wants her to eat? Also, is she eating anything else besides tuna, and is that human tuna in a can? And how is she doing otherwise?