My Cat isn't eating much anymore?

Question

OK, here's the story - the cat is 19 years old (!). he was always active & very trim, and ate like a pig. not big on human food, except dairy (yogurt, mayo, oil). he always eats dry food, despite his teeth being 19 years old. he usually licks the gravy out of wet food & MAYBE eats some of the meat, if he's super hungry. but he does like IAMS canned food & usually eats all of that up.
about 6 weeks ago, the vet said he had an overactive thyroid, and that's why he was so thin. the predicted outcome was that he would put on some weight and stop urinating in such large quantities. with meds, the urinating has decreased, but he lost half a pound! he doesn't drink as much & hasn't been eating wet food - barely even licking the gravy out. i've tried all different kinds of food - cat & human- that he usually loves, but no go. when i go to the kitchen, he comes in hoping for food. but no matter what i give him, he takes a lick or two, and that's it. HELP!!!

hi, thanks so much for your advice. the cat's kidney's are fine - he is not in renal failure. he is currently on clavamox for a sinus infection, and should be finished in a day or two. he's had that before & it didnt change his appetite. he is taking the thyroid medicine transdermally, which is SOOO easy to administer. however, at the follow-up visit (where he had lost weight), the other vet said they arent sure that works as well. it costs $300 to have his thyroid level tested, so i am trying to put that off for a few more weeks.
i would not consider surgery at this point - my barometer is: would i do this to myself at the equivalent age??
do these details help any?
the cat is still active, alert, and fiesty.

again, THANKS so much for all your advice & support. it was only the T3 test that revealed the thyroid levels. if i can get that test done separately, maybe it'll be cheaper.
i opened a can of iams beef, and he did lick some. the rest is out for him. i also measured food & water portions carefully, sprinkled some catnip on it, & will monitor for progress.
the cat was at the vet less than a week ago (the inital visit was about 6 weeks ago). he is on methimazole gel, 2.5mg/day. no cysts or tumors were found on the thyroid or anywhere else.
will try your feeding suggestions - very interesting!! will also look into the graves disease thing. surgery is really not appealing, especially with no guarantees & this late in life. again, i wouldn't subject my own body to that in similar circumstances.

the cat is 100% the same - attitude, habits, etc. i'll keep you posted about the food intake...

Answer 1

My cat is 15, and he stopped eating once. We think it is because he wanted fresh food. We shook the food a little, then moved it to the place he was, and, thinking it was fresh, ate it (Even thugh it was the same food as before). Try it! it worked with myfriends cat who was 18.

Answer 2

I have a 16 year old cat that had renal failure (I know yours does not) and he wouldn't eat. He would come to the kitchen counter, but when I gave him any food, he would sniff it and walk away. He would lick his lips, but that was as close to eating as he would get. I finally gave him some Oscar Meyer Braunschweiger liver sausage and he ate it. That was all he would eat and the vet said fine as long as he is eating something. He gradually progressed to shaved ham and some gravy and sauces from my food. He eventually came around and ate regular canned cat food.
Once before he stopped eating so my husband mixed canned food with a lot of water and used a syringe (no needle) to get it down his throat. After about 2 days of this, he finally started eating on his own.
I also heard that sprinkling a little garlic on the food will attract cats. Maybe you could try spray catnip??
Good luck!! I understand totally and if you decide to let him go, my prayers are with you and your little buddy!

Answer 3

My 22 yr old cat is a good eater and she has the boniness that is typical of old age cats.

She was treated for hyperthyroidism at age 15 and has done very well since though her kidneys are in lousy condition. The medication you are most likely using with your cat should help your cat not lose any more weight due to that condition. Be sure to check his thyroid levels soon to see if the medication has started to correct the overactive thyroid, it is difficult to judge right off the bat is the level is correct. I have heard that the medication does not agree with some cats as far as their stomach goes. I believe it can now be had in a transdermal form that would not have to go through his stomach, removing the danger of its upsetting his eating.

Answer 4

I'm not a Vet. However, I did a lot of research on this disease after my 18 yr. cat was diagnosed with it earlier this year...

Based on the fact that your Vet said your cat has an over active thyroid... more then likely he has feline graves disease. Which is very common disease in older cats. It is considered a top feline vet treated diagnosis such as urinary problems...

The feline endocrine system is similar 90% to humans. So, the treatment for feline graves disease is the same as humans. What is causing your cat to have an over active thyroid is a goiter or tumor located on the thyroid gland...(on his neck) Usually only in rare cases are the tumors cancerous.
In having an over active thyroid... his T4 & T3 count went up...
making his body speed up his adreanal gland, matabelism, heart rate, & other body organs....
This is often called a "thunder storm" because if left untreated it can cause organs to fail.... heart attacts are most common...

The treatment for Feline Graves Disease is...
1. Medication. (usually Tapazole/Methimazole)
Note:There are side effects to medication treatment...
(T4 blood counts are periodically taken to make sure the right
dose is being given to lower & keep down the T4count)
2. Surgery to remove the goiter.
(Studies show that 80% of cats usually regrow the goiter within
18 mo. or less...& must remain on medication for long periods)
3. Radiodine injections...
(following medication & surgury....)

Here are some links of info to get you started:
(There is tons of information on the net regarding this subject)
http://thyroid.about.com/od/hyperthyroidismgraves/
http://www.radiocat.com/

Yes, it sucks.... I recieved little information from my Vet's partner when I first ran my cat in for treatment... I had to educate myself on what was going on in order to make reasonalbe desisions about our pet...

Best of Luck!

PS: WOW!!!!$300.00 just to have an office call & your cat's T4 blood count taken (for over active thyroid) seems very high!
You may want to check with your vet & see if any other tests are being run on your cat's blood...
For Thyroid testing your cat only needs a T4 test...
if a proper count can not be taken from that test T3 test is given.
(The T3 test is more expensive & less common... you can read more about these blood tests on the net... )

Answer 5

I don't think it is a good idea to feed your cat with sushi. If she is hungry, she will eat anything. Just don't give her any sushi and put the cat food there.

Answer 6

Making dietary changes is your first line of defense in treating hypothyroidism. Learn here https://tr.im/CGgWN

Many people with hypothyroidism experience crippling fatigue and brain fog, which prompts reaching for non-nutritional forms of energy like sugar and caffeine. I’ve dubbed these rascals the terrible twosome, as they can burn out your thyroid (and destabilize blood sugar).

1. Just say no to the dietary bungee cord. Greatly reduce or eliminate caffeine and sugar, including refined carbohydrates like flour, which the body treats like sugar. Make grain-based carbohydrates lesser of a focus, eating non-starchy vegetables to your heart’s content.

2. Up the protein. Protein transports thyroid hormone to all your tissues and enjoying it at each meal can help normalize thyroid function. Proteins include nuts and nut butters; quinoa; hormone- and antibiotic-free animal products (organic, grass-fed meats, eggs, and sustainably-farmed fish); and legumes.

Answer 7

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Answer 8

I once had a cat who starved herself into a skeleton, even though she took her meds. Can you see if part or all of your cat's thyroid can be removed? It is so sad. I hope you find help for him.

Answer 9

you need to get that cat to the vet right away. sounds like the liver is shutting down and the kidneys too. this is called renal failure and is most common in old, neutered males but does affect all. Renal Failure is one of the more common causes of death in felines and is very painful and slow and agonizing as far as the cats feelings. If the vet says that the cat is in renal failure, please be humane and put the animal to sleep. Too many people wont because they are selfish but in this case, you want to have the least amount of suffering for the animal.

Answer 10

sorry to say, but that really does mean hes probably going to die soon. my cat did the same and just stopped eating