My cat was in a traumatic accident. His palate had to be repaired. For the last week we've been feeding him by syringe. He's only been getting about 5-9 ml a day. It's just so hard and painful for him to squirt food down. He's on 2 antibiotics and pain meds as well. My question is...how much food does he need to avoid kidney failure...and to survive. He's just lost so much weight, and I'm scared for him. I know that I have to be tough and force the food...but I also don't want to make him vomit. HELP
2007-10-10 14:55:24 · 3 answers · asked by 40 weeks and overdue Arggg 3 in Pets ➔ Cats
I agree with the person above- it would certainly be worth talking to your vet about having a feeding tube placed. If he will tolerate it reasonably well it's probably going to be a much better option for both he and you. It will also eliminate the risk of you accidentally causing further trauma to his palate whilst feeding him.
If they haven't already, it may be a good idea to get your vet to work out a nutritional plan for him so that you know you are getting enough calories into him each day. Regardless of what you're feeding him, there's no way 5-9mL of food a day is going to satisfy even his maintenance requirements, never mind the additional demands that recovery from his accident is going to place on his body.
If he's not eating at all, he's going to be at risk of developing hepatic lipidosis (accumulation of fat in the liver) which could make him seriously ill. If you can't get food into him at home, he may need to be kept at the vet clinic for a little while so that they can give him nutrition either via a stomach tube or via a drip.
Hope that helps, and hope he improves soon.
2007-10-10 20:01:07 · answer #1 · answered by Loz 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ask your vet about a feeding tube attached to the side for the duration of the mouth healing. You can inject slurried food into it at a better rate than what's going down his throat now, and the tube can be removed at a later date. It may be the easier way to go.
2007-10-10 22:15:22 · answer #2 · answered by Elaine M 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
cats can go awhile without food...but water is more important.
i know he is losing weight....take your que from him...if he acts like he still wants to eat...continue to give it to him.
he is your best source...
good luck :)
2007-10-10 22:03:51 · answer #3 · answered by Blue October 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋