my 12 year old cat is usually a big eater and overweight. i think he has stopped eating over the last 7-10 days. he asks for food, even though his bowl is full. even if i give him new food he doesn't eat it. he has lost quite a bit of weight. i can't really tell if anything else is wrong since he's always been a very lazy, sluggish cat. he still comes for petting and sitting on my lap.
Optional Information: Type of Animal: Cat Gender: Male Age: 11 or 12 Name of Cat: Gingiss Already Tried: Tried different brands of dry food and even some wet food.
Welcome to JustAnswer! I am a licensed veterinarian and would be glad to help!Regardless of the cause for the loss of appetite, in cats that do not eat for 3-5 days or longer, regardless of the underlying cause - can get secondary liver problems, (fatty liver disease - hepatic lipidosis)http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1455As far as how to help with the appetite - here are some options for at-home care:- You can try to offer small amounts of water or diluted pedialyte for hydration and electrolytes. You can even purchase a dropper from your local pharmacy to offer the water/pedialyte mixture by mouth.
- A calorie dense nutritional supplement such as nutrical:http://www.1800petmeds.com/Nutri+Cal-prod1340.html- Another option would be baby food. If you are going to try this, please purchase baby food that does not have any ingredients such as garlic or onion.Many baby foods now will only have the ingredients of the item and water...for example chicken and water. But they will not have any other salts or seasonings. This is what you need. Just chicken and water or beef and water for example.
Regarding other therapy to speak to your veterinarian about, I would recommend an appetite stimlant called cyproheptadine.
http://www.petplace.com/drug-library/cyproheptadine-periactin/page1.aspx
Experience: Emergency and Critical Care Specialist