Hello, My name is XX. XX and I would be happy to help you with your question about Happy Cat. Please let me start by saying how sorry I am that you are facing this problem with him. Fifteen years is a very long time to have a cat and I'm sure you must be quite attached.

Yes, it is common for us to see an elderly cat whose tongue sticks out because of missing teeth.

However, missing teeth - even ALL the teeth - does not cause the loss of appetite in an otherwise healthy cat.

That means the solution to your problem lies in determining exactly WHY Happy Cat isn't eating.

There has to be some other problem besides the missing teeth.

In order to find this other problem, he will need to have a thorough physical examination, blood tests, and a urinalysis. I'm afraid there are no shortcuts.

Many different things can cause a cat this age to stop eating, but some common problems (that can be associated with dental disease) include kidney and liver disease.

In order to find out what can be done to help Happy Cat get better, you need to know why he stopped eating.

In fact, since we know the Vitamin B12 shot and prednisone haven't helped, we know it's not just something simple.

Did your vet do any blood or urine tests?

I'm so sorry to hear that. Without actually knowing why Happy Cat isn't eating, it will be impossible to know what kind of treatment (if any) will help him. Everything else is just a guess.

It may be helpful to try treating Happy Cat with antibiotics in case this is an infection. That may help him get better.

Has he lost a lot of weight?

Something I can tell you for certain is that the Fancy Feast Shrimp and Fish food did not cause the problem. It just never happens that way. That's just a coincidence'

I'm really glad you were able to find a diet that works better for him.

Has he been vomiting at all? Even just fluid?

So sorry.

I lost my connection, but it's working now.

I wanted to let you know that most animals who lose all their teeth are able to eat dry food just fine - like what you just saw. They swallow it whole.

If Happy Cat is willing to eat dry food, by all means, you should let him.

Also, many times a sick cat will have a very finicky appetite. Owners will tell me that their cats will eat a certain food really well one day, then not at all the next.

They get along well for a long time by simply offering a wide variety of foods. Baby food, like you mentioned, is good. So is Fancy Feast. There are also special prescription diets for ill cats like Eukanuba's Maximum Calorie Food and Hill's A/D.

Additionally, a medication called cyproheptadine can help stimulate a cat's appetite.

It looks like you are offline now - I'm sorry I missed you earlier.

I've done my very best to answer your questions. The botXXX XXne remains that if you really want to know why Happy Cat isn't eating normally, you will have to travel to a veterinarian capable of performing (or sending out) blood and urine tests. Otherwise, your local vet will just have to guess and keep trying different medications and diets to see if something works.

I know it's not the best news, but it's the truth. My goal is to be as helpful as possible and give you accurate information. Please remember you can always post more to this thread, and I'll be notified via email, even after you've clicked ACCEPT. I'm happy to help.

Thanks for using Just Answer!

Hello,

Just checking to see if there is anything else I can do to help you with Happy Cat.

Hello again. I'm curious to know if Happy Cat is improving at all. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do to be of further assistance. Otherwise, please click ACCEPT so I can receive credit for my time. Thank you for using Just Answer, and good luck with Happy Cat.