Cat on chemo: Why is my cat so picky about food during treatment?

Hello. I am so sorry that Oscar has such a sad diagnosis. Unfortunately, either one of these can cause a significant loss of appetite. The only two appetite stimulants we have for cats are mirtazapine & cyproheptadine, & even these are not miracle drugs. Some cats prefer foods that are warm, some prefer them when cold, so you can try this. Hand feeding may work a bit as well. You can also talk to your vet about the possibility of adding some anti-nausea medication like Cerenia. Hopefully, you can at least get Oscar to eat a little more for as long as possible. Good luck & thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello sorry to hear about Trixie. If her small cell lymphoma is in her intestines, it’s likely that her IBD has become the lymphoma. There’s a few studies describing this process. However, given that she is being treated with pred, this will often also suppress any flare ups of IBD. Often as pets begin to respond to treatment they may regain their normal appetite, and occasionally we can make use of appetite stimulants to achieve this sooner. Given that she has been on a novel protein diet, it is likely best to continue this same food, but if she is not eating anything other than fancy feast this may also be acceptable for now. I would recommend speaking with your veterinarian about Trixies diet to determine if you need to worry about feeding her something other than fancy feast or if she needs appetite stimulants to go back to eating her regular diet. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry he was diagnosed with this tumor. This is unfortunately a very aggressive cancer. If he is going to just be on palliative care at this point then the focus would be more on making sure that he is comfortable and eating and feeling well. Prednisolone is a good idea. Another medication that just came out in the market is Entyce which is an appetite stimulant that I have been using in cancer patients which may improve his appetite. At this point you can feed him whatever he prefers though something that is tasty and they tend to like is canned tuna so you can try that. The Entyce has worked great for my cancer patients so far and he may have a better appetite afterwards. Also, an anti-nausea medication like ondansetron. Your veterinarian could prescribe these if that would be ok with his medical history. Good luck!

I'm so sorry to hear that Elliot has cancer. You are exactly right that the most important thing is for Elliot to keep eating. I don't have any fool proof recommendations, but my cats really liked Tiki Cat and Wellness canned food. Some cats will also like variety, so you might rotate flavors. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I'm so sorry that Katie was diagnosed with lymphoma. Athough they have not done as significant of studies in cats as they have with dogs, our goals with cancer are to feed a food high in protein and fat, but low in carbohydrates. This is especially important for cats since they are obligate carnivores, so a canned food is ideal. A salmon based diet is a wonderful idea since omega 3 fatty acids can have some anti-cancer effects. My cats love Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon. They also love Wellness Turkey and Salmon. Cats rely on their sense of smell to entice their appetite, so smelly fish based foods are a great idea for a cat with cachexia. I also find that rotating foods on a regular basis can be very useful for cats on chemo, so they don't get turned off to a particular food if they are nauseated. I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

VetriScience NuCat Multivitamin Everyday Health Bite Sized Chews available on chewy.com and amazon.com are highly palatable multivitamins that would be good to supplement Greg’s diet with. Prescription Royal Canin recovery canned diet is generally palatable (yummy) to even sick or hospitalized cats and is another option as well that your vet can either sell from his/her practice or prescribe. Good luck!

Oh dear, I'm sorry to hear that you and Bonnie are in this situation. Bonnie's weight loss could be caused both by her lack of appetite, as well as any cancerous process and/or subsequent kidney disease. You can try to tempt her to eat with bits of boiled white meat chicken, small amounts of tuna, or even meat-based baby foods. Also discuss appetite stimulant medications (cyproheptadine and mirtazepine are two commonly used drugs) with Bonnie's veterinarian since they may be helpful. However, if none of these strategies improve her appetite and her overall quality of life is declining, it may be time to consider euthanasia. I hope this helps and that all goes well for Bonnie.