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My cat won't eat kidney food. Is Entyce better than Mirtazapine?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 18 years and 11 months old | 9.5 lbs

Hi would mirtazapine and entyce work in the same way? I ask because tony is on 1/8 mirtazapine everyday and it doesn’t really seem to help as far as getting him To eat kidney food any easier. Would you recommend trying entyce or are they basically the same thing? Thx!

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on December 21st, 2018

Good question. They are both appetitive stimulants but are a different class of drug so they work in different ways. I think it is worth a shot trying to the Entyce. I would also highly recommend informing your veterinarian about this continued issue because often times the pets kidney values are really high, causing appetite suppression alone. Also ask your vet about getting Tony on Cerenia (anti-nausea) medication long term (can be given every other day in renal failure cats ) to help with his appetite. Often cats won’t eat because they are nauseous due to elevated toxins in their blood stream from the kidney disease. Also a product called Azodyl can help reduce kidney values more naturally.
I hope these suggestions help you get Tony’s appetite back to what it used to be. Best wishes and take care!

13Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on April 19th, 2019
Mirtazapine is often used to stimulate appetite in cats and it now comes in a transdermal formulation that can be spread on the ear. The corticosteroid injection can have direct anti-cancer activity as well and it’s possible that Sadie could have another.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM
Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident
Published on August 17th, 2018
Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There are a few medications for appetite stimulation but my preferred ones are mirtazapine and Entyce. However, the best thing to improve appetite is to find out what is causing the appetite to be low and treat it. I would encourage you to check in with your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a great day!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Maria DVM
Veterinarian
Published on September 30th, 2018
Typically it takes a few doses to really work, but I would be hopefully that it has some play in why Tony was hungry. I would continue with the medication as prescribed. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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Why isn't my cat eating his kidney food even with an appetite stimulant?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Appetite stimulants sometimes do not help so it is not uncommon to be in this spot especially if there is significant underlying disease. I would recommend you contact your veterinarian who knows the entire medical history to make further recommendations. There are other appetite stimulants that can be tried such as Entyce. Good luck and have a great day!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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Senior cat won't eat kidney food. What low phosphorus diet is best?

Royal Canin carries a diet called Senior Consult which has restricted Phos but not as low as the renal diets so it is not appropriate to feed instead of the renal diets. I recommend to discuss this option with your vet before making any diet changes since they are the most familiar with Tony's history. You may ask your vet about an appetite stimulant such as mirtazapine. Many renal cats want variety. Many owners will keep several renal food options and will switch the kibble every week to keep it interesting. Most cats will go back to eating a diet that they had previously stopped eating so you may try circling back. You should also ask about the return policy when purchasing the food in case Tony won't eat the food. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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My CHF cat won't eat. How can I help his appetite and nausea?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Hank. Here are a couple of my thoughts for you to discuss with his veterinarian. You can try Cerenia which is an anti-nausea medication. Entyce is a new appetite stimulant that may be tried in replace of the mirtazapine. It is only approved for use in dogs, but has been used off label in cats. You can consider switching to a potassium sparing diuretic such as spironolactone which may allow him to come off of the potassium supplement. I would avoid the ginger at this point and try other options as there is no way to know if it will interfere with his cardiac drugs. I typically try one thing at a time so that I know what is helping. I hope this information helps!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

My cat won't eat kidney food. Can I use freeze-dried raw as a topper?

Hello, thank you for your question about Tony. I am sorry to hear that Tony does not seem to love the kidney diet; these are known to have a bland taste so many animals do not like them. The freeze dried morsels have a high protein content; most veterinarians recommend minimizing protein ingestion in patients with kidney disease. However with that being said, the main goal in any patient with kidney disease is to ensure that they eat. If this helps Tony eat his food regularly I think it is ok to add this as a meal topper. One other thing you could try (if you are using dry kibble) is to add a small amount of low sodium chicken broth to moisten the food and help improve the taste. Hope this helps, good luck!

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My cat licks kidney diet pate, won't eat it. Is this normal?

This can be fairly normal behavior for a cat with a decrease in appetite, and I would guess that Tony's kidney disease may be making him less interested in food. You could try a different variety of food, and you may want to buy several different flavors of the kidney diet. You can also scoop a smaller amount out onto a plate and refrigerate the rest so the food isn't wasted. If Tony seems to be losing weight and not eating much food you may also want to ask your vet about an appetite stimulant.

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My cat has CKD and won't eat. What food helps lower creatinine?

If he won't eat the Royal Canin renal diet then you should try a different brand like Hill's k/d. The Hill's diet has an appetite stimulant in it which helps with palatability. If he won't eat that either then all you can do is feed him what he will eat. It may shorten his life span but you cannot let him starve to death. If he is anemic that is called anemia of chronic disease. The only thing to help that is injections of EPO (erythropoeitin). Feeding organ meet is not going to help. ( https://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/cardiovascular/c_ct_anemia_chronic_kidney_disease )

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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Help! My cat with renal failure isn't eating. What should I do?

Find a food with a strong smell/odor. Warm it slightly then offer it to Precious. You can also mix a teaspoon of warmed baby food in with her food. Discuss appetite stimulants, such as mirtazipine, with your veterinarian. The vet may also suggest some kidney friendly diets such as Hill's k/d or Royal Canin Renal Support. Bloodwork should be submitted to check kidney function. Elevated BUN and creatinine levels may cause nausea and inappetance. Hospitalizaton and IV fluids may be necessary to decrease levels.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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