Why is my cat still lethargic and not eating after normal vet tests?

I would recommend blood work and an abdominal ultrasound. The ultrasound will be able to evaluate the gastrointestinal tract much better and can sometimes find foreign bodies that the x-rays can't. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Poor Sachi! Significant weight loss and inappetence are certainly a major concern. I'm glad to hear that his blood work (I assume a CBC, chemistry and T4?) was unremarkable. However, foreign body intestinal obstruction/blockages, intestinal malabsorption issues that can cause inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), chronic pancreatitis, or cancerous processes, do not necessarily cause changes on screening blood tests. If Sachi has not yet had abdominal x-rays or an ultrasound, consider talking to your vet about these tests as his next diagnostic step. If he has a foreign body obstructing his intestines, this is a surgical emergency, and these tests would be helpful in obtaining a diagnosis. If pancreatitis, IBD or EPI are more highly suspected, consider talking to your vet about testing for vitamins B12 and folate, as well as TLI and fPLI. I hope this helps!

Hi Pamela, Sometimes basic blood work does not give us all the answers we need. If your vet did not include any treatment, I would recommend contacting them and letting them know that Moxie has continued to do poorly. They may recommend trying fluids or some other medications or may recommend rechecking her temperature and examination, then considering some additional tests. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that Moxie feels better soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If all his bloodwork was normal that rules out kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, etc. If your vet did not test for hyperthyroidism than a test should be done. An x-ray and/or ultrasound is defintely needed and will, hopefully, provide more information. He could have an infection, cancer, or obstruction/foreign body to name a few other possibilities. If he is not able to keep food down, I am not sure waiting until Friday is a good idea. He may continue to weaken and may become dehydrated. If your vet can't take an x-ray then you could consider taking him to an emergency clinic or another vet that can. An anti-vomiting injection may be helpfull if your vet didn't give him one. I hope that his problem is diagnosed and treated soon!

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Newton! Wow, you have done a lot and I am surprised you haven't found an answer. I would be sure fecal testing has been done and feline leukemia/FIV testing, chest X-rays, B12/folate/TLI/PLI testing then I would take him to surgery to explore his abdominal cavity and I would biopsy everything. Looking for lymphoma. He should have a feeding tube (esophageal) placed a surgery so he can be fed while you wait for biopsy results. Also if it has been more than 1 month since the CBC/Chemistry has been ran I would repeat it. I wish you the best

I agree with your concerns - not eating for 5 days is certainly not normal. I'm glad to hear that Bentley's blood work was overall normal, but I am curious as to whether or not he was tested for fPL, which is a test to raise or lower suspicion of feline pancreatitis. Possible causes of his sudden loss of appetite not apparent on routine lab testing include pancreatitis, inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, intestinal obstruction (I would expect more vomiting, however), among others. The main concern, particularly since Bentley is such a big cat, is that he could develop hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease) as a result of not eating for this length of time, which can be quite severe. If Bentley is still not eating by tomorrow morning, I strongly recommend taking him back to the vet to discuss further testing, such as the fPL blood test or abdominal ultrasound to get to the bottom of this issue. I hope that he is on the mend soon!

Your cat needs her teeth checked. Also try feeding her canned food and warm it up for her (luke warm). If she still does not eat then there is something serious going on and she will need to be seen by a veterinarian again.