My cat won't eat or drink after bladder surgery. What's wrong?

I think a big factor missing in this question is why did she get stitches. I would say that surgery is painful and it is possible the anesthesia or pain is causing her to not want to eat. I would call your vet and make sure pain was addressed properly and discuss her not eating since they know what surgery was completed. I would recommend trying to warm up some wet cat food to help stimulate her eating. Also can food has more water that can hydrate her. I would bring the food and water bowls close to her so she does not have to move very far to go get them. hope that helps

Thanks for posting this question. I am really worried about Kent too. Urinary obstruction can be very serious and even fatal. If he was obstructed fir a long enough time it may have damaged his kidneys which may be why he isn't eating. It also looks by the picture that maybe he is leaking urine? That is very concerning too. I worry his urethra may be damaged. I would encourage you to reach out to your veterinarian and take him back in for a recheck and possible blood work. His condition is very serious and could potentially be fatal. I'm so sorry Kent is so sick. I wish him the best.

He likely hasn't eaten enough to produce enough stool yet. If he isn't straining to defecate and he seems to be acting normally I would not be too concerned about that just yet. That being said, constipation can be caused by dehydration. If you are seriously worried about him being dehydrated you cannot force him to drink so my suggestion would be to take him to your vet so they can give him some fluids under the skin of neck so his body can absorb them (this is called subcutaneous fluids). I think you are doing fine by feeding the canned food and adding the water. You can try adding a bit more and maybe just a very tiny pinch of salt to see if that will cause him to drink a bit more. I also suggest you feed him a probiotic. That will help with digestion and overall health. My favorite is Fortiflora. You can buy it over the counter or online. If you can't find it or get it then you can use any probiotic but make sure it is made for cats (not humans and no dairy). Hope this answers your questions. If you have more please feel free to post again.

Hello. Not eating can have serious consequences in cats, so it is important that you do everything you can to encourage Rocky to eat. I would try some different things to spark his appetite, including a little cooked chicken or hamburger, tuna in water, any kind of kitty treats ( many seem to really like the Temptations brand ), & offer, in addition to fresh water, chicken broth, tuna water, even those packets of broth available for kitties, now. You can also offer him some jarred meat based baby foods, as long as they do not have any garlic or onion in them. If Rocky is still not himself by Tuesday, please take him back to your veterinarian for evaluation. He may need some fluids & an appetite stimulant to get him back on tract. I hope he is feeling better soon & thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If possible I would contact the veterinarian that did the surgery to discuss any concerns they might have. I recommend monitoring Archibald closely continuing to offer him small amounts of food and water and following the discharge instructions given by your veterinarian. If he begins acting painful, weak, or has any vomiting then he needs to be seen by a veterinarian.

I would give the vet a call before stopping the pain medication, and let them know that he has stopped eating or drinking. This isn't normal behavior a day after surgery, and the vet should know about this.

Oh my goodness! Poor guy! He does need nutrition. What was your vet's recommendation for feeding him? Its hard to assess the risk of infection without knowing what the area looks like more specifically. Definitely offer him water. Is he on antibiotics? If he is on antibiotics, offer him a liquid diet; you can soak cat food in water, mash it up with a fork and let him lap it up. Sometimes a temporary feeding tube is needed to help patient's recover from significant oral injury. Regarding the IV, My understanding from the information you gave is that he was on IV fluids during the surgery, but he went home after surgery. The IV fluids will help him maintain hydration for the time that he's getting them, but not much beyond that, so he does need to be offered water and if he's unable to drink it you need to take him to a vet and either discuss subcutaneous fluids (fluids you can give under the skin at home) https://icatcare.org/advice/cat-care/how-give-subcutaneous-fluids-your-cat or possibly a feeding tube, as subcutaneous fluids don't provide nutrition (calories, fat, carbohydrates), only hydration and electrolytes. IV fluids also do not provide nutrition. Thank you for asking PetCoach!