My cat isn't eating or drinking after surgery. What can I do?

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!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Kent. I am sorry to hear that he is still not eating after his surgery. Is his pain well controlled? Being painful after surgery is a big reason why a cat will refuse food. Perhaps ask your veterinarian to prescribe an additional pain medication. Do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to cats. Also make sure his incision site is clean and there is no pain, redness, discharge or swelling that could possibly indicate an infection. I hope this information helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! That is a great question and actually very commonly asked. There is really nothing special to feed him. The most important thing is to make sure that he is eating with a good appetite so I would just keep him on his usual diet if that is what he likes. Good luck and have a great day!

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.

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 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

You should let your vet know that he is not eating. Your vet can prescribe pain medications and/or an appetite stimulant to help get him eating again. Offer him a variety of canned food and see if he will eat something.