My cat has pancreatitis. How much and how often should I feed him?

Most cats don't have a set schedule with meal time and that is ok. The most important thing is that Kacey is eating daily and consuming a low fat (calorie) diet if she is at risk for repeat pancreatitis episodes. As long as her body condition score is ideal and she isn't pre-diabetic, I would not worry about trying to get her on a feeding schedule. It is good if she readily converts to a schedule, but it isn't absolutely necessary. Make sure you discuss with your vet what the appropriate amount of food to offer her daily. Also you can use the feeding charts on her food labels to get a rough estimate of how much she needs. Try to only offer her amounts of food that fall within that chart and you should be fine. Most cats typically only need around 1-1.5 cups/cans a day. And the probiotic is always a good daily supplement to keep her stools regulated.

Usually I recommend a low fat gastrointestinal food for pancreatitis as it is easily digested with minimum fat content. Royal canin does a feline wet GI food. Hills and specific do a similar option. You can get these from your vet. If your cat also has deficiency in pancreatic enzymes these may need supplemented.

Ha Ha! Temptations are cat crack!!! I'm always saying this! It is probably partly both. Did your vet give you a special bland diet to feed Shadow? If not, I would try one. I'd pick Purina EN or Royal Canin GI. Either dry or canned - whichever he prefers. https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/198944_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=113553 https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/198944_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=113551 https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/198944_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=114751 Don't force feed him. Typically that just causes a food aversion. I suggest that if he doesn't start eating on his own that you ask your vet about putting in a feeding tube. It sounds drastic but it really isn't. It is an easy way for you to "force feed" him without forcing him..... They can keep the tube in for months.

Yes, this is a great food to give a dog with pancreatitis. It is actually my first choice. I would recommend doing small meals every 4-6 hours and see if your dog can keep that down. If you're feeding the canned food do about 3 tablespoons to start and then slowly increase the amount you are giving him until he is recovered. If you're feeding the dry food do it in half cup increments and then slowly increase the amount you are giving him if he is able to keep it down. I would not recommend adding milk to the diet as this could further irritate the stomach. I hope this helps. Best of luck. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I would opt for a prescription kidney diet (Hill's K/D or Royal Canin renal) instead of any over the counter option if he has kidney disease especially, because the mainstay of treatment for this is the diet alone. This is also ok for his pancreatitis for now and hopefully he will get over this pancreatitis episode soon with the treatment recommendations through your vet. Pancreatitis in cats is often associated with a triaditis (3 disease) condition affecting both their intestines (IBD), pancrease (pancreatitis) and liver (cholangitis), so its imperative to follow your vets instructions on follow-up care as well. Here is more information on this condition in cats --> https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952234 I do hope that your pet Cat is going to be ok moving forward. Best of luck and take care.

I'm so glad that Mr B is feeling better. A prescription diet would be ideal, if he will eat it. However, it is more important that he be consistently eating something. Regular food intake and meals keeps the pancreas working at a steady pace to help digest food, rather than going from 0 to 60 so to speak; meaning not needing to work, then working really hard. Since he is an older guy, he is just more likely to start to have health problems. If he does have a recurrence of pancreatitis, it would be a good idea to talk to your vet about an abdominal ultrasound (sonogram of the abdomen) if that was not preformed yet, to see if there are any other issues going on, such as an obvious tumor, etc. I hope that information is helpful. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Sage. I'm sorry to hear about his ongoing issues with pancreatitis. Continue giving the fluids as you do not want him to become dehydrated. I typically include pain medication as well as an anti-nausea medication in my treatment plan. Pancreatitis can cause abdominal pain and he may not be eating due to nausea. It is also a good idea to have his cobalamin (vitamin B12) level measured in his blood. If this is cost prohibitive, most veterinarians will give an injection of this vitamin. It can help a lot. I hope these options help Sage. Good luck!