My cat has pancreatitis and won't drink. How to keep him hydrated?

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!

Possibly, although my other concerns for increased drinking include kidney disease, hyperthyroidism and diabetes. Weight loss, vomiting or soft stool can also be signs of concern in these conditions. I would ask your vet about running a urine sample and/or some bloodwork to help determine if the increased drinking is a problem. I would also recommend having Brady on wet food (assuming he likes it!) if he is not already as that can help add moisture to his diet. I hope this helps!

I'm sorry Ladybug has pancreatitis! Wet food has water in it, so she is getting some water. Try adding additional water to the wet food. Keep offering her drinking water, but if she still isn't drinking in another 24 hours, give her vet a call. Best of luck.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry he was diagnosed with this tumor. This is unfortunately a very aggressive cancer. If he is going to just be on palliative care at this point then the focus would be more on making sure that he is comfortable and eating and feeling well. Prednisolone is a good idea. Another medication that just came out in the market is Entyce which is an appetite stimulant that I have been using in cancer patients which may improve his appetite. At this point you can feed him whatever he prefers though something that is tasty and they tend to like is canned tuna so you can try that. The Entyce has worked great for my cancer patients so far and he may have a better appetite afterwards. Also, an anti-nausea medication like ondansetron. Your veterinarian could prescribe these if that would be ok with his medical history. Good luck!

Hello. I am so sorry for your worries with Maggie. There are other gastrointestinal diets for cats, like those made by Hill's & Purina that you can try. She may like a wet vs a dry diet, too. But the important thing is just to keep her eating. Cats tolerate dietary fats better than dogs, so while she recovers, you might even talk to your vet about introducing her to a hydrolyzed protein diet ( also used for pets with food sensitivities ) as this is highly digestible, too. As for asking about Mirataz, definitely do ask as this it can help as an antiemetic & appetite stimulant. I hope Maggie is feeling better soon & thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Buddy! The medication is likely cerenia, which is an anti-nausea medication. Unfortunately there are pills or liquid formulations of medication. Cerenia and pepcid come in injectable form. The Vet can give the first dose and maybe get the pepcid and cerenia compounded in to a liquid form. If you think you can squirt liquid medications in him then I would ask to get that form. Or consider hospitalizing for injectables. I hope this helps and i wish Buddy a speedy recovery!

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.