My cat has pancreatitis and won't eat or drink. What should I do?

Pancreatitis rarely completely resolve, it can be managed (food is the most important part of the treatment) and your cat might often have relapses such as this one, every time he does he will need similar treatment, in cats i find pain killers important with pancreatitis as well as anti nausea drugs such as cerenia.

Hello. If Obie is eating a canned diet, he is actually getting quite a bit of liquid every day. Have you tried offering chicken or beef broths or stocks? Some cats also love to drink running water, so leaving a tap trickling may encourage Obie to drink more. If there is a medical reason he refuses to drink, then he may need to receive subcutaneous fluids ( under the skin a couple of days a week ). Have your veterinarian show you how to assess Obie for dehydration so you know if he is running into any problems. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I would expect for your vet to either prescribe or offer injectable antibiotics and anti-nausea medicine for a few days in a row. I love to use cerenia as the anti-nausea medicine as it is also a pain reliever. Your vet may choose this or something else and add in a different pain reliever if necessary. A lot of specialists don't believe antibiotics are necessary, but since a small percentage do get an infection in the pancreas, a lot of vets treat with antibiotics to cover their basis. Also you will want to make sure Coquine is staying hydrated. If he is well enough to be treated at home then your vet may want to have you come in daily for a few days to get some subcutaneous (under the skin) fluids to help keep him hydrated. If he simply has just pancreatitis and no other complicating factors then they usually improve quickly and do really well. I hope this helps!

I am so sorry to hear about your kitty! Pancreatitis in cats is very serious, and can cause significant discomfort. If your cat isn't eating or drinking much, he may not urinate or defecate much. If you don't think the medication is helping, I recommend you chat with your veterinarian for other options. If your cat is lifeless and not responding to you at all, then you should take him to an emergency vet right away. Best wishes for you and your cat.

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!

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.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Pancreatitis in cats is often a chronic problem with occasional flare-ups. Treatment usually consist of pain relief and low fat diet. In more severe cases iv fluids, intravenous pain relief and appetite stimulants are necessary. In that respect the treatment Mahji received sounds appropriate. Antibiotics are not necessary in most of cases of pancreatitis but it is a common practice to use them. It is hard to make comments on the problem with oedema. I assume that the oedema was caused by overzealous intravenous fluids therapy and Mahji has fully recovered after a course of diuretic. The key in long-term management of pancreatitis is low fat diet. There are prescription diets for cats with pancreatitis but this type of food can be easily prepared at home (cooked lean meat with some vegetables). Using appetite stimulants should be only short term, however some cats require longer therapy with anti-sickness medications to treat nausea (metoclopramide or maropintant are the most commonly used). I hope that will help and I wish all the best for Mahji