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My 15-year-old cat is sick, won't eat, and has chin blood. What to do?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed

My cat has become very ill. She can no longer swallow comfortably and refuses to eat and has lost a lot of weight. Also, there is some blood/gunk that keeps dribbling from her chin. She is about 15 yrs old. Is there anything that I can do or would euthanasia be best at this point?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on April 30th, 2017

Oh no, poor Sasha does sound extremely ill at the moment! It's very concerning that she is refusing to eat and there is blood and gunk that is dripping from her chin. She could have a severe dental disease causing her to not eat and have the blood dripping. If she does have dental disease, it can be treated so she needs to see a vet immediately. Given that she refuses to eat, it's a medical emergency. When cats don't eat for at least three days, they become prone to developing a fatty liver which is fatal without treatment. She needs veterinary attention now, and the vet can advise if she has something treatable or if it's better to let her go peacefully. Please take her into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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