My senior cat with a kidney tumor won't eat. What are my options?

Hello. I am so sorry that Oscar has such a sad diagnosis. Unfortunately, either one of these can cause a significant loss of appetite. The only two appetite stimulants we have for cats are mirtazapine & cyproheptadine, & even these are not miracle drugs. Some cats prefer foods that are warm, some prefer them when cold, so you can try this. Hand feeding may work a bit as well. You can also talk to your vet about the possibility of adding some anti-nausea medication like Cerenia. Hopefully, you can at least get Oscar to eat a little more for as long as possible. Good luck & thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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!

I'm so sorry that Katie was diagnosed with lymphoma. Athough they have not done as significant of studies in cats as they have with dogs, our goals with cancer are to feed a food high in protein and fat, but low in carbohydrates. This is especially important for cats since they are obligate carnivores, so a canned food is ideal. A salmon based diet is a wonderful idea since omega 3 fatty acids can have some anti-cancer effects. My cats love Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon. They also love Wellness Turkey and Salmon. Cats rely on their sense of smell to entice their appetite, so smelly fish based foods are a great idea for a cat with cachexia. I also find that rotating foods on a regular basis can be very useful for cats on chemo, so they don't get turned off to a particular food if they are nauseated. I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Find a food with a strong smell/odor. Warm it slightly then offer it to Precious. You can also mix a teaspoon of warmed baby food in with her food. Discuss appetite stimulants, such as mirtazipine, with your veterinarian. The vet may also suggest some kidney friendly diets such as Hill's k/d or Royal Canin Renal Support. Bloodwork should be submitted to check kidney function. Elevated BUN and creatinine levels may cause nausea and inappetance. Hospitalizaton and IV fluids may be necessary to decrease levels.

I understand what you are saying. Unfortunately, if you have run blood tests and there is no evidence of kidney or liver disease, no evidence of any significant infectious disease, or any sort of electrolyte balance, the most likely cause for an extended period of inappetence and weight loss in an elderly cat is cancer. Specifically, the cancer is usually gastrointestinal lymphoma. X-rays and ultrasound would help in trying to confirm or rule out this diagnosis, but this is an all too common and unfortunate end to many kitties. I would continue to try and just feed her anything that she wants. Literally anything if it gets her eating is fine. I hope you and Suki can figure things out.

I am so sorry that Alex has been diagnosed with Kidney disease and it sounds like possibly hyperthyroidism. Unfortunately, these two diseases can be difficult to battle. I would talk to your vet about starting him on an appetite stimulant. You can also have fluids given to him under his skin on a daily or every other day basis to help keep the kidney values down to help make him feel better. I would have your vet recheck the thyroid and kidney values if his have been on medicine for awhile to ensure it is working properly and there isn't something else going on. You could also look for an alternative vet to seek acupuncture to help stimulate appetite. I hope this helps!

I'm sorry Lucy isn't doing well at the moment! I would offer her some boiled white meat chicken (no bones) or some really smelly wet food that has been gently heated such as fish or sardine based. You can also try offering her some boiled ground beef. I hope this helps her eat!