Dinah is home from the vet.

[elfs]

Poor kitty

We took Dinah to the vet for her teeth cleaning, and we've discovered why she was off her feed: her teeth were causing her terrible pain. So much so that she could barely eat. Her neediness was caused by her pain and hunger.

I feel bad because I could have done something so much sooner if I'd known to look for it. I mean, she was just at the vet three weeks ago, and she's been off her feed for months. It's one of the reasons why baby food worked for her: it could be eaten just by licking at it.

Also, one of the other things is that pouch-style foods are back on the shelves. Not Nutro Natural Choice, but Wellness Pet Foods is selling it, and in a variety of flavors. Now that her teeth have been cleaned and her favorite variety of food is available, she's eating two pouches a day, plus all the cat treats we give her. She even ate a chunk of a soft high-fat sausage meant for dogs. She's out to pack on the pounds as needed, apparently, which she needs; she's lost four pounds in the past six months.

With luck, hydration, and attention she'll do well for the next year or so.

Comments

[mo-hair.livejournal.com]

may i also recommend merrick brand wet cat food. it's like the caviar of freakin' wet food, and i must admit its got to be the closest to baby food on the market. rather than being chunky bits in gravy like all the pouch brands we've ever tried, this stuff is like puree. it's so wet it holds no shape when it comes out of the can. i mean, if i were a cat, this stuff is what i would want to eat. each can actually looks and smells EXACTLY like what is listed in the ingredients!

glad kitty is doing better!

[elfs.livejournal.com]

She hated the Merrick wet cat food. Oddly, it's a Merrick brand dog yummy that she likes, though. And she's grown up on the pouch stuff; I think she dove in to it precisely because it's what she knew best.

[shaterri.livejournal.com]

Wow, she's lost more mass than Sylvie actually has right now. We may have to look for the pouch foods for her; though she's pretty committed to her current can, it does go dry a bit too quickly. Good catch on the teeth.

[amber-starcat.livejournal.com]

Did they pull any teeth???

My Genoa was the same way. During her health check-up, we discovered major gingivitis and started a course of antibiotics. However, the antibiotics made her ill and three different kinds led her into a vomit pattern. They were simply too much for her frail system.

Returned her to the vet...said she was off her food along with the dehydration and anorexia. To make a really long story short...we ended up taking her to a specialist. They wanted to do a very expensive endoscopy to rule out cancer. We refused. My roomie and I discovered she was turning her head when she ate, the dry food too rough for her aching teeth, the wet food making her nauseous from the smell.

She lost five pounds within five months. Went back to the regular vet and told them it was a tooth. They checked on that and it was. However, the vet wouldn't do the dental until we made her gain some weight. Another agonizing two months went by.

I felt horrible. She seemed to get worse and worse and had her on a pill that made her hungry. A month ago...she went in and had three teeth yanked. Now, she has gained another pound back...and is acting like a kitten again...playing and exploring the apartment....something I have not seen in years. She still might have something going on but for now, that dental was a life saver.

We found that Royal Canin's Recovery RS food to work wonders for her. It's a highly palatable, digestable, mushy food and when her teeth hurt, it was the only thing she would eat.

I hope Dinah feels better....lots of head bumps and puuurrrzzzz from my fab five.

[elfs.livejournal.com]

One didn't have to be pulled. It broke off during the examination! The vet said her teeth were so bad that, even in her fragile state they couldn't let her go any longer without the procedure.

[acelightning.livejournal.com]