Our cat is 21, she has been steadily loosing weight since Xmas, she has always been a small eater, slim framed and can go through periods of eating less...

She had bloods done today to rule out thyroid and liver/kidney issues, and her weight is now very low for her build. They found high results in her liver function, and looking to start a steroid medication and give a b12 shot.

Our cat is surprisingly active and youthful for her age, vets are often dumbfounded when they find out how old she is, thinking she's around 10-11 when asked to estimate based on an examination.

I guess I'm just looking for anyone's experiences in dealing with this type of diagnosis and treatment. I know a change in diet will be likely, and I'm looking to discuss these issues when I take her in again on Friday, for the vit shot and steroid prescription.

Are there any salient points I should be asking about, or anyone have some first hand advice?

Thanks

OK can only answer in relation to dogs.
My dog lost her appetite and blood tests showing high liver values. They then did an ultrasound which showed nodules on the liver.
Next step should have been a biopsy but even a needle biopsy was felt to be unsafe (other conditions)
Recommended therapy for dogs is SAMe plus milk thistle plus vitamins like B12 plus small frequent meals which are less likely to overtax the liver.
With my dog, B12 has been given as an injection but I also five an OTC vitamin.
Why the steroids? In our case it was suspected that steroids (for another condition) actually caused the poor liver health.
If the steroids are for appetite I would look for alternatives. However given your cat's age they may not be concerned with potential long term effects.
My dog was given 3-6 months to live 18 months ago. It was touch and go for a while while I spooned food into her mouth to get some nutrition into her. But now she is quite well and vets think part of the liver may have regenerated.

Thanks for the info!

Looks like the b12 will be covered via injection, the corticosteroids are to reduce inflammation and scarring in the liver, from what I can tell, as I say I should find out more on Friday, I only got results and brief phone chat today.

I wouldn't say I've noticed a drop in her appetite per say, she's always ate little, imo, and based on other cats I've had, so I think this might be a long term or chronic issue as far as she us concerned.

In dogs oral steroids can be a life saver. But they can also cause appetite gain and thirst and extra urination/incontinence. My girl also lost a lot of her hair. Don't know if this applies to cats.
Steroids are a serious drug and animals normally have to be weaned off a course slowly, I just checked online however and it seems they are a pretty standard treatment for cats. However SAMe was also mentioned which is what I give my dog (same as what the vet offered but half the price on Amazon).
Good luck!.

Thanks mrsgrumpy49, our little animals, such a worry!

I'm hopeful that the meds will help her gain some weight, she is dangerously underweight, and with all we've tried we can't get her to eat more, but it seems the condition is the culprit there.

Wow, getting a cat to 21 is no mean feat! I know what you're going thru as my cat also has poor liver function.

My cat was always slightly porky but otherwise fit and healthy. About 2 years ago she started losing weight- but I assumed it was down to changing her diet. (Diet was under veterinary instructions). In October last year she lost a lot and fast. Went from 11 pounds down to 7 over about a month. Obviously back to the vets and she had a blood test which showed poor liver function (ALT level was 430 when it should have been under 70 I think). Had an ultrasound on Xmas eve which showed areas of liver change, pancreas inflammation and also changes in her intestines/bowels. Diagnosis was triaditis (basically inflamed liver, pancreatitis and inflammatory bowel disease).

She had 3 weeks of metronidazole (antibiotic for the inflamed pancreas) and was started on steroids (Prednisalone). She's also had a B12 shot as well. We've tapered the steroids down to one 1mg every other day, she started off with 2 x 2.5mg per day. Up to this point the difference in her has been amazing. She now cleans herself, stretches and is generally far happier. She has lost a lot of fur (but to be honest she had a lot of fur to lose). Unfortunately they also found that she had a semi paralysed larynx when they did the ultrasound so we're back to the vets this morning as her breathing hasn't been good over the last couple of days. If it's not one thing it's another!

Things I've found that help:

Getting pills into her in the least stressful way for you and her! Try doing it in food lumps of chicken breast, I've got a gel called Nurish Um which my cat loves. Dab on finger, pill on top, another dab on top of pill and she licks it off and eats it.

Improve quality of food- I've found that food with low grain content helps. Basically aim to get as much nourishing food into her without overloading the liver. The vets should be able to advise what will be the best. Feed little and often. She could be feeling nauseous so if she shows no interest take the food away until she's feeling better then try again. As far as I know it's important not to let a cat go for more than two days without food as it can lead to liver damage.

Keep a diary!!! Seems daft but I couldn't remember how much or when she'd eaten at when she was at her worst. Did she enjoy her tea on Monday evening? Did she eat last Friday? Much easier to judge if everything is written down. Liver damage can show some weird symptoms (so useful if it's progressing further). One of them is head pressing- literally pressing their heads against something to relieve head pain. Ask your vets for the main symptoms to look out for.

I will say that cats seem to tolerate steroids better than other animals, including us.

Good luck! I've had a rollercoaster ride since Xmas. To begin with we had some really bad days when it seemed that the only answer was a last trip to the vets. Until this week we'd had no bad days for about 2 weeks (this week is being caused by her larynx I suspect will find out in an hour). Ask your vet as many questions as you can about food, medication and pain/nausea relief if she seems like she has them

Hope some of this essay helps!

As an aside, we had a pony with acute liver damage 27 years ago. She died last year at the age of 42. Just shows that if you can keep them going for long enough (obviously taking into account whether it's fair to keep them going) you can have some good results.

Thank you for such a thorough post! I can see you've been through the mill since Christmas, and I'm glad things look good now!

I'll be getting advice from the vet tomorrow in terms of diet, I've had a look at some of the prescription foods, there is very little variety, and knowing how our cat is with food, I'd be lucky if she liked them! She has always ate little, and been slight, so this gradual weight loss is really showing. She hasn't given any signs of discomfort etc, she sleeps a bit more, but not the vomitting, diahorrea associated with liver issues.

I think I'll need to take it by ear, I hope the vit shot will be a good pick me up, and the corticosteroids will aid some liver recovery... But her diet I will need to monitor, I want her to put on weight, she needs too, she's only about 5.5lbs. I also have in mind her age, and quality of life, I want her to enjoy her food, as she does now, and not take that part of her life away.... If it wasn't for her sleeping longer, and the weight loss, these bloods wouldn't have been done, her levels were 310, as you said I think the upper cut off is about 70.

Thanks again for your input, I was up late last night researching, even looking into homemade diets, specifically for cats with liver disease, in case I need to add the variety to the prescription foods. It's crazy, there seems so few flavours of wet and dry food, just a few, on prescription plans. Our little munchkin likes and is use to plenty variety, so I'll need to see how it goes, it's all good giving her the meds, but I know her weight is the significant issue right now...

OP there is a Yahoo group for dogs with liver disease (or rather for their owners ). Maybe there is one for cats?
Another vote for a diary here - if only to track what they eat, what they weigh and any symptoms.
You could also ask your vet about something like Nutri Cal or Cat Nutri
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_...2Ck%3Anutrical

I will do, thanks again for all your input! It's really appreciated

How did you get on at the vets?

We had another blood test yesterday and her ALT level has dropped to 230, so still bloomin high but 200 less than at Xmas. Unfortunately it looks like time is running out for my cat as there is nothing they can do about her larynx. At some point she's going to struggle to breathe so before that happens she'll have to be put to sleep. The vet did say that she could continue exactly the same for a while so nothing booked yet.

Anyway, back to your cat. Food! I used to think my cat was just picky, very picky. I think now that part of the issue was her liver which has caused her pain/illness/discomfort for a while. I've no idea how old she is, but if she wants to eat it she can have it. On the menu at the moment is:

Tuna in spring water (not brine!)
Salmon fillets (frozen portions- cooked)
Plain chicken breasts (roasted with water)
Plain mince beef, turkey and lamb (tried pork- she didn't like it). All cooked and cooled.
Gourmet pate cat food
Encore chicken and tuna cat food
Applaws chicken and some of the fishy ones

And the one that she will always eat- Aldi Salmon flavour pate. (i know after her posh tastes above I'm surprised she'll eat it! )

She always gets one meal of proper cat food per day. I'd prefer all her meals to be proper balanced cat food but I'd rather get something into her than nothing. That's the other reason I have the Nurish Um paste. It contains all the vits and minerals that they need like the Nutri Cal linked below. Mine will not touch Hills prescription food at all.

For my cat, I'd rather give her a good last 3 (or whatever) months of life and eating what she fancies rather than try to force the issue. That's why she doesn't get cat food all the time. Basically after the problem getting prescription food in her the vets said just try whatever she will eat. For her anything is better than nothing. Obviously take the vets advice if they want you to try something/not give her something.

Just remembered- I weigh her food as well. I don't as much with the canned stuff, but it's useful to keep a track of how much of anything else I give her and how much of it she eats.
Last edited by sesmo : 17-04-2015 at 15:39

I was advised to give my dog tofu. Can you expect a respectable border collie to want to eat tofu? Especially a dog which doesn't want to eat anyway. I just tried to avoid the worst foods. Ironically now that liver values have come down somewhat and she is feeling better, she'll actually look at the prescription food. In the meantime we tried everything and ended up with a rather unexpected repertoire of foods she would actually eat. Like Matzo crackers, steamed white fish and fresh tagliatelle, organic white arborio rice, chicken thighs and green beans, chicken loaf with oatmeal....
Now she's feeling better but I'm broke

I'm so sorry to hear about the outstanding larynx issue, and I totally understand where you are in terms of giving her the happiest and most content months now... Our family cat (was my cat from 11) had to be put down a few years ago at 17, he'd developed crippling arthritis in his back legs and began having nerve damage, meaning he couldn't pass bowel movments himself, after numerous enemas, it bacame weighing up his comfort and distress, and giving him peace.

The vet came to our home, and he was put to sleep with his loving family with him, it's a heartbreaking and difficult decision, but there's a point were you know what's best for them, and letting what they need guide you. I wish you the best when you reach that point, but I've no doubt they can have enjoyment and pleasure from life, for some time yet.

The vet today gave our girl and b12 injection and a corticosteroids injection, which she'll need every 6 weeks, including a daily tablet, to aid her liver. We've been told to get her on the prescription diet for liver disease, I'm hopeful she'll take to it, I'll do my best to try as many varieties I can find, to keep her enjoying food. She has a check up in 6 weeks, where she HAS to have gained or at least maintained weight, otherwise it will be the inevitable, soon enough. I'm keeping positive, she's upbeat and bouncy, and like a cat half her age, so I need to do all I can to help her put on weight now. Apparently the meds should aid with enabling repair enough, that it could encourage her appetite, I'm hopeful, but we shall see.

Thanks again for all the feedback, fond thoughts and wishes to you, and all our little creatures.

BIB: That's why she's got salmon for tea and I've got a pot noodle. The things we do!

Hope she'll eat the prescription food. It is the best thing for them to be on. My cat has gained some and lost a bit in the last 3 months but is heavier now than at Xmas.

Sounds like she's happy, I think as long as you can keep the happiness going then there's no harm in trying. totally understand about the quality/quantity of life bit.

If you're struggling with food, tuna juice is quite a good one to put on their food. Just the water from a can of tuna (not the tuna itself). Added bonus that you can have a tuna sandwich while the cat tucks into her food

Thanks for the good wished and good luck with yours!