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Old September 27th, 2010, 03:21 PM
mikischo's Avatar
mikischo mikischo is offline
Mickey, my angel
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada
Posts: 1,186
I'm so sorry to hear what you and Caesar are going through.

First of all, I can understand your having that hope and it is not entirely unrealistic. A feeding tube is the easiest and most effective route to go when treating fatty liver disease and it is less stressful for both the cat and the caregiver. That being said, there are many cases where fatty liver disease has been reversed by force feeding. It is great to hear that he is drinking on his own. If you go this route, it is best to do force feeding in smaller quantities spread over 6 feedings a day rather than too much in one feeding and it can take 3 to 6 weeks before the cat is able to start eating sufficient quantities on his own. Baby food does not have nearly enough nutrients to sustain him. Although I am not a fan of most prescription diet foods, there are exceptions. One of the best products you can get for this purpose is Hill's A/D which you can get from the vet. It contains a lot of nutrients and works very well for syringe feeding with only a small amount of water added. This is what I fed to Mickey when he went through a period where he was too ill to have any appetite to eat on his own. As you have already discovered, most cats are not particularly happy with being force fed, but it is necessary if you want to give him the best chance for recovery.

As L4H said, only you can decide when is the time to let him go. Most of us on this board have been through this and we understand your pain. I went through this last year with Mickey. I have been through this before but for me last year was the hardest. Letting go is very difficult and no matter what, I think most of us find ourselves dealing with the what ifs. Just try to enjoy the good things each day. You will know when it is time and we will be here to offer you our support.
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"The animals share with us the privilege of having a soul." -Pythagoras
"The soul is the same in all living creatures, although the body of each is different." -Hippocrates
"Let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world." -Jack Layton
"Be the change you want to see in the world" -Gandhi

Kitties: Punky (17), and Sassy (13), Twinky (10),

SweetMickey 1991 to May 24, 2009

Last edited by mikischo; September 27th, 2010 at 08:30 PM. Reason: Corrected a sentence.
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