Starving cat

Question
Dear Savannah:  I read an answer regarding cats that are anorexic due to feline hepatic lipidosis written by Karen Kraft who is on vacation.  I am wondering if you could answer this in her absense. She recommends a "Kitty Glop" formula (and gives the recipe) to hand feed ailing cats, saying it is like a Kitten food/milk replacement.  I am wondering if I can use a food found at our local pet store called KMR in the same fashion.  Our cat is not eating and will certainly die according to our Vet and the referral Specialists if we cannot get him to eat.  He has a bad heart murmur and they are afraid of anaeathesia required to do a surgical feeding tube, so I am going to assist-feed him with syringes.  I have read a bunch of websites about assist-feedings, but none talk about using a prepared kitten formula (but they are not experts, they are owners posting their experiences).  Thank you for any and all help.  Clemmie King

Answer
Clemmie,

I would be happy to answer your question, and I'm so sorry your kitty has hepatic lipidosis!  That is difficult to treat and deal with emotionally.  

I understand that the vets don't want to put in a feeding tube due to your cat's heart murmur.  I lost the love of my life in June, and she had a bad heart murmur her entire life.  It was discovered when she got spayed at 9 months.  I was told by the vet at that time that it was severe enough that I could lose her at any time, so when I left for work in the morning, say goodbye to her like it was my last time, because I might come home and she'd be gone.  I was mortified, so everyday for the next 18 yrs, I did just what the vet said--I gave her the most protracted goodbyes one could ever imagine.  Towards the end of her life, when I knew I was losing her, it became even more difficult to say goodbye for the day.  So, I know exactly what you're going through in regards to the heart murmur.  However, have any of the vets you've seen suggested an NG (nasogastric) tube?  While not ideal, and only for short periods of time, you can feed via the NGT, and it does not require anesthesia to place.  Because it is inserted into the nose, and then advanced down into the stomach, it does hang out of the nose, which, depending on how much energy the kitty has, could be an issue with the cat trying to pull it out.  It could require putting an E-collar on, but if it's going to allow you get food into your cat, then I'd say it was worth it.  Anyway, just a suggestion if no one has mentioned it since it's a sturdy tube, and doesn't require anesthesia.  And, when you "drop" an NGT, once it's in the stomach, you inflate a balloon which secures it in the stomach, so no sutures are required either.  

At any rate, getting to your question about the "kitty glop" and if you can use KMR.  The answer is yes.  KMR has all the nutrients, essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals that any other milk replacer has, and as such, should work fine. I looked at the ingredients, and they look fine for trying to get something into a cat with hepatic lipidosis.  However, remember that there is no food per se in the KMR--it's just skim milk, whey protein, amino acids, vits, minerals, etc.  No food source, and the only protein source is milk, and casein, and whey.  Not knowing what the kitty glop had in it, I can't say whether it's an either or situation or not.  I would think that for the immediate future, KMR would be better than nothing at all, and will be getting the vits and minerals into the cat that it needs.  So, I'm saying that if your vet has okayed KMR, then it's definitely okay, but if you haven't checked with your vet first, then I would.  Like I said, I would think that it would suffice to at least get him over the hump, and when that has happened, then you can switch to some other food like Clinicare, or Hills A/D, both of which will provide high protein and nutrients for seriously ill cats.  I know with A/D you can actually make it into a slurry or paste, and syringe feed it.  

I sincerely hope that your cat recovers from this hepatic lipidosis.  Remember, though, that hepatic lipidosis doesn't just happen.  There is something that caused the cat to stop eating, and you will need to find out what caused your cat to stop eating so it doesn't occur again and trigger the same rxn/behavior.

Here are some other rules to follow when trying to recover a hepatic lipidosis kitty (I'm sure your vet has already told you):

1.  first day of feeding, you should only give your cat 1/3-1/2 of the days caloric requirement
2.  second day of feeding, you should only give 2/3 of the days caloric requirements
3.  remember that all feeding should be done slowy, as too rapid ingestion can inflate the stomach, which can cause vomiting
4.  warm the food a litte bit as cold or cool food can trigger vomiting as well

Assist feeding can be a challenge, but since you know your kitty best, many owners eventually find what works for their cat.  Often the cat knows it's life or death, and will actually not fight its owner during the assist feedings.  I hope your kitty realizes this and all goes well.  

I wish you the best of luck!  Let me know if I can help in any other way.

Savannah