Siamese Cat ??depressed??

Question
We have a 13yr old neutered male Jimmy. He is small but never had health problems before.
Wed eve not eating but otherwise bright, poo & weeing OK. Thurs Off food and water - One smelly poo still perky. To vets Thurs Eve  antibiotics & a gell to calm gut _ no obvious symptoms. No change on Fri all bloods and abdomen Xray clearbut dehydrating. On drip overnight. Still at vets(Sunday eve) not eating or drinking less alert, being syringe fed but not very successfully.

Do Siamese cats get depressed (post viral?) What is the best was to get him feeding & drinking? Would he be better at  home (we do visit).
Help please!
Thank you
Lorna  

Answer
Hi Lorna.  One of the biggest challenges facing Siamese owners is that Siamese cats really are not fighters.  They give up very easily, whether it be to a physical illness or an emotional one (yes, cats do suffer from depression, and Siamese may be especially prone).  A simple cold, which causes them to be off of food for a couple days, can be the death of them.  They seem to forget to eat, even after they feel better.  Without intervention, many Siamese cats whither away.  Force feeding is the only way to push them through.  And for animals who give up easily, they sure will fight force feeding tooth and nail!  As you are aware, Siamese cats are usually nothing but muscle, and their nails are hooked and very sharp.  Force feeding can be impossible.  There are appetite stimulants that may be given.  Some include cyproheptadine, diazepam, and an anabolic steroid.  Of course not all are appropriate for all situations, but you may want to inquire about these.  Also, some foods may be tempting.  You can use tuna, chicken, human baby food containing meat and broth or water only, or your vet may carry prescription foods with an appetite-stimulating aroma.

In situations where their full ration of food is not getting into their bellies, a feeding tube may be the best choice.  The two methods of tube feeding that are favored are the esophagostomy tube and the gastrostomy tube.  Both are implanted while the cat is under anesthesia.  The esophagostomy tube is inserted through an incision made in the throat area and is fed into the end of the esophagus.  A gastrostomy tube is fed in through an incision in the abdominal wall, right into the stomach.  With either method, a food with a creamy consistency is fed into the tube with a syringe.  This can be done at home.  A bit of water is used to wash it down.  Once the cat begins eating his full ration of food on his own, the tube is removed under anesthesia, and the incision is closed.  Many vets prefer the gastrostomy tube because they find cats are more willing to begin eating on their own without a tube in the esophagus.  I know that these both sound like drastic measures, and they are, but cats tolerate them remarkably well.  There is nasoesophageal tube feeding, which is done through a small tube fed into the esophagus through a nostril.  The tube is secured on the head using sutures.  However, because of the small size, only a liquid diet may be fed, and feeding the cat its full ration is difficult.  Besides, cats are usually very bothered by the tube.

I do believe that cats do better at home IF you can give him all his necessary care.  Fluids are pretty easy to give at home under the skin.  A vet can show you how.  But if he's on anything that must be given intravenously, like antibiotics, he'll probably need to stay hospitalized.  Many cats also need their temperature regulated when very ill.  A heating pad isn't always a reliable way to do this.  Most vets use a special pad that circulates warm water set at a precise temperature to keep them warm without overheating.  If Jimmy is on heat, it's probably a good idea to leave him at the hospital.

I wonder if it would of a benefit to do an ultrasound.  One common disease in cats is pancreatitis.  Refusal to eat is the most common symptom in cats and is found in almost 70% of cases.  Unfortunately, blood tests don't always reveal pancreatic problems, especially in cats.  There's a very specialized blood test that is more accurate, but it can take days before results are available.  Aside from that, a pancreatic biopsy, which is risky if the organ is already inflamed, and an ultrasound are the best means of diagnosis.  An experienced ultrasonographer should be able to determine if the pancreas is abnormally shaped, sized, or textured, or if it's too dense.  If pancreatitis is found to be the problem, some vets recommend IV nutrition and resting the stomach.  In cases where the cat does not vomit, this is a controversial issue, because allowing the cat not to eat could cause liver disease.  Antibiotics may given in some cases in case the cause is infectious.

I have had more than my share of cancer cases.  Lymphoma is a disease occurring in cats at an alarming rate, and Siamese are predisposed.  In early stages, one would expect to see a drastically increased count of certain white blood cells and some proteins in the blood.  However, this is far from a definite.  Many of my cats have shown symptoms such as unexplained anorexia before the cancer was even detectable in the blood or on an x-ray.  I certainly hope this is not the case with Jimmy, but I would keep my mind open to the thought if he does not begin to improve shortly.  

There are uninvasive chemotherapeutic medications that lymphoma may respond to.  One is prednisone, a corticosteroid.  It causes very little in the way of side effects if any, and it's very inexpensive.  It's given in pill form at home.  Alone, it may slow the growth of cancer.  I've also done full-battery chemo protocols consisting of 6 different drugs and a hospitalization once a week.  One cat went into remission for four months.  The other improved for three months but did not achieve full remission.  In all my lymphoma cases, I use prednisone.  It typically makes the cat much more comfortable and lengthens the lifespan by 2-8 months.

I'm wishing you all the best.  If you remember, please keep me updated!

Jessica