Expert: Jessica - 11/10/2010

Question
We have a very sick cat. He has no appetite, will not even drink water.He has lost a lot of weight, including muscle mass. He is very lethargic and uninterested in every thing. We have given him honey to try and stimulate his appetite, but this is no longer working.  The vet did a blood panel and the only abnormal finding was the WBC was low. He also had tests run for feline leukemia and feline aids, which both came back negative. He is current on all his vaccinations. The vet is stumped, but he is getting progressively worse and I do not know what to do.

Answer
Hi Katy,

I'm so sorry to hear about your kitty.  That is a mystery.  I would very strongly recommend having an abdominal ultrasound done.  I have found ultrasounds often provide a lot of information when blood work turns up normal.  Most often, it gives me a definitive answer.  But even if it doesn't, it can usually help you zero in on the problem area.  It can help detect areas of inflammation, fluid or gas in areas where it shouldn't be, abnormal growths, pockets of infection, and check to see if any organs are of an irregular size, shape or texture.  If the vet performing the ultrasound finds a suspicious mass, they can often do an ultrasound-guided needle biopsy at the same time, to see what you're dealing with (to determine the best treatment plan).  In my area, an ultrasound runs around $250, and most veterinarians either have their own equipment or have a specialist that comes by on scheduled days.

There are often some hints of cancer on blood tests, but this is a disease that evades detection on blood panels somewhat frequently, so I'm afraid it might be a concern.  

You may want to ask the vet about a prescription appetite stimulant such as mirtazapine to see if that will help him in the meantime.

I hope he's feeling better soon!

Jessica