Appetite stimulant for cats

Appetite Stimulant for Cats

Cats may experience lack of appetite if suffer from some disease but it can be also related to stress or age. Lack of appetite may be very harmful to cat’s body especially to the liver of a cat. Different appetite stimulants are available for cats and the owner must choose the one that is the most suitable for his or her pet.

Cause of Appetite LossA cat may suffer from decreased appetite due to different causes. If a cat suffers from an infection or worms the obvious signs will be decreased level of energy as well as lack of appetite. To determine if your cat has worms, you should check out its feces for live worms. Also, if cat’s feces have tar-like appearance or if it has traces of blood, that is a sign of a worm infestation. Swollen abdomen in a cat is another indicator of a worm infestation. Diarrhea is also a sign that your cat suffers from intestinal worms.

Loss of desire to eat in cats can be caused by stress such as moving to other house or arrival of a new member into the household. Stress in cats may cause behavioral changes such as aggressive behavior, depression, withdrawal and avoiding litter box. Stressed cats may also repeatedly groom.

Sometimes, a cat may lose appetite due to cat food that may be too acid or very high in phosphorus levels. Such food can cause upset stomach in cat.

Other causes of poor appetite in cats include: upper respiratory infection, dental problems, feline diabetes, feline leukemia, and side effects of some medications.

Natural Appetite StimulantsTo improve your cat’s appetite, you must firstly determine the exact cause of appetite loss. Than, you must provide sufficient supply of water to your pet in order to keep it hydrated which is essential in the case of diarrhea. If a cat suffers from cold, it is also important to keep it well hydrated in order to regain energy and ability to fight against the infection.

You can enhance your cat’s appetite with smelly foods such as tuna and sardines. If you stimulate the sense of smell, your cat will probably regain desire to eat. Provide enough vitamin B12 in cat’s diet because it also increases appetite and improves liver health. You may stimulate you cat’s appetite by including milk thistle and catnip into its diet. There is also available Nutri-Cal, natural dietary supplement that can help with the problems of poor appetite in a cat.

Prescribed Stimulants

Appetite in cats can be enhanced with the help of prescribed stimulants. They include Valium and cyproheptadine. Valium is habit-forming medication and shouldn’t be stopped giving abruptly. Valium may cause drowsiness and lead to liver problems in cats. Cyproheptadine is an allergy medication that may stimulate cat’s appetite. It acts by blocking serotonin in the brain which results in improved appetite. However, cyproheptadine may also cause drowsiness.