Loss of appetite - why?

[BabyJessy]

Jessy is 14 now, and there have been many ups and downs with her health over the years but her appetite has never been an issue. We always joked that we’d know her time has come when she’d refuse food. Well, she started refusing food around December 14th. She also started shaking her head a lot and encouraging us to rub the side of her head near her left ear. My husband figured it was probably a tooth, since her jaws are shrinking with old age and she did lose a molar last summer; she could also use a teeth cleaning but age her age and with her elevated liver enzymes it could kill her.

She won’t let us examine her mouth, so we brought her to the vet (not more successful) who got her on antibiotics (Clavaseptin) because she thought the gums were a little inflamed and Surolan drops because although both ears looked great, there was infection deeper near the eardrums and only visible with the otoscope (both ears so I am guessing her allergies caused this). We had to buy stinky canned food because she would not eat her homemade recipe. She improved, the vet said her ears were clear, and she started eating her regular healthy homemade food but only if we blended in some canned or added chicken bouillon, etc. She even started crunching some kibble we use sparingly in her Nina Ottoson games so we figured it had been the ears and everything was healed, because I doubt she’s crunch kibble with sore teeth or gums. So we figured it was all over...

Well that lasted a few days. She has gone back to being lethargic, just wanting to sleep in a cold place near the door, she has lost a lot of her hearing since the Surolan drops or the infection, and she is eating less than half her normal portion and even there I have to pour bouillon and chicken bits over it to encourage her. She snaps at us when we pet her, and although she seems to walk ok outside for her potty breaks, she is slipping around on the wood floors but this is new. The floors are not that slippery. I am wondering if the ear infection was even deeper than what the vet saw, that it might be on the other side of the eardrum in the middle or inner ear and this could be causing all these symptoms, including maybe a balance issue? I don’t know if it matters, but her stools have been normal except once with some yellow liquid. She is drinking more than usual.

I guess at her age the problem could be a combination of things? Would blood tests find the problem? I was thinking maybe the ear and also a liver/gallbladder/stomach issue but her stools look good and she’s not vomiting? Input would be appreciated...

We will return to another vet this week, but it would help if I could narrow down the possibilities...