My beloved cat who is 14 years old has begun to lose weight rapidly over the past few months. The vet can't pinpoint any problems other then old age. I really am open to any tricks or suggestions to help him keep as much weight on as possible to help him have the best life he can for as long as he can. SERIOUS RESPONSES only please. Thank you
Answers:
Can tuna in oil. fish and fish oil is very good for them.
please be persistent with your vet. my cat lost 7 pounds in a few months and the vet originally said there was nothing wrong. it turns out that he had a tumor in his jaw and he died shortly after i found out.
try feeding him tuna fish to supplement his food. they also like gizzards (you can feed them to your cat raw)
Get a second Vet's opinion. Cats just don't lose a bunch of weight like that.
Old age is a disease now eh? 14 is not that old for a cat. I would get a second opinion and fast before it is too late. Did you veterinarian do any bloodwork to evaluate organ functions? Typical geriatric cat diseases are chronic renal failure, hyperthyroidism and diabetes. All manageable problems that, with proper treatment, can be sustainable for years.
My cat started loosing weight rapidly and it took a long time for my vet to figure out that she is diabetic. Did they check for that?
My cat had done the same thing. I switched her to Science Diet dry cat food, on the advice of my veterinarian. Have blood work done on him, to make sure there isn't a medical problem. Have his teeth cleaned yearly. Gum disease can also cause illness.
i have a 16 yr old cat that i have been giving a can of fancy feast 3x a day to help her at least maintain her weight. if she happens to gain, then better yet. does your cat have any teeth missing? if so, and if you are feeding him dry food, then you may have to switch to canned food. that is the situation with my cat. did the vet run any labwork to determine what kind of shape his kidneys and liver are in? if not, then that is another thought
Have they checked him for diabetes, weight loss is a sign. Give him protein cause with the weight loss he's going to get tired also. Open a can of tuna I would try anything salmon, egg. Baked chicken. My heart goes out to you an so does my prayers.
I hope your vet has done bloodwork to check for a thyroid condition, or kidney problem, the two most common causes of unexplained weight loss in a cat that age. If your cat is eating readily and bloodwork has ruled out any metabolic disease, then you can try some of the high calorie supplements like Nutrical or clinicare (a liquid supplement). I would also try a general dewormer from your vet (like Bayer's Drontal), and if all else fails, seek another opinion. I have seen hyperthyroidism not show up definitively on bloodwork, but other symptoms are all consistent and more specialized tests confirm the disease. A really easy way to check for this at home is to count your cat's heart rate at a relaxed time (such as while sitting on your lap) If it is greater than 150 beats per minute at a relaxed time, your cat very well may have hyperthyroidism. If your cat has chronic diarrhea, there may be some other factors. You also may want to try a probiotic to help his digestion. Pet Guard makes a good one for cats, but there are many good ones out there. Good luck!
Is your cat eating as usual or has appetite decreased? My friend's cat -2 years of age- had leukemia and a mass growing in close proximity to the esophagus and there came a point when the cat couldn't eat anymore and lost weight. Unfortunately, the cat was put to sleep. The mass was not treatable by surgery or meds..
When my cat lost some weight I noticed she wasn't eating as much. then I found out she lost some teeth and couldn't eat the dry food anymore. I had to switch to a can of tuna everyday. She would never eat moist cat food and figured tuna was natural so she just eats it
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