My cat has always eaten well but recently he is hungry all the time to the point of stealing food from the kitchen. He is very skinny now and I have started a course of worming tablets.
2007-02-12 01:20:01 · 27 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Cats
The worming tablets should work!
2007-02-12 01:23:59 · answer #1 · answered by prettywoman 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Keep going on the worming tablets. If he is still skinny and losing weight after a couple weeks, bring him to the vet. Some possible reasons: thyroid problem- one type makes you loose weight, 2- very very active metabolism 3- how much are you feeding him? As long as he isn't fat, give him free choice dry food. My cat ate about 3/4 of cup of food a day, and he was just right. If you have an active cat, they may need twice that.
2007-02-12 01:26:20 · answer #2 · answered by D 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are two different possiblities:
1. He does have worms. You can normally see the worms in the little kitty poo he leaves in his box. Especially if your kitty is an out door kitty he is more likely to get worms, then if he was a strictly an indoor kitty.
2. How old is your kitty? Is he a still in his kittenhood? Sometimes kitties, when they get older, start to get even more active and want more food. Also, if he has been a lot more active, or if it has been very cold outside he may be hunting for more food to keep himself energized and warm. If it is cold, he may be having to expend more engery, which means of course he's going to eat.
Only a vet can tell you whether or not it's worms or if there is something else going on. Make sure you have him checked out soon. More then likely it's just a healthy change in his behavior, but it's always wise to make sure.
2007-02-12 02:55:58 · answer #3 · answered by noncrazed 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My cat had the exact same symptoms, he was between ten and twelve when diagnosed with an overactive thyroid. Your vet will take a blood sample for analysis. My boy started off with one tablet per day and was checked every month until three tablets daily was what was needed to start putting on weight. We did find that he did seemed a bit depressed after about a year of treatment and decided to stop the blood tests and the treatment but he did also have alot of other problems. We were also offered surgery but I think these decisions really have to made on individual personalities, you know your cat best. good luck
2007-02-12 07:47:42 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like a hyperactive thyroid.
The thyroid regulates metabolism and a hyperactive thyroid produces excess hormones that speed up the metabolism, resulting in an increased appetite, increased food consumption, and loss of weight.
Thyroid hormones are harmless in their normal quantities but they become cardiotoxic at the excess levels produced by hyperT. They cause hypertropic cardiomyopathy, a lethal heart disease that will kill the cat if the thyroid isn't brought under control.
Once the hyperT is controlled the HCM should resolve and kitty will be as good as new.
Fortunately, hyperT is easily treated. You have your choice of three methods.
Surgery will remove one lobe of the thyroid, thereby cutting hormone production in half, restoring normal production levels.
Radioactive iodine will destroy the hyperactive thyroid tissue, leaving normal thyroid tissue alone.
Medication can control hormone production.
Surgery and radioiodine tretments are curative, although the problem may recur in the future if the remaining now-healthy thyroid tissue should become hyperactive. That happens fairly often.
Medication is not curative but provides effective symptomatic relief. A few cats have bad reactions to the medication (tapizole) but most have no trouble with it.
The surgery is routine and not very expensive. It can be tricky to remove a lobe of the thyroid without damaging the parathyroid (which is essential for life) but most vets have the required skill and experience to do the job safely.
Radioiodine ("the Cadillac of treatments") is fairly expensive but has the advantage of being relatively non-invasive and having no known risks or adverse effects.
Medication is cheap in the short run but it carries a small risk of serious adverse reactions, and over the long run it's the most expensive treatment because kitty will be on the meds for life.
Please get kitty to a vet and have some bloodwork done, specifically a T4 test for thyroid hormone levels. If it's hyperT, it's important to get it treated quickly before those excess hormones destroy kittty's heart.
2007-02-12 01:34:27 · answer #5 · answered by Mick 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think you have done the correct thing by giving worming tablets, if these do not work I would advise you to go to the vets. I am sure I have heard somewhere that cats can get a type of diabetes which can result in weight loss.
2007-02-12 01:25:50 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i would consider using a vet-grade de-wormer, as it is broader spectrum and less 'toxic' to the cat.
although it is very likely that your cat has worms, if the de-worming doesn't work you should take your cat to the vet for testing.
and, stealing foood from the kitchen doesn't mean hungry. adolescent kitties can appear skinny but be quite healthy. i'd make sure you are feeding a premium brand (such as nutro max) of food at the recommended amount. best of luck to you and your cat.
2007-02-12 01:37:20 · answer #7 · answered by theoutcrop 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I can only suggest you take your cat to the vet. If is cold weather some cats eat more or as you think a bad case of worms but I wouldn't wait if he is very skinny now.
2007-02-12 01:29:55 · answer #8 · answered by mother sensible 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should not be worming your cat without a veterinary check to see if that is his problem. Hyperthryroidism is common in cats around ten and up now and that can be treated with medication. Insatiable appetite and loss of weight are common symptoms.
He needs a blood panel analysis by a vet to determine if his thyroid is overactive.
2007-02-12 02:27:59 · answer #9 · answered by old cat lady 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If he does, in fact, have worms then after finishing the treatment he should start to put on weight. If he doesn't, then he may have a thyroid problem and the vet can prescribe medicine for that.
2007-02-12 01:27:23 · answer #10 · answered by Charles Dexter Ward 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like worms to me.... if you don't see worms in his waist... get a better wormer. If you are using an over the counter brand... give up.. they are no good. Get something good from the vet. You may really want to have him vet checked, just to be sure it is worms that are treatable.. and not... Parvo... but I don't know for sure what the symtoms for parvo are. Good luck
2007-02-12 01:25:44 · answer #11 · answered by ditto805 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋