Cats RAPID weight loss!! Why?

Question

I have a male cat that is around 13 years old. He has always been large weighing 20 lbs. In the past 2 months he has lost a lot of weight he now weighs around 15 lbs. or less. He does not act sick, his coat the same, his eyes are clear. The only thing different is this large weight loss, anyone have any ideas why this is happening?

He was taken to the vet a couple of weeks ago. He had been acting like his skin was very sensative. When you would pet his back he would chew his front legs. Vet gave him a shot and this has stopped.

SPECIAL ED, you have no idea what you are talking about. He started the weight loss before he spent any time outside. He spends maybe an hour a day at the most outside.

Answer 1

Hi there...There are several possibilities as to why your cat may be losing weight. It's common for senior cats to develop either Chronic Renal Failure, hyperthyroidism or diabetes. These require a blood panel to determine which your cat may have.

Symptoms of Chronic Renal Failure (CRF) requires immediate medical attention as a cat is unable to eliminate the toxins that are building up in the kidneys which is why there would be a lack of appetite.

Please consider ringing your veterinarian to dicuss your cat's symptoms so they can schedule an appointment to have your cat evaluated and treated respectively.

Here's a website on feline CRF which outlays what the symtoms are and how it's treated: http://felinecrf.com/what0.htm

Cats who also have hyperthyroidism and diabetes will suffer similar symptoms which also require medical attention and is very treatable.

Feline hyperthyroidism:http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/ClientED/hyperthyroidism.asp

Feline diabetes: http://felinediabetes.com/diabetes-info.htm

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

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RE:
Cats RAPID weight loss!! Why?
I have a male cat that is around 13 years old. He has always been large weighing 20 lbs. In the past 2 months he has lost a lot of weight he now weighs around 15 lbs. or less. He does not act sick, his coat the same, his eyes are clear. The only thing different is this large weight loss,...

Answer 4

Vets LOVE to give steroid shots at the drop of a cat. That's only temporarily effective and not a good course to follow.

I would have to suspect the thyroid secretion to be out of whack and the vet needs to do a blood panel and a free T-4 to see if that could be the cause. Certainly the urine should be checked to see if the cat is diabetic. Usually with both those conditions there are other symptoms and I still feel they should be ruled out.

Hopefully it isn't something dire like a cancer and it still needs some investigation more thorough and not just a steroid shot.

Answer 5

Three things cause REALLY significant weight loss.

Diabetes
Thyroid
Renal Failure

You can rule out renal if he's looking ok but the vet should have done a blood panel on him for organ function and taken a urine test. If they didn't do that, you need to find another vet!

Both diabetes and thyroid are treatable, but the longer you wait the harder it is to get the cat regulated. Loosing 15 pounds in a short time is extremely dangerous and you need to start treating the cause. You can't say it's his age because 13 isn't that old.

Answer 6

Sometimes cats will eat less when they get older and will will drop weight. Even with that said, it's always a good idea to have a vet check up when they are older, just to make sure all is okay. He could have a thyroid problem and your vet can put him on meds. It's always best to be safe rather than sorry. All the best;~)

Answer 7

I would take him back to the vet and have a full blood panel done on him. Being so large it could possibly be diabetes. The blood panel can rule out or confirm mamy things. It's the best place to start. Weight loss ca be a symptom of many things. Once you know the problem then you can start to work on it.

Good luck

Answer 8

There are three main ways to lose weight quickly.

1) Use only water as liquid and eliminate all other liquid drinks from your diet. You must drink as much water as possible every day. You must drink about half of your weight. If you have weight of 200 pounds then you must drink about 100 oz of water.

2) The interval between the eating is very important. If you eat once, then you must eat next after 4 hours. You must take breakfast regularly. In the night eat your food three hours before going to bed.

3) Walking is very good. You must walk as much as you can. Walk everywhere you can. Use of elevators and escalators must be reduced and instead of these you must climb stairs more often.

These are some of the fastest ways to lose weight. By just following the simple steps, you can lose your weight very quickly. You must consult your doctor if want to change your diet or exercise routine.

https://tinyurl.im/aHOI1

Answer 9

My cat's going through rapid weight loss as well, he's 15 and maybe about 10-15lbs if that. He's started slowing down and he used to go out of his way to grab food off the counter, now you have to put it in front of his face for him to consider eating it, same with water bowels. He's started pissing in the house which he's never done before until recently (maybe the last three weeks or so).

Answer 10

With the newer types of insulin these days, diabetic diets aren't necessarily as restrictive as they used to be. Read here https://tr.im/ZPtKr
As with any medicine or diet change, you should discuss it with your doctor. Fruits, both fresh and dried, have a natural sugar in them that will raise blood sugar levels, so be careful about eating too much. Not sure about the nuts. Moderation is always the key. I've been diabetic for 18 years and just recently changed insulin types. I love it because it gives me more freedom in when and what I eat.