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This forum is for cat lovers seeking everyday advice and suggestions on health-related issues. Remember, however, that advice on a public forum simply can't be a substitute for proper medical attention. Only your vet can say assuredly what is best for your cat. Don't furget to check out Catster's Cat Care Guide Book for information about caring for the health of your cat!
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Member Id: 860770 |
 | | Purred: Sun Nov 1, '09 6:16pm PST | |  | |  | | My cat hasn't been eating much and he has lost weight. I don't have a scale, but I can see that he looks thinner (when I look down at him from above I see a waistline) and he feels lighter when I pick him up.
He used to be significantly overweight (until very recently) so that complicates the issue. One year ago, I thought he had a UTI so we went to the vet. He weighed 16 pounds or more (hard to remember). He did not have a UTI. I figured out the problem: He had grown too fat to fit inside his litterbox comfortably. I bought a bigger box, problem solved.
Now about his recent problem... He still runs into the kitchen when he hears me in there, as if he is excited to get fed. BUT THERE IS STILL FOOD IN YOUR BOWL! Arrgh. Tonight I opened a can of fancy feast that I was keeping for emergencies. He licked the juice then walked away. Later he came back and ate a *little bit* of the food.
Also, lately he will beg for scraps if I'm eating turkey or chicken and generally try to get "people food" whenever he can. He has NEVER done that before. Meanwhile, he's not really interested in his kibble.
Over the past few days he hardly ate anything! Usually I feed 1/3 cup kibble every 12 hours, so that's 2/3-cup per day. He hasn't even finished 1/3 cup over the weekend!
Just a few weeks ago, I had this same problem and I thought maybe his food was bad so I bought a new bag. He ate normally for a few days but now he's back to eating very little.
I'm so worried that he could be sick but he is acting so normal. I dunno if he is just being a finicky little XXXX. I've never dealt with a problem like this before.
To be perfectly honest I do not have the money to stroll into a vet and pay for everything willy-nilly until they find what is wrong, and pay for treatment on top of that.
What types of tests should I get at the vet? Thyroid test? Kidney test? Diabetes test? Liver test? I'm confused, I've never had a sick cat before. I don't fully trust vets. Over the years I have had more bad experiences than good. For example, last time I went to the vet for the UTI-that-wasn't-a-UTI, the vet suggested that in order for my cat to lose weight, I should withhold food for a few days. Yes, really.
If I could get some suggestions here re: diagnostic tests, I would feel a little more confident when I go to the vet. That would be great.
Thanks, sorry this was so long. |  |  | |  |
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Kit Kat
1045318
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 | | Purred: Sun Nov 1, '09 6:34pm PST | | | | | | I had a similar problem recently with KitKat he was 13 lbs and went down to 9lbs. he ate but not as much as usual and when I looked at him from above he was drawn in around the flank area. I happen to have caught him not using the litter box and saw that he had a fair amount of blood in his stool so took a sample to our vet and found he had Giardia. He was put on a liquid medication twice a day and has already put on over a pound this week and is eating normal. I would start with a stool sample and observe him see if he`s drinking more & peeing more he might need his kidney function tested. Hopefully others can give you more ideas but I normally start with checking for parasites & go from there.
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Member Id: 860770 |
| | Purred: Sun Nov 1, '09 8:22pm PST | | | | | | Oh how terrible, I am sorry for your loss. But thank you so much for sharing that info with me.
I will definitely get a liver function test at the vet.  | | | | |
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Kit Kat
1045318
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| | Purred: Mon Nov 2, '09 6:50am PST | | | | | | We have 4 cats and a dog in our family the kittens are strictly indoor but KitKat and Simon were older outdoor cats when someone dumped them off here and we were unable to convince them to be indoor only.
I hope it doesn`t turn out to be anything serious with your kitty. | | | | |
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Frodo
Hobbit Kitty,- Mighty Hunter
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| | Purred: Mon Nov 2, '09 12:20pm PST | | | | | | A CBC (complete blood count) will catch your basic thyroid, liver, diabetes, etc. problems. That's the usual blood test they run. I would skip the stool sample for now, since he doesn't go out and isn't around other furs. You can always give the vet a gift of poop later if it seems advisable.
How old is the cat? How quick was his weight gain to 16 pounds? Is he drinking and peeing as much as normal?
If the CBC doesn't show a specific problem, you can try switching foods. Canned is much better than kibble because cats need to get their moisture from food. If you can't switch to canned, at least try a good grain-free kibble (Wellness, Evo, etc.). I know the prices look ridiculously high, but there really is a huge difference in quality. If you'd like I can go on a rant about what goes into the lower-grade foods...  But I'll spare you.
Let us know what happens! | | | | |
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Member Id: 860770 |
| | Purred: Mon Nov 2, '09 5:13pm PST | | | | | | Thank you for you response.
He is about six years old. He was neutered at 2 years old and since then he just slowly gained weight. It was slow enough that I didn't notice it until someone else pointed out how fat he really was.
He WAS drinking and peeing normally, but today, I think even his intake of water is slightly down... that could be my imagination but seems like he drank a little less today. I did get him to drink milk so possibly that made up for any lack of fluid? 
He ate better today. But still not as much as he usually eats.
He is on purina one, but yes, I know it's not a very good food... I used to feed Wellness but last year there was a hurricane and afterwards everything was closed for a loooong time. All I could get was purina one from the grocery store and he did fine on that. His poops looked the same, too, so I figured he would be fine on purina one.
I would consider going back to a premium brand, but honestly I'm not concerned with that right now. Getting him to eat much of anything is the problem.
In the past I have been told by vets that dry food is better for cats. Better for their teeth I guess? But it does make sense that they get more moisture with wet food. Maybe just one more way vets have steered me wrong in the past?
Sorry, I'm starting to ramble. I have a vet appointment on Saturday but if he's not eating a lot more by tomorrow I'll have to go to the e-vet.
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Member Id: 860770 |
| | Purred: Mon Nov 2, '09 7:04pm PST | | | | | | Purcy, thanks for your response. Do you know what would be better to get other than a CBC? Is it just called "liver test" or is there something similar to a CBC for checking general function of kidney, liver and thyroid?
Frodo,
sorry but a CBC will NOT show abnormal liver, thyroid,diabetes or other metabolic problems. It is specific to blood components such as WBCs, RBCs hematocrit, hemoglobin, platelets, and blood micro-components. | | | | |
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