How to Help a Cat Lose Weight - Mud Bay
Not enough food Weight loss occurs when too few calories are being consumed. Some of the more common reasons cats will cut back on their food intake include:. Examples of the more common feline gastrointestinal ailments include:. While tapeworms are quite common in cats, rarely if ever are they a cause of weight loss. This is because diabetes causes an inability to properly process and utilize the calories the kitty consumes. Hyperthyroidism Many older kitties develop hyperthyroidism , a condition in which the thyroid glands produce an excess of thyroid hormone.
While this disease can produce a variety of symptoms, what all hyperthyroid cats have in common is weight loss.
8 Reasons Why Your Cat Is Not Eating
This is because the excess thyroid hormone amps up the metabolic rate causing more calories to be burned. Organ failure Weight loss commonly occurs in response to dysfunction or failure of a vital internal organ such as the heart, liver , or kidneys. The weight loss is typically a result of a decreased appetite. Tumors Certain types of benign and malignant tumors are notorious for causing weight loss. Treatment of hyperthyroidism involves controlling the thyroid gland, either with medicine, special food or inpatient radioactive iodine treatment.
Your vet will guide you in choosing the best treatment. These viruses have different causes and possible therapies, but weight loss is a common symptom of all three. If a diagnosis is made, management and treatment will be based on the symptoms your cat is showing. Treatment may include prescription food, medicine and even sterile fluids that your vet can teach you to administer at home on a regular basis. Many different forms of cancer can cause weight loss. The diagnosis and treatment plan will vary depending on the kind and stage of cancer suspected. Your vet might do some or all of the following to confirm a diagnosis:.
Unintentional weight loss is a nonspecific sign that can have many causes.
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Anything short of a veterinary visit is just a guess. If you notice that your cat is losing weight, you need to call the vet.
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Make the appointment now. They will take a thorough history and do a complete physical exam.
Based on those findings, your vet might recommend a fecal exam to check for intestinal parasites, and bloodwork to check for clues to get to the bottom of what is causing the weight loss. Home Cat Diseases A Z. Reviewed and updated for accuracy on November 8, by Dr.
Here are some possible reasons why your cat is losing weight and what you should do about it. Not Getting Enough Food Sometimes, your cat is eating less than you think. Moreover, parasitic infections can mimic the symptoms of inflammatory bowel diseases, though the treatments differ dramatically. An imprecise diagnosis can have highly detrimental results when applied in the place of a medical assessment.
A proper diagnosis is the first step towards the safe and accurate treatment of any disease. Foster and Dr. All Rights Reserved. Difficulty breathing Lameness Fainting spells Listless behavior Lethargy.
Cat Loss of Appetite. Signs, causes and treatment.
Vomiting Diarrhea Loss of skin elasticity Excess urine output Lack or urine output. Merck Veterinary Manual. Excessive thirst Increased urination Lethargy Weight loss Overall run-down condition Rear leg weakness. Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.