This hormone is involved in the metabolizing of glucose in the body to produce energy. Without it, your cat's blood sugar rises, sometimes to dangerous levels.
Causes of Rapid Weight Loss in Older Cats | Pets - The Nest
This can temporarily increase your kitty's appetite as her body tries to get the glucose it needs by prompting her to ingest more food. Because she can't properly metabolize the food, this will result in weight loss. Your cat will eventually lose her appetite, drink an increased amount of water and become lethargic.
Cats with diabetes may require medication, dietary changes or insulin injections. Elderly felines have reduced mobility due to arthritis, dementia and a variety of other conditions.
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Place your kitty's food and water dishes within close proximity to her favorite resting spot so she can easily access them. Some older cats fail to eat when they can't get to their food, leading to hepatic lipidosis and weight loss. To tempt your older kitty to eat, feed her soft canned cat food. Softer foods are easier for cats with dental problems to eat. Heat the food in the microwave for a few seconds to enhance its aroma, making it more appetizing.
Some older cats have a reduced sense of smell, which can cause them to stop eating; heating the food helps your kitty smell it and may tempt her to eat it. Always consult with your veterinarian at the first signs of weight loss in your elderly cat. Based in Las Vegas, Susan Paretts has been writing since She writes about many subjects including pets, finances, crafts, food, home improvement, shopping and going green.
Her articles, short stories and reviews have appeared on City National Bank's website and on The Noseprint. Arthritis is characterized by the thinning of cartilage between joints.
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As it is destroyed, the bones can begin to make contact with each other. This is very painful. The veterinary world is now beginning to recognize just how common arthritis is in older cats, which is wonderful news, as treatment can bring immense relief to silently suffering felines. Cancer is a leading cause of death in older cats. There are many different types of cancer, which is itself a blanket term for uncontrolled cell growth. Sadly, the results are often devastating and fatal. Hyperthyroidism is caused by an overproduction of thyroid hormones because of an enlarged thyroid gland usually due to a non-cancerous tumor.
Untreated hyperthyroidism is a very serious condition, and can be life-threatening. As the kidneys progressively lose their ability to function, harmful toxins begin to accumulate in the bloodstream. Kidney disease is a progressive disorder, meaning it usually takes months or years to advance to its final stages. Diabetes is common in older cats, and is especially common in overweight felines. Insulin is a hormone that plays a critical role in digestion. This is why cats will eat more but lose weight — their body is struggling to find the energy it needs to power its biological functions.
You can read our article dedicated to periodontal disease here. The symptoms of the health conditions in this article are often subtle and difficult to notice.
Weight loss in cats
This is a bit of a weird catch-all header, as there are lots of different types of cancer in cats. However, all of them can cause weight loss. Once we, as vets, have ruled out the previous three diseases with urine samples and blood tests, we start to worry that some sort of cancer is causing the symptoms. Squamous cell carcinomas, basal cell tumours and mast cell tumours occur in the form of lumps and bumps, so may be diagnosed earlier.
Some of these cancers leave clues on blood tests, but many will need more specific testing, such as sending biopsies to the lab or imaging such as x-rays and ultrasounds.
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Depending on the type of cancer, symptoms can include weight loss, diarrhoea, vomiting, respiratory disease, and lumps and bumps in various places. Treatment may be as simple as removing the lump but can also include medications such as chemotherapy or steroids. Your email address will not be published. Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I comment. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. But what can cause a cat to lose weight? Kidney disease. Ask a vet.
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