Home

>

Cat

>

Health & Wellbeing

>

My cat has become extremely thin and underweight (5.5 pounds.) He is picky with his food and refuses to eat much, often crying at me after I pour him food. I've tried to introduce other brands of food and he reacts the same. He won't eat enough. He's been tested for diabetes in the last year and was negative. His last visit he had a UTI which he got a shot for. Last visit he was also thin (6.5 pounds in October) but the vet told me it was just the UTI. What might be going on with him?

My cat has become extremely thin and underweight (5.5 pounds.) He is picky with his food and refuses to eat much, often crying at me after I pour him food. I've tried to introduce other brands of food and he reacts the same. He won't eat enough. He's been tested for diabetes in the last year and was negative. His last visit he had a UTI which he got a shot for. Last visit he was also thin (6.5 pounds in October) but the vet told me it was just the UTI. What might be going on with him?

Updated On February 10th, 2020

Pet's info: Cat | Persian | Male | neutered | 15 years and 3 months old | 5.5 lbs

Image profile

Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

This question includes photos that may contain sensitive content. Click to view.

View more to consider that the photos may include sensitive content.

Hi there. Possible causes of weight loss and decreased appetite in an older cat like this could include chronic kidney or liver disease, a GI problem such as inflammatory bowel disease or pancreatitis, a thyroid problem, dental disease, or even some type of cancer. Further diagnostic testing such as additional blood work, abdominal x-rays and ultrasound, and possibly intestinal biopsies would likely be needed to get a diagnosis. If this isn't possible, there are medication options that could be tried depending on his lab results so far, so I would recommend discussing the situation with your veterinarian to see what he/she recommends as the next step from here. Altneratively, you could seek a second opinion from another vet in your area, or request referral to an internal medicine specialist for more advanced diagnostic and treatment options.

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Other Answers

See More Answers

Related Questions

My barrel racing horse is refusing to eat. She stands with her butt against the stall wall and rests her hocks. She usually stops this when I exercise her. What is going on?

If she's not eating, she's eating painful, colicky, or both. Take a heart rate if you know how to do this--normal is 20-40 beats/minute. If it's higher than this, she's painful and needs to see a veterinarian. If she is rolling, looking at her sides, or not passing manure, she needs to see a vet as these are signs of colic. If you really think she's resting her hocks, then they are sore, and she needs xrays to see what kind of arthritis is going on and what steps you need to take to make her more comfortable. Hope that helps!

Read More

I have a cat that as a kitten was very ill. We got him from 7 months old. We knew he’d had cat flu prior to him coming here. He is now nearly 5 yrs old. He picks huge fights with our other cat. He keeps urinating and scratching at doors and windows around the house. We allow him to go out via the cat flap unlimited. What is happening to him

I'm glad to see that Pippin has been neutered because this eliminates that possibility of hormone-fueled behavioral changes and aggression. Behavioral changes in cats can occur at any point in time, and could be related to anxiety or stressful situations (even rearranging furniture or introducing new people to the home can be stressful to cats). Without a lot more information and observing Pippin's behaviors, I can't precisely tell you why these changes are occurring. It may be best to consult a veterinary behaviorist in your home so that they can observe everything firsthand. You can also try using calming pheromone collars or diffusers (Feliway is one example), and discussing the use of anxiety medication with Pippin's vet. I hope that all goes well!

Read More

Hi! My cat was recently diagnosed with diabetes. He’s taking insulin and taking antibiotics for a Uti. It’s been 4 weeks and he wobles when he’s walking. He can’t jump up on the bed like he used to.He’s blood sugar is 250 it’s better than it used to. I don’t understand why he’s so wobbly.

Cats can develop what's called diabetic neuropathy, where their hindlegs become progressively weak. The best thing to do is try to get his diabetes under control as quickly as possible. Here is a link describing the conditon: http://www.diabeticcatcare.com/DCCCOK/Neuropathy.htm

Read More

My senior cat has metastized cancer.17 yrs old. My vet gave her predizone1 and one half tabs a day.i wanted to know if i can just stop the meds.

Is there a reason you want to stop the prednisone? I would recommend not stopping it and if you feel it is better to stop the prednisone then I would recommend weaning off of the prednisone. I would discuss how to wean the prednisone with your veterinarian. Thank you for using Boop by Petco.

Read More

My dog has an ear infection

Sorry to hear Marley isn't doing so well with his ears. It is not possible to tell from tge picture tve exact nature of the irritation but if it is indeed infected (typically red, hot, painful and smelly), he will need prescription medication from his regular vet. In the meantime I recommend gently cleaning tge outer war with cotton wool and a pet safe ear cleaner to reduce the build up of wax/discharge

Read More

My dog vomited a pinkish colour. Does this look like blood vomit? She doesn’t have diarrhoea or anything else. Yesterday i fed her plain chicken with rice.

That is very red vomit, however, this color could be linked to a number of things including blood in the vomit, inflammation of the GI tract, having chewed on a toy this color, eaten a food item this color, or gotten into a plant or other item this color. If the vomiting continues, worsens, or other symptoms appear such as a painful or bloated abdomen, diarrhea or blood in the stool, or severe distress, I would schedule a veterinary appointment right away to rule out more severe issues. In the meantime I would continue the bland diet for 24 hours, and monitor for any additional vomiting or illness symptoms.

Read More

image

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Filed Under

Sponsored