Weight loss!

joce

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#1
Out of nowhere one of our cats has lost a lot of weight. She has always been small but chubby. Vet said not diabetes and make sure she has room to eat alone in case other cats are just pushing her off.

Bought expensive wet food and she barely touches it. Will lick at food on our plates. I think she is eating some hrd food but if I lock her up with it she won't touch anything.

I saw the vet look t her mouth so I don't think it's teeth. My husband had bought them cheap food and I noticed it right after that but it had to have started sooner than tht. They normally eat taste of the wild. She caught(spell check changed that to fought!)a mouse or two in the last couple weeks but brings them to us and I have not seen her eat one. Never goes outside. (Live next to a field, always get a mouse or ten).

She is not deathly skinny but you can tell she is just not looking healthy,figure she has to be eating some. I am thinking of getting nutrical and even force feeding it. I don't think it's the other cats causing n issue. All poop in the box seems normal.

She is my brothers cat and he left for Afghanistan last year and his dog dies in my care. He comes home on leave and his cat looks horrible! I feel awful! Help!
 

JessLough

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#2
If she's not eating, are x-rays an option? Though, that may not even show anything definitive.

I noticed Nacho getting super skinny, I never saw him eating.. etc. Upon physical exam, he seemed healthy. Bloodwork showed nothing. I knew SOMETHING was going on, why would he be losing weight? Took x-rays, and there was a tiny blip near his heart, but I was assured that was nothing. Nothing else really looked off, except his stomach looked pretty full for coming in with a complaint of not eating. We ended up calling it with a diagnosis of stomach cancer.

Other than him not eating, he did (and still does) act like his normal self, and like nothing was wrong. Now I just give lots of praise when I catch him eating on his own, and he knows that when I tell him "go eat some dinner", he's to eat at least a mouthful. He just doesn't feel hunger (the tumor has his stomach feeling full), so he doesn't think to eat.
 

joce

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#3
May have to. I think vet thinks she is just being chased off food and I'm almost 100% sure that's not it.

He said she has to be eating something from the lab work.

It's not getting worse at this point but also not better.
 

MericoX

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#4
Have you tried deworming her? Usually with mice my first concern is fleas, and with fleas there always comes the possibilities of tapeworms. This Spring my dogs had this happen to them, couldn't seem to put weight on them no matter how much I fed them and it ended up they all had tapeworms.

If not, I second the x-rays.
 

Maxy24

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#5
my first thought was worms too. Is there any way you can monitor how much she is eating? I've always meal fed so I've never had a problem with that.
 

Brattina88

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#6
My first thought was parasite as well, but my second thought was what Jess said...
Has she been exposed to any other cats? Vaccinated or tested for FIV? I know there's a lot of cats testing positive for it on my moms side of town...
 

joce

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#7
Is there a good general wormer for cats? I am cat stupid.

She is inside only. I tried to feed her alone but she freaks and goes to the door. We put so much in their bowls at night and refill next night. Hard to really tell.
 

joce

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#8
She turned yellow near the ears so took her in again today. Some kind of hepatitis and we force feed up to three weeks and see if she comes out of it. Thy called a med in but can't remember what it is and she said it will take a week or so to get.

She just wanted to snuggle the whole time we were there. Hope this works.
 

Brattina88

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#9
I'm sorry I'm pretty stupid when it comes to cats... But anyway, I hope she gets better soon! Poor thing
 

joce

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#11
I think she is looking better already but could be wishful thinking.

Force feeding a cat is not easy lol! I am scratched up no matter how blankets towels etc i wrap her in.
 

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