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One of our cats, Lisa, got a bad case of hair balls. We thought we had that licked when her weight started to plummet and she stopped drinking and eating. We took her to the vet on the 6th of January and she weighed about 6 pounds and was diagnosed with hepatic lipidosis [fatty liver] and jaundice. Her body was basically eating itself to sustain itself, pretty much like anorexia in humans. I started force feeding her an AD diet with additional liquids using a syringe with the tip trimmed. She has gained more than half a pound and the vet said she is on track on the road to recovery, though I may have to force feed her twice a day for the next 3 to 5 weeks till her body takes over. Her jaundice is nearly gone, muscle mass is returning and she is getting more active. I am just getting tired of the smell of wet cat food. Uggh!!
It sounds like your cat may have hyperthyroidism, which is an overactive thyroid. This is very common in older cats. Your vet will probably do a T4 test and if the thyroid hormone is elevated your cat may be prescribed Tapazole. There are other treatment options, including surgery and radiation, but medication several times a day is the usual option, and most cats do well on the meds. Kidney problems may also occur in hyperthyroid cats, so regular vet checkups are necessary. One of my cats was diagnosed at 16 and lived until 19, healthy and active with her 2x day Tapazole.
I went through this with my first kitty as well. If this is what is wrong with your cat, make sure you tell the vet you want to start it off on a SMALL dosage of the medication. The vet put mine on too much at first, and she developed some serious reactions to it. I had to take her off it for two weeks to let it get out of her system, then we ended up deciding on 1/4 of a tablet.
Good luck, I know it's hard to see your baby go through something like this.
The first post is on 12/05 and the cat had lost a lot of weight by then. I would think at that point I would call every vet in the area and tell them it is an emergency and I must see them immediately. Most areas have emergency clinics.
The next post is a month later, saying there was a vet visit.
Why would a person post here before calling their vet with something like this?
Did the cat have a regular vet for shots, teeth cleaning, etc?
I'm worried about this kitty. OP, please post an update.
Our beautiful tortoiseshell has the same symptoms and she has both irritable bowel disease and a lower urinary tract infection and possible early kidney disease. We're finally getting somewhere after months of trying to figure it all out.
Your cat's drastic weight loss is a warning sign of serious illness. I hope it is being addressed.
My cat October was rescued from a tree by me so i dont really kno if she had her shots but she is a house cat because ahe was familiar with household items. i at least know she is about 4-6 months old. well yesterday she was her everday troublemaking self and now she lays really low on the floor and scratches the carpet with her back feet. she normally finishes her food right away but this morning she left some of it in the bowl. and when i pick her up her back feet are curled down. is there something wrong with her?
I have a kitty with problems using his hind legs. He also have problems, it looks like pain or difficulty using the kitty box. A while back he stopped eating. He is eating now , but very little. No energy, and most of the time sleeping.
I have a kitty with problems using his hind legs. He also have problems, it looks like pain or difficulty using the kitty box. A while back he stopped eating. He is eating now , but very little. No energy, and most of the time sleeping.
Could be a kidney problem. He could also be very dehydrated, and that is a simple solution. Have the vet check him out.
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