Update on Addie's weight.....

Some of you may remember the scare we had when we tried to spay Addie several weeks ago. Her heartrate and blood pressure dropped under anaesthetic and they had to stop before they had even made the first cut. She recovered, but the vet has said she needs to gain weight before we can try again. At that time, she had dropped from 5.3lbs to 5 lbs.

Today was her weigh-in. I wasn't optimistic. She just has no appetite for more than a few mouthfuls at a time. She doesn't like wet food, KMR or treats. Anyway, the tech weighed her and she is down to 4.8lbs We've been trying to put weight on her, but it's next to impossible!

The vet gave her a once over and confirmed again that she seems healthy other than the weight issue. She has prescribed some medication to try to stimulate her appetite. I really hope this works, but I hate to have to give her a pill (and 2-3 times a day!). The vet hopes to see a big change within the next week or two. Wish us luck!

Oh my goodness the poor babe. My thoughs and prayers are with you.

Aww poor baby. I remember that. Hopefully she will get a bit fatter and everything will work out *hugs*

I think you should take her to another vet for a second opinion. Maybe there's something this vet has missed -- something causing her mouth pain, perhaps, or some kind of parasite stealing her nutrition. If this continues, she won't last long... please get someone else to see her soon!

I agree with the second opinion, it isnt normal for cats to lose weight and be healthy. Good luck with her.

I'm confident in this vet. She's very thorough and takes a lot of time with Addie. However, Addie has had more than one vet look at her. We've done a thorough blood panel and everything checks out. All her internal organs feel normal. She does eat, just not much at a time. She uses the litter box normally and drinks well. She is active and engaged.

The reason she's losing seems to be 1)she's got a small appetite, 2) she's a picky eater and 3) she's in heat so she's not interested in food (cuz she's looking for lovin) and her metabolism is more active. Although she is underweight, she isn't skin and bones. The 4.8lbs sounds scarier than it is, because she has a really petite frame.

It's a cycle. We can't spay her until she gains. She isn't interested in food because she's in heat. Etc etc.

If the appetite stimulation doesn't work, we'll be doing more blood tests and looking for more unusual possibilities, but for now, she has absolutely no other symptoms. Don't worry too much about her overall health. We're keeping a close eye on her.

How about tube feeding, then? Before she disappears altogether? I'm so afraid the cycle may not break without intervention...

Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

How about tube feeding, then? Before she disappears altogether? I'm so afraid the cycle may not break without intervention...

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If it gets to it, you can bet we'll do it. She's really not as skinny as she sounds. I promise I won't let her waste away. We're going to try the appetite stimulations for a week or so. If it doesn't help, we'll be doing some really indepth exams and tests. If I have to, I'll insist on a tube, trust me.

Again, she DOES eat, every day. Several times a day. Just not enough, so we're working on it.

Don't panic yet.

Awww, poor Addie..I guess at least she is healthy other than that. I wonder she isn't a piggy like most cats. Obviously, if she IS eating some, then its not cause for panic yet.

Sending vibes that she will smarten up and pigout soon{{{ }}}

Originally Posted by Trouts mom

Awww, poor Addie..I guess at least she is healthy other than that. I wonder she isn't a piggy like most cats. Obviously, if she IS eating some, then its not cause for panic yet.

Sending vibes that she will smarten up and pigout soon{{{

}}}

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Thanks,

Of course, our other 3 are piggies, especially Lola. They are LOVING having a picky sister, because we've had to go back to freefeeding to make sure there's always something for Addie. Heck, once this is solved, we'll have to buy low cal food for the rest of them for months! LOL

I thought I'd share some pictures so you can all see what I mean when I say she's not skin and bones, but is small in bone structure/overall body size. Also, so nobody thinks we're talking about a slowly dying cat who hasn't the energy to move, you should know that there were about 30 rejects from this picture taking section because the sneaky little thing will NOT be still! Like I've said, it's not that she doesn't eat, just that she doesn't eat enough to offset her busy little lifestyle.

This one is a good representation of how small of a cat she really is, if you compare her body size to my hand, which isn't big...




Here is a side view that showcases the skinnyness. Note, you can't see any ribs or anything LOL (thank god it hasn't gone that far!)




Here is one with her brother George, who is a lot longer than her, but also trim like his litter sister. He is, however, a big eater and so has a lot of muscle mass, making him much heavier. Addie is the lighter one, on the left.

Aww, bless her. Fingers crossed you can find a way of getting enough weight on her to get her spayed.