Could something be wrong with Schweppie or am I not feeding him enough?

Hi,
My cat, Schweppie, always wants to eat. He eats his food, my other cat's food and seems to always be hungry. He's not overweight but I'm actually concerned that he could be underweight. I feed him 1/4 can of Natural Balance limited ingredients (green pea + either Chicken, Duck, Venison or Salmon) formulas and 1/4 cup of Now! Naturals grain-free Turkey and Duck dry twice a day. But I know he eats most of my other cat's wet food and maybe some of his dry as well. This concerns me because my other cat may not be getting enough food either. He needs to eat the limited ingredients as he bloats if he eats anything with grains or veggies. I thought maybe tapeworm but when I looked it up I don't think it is because there are no worms in his feces and he doesn't have the symptoms other than an endless appetite. I tried feeding him another 1/4 can of wet food today. I want to keep their weight in check because I don't want them to suffer later in life but I also don't want to make Schweppie starve either. Everything else is normal. His coat is shiny, eyes are bright, he is more active than he's ever been. He's probably around 8 years old. He pees like Niagara Falls and his BM's are normal. I can feel his spine and the bones at the base of his tail but his ribs are sticking out.

If I needed to feed him more, should I just add a meal (which would be 1/4 can of wet and a 1/4 cup of dry) so he'd eat three meals a day? I don't want to free feed so that is not an option.

What do you guys think? I am probably going to bring him to the vet but I thought I would get your opinion first.

Thanks in advance for your sage advice!

As my vet says - if kitty feels fat, feed less... if he feels skinny, feed more...
Your kitty not only feels skinny, but acts very hungry.... I would be feeding him more.

Why not add another wet meal? I would jut add another 1/2 can of wet meal, and not any more dry, of you are afraid of weight gain...

3 meals are ideal, if it fits your schedule.

I would also like to add - that at 8 years of age he is a senior kitty & I would do bloodwork to ensure everything is OK there.

Have you had his thyroid levels checked?

Hyperthyroid is not unheard of in senior cats (my Cotton developed it around 9). If he's eating plenty but losing weight I'd definitely have his thyroid levels checked. Cotton was acting perfectly normal other than dropping 2 lbs in 3 months when he was diagnosed.

all of the above... IMHO a vet check is in order... peas commonly disagree with kitty systems

I second a good check over by the vet with a senior blood panel work up. Could be a thyroid condition or it could just be that he needs a bit more to eat.

Originally Posted by stephanietx

I second a good check over by the vet with a senior blood panel work up. Could be a thyroid condition or it could just be that he needs a bit more to eat.

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Agree that a Vet check is in order that would include a senior blood panel AND a thyroid test. Be sure to specifically ask for the latter. Don't know about where you are but here where I am in Canada, the thyroid test (T4 level) isn't included in the basic senior panel, it's something extra.

Hyperthyroidism can cause a cat to have a voracious appetite though cat is losing weight......and frequent urination (and subsequent increased thirst due to same) is also common.

Google "feline hyperthyroidism" for good info. By the way, if it IS hyperthyroidism - letting it go untreated can be hard on the major organs.....basically the cat's metabolism is in overdrive; can be hard on the heart, kidneys, etc. HOWEVER..if it is this, it's surely NOT a death sentence.....there are effective treatments for it, namely radioactive iodine.

Thanks to ALL for your replies and advice...

He had a wellness check done early this year but I guess things could change.

Sharky, what do you mean peas don't agree with kitties? I mean what happens? It's the only food he can eat and not bloat or vomit on.

I will get his blood checked out. Oh my, I really hope I haven't let it go too far if it is hyperthyroidism. I'm gonna need to make it up to Schweppie...(knocking my head against brick wall)

Thanks again everyone, you are all the BEST!

Originally Posted by SweetPea24

Thanks to ALL for your replies and advice...

He had a wellness check done early this year but I guess things could change.

Sharky, what do you mean peas don't agree with kitties? I mean what happens? It's the only food he can eat and not bloat or vomit on.

I will get his blood checked out. Oh my, I really hope I haven't let it go too far if it is hyperthyroidism. I'm gonna need to make it up to Schweppie...(knocking my head against brick wall)

Thanks again everyone, you are all the BEST!

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Many are allergic and being a legume it itself can be the cause of gas issues...

I am on my second hyperthyroid kitty. Arthur. Very vocal, hungry all the time and getting thin. He will be 10 in the spring.

Definately, have blood work done. These things start to creep up on the cats around this age...

I brought Schweppie in and had everything done. He doesn't have hyperthyroidism or diabetes (thank God) but he does have early kidney failure. His BUN and Creatinine are high and his USG is low. He's apparently dehydrated and needs to gain weight. So he'll be in the hospital for at least 24 hours. Poor baby. The doctor and the other tech did say he looks good for a cat who's 8 or 9 years old.

The doctor wants to put him on K/D or G/d but I really don't want to feed him Hill's. He doesn't have any gas with the green peas but like I said, it's the only food he'll eat without vomiting or bloating. There are other foods most likely but he got sick of them easily (Eagle Pack Holistic Selects, Wellness -too rich for him anyway, Go! - hit and miss; Merrick or BG- doesn't like them) He does like the Nature's Variety Instincts or Homestyle but I thought it was the other ingredients like veggies that were getting to his belly. Do any of you have any suggestions as to what canned food I can feed him for early kidney failure? (something with low sodium)

Could I have prevented this? I don't understand, he does look 100% better than when I got him - nice shiny coat, more active - just underweight for the last little while. I thought I was feeding him good food.

I work at a clinic and have encountered many cats with this but since this is my cat, why is it harder to understand? Geez whiz...

take in his current food ( if memory serves the canned is ok for CRF kittys ) to the vet ... IMHO start with the RX till you can research all the options...

Thanks Sharky. I asked my vet and she said NB is too high in phosphorus. Ugh. I'm feeding him the k/d - man that stuff smells bad. and it's more expensive than a case of the NB. I checked out the Purina NF but didn't like the ingredients (although it's $20.00 cheaper!)...so the search begins.

I have to bring him in 2 weeks to check his kidney values - if they are steady then my vet said he'll likely be okay for a while..

It's strange, other than his voracious appetite (although he isn't eating as much of the k/d at home as he did in hospital) and low weight, he's normal and even more active - not hyper - I don't think Schweppie could ever be hyper - he reminds me of an old man, like the sweetest grandfather you've ever met and he moves slowly but with grace. But he's jumping up on things more, able to run away from my crazy dog. Just nothing like the cats I've seen with the same condition at the clinic. He has a shiny coat (although I am afraid he'll lose that when he eats the k/d) and looks like a healthy cat.

My cat is on Hills CD for crystals - and has very pretty fur still

Before swapping off prescription food, I'd have a good long talk with the vet; prescription food is out there for a reason, and if it's helping him, as much as the CD has helped my Dante, I wouldn't switch. Sure, the ingredients, to a lay person, seem not so great - but if it works, that's what counts.

My kidney problem cat is on k/d but I also feed her some non-kidney canned food, raw chicken, and some supplements. Her fur was dry and rough, but recently, we've started adding fish oil to her wet food concoction and that's really, really helped make her fur nice and soft. I was amazed! Her numbers are declining ever so gradually, but she's been more affectionate, ornery, and active the past couple of months than in an extremely long time.

You might not be ready to join, but I've found the Yahoo CRF group to be very informative and helpful. You might want to consider joining to get more info on food, etc. http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/F...guid=353539644