Unexplained weight-loss

New here, hoping someone out there has experienced this and can offer some insight.

We have a 13 year old ragdoll mix kitty that has been losing weight for over a year. At her biggest, she was around 8 lbs so she's never really been a BIG girl but she was healthy with a fluffy, healthy coat.

About a year ago we noticed she was dropping weight. We took her to the vet, ran labs including glucose, thyroid everything. It was normal, perfect down the board. So, we attributed it to aging and went on. She continued to eat normally. However, the weight continued to melt off.

We had the labs run again in February this year and again, perfect. The vet couldn't explain the weight loss. He recommended we see a feline specialist so we took her in. She did x-rays and found nothing in her digestive tract, however she was severly constipated. We put her on enzymes to help digest food, pumpkin to help move the bowels and kitty 'ensure' to get calories in her. She was at about 5.4 pounds by this point.

The vet was concerned it was cancer that wasn't showing itself yet so we tried the above treatments, however, she continued to drop. The feline vet then did a steroid shot as a hope that it would give us a little more time for the cancer to show itself.

She rebounded quite well and her weight got up to around 6.4 pounds but her coat didn't rebound. She dot the shot in March and in July I began noticing she was dropping weight again. Took her in for a weight check and she was down to 5.7. Met with the vet again, bloodwork came back perfect again. That was July 16. I took her for a weight check today and she was down to 5.2.

My DH works from home so he feeds her wet food throughout the day, if he can get her to eat. A lot of times she won't eat the wet food but she will munch happily on dry. But she just isn't either eating enough or isn't absorbing it to put on/keep on weight. We have bought every.single type of wet food available. She will eat some for a couple of feedings and then refuse it. Others she won't eat at all. While we prefer to feed the cats premium brands, we are feeding her whatever she will eat, even Fancy Feast or Friskies, we just want her to put on weight.

So, medically we can't find anything wrong with her. But she is melting away before our eyes. Has someone experienced something similar and can point me in a new direction? We are going to try Hills Prescription A/D tomorrow (getting it at the vets office). We've forced nutrition on her before but we won't do that again.

Anyone?

Thank you for your thoughts and suggestions. We did start the appetite stimulant tonight so I'm waiting for that to kick in, want to get a good feeding in before bed.

I hadn't thought of an ultrasound, will mention to the vet tomorrow when we go in to pick up the A/D.

It's just been so long....the steroid shot she got earlier may have been prednisone. There was so much going on, trying to get weight on her I can't remember everything clearly. We were also dealing with a sick dog at the same time so it was a little hairy.

I will also get a copy of her last 2 labs while I'm there as well. I don't mind posting, we are turning over every stone to try to get her help. This just doesn't make sense.

I forgot to mention her name...it's Cleo. Let me see if the link works for a pic

So here are her labs:

Most recent:
WBC - 6.03 10^9/l
LYM - .65 10^9/l
MON - .38 10^9/l
GRA - 5 10^9/l
LY% - 10.8 %
MO%- 6.3%
GR% - 82.9%

RBC-8.72 10^12/l
HGB- 13.9 g/dl
HCT-41.45 %
MCV- 48 fl
MCH - 16 pg
MCHC- 33.6 g/dl
RDWc- 18.9 %

PLT - 261 10^9/l
PCT - .34 %
MPV - 12.9 fl
PDWc - 41.9 %

ALB 4.0 g/do
ALP 49 u/l
ALT 42 u/l
AMY 1085
TBIL .2 mg/dl
BUN 21 mg/dl
CA 10.1 mg/dl
PHOS 4.0 mg/dl
CRE 1.2 mg/dl
GLU 78 mg/dl
NR+ 146 MMOL/L
K+ 4.9 MMOL/L
TP 6.9 g/dl
GLOB 2.9 g/dl

QC OK
HEM 1+
LIP 0
ICT 0

T4 2.0 ug/dl
CHOL 140 mg/dl

February #s (from a fax copy so a little difficult to read)
Total serum protein 8 g/dl
Albumin 3.1 g/dl
Calcium, serum 9.1 mg/dl
Phosphorus, serum 3.52 mg/dl
Glucose 75 mg/dl
BUN 19 mg/dl
Creatinine 1.1 mg/dl
Total bilirubin 0.15 mg/dl
ALP 64 U/I
CK 303U/I
AST (SGOT) 33 U/I
ALT (SGPT) 63 U/I
Globulins 4.9 g/dl
A/G Ratio .63
GGT <3U/I
Amylase 1498 U/I
Cholesterol 166 mg/dl
Sodium, scrum 151.1 meq/l
Potassium, serum 4.0 meq/l
Na/K Ratio 37.8
Chloride, serum 117.9 meq/l

Total WBC's 6080
Differential/%
Neutrophils 77
Lymphocytes 1.3?
Monocytes 3
Eosinophils 7
ABSOLUTE %
Neutrophils 4682
Lymphocytes 790
Monocytes 182
Eosinophils 426

Red blood cells 7.8
Hemoglobin, blood 13.3 g/dl
HCT 39.5
Spun PCV 32
MCV 50.6
MCH 17.1
MCHC 33.7
Platelet estimate 155
Platelet comment Clumped
Plasma protein 7.3 g/dl

RBC Morphology
Anisocytosis 1+

WBC Morphology Normal

Hemoparasites None Seen

Comments: platelet clumps are present on the smear and can falsely decrease both the automated and estimated platelet counts. The platelet given should be considered a minimum. A new sample is required for an accurate platelet count.

So, that is both. Please tell me if you see something. Thanks!

Violet - Thank you for your thoughts. While it wasn't purposeful fasting, she hadn't eaten very much the night before or morning of. It was one of those days we couldn't get her to eat.

I'll go research pancreatitis as well.

She started the A/D today and has eaten twice! I'm really happy she'll eat it. I spoke to the nurse today about an ultrasound and she said she would talk to the vet and call me on Monday.

So, we are moving along in our quest. Thank you all so much.

Update: Had the ultrasound, found nothing. She is continuing to lose weight, down to 5 pounds now. She refused all food earlier this week so we tried straight on tuna....knowing it's not good for them, however, it's better than her starving to death. She finally agreed to eat the tuna. But, only Starkist, she won't touch Chicken-of-the-Sea.

This morning I found she had thrown up blood so back to the vet we went. It was bright red and the vet feels like it is from a ruptured blood vessel in her stomach or esophagus, due to the strain of vomiting.

She's just a sick little girl but DH will not let her go. So, we did another Depo Medrol/Dex injection since it made her feel better last time. A Cerenia injection as she is constipated again and sub-q fluids, which I will be doing weekly for a bit.

She's just wasting away. We keep building her back up only to have her fall a little further each time. DH and I need to have a serious conversation about her but he just isn't ready.

So, we keep trying. I hope this injection gives my DH the time he needs to prepare to let her go. Whatever this is, she's hiding it like a pro.

I'm sorry. I forgot the pancreatitis test....yes, we did it, nothing returned.

And I do have confidence in our vet, she is a feline specialist and she is turning over every stone but she is also restricted by mine and DH's level of comfort. He and I have, in the past, done anything to make our pets better, putting quantity of life before quality.

Last year, we were faced with a spinal cord tumor on our dachshund mix. We pushed and pushed. Short of spending the $6,000 for the MRI and subsequent high risk, low probability surgery we pushed food, medicine and, looking back, made his last few weeks on earth pure hell. He suffered tremendous pain for which we pushed pain medicine and steroids to keep the tumor under control. We took him out to the bathroom every 45 minutes, day and night, many times carrying him when he couldn't walk. He lost his dignity. And we will never forget how selfish we were. And I will never forgive myself for that...he deserved better from me.

Cleo is a sensitive girl. We've forced food and medicine and she becomes terrified of me. She will run when I enter the room and cries when she sees me. It absolutely breaks my heart. I want to respect her and her boundaries. I want her to be happy and comfortable in her home. I don't want her last however long to be anything less than dignified.

Some may disagree or not understand but these are the decisions we are making. We will ensure she is comfortable and receives proper vet care and medications that keep her comfortable and happy. And will try not to make the mistake we made with Andy.

We've had x-rays and an ultrasound. The vet ruled out ulcer, don't ask me how, there have now been so many tests and shots. She is eating SIGNIFICANTLY less. We've given her appetite stimulants but she still refuses food. She has been eating tuna but today, I got her to eat some actual cat food. I think this Depo Medrol is kicking in, and the fluids. And whatever the other shot was.

I'm ordering some of the dried mackerel that was mentioned in another thread to see if we can entice her some more.

Thanks for understanding our position. I will talk to DH about the holistic approach. We aren't ruling anything out.

I was looking in my Cleo picture file today and was stunned at her decline over the past year. It makes me so sad.

Cleo, happy and healthy a year or so ago.


This past Thursday, hanging out with DH while he worked.

For those still following along, it's been a rough week. I tooh her in on Thursday for a weight check and fluids. She was down to 4.14. They gave her a B12 shot as well. Later Thursday night, she began sneezing and by Friday morning she was snuffling and sneezing pretty bad.

So, off to the vet we went again. The Dr. gave her an antibiotic and while the nurse had her in the back, the vet explained that for her to get this sick this fast she had no immune system left. She explained we were putting on band-aids, which I already knew.

I had hoped that when I came by the house to pick her up on Friday DH would have told me he was ready to let her go, but he didn't. I'm ready, Cleo is ready...she's hiding and won't even eat tuna, just a few kitty treats. Dh and I talked, he's getting ready. He's spending all his time with her this weekend.

I think he will be ready to let her go on Monday or Tuesday. I don't think she can hold up too much longer. She's being very brave for him.

Thoughts are appreciated.

We let Cleo go tonight. She was a walking skeleton and was refusing everything. She and DH had a great day, she rolled in catnip for him, laid next to him on the desk while he worked, even rolled onto her back so we could rub her belly. Today was a good day for her.

We let her go out on top. Left her with her dignity and pride....she was our Princess and she went peacefully. It was serene and quiet. Our vet did a wonderful job and I won't forget her kindness.

We are left to remember her and grieve that she is no longer with us. She is out of pain and at rest. And that is all that matters.