Both of my sensitive cats seem to be doing well on the new limited ingredient grain-free dry food that I have been feeding them. The four year old cat no longer vomits after eating and the kitten has normal stools now. However, I have noticed that while the kitten continues to grow and gain weight, my four year old cat has started losing weight pretty quickly. This is puzzling because she is eating, acting normally, and playing. She is in fact even more playful than she used to be. She is bright eyed and alert and not lethargic. Aside from the weight loss, there appears to be no other indications that anything is wrong. The weight loss is alarming though. I believe the last time she was weighed at the vet several months ago she was 12 pounds. I weighed her at home a couple of days and she was about 8 1/2 pounds. Could the grain-free food without all of the corn, rice, etc. make a cat lose weight or might there be a medical issue causing the weight loss? I plan to call the vet tomorrow. I just want to know what you guys think. I'm kind of afraid to go to the vet because I don't want her to tell me it is cancer or something.
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Very confused!!!
- Thread starter tabbysia
- Start Date
I commend you for being observant of your cats' well being. To be safe, she should go to the vet and get checked out, so I do hope you make the appointment. She should get at least a full CBC, T4 and urinalysis.
A better food that is higher in protein and lower in carbs and fat could potentially help a cat develop a leaner build with more muscle mass, but I'm not sure this would be seen so much on a dry diet. Raw diets do this much more dramatically. Losing that amount of weight in such a short amount of time is definitely cause for concern, especially at her age.
There are many things that can cause weight loss, but hyperthyroidism seems to be at the top of the list, even with a good appetite. The T4 test mentioned above will look at this. Inflammatory bowel disease and other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract can cause weight loss, but they usually have other symptoms, such as vomiting and diarrhea.
A better food that is higher in protein and lower in carbs and fat could potentially help a cat develop a leaner build with more muscle mass, but I'm not sure this would be seen so much on a dry diet. Raw diets do this much more dramatically. Losing that amount of weight in such a short amount of time is definitely cause for concern, especially at her age.
There are many things that can cause weight loss, but hyperthyroidism seems to be at the top of the list, even with a good appetite. The T4 test mentioned above will look at this. Inflammatory bowel disease and other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract can cause weight loss, but they usually have other symptoms, such as vomiting and diarrhea.
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I agree that I should see a vet. I just wonder though if the weight loss can be attributed to the change in diet. I just started feeding the new food at the beginning of September, and I began feeding the grain-free version of the same food on October 15. It has been within the past couple of months that her weight has dropped. I hate to switch foods because I finally found a food that she does not vomit. She has not vomited one time since I switched to this food. I guess I will have to change though if the vet rules out medical causes. I know that a prescription diet would probably not work because those foods have ingredients that neither of my cats can have.
I have thought of hyperthyroidism, but can it occur in cats this young? I have been reading some about it, and weight loss is a symptom, but I also read that these cats can have dull coats and hair loss. Her coat is soft and shiny. I know that cancer, kidney disease, or diabetes can be other causes, but I don't want to think about those.
I have thought of hyperthyroidism, but can it occur in cats this young? I have been reading some about it, and weight loss is a symptom, but I also read that these cats can have dull coats and hair loss. Her coat is soft and shiny. I know that cancer, kidney disease, or diabetes can be other causes, but I don't want to think about those.
I don't think the weight loss is attributable to the new food unless she just hasn't been eating much of it. As GoHolistic mentioned, feeding a high protein/low carb food may result in a leaner build with more muscle mass, but the food you are feeding is high in carbs with medium protein and low fat per the calculation that LDG did for you in this thread. http://www.thecatsite.com/t/267331/what-is-a-good-fat-content
One of my cats lost 2 lbs over a 2 month period while on a high protein/low carb diet (Instinct LID Turkey.) He baffled me for a while as he had a voracious appetite. Ate all the wet food I gave him, tore through the house looking for treats, would get in the garbage, eat thru unopened bags of food...
Took him in for a full blood panel...everything checked out within limits (T4 was on the upper end.) It was suggested that maybe I try a dry food with a higher fat content.
In trying out new foods, I finally found one he like (NOW Fresh Turkey, Duck and Salmon.) He put on 0.5 lbs over the weekend and put all his weight back on in about 4-6 wks.
Honestly, I think he had just STOPPED eating the dry all together as to this day, he will not touch that food (others in the house eat it.)
Took him in for a full blood panel...everything checked out within limits (T4 was on the upper end.) It was suggested that maybe I try a dry food with a higher fat content.
In trying out new foods, I finally found one he like (NOW Fresh Turkey, Duck and Salmon.) He put on 0.5 lbs over the weekend and put all his weight back on in about 4-6 wks.
Honestly, I think he had just STOPPED eating the dry all together as to this day, he will not touch that food (others in the house eat it.)
