Cindy is losing weight again - I'm getting desperate

Does anyone have experience with a cat who is eating jut fine but also losing weight?  She is under the care of a specialist, but I'm trying to find out if there is some trick or something to get to gain weight, or at least stabilize.  Right now I'm feeding her Fancy Feast Classics and Soulistic in gravy.  Also was giving her Swanie's vet food for sensitive stomachs and also Nature's Recipe. I'm transitioning her to the Nature's Recipe because I don't like the ingredients in the vet food.  I've tried a lot off different better quality dry food and this is the only one she has much interest in eating.  She pretty much gets as much as wants at this point. And she does eat well, enough that she should be putting on some weight, or at least not losing.  she isn't lethargic and doesn't seem like she doesn't feel good.

Here is some of Cindy's history, sorry if it gets long.

About this time last year the vet discovered a mass in her abdomen. After many tests, we finally had to go for surgery to get a diagnosis of what kind of cancer.  The surgeon removed the entire mass from her colon and a good bit of colon with it.  It was mast cell cancer.  She then had chemo, 6 treatments I think. After the final treatment, we had an ultrasound and blood test, and the oncologist saw some things that caused him to think she might be out of remission. She also started losing weight again.  More tests and exploratory surgery/biopsies turned up no cancer, but low B-12.

She started getting B-12 shots once a week for 6 weeks.  Now she is supposed to get them once a month for 6 months.  When she first started the B-12, she was just about back to her old Cindy self, and also gained a bit of weight.

During the time she was getting the weekly B-12, she was also on Prednisolone, 1/2 tablet once a day, and some liquid medication that was supposed to be good for internal infection.  We finally stopped the liquid because it was causing her diarrhea instead of stopping it, and recently reduced the Pred to 1/4 tablet once a day.

Her vet visit last week for her monthly B-12 shot showed that she had lost a good bit of weight (or seems like it to me). She's not much as it is, not even up to 6 pounds, so she doesn't have much more to lose.  We are to keep her on the 1/4 pred for 3-4 weeks and then go back for her next shot.  Specialist says that if she has lost more weight, we are go back to 1/2 pred tablet. Her blood test came back everything was normal.

If anyone has any ideas I can try, please let me know, I'm getting desperate.

I know of one friend who used this naturopathic product on their cats.  One was diagnosed with a rare type of leukemia many years ago and they opted to try this as a first stage treatment before risking making her feel worse with chemo.  She never got chemo!  She lived another 11 years and the leukemia stayed at subclinical levels.  She had a great life and only recently was put to sleep because of kidney failure.  I think she was 15.   I think they just used ONE of the products, the Life Gold, as it was awhile ago and they had not yet developed it into a 2-product "cat cancer kit"  -- what have you got to lose but a little money?  The reviews are great.

http://www.petwellbeing.com/products/cat-cancer-kits

Have you tried an L. acidophilus probiotic or digestive enzymes yet?

I recommended this to someone with an IBD kitty, and though it took a little while, after a month kitty started gaining weight (using just the L. acidophilus). She's now recommending it to others, and it seems it's helping others too. There are studies that indicate L. acidophilus improves nutrient absorption. Most people using digestive enzymes notice they need to feed a little less (that's the case here). The digestive enzymes help metabolism.

I don't know the macro content of those foods, but I'd consider using Dr. Pierson's food list to identify high fat foods. Eating the same amount of food will get more calories eating a high fat food (fat has about 2x the calories of protein or carbs). I know off-hand that EVO, Nature's Variety, and some Halo canned foods are high fat.

You can also feed her high calorie snacks, if she likes them, like (no salt) butter or egg yolks (which are really healthy anyway), 2 to 3 a week won't hurt, doesn't matter whether raw or cooked.

Thank you both, I'm going to look at both those products now.

I've just recently started giving her FortiFlora again, but if there's something better I'm all for it, as long as I can get her to take it.

I've tried both EVO and Nature's Variety, and she wasn't too keen on either.  I just tried EarthBorn and she wouldn't eat that either - that was recommended by someone in the specialty pet store, not sure about the fat content but I told them I was looking for something to help her gain weight.  Maybe I'll go back and try the Nature's Variety again, get a different flavor.

The Fortiflora can be helpful to get kitties eating their food, and can help for antibiotic-induced diarrhea. But the only probiotic strain in it is E. faecium, and it's not a live culture, it's a fermentation product. It's a low dose, and is made with primarily animal digest.

If you want to use a lactose-free L. acidophilus supplement, the Jarro-dophilus allergan-free has beneficial strains in it: http://www.jarrow.com/product/535/Jarro-Dophilus_Allergen-Free

It's available on Amazon: At 10 billion CFU, you can either use 1/4 capsule 2x a day or 1/2 a capsule 2x a day.

For the digestive enzymes, I use Prozyme original. It takes very little. It's plant-based, so works in a wider pH environment. It is in a lactose base.
The Prozyme Plus is lactose-free, but uses a rice base:

What form are the probiotics you mentioned? How do you give them to your cats?  Cindy can be very picky and if she detects something '"foreign" in her food, she will reject it.  Which would you recommend as the best one to help her absorb the nutrients from the food she eats - because she is eating well, it's not that she's refusing her food. Yesterday she followed me around half the day it seemed like begging for food.  Or she may  have been begging for Cheetos.  

In case LDG isn't available, I can answer the question.  The probiotics and digestive enzymes are in powder form.  (probiotics arae in capsules that we usually open up and sprinkle on or mix into their food)  As far as I can tell, neither of them has much taste if any.  My cats are the pickiest in the world, I think, and they haven't rejected food just because these are in their food. 

Have you had Cindy's thyroid checked lately.  Eating but losing weight is one sign of thyroid problems, same as with people

mrsgreenjeens said:

 
In case LDG isn't available, I can answer the question.  The probiotics and digestive enzymes are in powder form.  (probiotics arae in capsules that we usually open up and sprinkle on or mix into their food)  As far as I can tell, neither of them has much taste if any.  My cats are the pickiest in the world, I think, and they haven't rejected food just because these are in their food.

Have you had Cindy's thyroid checked lately.  Eating but losing weight is one sign of thyroid problems, same as with people

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Thank you mrsgreenjeens, I guess I'll give it a try.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

And yes, she's had her thyroid checked - even some specialized test they did after they did the regular one, and it's not that.

I am dealing with the same type of issue with my 14 year old girl, just had a vet check and everything was good.  Thyroid etc was normal, but she is losing weight.  I am looking into getting higher calorie canned food for her so she doesn't have to eat as much to get more nutrition since I can't get her to eat more than about 7oz per day.  So maybe that is an option for you, to find a higher calorie canned food.

Yes, the digestive enzymes and probiotics don't bother any of my kitties, not even Lazlo. I don't even bother to mix them in. If you buy human grade probiotics (all the ones I provided links to are), if Cindy doesn't like them, you can use them.

I decided to order this one:

. http://www.amazon.com/Lambert-Kay-Original-All-Natural-Supplement/dp/B00AR91F3K/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1385343935&sr=8-3&keywords=prozyme+original+cat

So..I can use it even though it says for dogs and cats?? 

That one is digestive enzymes. And no, I wouldn't recommend a person use it.

Are you going to order an L. acdiophilus probiotic? If human grade, that's what I was suggesting you could use if Cindy doesn't like it.

Have you read the recent article Anne put up on probiotics? http://www.thecatsite.com/a/should-i-give-my-cat-probiotics

I recommend talking to your vet about a medication called Pancrezyme. It effectively treats pancreatic insufficiency disorder. I also recommend a supplement called NaturVet Digestive Enzymes with Probiotics & Prebiotics.

Who said anything about a pancreatic insufficiency disorder?   

GoHolistic said:

 
Who said anything about a pancreatic insufficiency disorder?   

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I was wondering the same thing.  She had part of her colon removed which I am sure is what is causing some type of absorption problem.  I don't know what can be done about it which is why I hadn't posted anything to this thread.

It is also given as a digestive enzyme. It gives the pancreas more enzymes in order to ease digestion. The vet I work for gives it to cats with absorption problems and it works wonders. It is normally used for PID, but can be effective for cats that don't digest their food well.

 I had a Great Dane who wasn't absorbing his nutrients and we decided to go with the Prozyme as opposed to the Pancreazyme (which is outrageously expensive).  It worked great for him and he started gaining weight while he was on it.

Pancrezyme is expensive, but worth it. It works very well for cats who aren't absorbing their nutrients properly. It is a very good digestive enzyme. It boosts the enzymes in the pancreas. I think we have 3 cats at our practice that are on Pancrezyme due to malabsorption.

Misty8723, this Pancrezyme requires a prescription. If you're interested, please discuss it with your vet.

Yes, Pancrezyme does require a prescription. Talk to your vet if you are interested in it. It is expensive, but I believe it is worth it. It helps cats absorb nutrients properly. It works well as a digestive enzyme. It does this by boosting the enzymes in the pancreas.