8 year old loosing weight fast

[sharky]

Originally Posted by Carolina

timotb, if I were you, I would take this cat to a more proactive vet. This extreme weight loss is not good.
Furthermore, you can't just leave it up to her to eat... If she is not eating, her liver can be affected, and soon she can go into liver failure, or get fatty liver disease - and from there recover is very very difficult. You are actually very lucky this haven't taken place yet with this weight loss and this lack of food.
She NEEDS to eat, bottom line. If she is not eating, you need to force feed her with a syringe, or try meat only baby food (no garlic, no onions)... There is also a recovery RX food called Hills A/D, very caloric and very palatable. Kitten food is also more caloric than adult food and can help her.
But if you do not force feed her, leave it out to her to eat on her own, and do not seek treatment with another vet, I am sorry to say that her chances of recovery might look grim.

.... Please see another vet and at least get a senior blood panel

 

[maxiecat03]

Perhaps get an x-ray done as well, to rule out any tumours. Long story short....my Phoebe....13yrs 9 months died with excellent bloodwork, no temperature, no diabetes....healthy heart, clear lungs, clear upper airway......but she had lost alot of weight in the previous 7 months...probably about 6 lbs...went from 17lb to 11lb or so. Was eating fine...as active as she ever got...

....then just stopped eating and drinking on a Tuesday....Vet on Wednesday...couldn't figure out what was wrong...force fed, antibiotics....she passed away in my arms on Saturday night.....Vet figures it was an undiagnosed tumour. Absolutely no warning.....I miss her so much

 

[katkisses]

I've had cats with tape worms (ferals) and no, they do not have those symptoms. Yes they can lose weight, but the worst I have seen was a cat that was 2 pounds (or less) underweight.... but that cat also didn't have access to food until I got it.

What you are describing is NOT normal at all. She needs a complete bloodwork done, asap. With a extra thyriod test (this is a seperate test). It could be thyroid (treated with pills), diabetes (treated with food/meds), could be kidneys (treated with meds/food/maybe fluids), could be anemia, could be ANYTHING. That is why you need bloodwork...

The vet you went to sounds.... not so great, I've never heard of a vet seeing a cat in this condition & not recommending bloodwork. That is insane to me!

I have a cat that got liver failure & OMG you do NOT want to go through that! Cats can get liver failure in as little as 2 days from not eating. My cat had to be force fed many times per day & givin IV fluids daily for 5 months until he started eating on his own. He did not get it from not eating. Please do not let her go down this road, force feed her if you have too. She needs something in her stomach.

I hope you can get her to another vet for a second opinion, she is loosing weight wayyy too fast. It could be something easily treated, but if she doesn't get the right treatment soon it may kill her.

I hope your kitty can get the help she needs soon, sorry your vet didn't care much. There is no way this is "just" tape worms. I am sure she has tape worms, if she has fleas that bad then yes, she will have tape worms. But there is something else going on, for sure.

Many vibes for your kitty, poor thing!