Cat is emaciated but eats constantly

[rj3301]

Our 15 year-old DSH Tabby eats constantly but has been losing weight.

We had her thyroid checked and it is normal.

Our vets explanation is that she is old and does not retain as much muscle mass as a younger cat.

There has to be something missing as she can eat 4 to 5 small cans of cats food a day and is still hungry!

She weighs between 6-7 pounds (from a high of about 12lbs)

There is always dry food around and she will sometimes eat it but not often.  She is crazy for canned food or any kind of people food especially roast beef or chicken.  She gets very aggressive with the other cats when it comes to food.  I can't stress enough that she is hungry CONSTANTLY.

I will post her blood work in a days or so when I get a copy.  The vet said she may be in the early stages of kidney failure.

I feel so bad that she is hungry all of the time.

Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ldg]

So the vet has the blood work? What makes him think she may be in the early stages of kidney failure? Did he tell you what to do about that?

IF this is the early stages of kidney failure, you may really want to spend some time reading through the thread "stickied" at the top of this forum for CRF (Chronic Renal Failure) - there is a LOT of help, information, and advice in there that will help you manage this.

Sending vibes for you and your baby.

 

[Willowy]

It really sounds like hyperthyroidism. I wonder if the test he used wasn't sensitive enough. Did he send the sample out to a lab or do it in-house?

 

[rj3301]

I think the thyroid test was done in house.

I will get a copy of the blood work and I remember him saying that a couple of things were slightly elevated but I will have more info later.

I should also mention that she has gone though bouts of diabetes in the past.  She will be on insulin for awhile and then her glucose will right itself.

Thanks to all for the help and positive vibes.

 

[speakhandsforme]

And this may sound obvious, but, has she been showing signs of tapeworm? They come with fleas a good bit of the time, and even if she doesn't visibly have fleas, one could have given her a tapeworm. :dk:

 

[rj3301]

Anything is possible, I will give her a Drontal tonight.

Could a tape make her so thin and so hungry?

 

[speakhandsforme]

If she got an infestation that's been going on for a while, yes, it certainly can. They do nutritionally deprive your kitty when in her intestines in numbers.

They're pretty easy to check for, too. Just need a fecal sample to look for the eggs under a microscope. Sometimes you can see the eggs sticking to the fur on the outside of the anus too. Should look like brown rice.

Let us know.

 

[miss mew]

They can cause cats to loose weight if the infestation is bad enough. 

My first thought was diabetes or hyperthyroid.  Maybe a 2nd opinion wouldn't hurt?. 

 

[orientalslave]

My old cat had a just on the high border of normal T4 but looked just like his thyroid was overactive and indeed it was - the vets had a free T4 done as despite the test result she was convinced he was hyperthyroid and indeed he was.  The treatment, which worked beautifully.

There are other possible causes of being thin but hungry, but hyperthyroid is treatable unlike many of the rest.

 

[rj3301]

I took Momma to the vet this AM.  Glucose was 101, normal.

She has dropped down to 5.9 pounds from 6.5 in September

Here are the highlights from her last CBC:

MCV 53.7fL High

MCH 17.9pg  High

NEU 11.05 K/ul High

BUN 54 mg/dl high

CREA 3.0 mg/dL High

RBC 5.36 M/uL  Low

HCT 28.8% Low

HGB 9.6 g/dL Low

GLOB 5.7 g/dL High

not sure what these numbers mean but everything else is within normal range.

The vet did put her on Pancrezyme as he thinks she may be not digesting what she eats

I may take her to another vet just for a second look.

 

[tambo]

Ask them about her kidneys, the BUN level and Creantine levels may indicate some kidney function problems. I just went through losing one to chronic renal failure his numbers were much higher. But if it is, you can catch it earlier and prolong her life. Let me know how it goes!

 

[orientalslave]

That is a serious weight lose and I feel that more than not digesting is behind it.  Another vet sounds a good idea to me.  I've added a tiny bit to your results, but if you Google (e.g.) 'NEU blood' it will find pages that tell you about that value.  Obviously most of them are based on human medicine so don't take them as gospel.

MCV 53.7fL High - mean corpuscular volume

MCH 17.9pg High - Mean corpuscular haemoglobin

NEU 11.05 K/ul High - neutrophil

BUN 54 mg/dl high - blood urea nitrogen

CREA 3.0 mg/dL High - [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Creatinine [/font]

RBC 5.36 M/uL Low - red Blood Cells

HCT 28.8% Low - hematocrit

HGB 9.6 g/dL Low -

You +1'd this publicly. Undo

Hemoglobin

GLOB 5.7 g/dL High - globulins

Take the test results with you to the other vet.

 

[rj3301]

Our new vet's opinion is that she suffers from Inflamed Bowel Syndrome.  He put on her Hill's z/d food and some antibiotics, and a weekly B12 shot.  I am not sure how much more we can do at this point but am grateful that she is eating the z/d.

 

[hobo08]

Hopefully this new vet has diagnosed her right. I really hope your kitty will start putting on weight again. Sending prayers your way.

 

[orientalslave]

BTW has the vet had free T4 done as well as total T4?

 

[shipattack]

What happened to your cat? I just saw your thread and know time has passed. My cat is the same way, about 6lbs, skinny, eats well and blood work done twice a year with NO findings, vet says everything tests normal. Well she isn't normal. Eats all the time, doesn't gain an ounce, skin & bones, she did say early stages of renal failure. I just ordered some Kidney Support Gold to see if it helps. I thinks it's diabetes or thyroid but those test are normal. Poor girl, she's lively and active & bright but just too skinny. Any comments would be welcome and I hope to hear how your kitty has been. 

 

[rj3301]

Unfortunately she has passed over the bridge.  She was 15 and the day she couldn't muster the strength to jump up onto the couch with me I knew it was time.  I miss her every day.

I am assuming she had the Inflamed Bowel Disease based on her numbers, my vet and my own research.  I wish you the best of luck with your kitty.

 

[betsygee]

The TCS team would like you to know that we are so very sorry for your loss. Threads are normally locked after someone has suffered such a loss, as a sign of respect. I'm not sure how much time has passed since you lost your kitty, but we invite you to post a tribute to her if you would like to, at http://www.thecatsite.com/f/19/crossing-the-bridge.