Weight Loss And Bad Breath

[doddsington]

hi! My beloved 10yo tuxedo, Rudy, has terribly sensitive skin—well, allergies to food. We switched his food in November and I just now noticed the last couple weeks that he is smaller/skinnier than he used to be. I’m his mom so I notice. His dad bryan doesn’t think so. But Rudy was 15 lbs and I know he feels skinnier. Can the food switch cause the weight loss?? He also has worse breath than before. Can that be food too? I’m terribly worried it’s something serious. He has a check up on Thursday, but I wanted your wise opinions if food changes can cause this? Thank you!

 

[Furballsmom]

Yes the food switch can cause weight loss if he's not eating as much, and although most people say that bad breath comes from dental work which it can of course, but although I'm not a vet I'm of the firm conviction that if the food isn't working right in the cats system it's also going to cause bad breath from for instance a sour tummy. You could double check his weight with a bathroom scale. Hang in there and good luck!!

 

[duckpond]

he is a handsome tuxedo, i have one too, and he is also a big boy. i changed his food not long ago, and slowly he did loose a lb or two. the bad breath im not sure. The vet will most likely be able to tell you if there are dental issues. I would not worry to much about a small weight loss over time, especially with the change in food, i would if it was sudden or dramatic. most likely that was the food, but its good that he has a check up this week! Sending you good wishes for a great report!

 

[huxleysmom]

If he eats the same amount of food, he should not lose weight unless there is another health issue. Since he has really bad breath, I would check for dental issues and bring him to the vet to get his mouth checked. If he is in pain, he won’t be eating as much (because eating would hurt) and would lose weight. Only a vet could tell you what exactly is the problem though as there are multiple possible dental issues.

 

[doddsington]

Thank you! He is a charming handsome loving boy for sure! He’s my absolute best friend. Also thank you for your help, your words really helped calmed me down! I’ll update after his appointment.

 

[Yanaka]

Do you have a scale? Stupid question as you probably already thought of that, but you can use it to weigh your little guy. Step on it with him in your arms, then yourself without him, and you can calculate his current weight. You have to face your fears about your own weight, though that's always a tough one for me haha

 

[Furballsmom]

Yanaka LoL

 

[doddsington]

Yanaka omgosh that made me really lol!! I love it, and actually did use this idea, it helped. Thank you!

 

[doddsington]

Rudy had his appointment, the vet suggested the senior blood work because she weighed him and he had lost .7lbs(I don’t think it’s a lot but he does look a lot thinner to me!) and she wanted to be sure there wasn’t anything underlying since he’s now 10. She said she expects bad breath from the new hydrolized food but not weight loss. He had some calcium buildup on his teeth but it’s not bad she said. I told the tech about a recent open scab he had on his neck from itching and I heard him screaming at them in the back he was not having it. The vet said she didn’t read the note from the tech before she prepped him for the blood draw. She got his wound with an alcohol swab why doesn’t she read the Chart before she comes in?? Anyway, I got his results today after having to get on them for not calling me back all weekend. I assumed no news was good news but turns out hey said their fax machine wasn’t working, that the vet had to manually log in to the companies system to find out. So she wasn’t even concerned to be on top of the results, and didn’t bother figuring it out until I called them with my momma bear voice. But she said his blood work was perfect. Looks beautiful except 226 on cholesterol when normal is 220! Sorry for being hyper about it but he’s my baby bear! thank you all!

 

[Yanaka]

I think you’re being a good cat mama!