Sudden Weight Loss In Elderly Cats

It may be a sign of a developing heath problem or the progression of a pre existing condition if your cat begins to lose weight.

Sudden weight loss in elderly cats. Your vet will do a physical exam first. There are a variety of different conditions in the gastrointestinal tract that may cause cat weight loss. Older cats especially obese older kitties can develop type 2 diabetes a condition that can lead to rapid weight loss.

Not all cat weight loss is caused by cancer but it is a fairly common diagnosis. Infections parasitic fungal and bacterial. The treatment for weight loss in cats depends on the cause.

Diabetes results when your cat s body fails to respond to the hormone insulin produced by the pancreas or the pancreas doesn t produce enough of it according to webmd. It is important to monitor your senior cat s weight as even the slightest change in weight can be significant. Weight loss can be further split into polyphagic which means a progressive decrease in body weight in the presence of an increased appetite.

If you notice your cat is losing weight your first step should be to schedule a vet appointment. Next lab tests and or x rays may be needed to determine the problem. Weight loss commonly afflicts middle aged and older cats.

Only the vet can determine the reason for your cat s unexpected weight loss but here are 8 common causes of weight loss in cats. Hyperthyroidism is a common cause of polyphagic weight loss particularly in cats over eight years of age. Unfortunately weight changes in older cats are often attributed merely to aging so clients may not seek veterinary care or veterinarians may inadvertently delay a diagnostic workup until marked weight loss is evident or additional clinical signs arise.

On this occasion we are going to talk about some diseases that occur with weight loss and a good appetite. Weight loss can be caused by many different problems ranging from minor to serious. When this is the case other symptoms may include diarrhea lack of appetite and vomiting common gi problems that produce weight loss in cats include inflammatory bowel disease food allergies or certain infections.