Is Your Old Cat Losing Weight? Know Causes of Weight Loss in Older Cats

Old Cat Losing Weight: On this occasion, we are going to talk about some diseases that occur with weight loss and a good appetite. They are the most difficult to detect since everyone cares when the cat does not want to eat. But not everyone believes that a cat can be sick if it is weight and eats well.

Detect in time the weight loss, is one of the most important preventive health actions we can perform with our cat.

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The loss of weight in cats, as well as an increase in water, should always be cause for concern. When a cat grows thin for no apparent reason, we should investigate if there is a hidden disease that will eventually manifest itself sooner or later, often when it is too late.

Cats tend to disguise the symptoms of the disease, they do it by the instinct of conservation, in nature to show signs of weakness is always dangerous. Species that have predators can not afford to look sick, so cats show signs of disease much later than dogs.

Cats begin to lose weight before more serious symptoms begin to appear. That is why it is important to detect these changes in time.

My Old Cat Losing Weight, but Very little

Many times customers tell us: “It’s not that bad … you’ve only lost 300 grams since the last visit!”

However, it must be borne in mind that 300 gr in a 4kg cat equals 8% of its weight or equivalent to 5kg in a 70kg weight person.

Although most of us love the idea of losing weight without effort, the truth is that I would worry if I lost 5 kg in a short time, especially if I keep eating well and I am not exercising.

Read Also: How Much Should I Feed My Cat

Discard Environmental Factors

Yes, you have to start at the beginning. Factors such as environmental stress or problems of access to food are causes of the cat is thinner than normal. For example, the cat is afraid to reach your feeder because we just put a new dog at home. A washing machine that makes a lot of noise when spinning, a child who chases him every time he appears in the kitchen. Or competition problems because we have introduced a new younger cat.

Other times the loss of weight is due to a change of feed that is less appetizing or simply that the cat is more active because we let him out into the garden.

But once the environmental and non-pathological factors are ruled out, the next is to rule out a series of diseases that begin with weight loss without loss of appetite.

Endocrine Diseases

The two most common causes of endocrine diseases in cats are diabetes mellitus and hyperthyroidism. Normally they affect older cats: 95% of hyperthyroid cats are over ten years old and most cats are over 6 years old when they are diagnosed with diabetes.

• Hyperthyroidism occurs with a wide variety of symptoms. It is explained in more detail, but the most important of them is weight loss. The increase in metabolism makes them more active and has more appetite. So, we usually think that our cat is better than ever, even though it is very thin.
• Hyperthyroidism can be diagnosed by palpation of the enlarged thyroid gland. But sometimes it is not easy to detect and it is best to make an analytical. We recommend checking the thyroid of all cats older than 10 years. It is the best way for the early diagnosis of the disease.
• Another typical case of a happy cat that begins to lose weight is diabetic cats. Diabetes is very associated with obesity, they are usually very fast and sedentary cats that begin to drink and urinate more than normal and lose weight despite continuing to eat well.
• Actually, these cats do not lose fat. Rather than what they lose muscle mass, a diabetic cat will continue to feel its ball of fat in the belly and yet on the back. You notice that every time you notice more vertebrae and lose muscle mass in the hind legs.
• If you suspect that your cat may have an endocrine problem, do not delay going to the veterinarian. Because they are diseases that will be controlled and will prolong the quality of life of your cat.

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Digestive Problems

Other reasons why an apparent cat is losing weight are oral problems. The most frequent are the pain and gingivitis that present pain when chewing. Which induces them to eat less than they need and consequently lose weight and be very thin.

In these cases, it is observed that the cat approaches with interest and desire to the feeder. But retires when it begins to chew and feels the pain, on other occasions. They drop food when chewing or they put odd positions by putting the head aside.

There are several types of diseases causing problems in the mouth, if you see any of these symptoms and your cat’s gums appear network, you should take it to the vet.

Another disease that makes the cat lose weight with good appetite is what we know as Inflammatory Bowel Disease. It is a group of diseases by thickening and altering the intestinal wall, decreasing its ability to absorb nutrients.

Lose weight from a tumor

There are several types of tumors that affect cats, most of them with weight loss. Before the course of the disease causes more obvious symptoms.

Sometimes the tumors can be seen with the naked eye, either because they affect the skin, or because they can be felt by pressing the abdomen of the animal. They should never be overlooked, even if they do not seem to cause symptoms. Tumors must be treated before they spread and metastasize to complicate their healing.

At other times tumor lodge inside Cat with lung tumor the cat’s chest and the ribs prevent us from feeling or appreciating them. When the cat begins to have respiratory problems it means that the tumor has grown and is affecting a good part of its lung capacity.

In these cases, weight loss can alert us that something is not going well before it is too late.