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Most are readily suspected and confirmed based on physical examination and routine laboratory testing. For example cats with small intestinal disease may lose weight before exhibiting anorexia vomiting or diarrhea.
Other signs include drinking and urinating excessively.
Weight loss in older cats. Chronic kidney failure or CKD is very common in seniors and can be a reason for weight loss in older cats. As its a slow progressing disease your kittys weight loss will be gradual. Other signs include drinking and urinating excessively.
Providing early diagnosis is made theres a good chance the disease can be managed. An indoor cat can flare up with parasites later in life especially if the immune system is under stress from any other cause. Well-recognized causes of weight loss in old cats include chronic renal disease diabetes mellitus hyperthyroidism inflammatory bowel disease IBDexocrine pancreatic insufficiency and dental problems.
Weight loss commonly afflicts middle aged and older 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. It is important to monitor your senior cats weight as even.
When their Old cat losing weight owners frequently think its part of normal aging. But weight loss is often a sign of underlying disease. Weight loss can be an early sign of illness so check with your vet.
It is common for older cats to develop medical conditions that cause them to lose weight such as kidney. Another cause for an older cat to lose weight is feline diabetes. Feline diabetes is a condition where the body does not produce enough insulin to balance blood sugar or glucose levels.
The symptoms of diabetes are similar to those in humansincreased thirst and increased urination. Weight loss occurs when more calories are expended than are consumed. Healthy animals can experience weight loss but in a geriatric cat a subtle decrease in weight can also be the first indication of illness.
For example cats with small intestinal disease may lose weight before exhibiting anorexia vomiting or diarrhea. Weight loss can be an early sign of illness so check with your vet. It is common for older cats to develop medical conditions that cause them to lose weight such as kidney and thyroid disease.
If your cat is losing weight it is important to consult your vet as soon as possible. Older cats especially obese older kitties can develop type 2 diabetes a condition that can lead to rapid weight loss. Diabetes results when your cats body fails to respond to the hormone insulin produced by the pancreas or the pancreas doesnt produce enough of it according to WebMD.
Unexplained weight loss in older cats can be due to the following issues. A stressed cat will lose its appetite for food and lose weight. Causes of distress in cats vary from loud noises to dirty food bowls.
Your cat may become apprehensive about eating due to strangers in. Is weight loss normal in older cats or a cause for concern. Many older cats lose a bit of weight as they get older small amounts can be normal but larger decreases are often due to an underlying health problem.
You should always take your cat to your veterinarian as soon as you think there may be an issue. Apache2438 Debian Server at wwwvetmedillinoisedu Port 443. Well-recognized causes of weight loss in old cats include chronic renal disease diabetes mellitus hyperthyroidism inflammatory bowel disease IBD exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and dental problems.
Most are readily suspected and confirmed based on physical examination and routine laboratory testing. Weight loss in cats between the ages of 12 and 16 is usually a sign of illness. The five most common causes in this age range are hyperthyroidism kidney disease particularly with secondary kidney infection diabetes mellitus intestinal disease inflammatory or.
Organ failure can result in significant weight loss in older cats. Conditions such as kidney disease liver failure and Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome MODS are some of the most well-recognized critical feline illnesses. Symptoms include weight loss weakness lack of appetite diarrhea vomiting excess thirst and bad breath.
Whatever the cause of weight loss and decreased nutrient digestibility in older cats progressive weight loss has been reported in the two years preceding death from a variety of seemingly unrelated diseases. This weight loss is becoming more common as cats live longer lives and receive better health care. Antiviral drugs and some behaviour-modifying drugs may also cause weight loss rarely in cats.
Weight Loss in Old Cat. By ten to twelve years of age cats tend to lose weight and their body condition declines. Some breeds of cat such as the colourpoint shorthair lose weight more notably and commonly than other breeds.
Feeding older cats differently from younger. Older cats and weight loss. Weight loss is a very common but non-specific s ign of illness in older cats so its important to make an appointment with your vet if you see your cat losing weightthat way they can identify the likely cause and prescribe appropriate treatment.
Some systemic diseases which have weight loss as a s ign are chronic kidney disease diabetes. I have been asked or told many times by cat owners that their cats weight loss must be due to growing older. Old age is not a disease.
Old age does not cause feline weight loss but old age can increase your cats risk of acquiring certain feline diseases or a number of problems that cause this illness symptom. Weight loss can be an early sign of illness so check with your vet. It is common for older cats to develop medical conditions that cause them to lose weight such as kidney and thyroid disease.
If your cat is losing weight it is important to consult your vet as soon as possible. Causes of Rapid Weight Loss in Older Cats. Advances in veterinary medicine and specialized pet foods have added years to the lives of family cats with many living well into their teens and twenties.
As your cat ages you may notice some physical changes particularly weight loss that will need to be looked into by a vet.