very old skinny cat

Hi Jennie,

Older cats are prone to losing weight for many reasons, including kidney problems, liver problems, Diabetes and senile problems but the most common cause of weight loss coupled with an increased appetite would be Hyperthyroidism.

Hyperthryoidism is caused when the body starts to produce too much of the hormone ´Thryoid´. Thyroid controls the speed of the bodies metabolism, so cats who have an over-active thyroid gland (which is where is hormone is produced) have a metabolism which is going at super fast. This means they will often lose weight despite a normal or enlarged appetite, they can also be quite restless and vocal. Other symptoms include vomiting and diarrhoea and a ´wide-eyed´ expression. Your vet is likely to detect a high heart rate on a clinical examination and may be able to feel the enlarged thyroid gland, which sits in the neck just under the cats chin. Hyperthyroidism is diagnosed using a simple blood test and is easily treated with either regular tablets, surgery to remove the over-active gland, or radiotherapy. Most owners opt to give tablets, which are either once or twice daily. Treating Hyperthyroidism is very important as it can put the cat´s system under immense strain, in particular the heart and liver. The unsteadiness on her backlegs may be related to the muscle loss or she could have concurrent arthritis, which is also very common in older cats.

The first step is to take Suki along to your vets. When you go ensure she has been starved for 12 hours beforehand, a morning appointment is therefore often the easiest, as then, if your vet wants to take bloods, they should be able to do so straight away. It is important to test for all possible causes of her weight-loss and behaviour change, so they are likely to want to check her kidneys, liver and the rest of her system as well, but this can all be achieved with a single blood test. The results are usually back quickly, within a few days, and then your vet will be able to discuss the best way forward for her. I have posted a couple of links at the bottom of this page which you may find helpful.

Let me know how you get on.

Cat

http://www.yourpetshealth.co.uk/page46.htm
http://www.petstreet.co.uk/vetfactsheet/316530.Behavioural%20Changes%20in%20an%20Ageing%20Pet

Hi Jennie. if it were me i´d have her checked over by a vet. if her appetite is increasing but she is loosing weight it could be a sign of a number of things (worms, hyperthyroidism etc). am sure she´s fine but might be worth a quick check up and some blood tests