Senior Cat Losing Weight, Maybe Hyperthyroidism?

She probably has a bad tooth and can't eat. This too happens in older cats. Have her mouth checked out too.

I agree with the other posts. She really needs to be seen by a veterinarian. You can give her Benadryl to help with the car sickness. Let me know her weight and I will reply with the dosage.

M. Carmona
TLC First Animal Hospital

I work at a vet and am studying to become a veterinary technician (a pet nurse). There are many reasons your senior cat could be losing weight, hyperthyroidism is one, diabetes is another, the not eating and trouble swallowing could indicate teeth problems or growths in the mouth. None of these problems can be solved with home remedies. Your cat really needs to have blood work performed in order to determine the cause and determine the best course of action from that point.
Good luck.
M.

The Welcome Waggin' Vet makes house calls. That is her entire business. Check her out. I agree, you need to get the cat checked because it could be kidneys at that age or something else. Here's her website: http://www.thewelcomewaggin.com/home.php and phone number: ###-###-####. Good luck!

my moose cat decided he didn't like a particular batch of food and stopped eating. then refused to eat anything. something strange w/fat cats that have a sudden diet change, there's some issue with his liver. so even though he was over 20 lbs we had to force feed him baby food chicken and the only kitten chow he'd eat untill he gained some weight back. odd since he has like 10 lbs to lose. but we had to get a liver biopsy in the process good luck

If it's hyperthyroidism, you'll need a prescription from a vet for the medication and you'll need to adjust the amount of medication based on the blood test results, so I'm not sure you'll be able to get around the trip or having one come to your house. You'll have follow up blood tests throughout the next year as well to ensure that the dosage remains correct. You will see an immediate change in your cat though!

Regarding medications - We had a cat diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. Our first vet sold us pills we had to cut in half and shove down her throat at a $1 a day. Our cat's levels weren't being regulated very well because it was difficult to control the amount she swallowed and how we cut it up, etc. We switched vets and they were able to find a pharmacy in Arizona that gave us a chicken flavored liquid (making it much more accurate dosing and easier to give to her) at $30 for a 6 month supply, mailed to our door at no cost.

Best wishes.

I agree with the other posts. I know it is expensive, but it sounds like you need to get your kitty in to the vet right away. Even if she gets sick in the vehicle, it sounds like she needs to have tests done as soon as possible. Hopefully is something that the doctor can fix easily, but once they are refusing food you don't want to waste any time trying to figure it out yourself.
Take care, S.

I have a vet that comes to my house! She is great. Her name is Dr. Maxine Franck, Phone #: ###-###-####. She will do all the vet stuff at your house that can be done there.

We had a cat die 4 yrs ago of a heart murmur and weight loss was the major sign. We have another cat losing weight and it's another heart murmur and also a thyroid problem. We decided not to intervene with medicines cause we just aren't willing to spend that kind of money on our cats. But Dr. Franck told us all the options and was great. She's been our vet since we moved here and usually it ends up costing less then what it would cost to take them to someone.

Even though your cat gets sick in the car, I would still take it to the vet. That sounds like it could be a pretty serious situation. Good Luck!

Hi,

If you haven't checked already, maybe there is something in her mouth that is making it painful for her to eat? I also had a senior cat, that wasn't eating and it turned out she had a tumor in her mouth. (hope this is not your case).

Good luck,
J.

I honestly wouldn't wait to take her to the vet. My senior cat had minor kidney disease and she was on special canned food. One week she stopped eating and started to lose weight. I took her to the vet and tests showed her kidneys were failing. It was so bad there was nothing to do for her and we had to put my beautiful cat to sleep. Things with them can change quickly. It would be better to take her to the vet so they could possibly catch the problem early. Her getting car sick is better than losing her life.

Have the blood work done. She could be suffering. There are so many vets around, maybe you could find one closer.

Even though she gets sick in the car, you need blood work. My 19 year old cat started that way, especially with the eating, and it was kidney failure. If it is kidneys, you need to get treatments started. Maybe you can find a vet who makes house calls.

I had a senior cat with hyperthyroidism who was able to live for many years on medication. I would also encourage you to find a vet who makes house calls.

Do take your senior cat for blood test. Our son took the time to drive our beloved cat to vet and she was dehydrated and had infection. The vet gave her IVs and blood test and she was on prescription cat food and antibiotics and has bounced back...(We don't have a way to give cats IVs at home and it really did help her!)

Another for seeing the vet. Ask your vet if he can give you a small tranquilizer for the trip to the vet. They use it all the time if a pet is going to fly.
If a cat is sick they can go down hill really fast. There small bodies can not take what we as human can. She may have a growth that is making it hard to swallow not just hyperthyroidism.

S.

Yes, please take your cat to the vet. Our older cat started to lose weight and she had kidney problems. We ended up giving her sub-quetaneous (under fur) injections of 200 cc lactated ringers for about 2 years but for all except the last day of her life she was an active and loving cat.

I agree with other moms that you should get her in to the vet, even if she gets sick in the car. At her age and with those symptoms it could be something that she could deteriorate from quickly and may need treatment. It could turn out to be something simple, but if not, you would want to know right away and know your options. Plus, she may be in pain or suffering, and you don't want that. I hope your kitty is ok!