Old kitty losing appetite

[Smiley14]

My cat Billy just turned 15 years old. While he's still very active and has no problems running and jumping all over the house and doesn't show any signs of slowing down, he is disturbingly losing weight. Billy has been overweight for most of his life, despite being put on R/D and having normal thyroid and blood panels. In the past year, he has finally started to lose weight. At first I was estatically happy, but now he's lost too much weight and I can't get him to gain any back. About a year and a half ago, he was a very large 16 pounds. Per the vet, the ideal weight for his size is 9-10 pounds. He's now at 8 pounds, so has lost half his body weight in the past year and a half. 6 months into his suddenly rapid weight loss, he started vomiting frequently, to where it was at least twice a day. I took him into the vet three times in two weeks for various tests (forgive me, I don't know the name of the tests that were done), but they could find nothing wrong. They referred me to our state University's pet hospital, but it was going to be two weeks before they could fit me in for my first appointment. Frustrated, I looked online and found a lot of comments about hairballs. I decided to give it a try and picked up some hairball medicine and hairball formulated cat food at the pet store. It worked like magic. Suddenly, he wasn't vomiting anymore and was able to hold down his food. We ended up cancelling the appointment at the University as he seemed back to normal.
That was a year ago and he was at 10 pounds. He's since lost two more pounds in the past year. He rarely vomits anymore, but in general, has seemed to lost his appetite. The vet has done two full blood panels to check his kidneys and other orgrans (not sure if I'm saying that right) since then and we are due for another one in a few weeks, but so far, his levels are normal. The vet says his weight loss is due to his old age and that is why she is doing the full panels every four months to monitor him.
I've tried several different kinds of senior or soft cat food, including a bland soft canned one from the vet, but he won't eat them. At this point, he'll only eat if I sit with him while he takes a few bites or if I hand feed him. I can get him to take a few bites, but then he loses interest. I've tried adding kitty formula and chicken broth as well. The one thing he does show any interest in is turkey. I tend to eat a turkey sandwich for lunch most days, and he goes crazy when he smells that turkey, moewing loudly and longly until I give him some and then he'll gobble it down. So now I've started adding turkey to his meager diet, although the vet tells me the turkey isn't good for him. But as it's the only food he'll show interest in, I give it to him anyway. He is getting too skinny; I can now feel the bones of his spine when I pet him, and it scares me.
Has anyone else seen this or have any suggestions for me? As his blood panels are coming back within acceptable ranges and he isn't vomiting or showing physical symptoms, my vet doesn't seem overly concerned. He is drinking plenty of water, so is not dehydrated. She tells me this is normal for a cat this age. Should I insist on more tests or should I just go to another vet (I've used her for 10 years and normally trust her) or is this in fact truly normal for a 15 year old cat to lose so much weight? I would appreciate any advice. Thank you!

[chico2]

Smiley,I am certainly no vet,but I do not think it's normal your kitty has no appetite.
15 yrs is senior,but not old,he could live another 5 yrs or more.
I would buy him the best canned food you can afford,Merricks,Wellness, even Nutro,there are many others.
My cats only like Fancy Feast canned and if yours does,even that is ok as long as he puts some weight back on.
I don't think straight cooked turkey will help him gain weight,but if he loves it,I cannot see why you can't give it to him as a treat.
I am assuming the vet checked his teeth,sometimes a painful abscessed tooth,will stop them from eating,as it would us.

[badger]

Old cats do often tend to get a bit scrawnier but dramatic weight loss is another thing entirely. Has the vet offered you an appetite stimulant? If this is bothering you, maybe it's your intuition telling you to make that appointment with the university vet. Don't worry about your primary vet, she knows as well as anybody that a fresh pair of eyes sometimes cracks the case.

[Sweetgrass]

A couple of tricks to help cats with no appetite I have used and has worekd.

Sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top, older cats don't seem to smell the same way so adding things to make it smellier is good..

you can also add, a little tuna water that you strain off from the can...

My cats will always eat avoderm crab and tuna when all else fails.

Have you tried making a mash of the food and warming it a bit so it is room tempterature and a little more smelly?

I a m sorry you are going through this. I know how hard it is to watch a cat not eat.

Has your cat had its teeth checked? Could it be it is hurting to eat?

Good luck, please keep us posed, Kimmee

[Smiley14]

Thank you all so much for your replies! I really appreciate it. Billy does get his teeth cleaned once a year, and the last cleaning was about four months ago, right after his last blood panel came back normal. They did pull one tooth, and he did have a lot of difficulty eating for the first month after that. The vet gave us prescription soft canned food, but he wouldn't eat it. I ended up donating it to our local shelter since I purchased a whole case of the stuff. I've tried so many brands of food, from the cheap grocery store food to expensive food from the vet, and the best I can find that he'll even try to eat is a senior hairball formula from Iams as it's formed in little tiny pellets that seem more managable for him. He can eat solid cat food again and seems to prefer it as he totally ignores soft food now, but as I mentioned earlier, he'll only eat a few bites before losing interest.
I've never heard of an appetite stimulant before, so I will call the vet on Monday to ask about it. We have our next appointment coming up next week, so I will try some of your suggestions (I think he'll love the parmesan cheese suggestion as cheese is another thing he goes crazy over) and if he is still not eating enough, I will go ahead and ask for the referral to the University Hospital again. My understanding is that they only accept referred patients, but I can call them to verify. He's still holding at 8 pounds, so not dangerously thin, but I fear he will get to that point soon if nothing changes. I thank you all so much for your advice! I'll let you know what happens next.
Thank you!!
Steph

[Smiley14]

Originally Posted by Sweetgrass

A couple of tricks to help cats with no appetite I have used and has worekd.

Sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top, older cats don't seem to smell the same way so adding things to make it smellier is good..

you can also add, a little tuna water that you strain off from the can...

My cats will always eat avoderm crab and tuna when all else fails.

Have you tried making a mash of the food and warming it a bit so it is room tempterature and a little more smelly?

I a m sorry you are going through this. I know how hard it is to watch a cat not eat.

Has your cat had its teeth checked? Could it be it is hurting to eat?

Good luck, please keep us posed, Kimmee

Hi Kimmee! Just wanted to say thank you again for all your suggestions! So far, the parmesan cheese has been a big hit! It doesn't seem to be upsetting his tummy at all, and I've gotten him to eat about a half a cup the last few days! Yay! It's still not enough, but much better than he was eating before! He didn't like the mashed food and licked the tuna water right up, but still left the food behind. But wow, he loves that cheese!
Our vet appt is next Thurs, so I'll ask about an appetite stimulant and a referral. I'm anxious to see how this next blood panel goes as well.
Thanks again to everyone!

Steph

[glasslass]

Be careful on the amount of cheese as it's quite constipating!

[Prin]

I would also get him off senior food... They tend to be much grainier (more fillers) and as a result, less tasty.. (they can be quite fattening too with all the starches..).

Have you seen these canned foods:
http://www.merrickpetcare.com/store/canned_cat_food.php
Maybe they're worth a try too... (But buy them one can at a time )

[Smiley14]

Originally Posted by glasslass

Be careful on the amount of cheese as it's quite constipating!

Oh, thanks for the warning! I've been only giving him a little bit as I didn't want to upset his stomach, so good to know! Thanks!

[Smiley14]

Originally Posted by Prin

I would also get him off senior food... They tend to be much grainier (more fillers) and as a result, less tasty.. (they can be quite fattening too with all the starches..).

Have you seen these canned foods:
http://www.merrickpetcare.com/store/canned_cat_food.php
Maybe they're worth a try too... (But buy them one can at a time )

Oh, good to know about the senior food as well! I am not familiar with the Merrick brand, I don't remember seeing it around here? But I'll give them a try! The chicken pot pie one looks like something Billy might go for! I'll order a few cans online and see what he thinks. Thanks!

[Prin]

They have a store locator thingy on their website too.

oh- when you open a can, try your best to not eat any.

[Smiley14]

Originally Posted by Prin

They have a store locator thingy on their website too.

oh- when you open a can, try your best to not eat any.

Oh oops, I'm totally blind! I already placed an order online, but just saw this comment and there is a store nearby that sells them! Ah well, at least I know if he likes them, I can purchase them locally.
I got him the chicken pot pie, the turkey dinner, and tur-chicken or something like that, lol. He's not big on seafood for some reason. Picked up a few treats for Petey too while I was at it.

Steph

[Smiley14]

Billy had his appointment today, so we'll get the lastest blood tests back tomorrow. Unfortunately he has lost another pound, so is down to 7 pounds now.
I was very relieved to see my vet taking it much more seriously this time though! She is going to call me tomorrow with the results of the test, but from the phsyical exam, she said his kidney's felt small. Once we get the results, we'll go from there. She said it could be medication or if the results still come back normal, we'll do an x-ray tomorrow. If the x-ray doesn't show anything, then she'll send me to the University Hospital for an endoscopy (spelling?). It could be anything from the kidney or liver, nausea, tumors, to just plain old age! So I'm a little nervous right now, but am feeling hopeful that I'll finally get some answers this time around.

Still waiting for the Merrick to arrive in the mail, but I'm hoping it will help tempt his appetite!

Steph

[Smiley14]

Not sure if anyone is following this or not, but thought I'd post anyway. Got the blood work results back today and everything still looks normal, so at this point, it's still a big mystery for the rapid weight loss and why he won't eat. We're doing the x-rays on Monday now as they forgot to tell me yesterday that he has to fast for 24 hours prior.
The blood tests checked the thyroid, kidney, liver, blood sugar, electrolytes, white and red blood count, etc, and all that is still within normal range. I'm hoping the x-rays will shed some light on what is going on!

Got the Merrick in the mail today, but unfortunately, he wouldn't eat that either. I tried the turkey one, so I'll try another flavor (got a few of them) to see if any of them tempt him to eat! At this point, he still seems to prefer his dry cat food, but still only eats a few bites a day. Ugh, frustrating! But anyway, that's the update for the day.

[rainbow]

Glad to hear of the good news so far Do hope the xrays on Monday are positive as well.

Is the parmesan cheese trick not working anymore?

[Prin]

poor kitty! I hope you find something that works.

[chico2]

Smiley,of course we like updates and always hope for good results
I am sorry Billy is still not eating....
I assume everything possible has been tested for,my Peppi( )was always over-weight,started losing weight and was found to be diabetic.
I am often stunned at how difficult it seems to be for a vet to find out the cause of problems in cats
Is it costs?or just the size of a cat?
It seems so much easier to find causes in dogs,I wonder why?

[Smiley14]

Thanks so much for the support! Wasn't sure if I was talking to myself or not, lol. But I really appreciate it!

I would assume diabetes has been one of the things tested for (would that show up in a full blood panel?), but I'll ask on Monday to be sure.
The cheese is still helping some, but he's just not eating nearly enough. He'll eat a few bites in the morning and a few bites again at night. He eat more with the cheese the first few days, but is back to only a few bites again now. Plus the fact that he's lost another pound in only four months isn't good. So hopefully the x-rays or endoscopy will show what is going on!

Anyway, thank you all so much!

[chico2]

Smiley,with my cat I had to give a urine-sample and I manage to get one,waiting for him to go pee.
He gave me a bit of a strange look,when I put a container to catch his pee
Cancer is always the big scary word,when animals lose a lot of weight and I certainly hope that is not what is ailing Billy.The fact that he is eating something is a good sign though
Please keep us posted

[rainbow]

I think any signs of cancer would show up in the bloodwork. Is he still eating the turkey from your sandwich? Why did the vet say it isn't good for him?

What if you smear canned cat food on the roof of his mouth? I know it's force feeding but until you find an answer at least it's getting some nourishment in him.

[momof6]

I know this is weird, but my mother had an older cat with thyroid problems that wouldn't eat and she often gave her baby food. She tried everything else, but baby food and cottage cheese were about the only things she would eat. She never gained much weight, but lived about another four years on it.

[RVT092481]

Diabetes would be tested for in a full blood profile (you test the glucose level in the blood). If it is a kidney problem, the kidneys have to loose 2/3 rds of their function before they'll show in any blood work. So it's possible that the kidneys are shutting down but just not noticeable in blood work yet. An xray would tell you if they are indeed getting smaller or if there is a kidney stones.
Cats are "special" (and I mean that in the nicest possible way ) and are hard to diagnose. They hide things a lot better than dogs and usually aren't as co-operative!
Cancer isn't something you can "test" for. Some people say that if calcium is up in the blood work than that's an indication that there is cancer somewhere in the animal. But it hasn't been proven. I've seen calcium high and no cancer in the animal, and I've seen completely normal calcium levels and the animal is packed with cancer.
You said the thyroid was checked, was it just an in house T4 or did they send it out for a full thyroid panel? If it was just a T4, then I'd request a full thyroid panel. Sometimes the T4 can be normal, but something else isn't (T3, TSH, free T4, etc) that would be causing them to be hyperthyroid.
The most common things that come to mind for your kitty would be hyperthyroidism, diabetes, renal disease/failure or cancer.
Some appetite stimulaters that I've seen work with cats is periactin and valium (be sure the dose isn't too high or he'll be sedated). I'd ask your vet about that as well.
Looks like you've tried many many things to get him to eat! If you rip up a slice of turkey (small) and mix it with his food (possibly adding some cheese or tuna juice) will he just pick the turkey out?
Keep us posted on how he's doing. If I think of anything else I'll post it as well. Good luck and I hope everything works out

[Maya]

When my kitty had kidney failure his appetite was really bad. Little peices of cantaloupe sometimes wet his appetite and if it did I would quickly put his regular food down next to it which he would start eating too, if I was lucky. Sometimes tuna juice worked the same way. When all else failed I would have to sneak up on him while he was sleeping and set food down close in front of his nose. He would sniff and twitch in his sleep and then wake up ravenous. The trick was really to get him interested while he was sleeping, if he woke up to soon than it wouldn't work and I'd have to wait for him to fall asleep again. Also my last kitty boy really liked engevita yeast sprinkled on his food. Well there are a couple more things to try if you run out of ideas. Good luck I know the sleeping trick probably sounds kind of silly but it actually worked the best.

[Smiley14]

Thank you all so much for your comments and for the information!! I can't thank you enough for your help, especially in helping me know what questions to ask the vet.

She has never done a urine test, so I will ask her about that on Monday. He had one once years ago (I remember fondly trying to hold that little cup!), but that was by a different vet. I didn't even think of that, thanks!

They are doing an abdominal x-ray to see if there is any blockage in the stomach. Would the kidney's also show up in this X-ray or should I specifically ask for more than an abdominal x-ray?

She mentioned tumors as a possibility and said the endoscopy (if I'm spelling that right) would test for that if the x-rays don't show anything. So hopefully we can figure out if it's something like that or not.

I believe the blood test was done in-house, and I remember her mentioning something about a T4, so I will ask about that on Monday as well. I do know for sure she said from the tests that he did not have hyperthyroidism. Thank you so much for the addtl info! Good to know! When I asked about appetite stimulants as someone had mentioned that earlier, she said she wanted to first make sure his appetite loss was not being caused by nausea. So I'm not sure how she will determine that.

If given turkey or food, he'll only eat the turkey. Whatever he eats, he'll only eat a few bites and then stop. He'll cry for food and attack it like he's starving, but then turn away after only a few bites, so it's just strange. So sad! The vet didn't say why turkey wasn't good for him, I would assume because it doesn't have the full nutrients that cat food would have? But I'll give the other suggestions a try! Thank you all so much!

[Sweetgrass]

I am sorry to hear you are still trying to solve this. Has the vet offered an appetite stimulant?
I have known cats to get a form of demensia that stops them from realizing they are hungry. A quarter pill a day of pepcid ac, important that it is the ac... has really helped my old girl, especially when she was first diagnosed with diabetes and not eating.
She is diet controlled now and had her teeth cleaned and right canine pulled and eats like she hasn't seen food for years.

I really am pulling for you guys to find a solution. Kimmee

[huskypup]

Can't understand why your vets said not to give Billie turkey, our old cat Smokeyjoe passed to the bridge in June he was 21 years old, he was very thin, and again like yours it was hard work getting him to eat, yet he would meow like he was starving.

We changed his food bowl, from a cat bowl to a small dinner plate, so he could find it easier to push food around and grab it, he had lost most of his teeth, we went to supermeat - not sure if you have that in Canada, he could just lick that up, and he had as much ham, chicken and turkey as he wanted.

Our vet also suggested kitten food as it is very high in fat and protein, he also said at that age, give him want he wanted as long as it didn't make him sick or give him a poorly tummy.

Hope everything goes ok tommorrow.

[chico2]

I believe at this point,whatever gets him to eat is good for him,no food,is worse than whatever you can get him to eat.
I am assuming the vet has checked Billys teeth,probably the first thing she did,right?
My diabetic Peppi,had a few teeth pulled.
for the next vet-visit!

[Maya]

I agree with chico, I think most any food is better than no food especially if he will eat it on his own. One vet I had a long time ago that I really liked told me of an old kitty that would only eat fresh hand peeled shrimp meat in his old age and that's all he had in his last years. Maybe you could try a supplement too if he ends up on a restricted diet and if pills don't make him miserable. Anyway I feel for you it is so frustrating, good luck with the vet

[RVT092481]

An abdominal xray will show the kidneys. It will also show is there is any kind of mass in the abdomen. Usually an abdominal xray consists of the entire cat between the last few ribs usually to the pelvis.
Endoscopy is sticking a camera and light into the cats mouth and guiding it all the way into the stomach - usually attacted to some kind of tv screen. It will show it there are any masses inside the digestive tract - sometimes too small to show on xrays.
Even though the T4 came back normal, I'd probably ask for a full thyroid panel. Need to rule things out completely if possible.
Usually if animals are nauseous they are vomiting, drooling, licking lips, etc.
I'd feed your cat anything and everything that he wants to eat. Like someone else said - eating something "bad" for him is better than eating nothing at all. It may not be the "right" food, but it's still nutrition.
If the xrays show anything suspicious in the stomach, be prepared for a barium series. They'll give the kitty some barium orally (chalky tasting white stuff that shows up in xrays). Then take xrays at certain intervals to see how things are moving through the stomach and intestine (time between xrays varies on what they see and how fast it's moving). Sometimes that's the magical "cure" even if they find nothing.
The only other thing that I'd suggest would be an ultrasound. But between xrays and endoscopy you should be able to see everything.
Please keep us posted on what's going on and what the vet has to say.
Bestest luck!

[Smiley14]

Thank you all again so much for your support and advice and technical assistance! I really appreciate it!

We did the x-rays today, and they unfortunately were not much help. They didn't show anything, but mostly because he is so skinny that the x-ray was almost impossible to read. She said it is the same when you x-ray a kitten or puppy, that they don't x-ray very well and his read in the same way. Something about there not being enough fat to show the contrast or something like that? I didn't completely follow her. She showed me the x-rays and the colon showed up normal size, but the other organs were not really visible. So she did not find any blockage or any masses, but it could be they are just not showing up. She did see the start of arthritis in his hips though.

So now we're going to the University Hospital next for the endoscopy. She signed the x-rays out to me to bring along as well. I did confirm as well that she did do the full range blood panel and not just an in-house tests. So she gave me a copy of those results as well and I can see they were processed in an out of state lab. They will of course fax all his records and results to the University. So I am waiting now for the University to call me back. She thought they might even be able to fit me in sometime this week yet. I hope so! So that's where we're at so far.

For a more immediate concern, the hospital is about a half hour drive from my house, and Billy does not travel well at all. Anything over 15 minutes and he gets sick and will both vomit and poop. The last time I moved, it was awful. The vet doesn't want to sedate him though as he will be put under general anesthesia for the procedure. Does anyone have any suggestions for travel? I only have one carrier, so I might purchase another to switch out in case one gets soiled.

Thank you all again so much for everything! I'll keep you updated.