Why is my cat straining to poop, losing weight, and eating more?

I would recommend taking Oliver Paul into for an exam by a veterinarian. They can do a full exam, and a geriatric blood work panel. They may also take his blood pressure. High blood pressure can cause weight loss in older kitties. It can also cause eye problems. Another common and treatable condition in older kitties is hyperthyroidism. They get benign (non-cancerous) tumors on their thyroid gland that causes them to produce too much hormone which up regulates their metabolism. They will eat a lot and continue to drop weight. A veterinarian can get Oliver on a plan to recovery! Thanks for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Poor guy. He sounds ill indeed. Many disease processes can cause loose bloody stool including: intestinal parasites, pancreatitis, inflammatory bowel disease, lymphoma (cancer of the intestines), dietary indiscretion (eating something he shouldn't have), and even a bacterial infection. The first step would be to do a full panel bloodwork analysis, fecal exam and urinalysis done on Oliver. This should be ble to narrow things down quite a bit so that your vet can know what Oliver needs treatment wise. I would suggest scheduling an appt for him soon at your local vet. I hope that your pet Oliver is able to recover from his bloody stool and illness. Best wishes and take care.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Im' sorry to hear Olliver hasn't been doing well. If he is reluctant to eat hard food but is willing to eat wet food, he may have some dental disease going on that makes him less willing to crunch on his regular food. As cats age, they can develop numerous issues that can lead to weight loss, including kidney disease, diabetes, an overactive thyroid, inflammatory bowel disease or another underlying medical issue. Many of these can be diagnosed via bloodwork. Finally, I do recommend any abnormal growth be evaluated by a veterinarian. While cats can develop many benign (non-cancerous) growths, there are others that are more concerning that we would want to address. I would have him evaluated by his regular veterinarian, have his teeth/mouth examined, have any necessary testing (bloodwork, xrays, needle aspirate of the mass) performed, and a treatment plan developed to help him feel better. Good luck!

I definitely think you should have Dahlia examined by your veterinarian. A few diseases that could cause an increased appetite with weight loss include intestinal parasites, diabetes, and hyperthyroidism. Your vet can examine Dahlia and her stool, and may recommend checking lab work if parasites seem unlikely. All of these diseases are very treatable, but it's important to get a diagnosis quickly.

Noah does need to be examined by the veterinarian and he will need bloodworm and a fecal exam at least. The main causes of these symptoms are hyperthyroidism, kidney disease, diabetes, severe dental disease or severe parasites. The mucus in the eyes and mouth may be unrelated to the other symptoms. It's possible his immune system is run down and so opportunistic infections are occurring. Don't wait to have him examined. All those conditions can be successfully cared for if treated early. I hope this helps and that Noah starts healing quickly.

Kitty should be examined by a vet to determine the cause. He could have hyperthyroidism and your vet can run blood-work to test his thyroid level. Once your vet determines the exact cause, he/she can recommend a treatment. Hope he feels better soon.

I would be worried that Oliver has something going on that has the potential to be serious. Oliver needs to see the veterinarian ASAP for bloodwork and the check the mass and his teeth. Bad teeth, cancer, kidney or thyroid disease could all account for the weight issues. A painful mass does not always mean its cancer but you still need to be concerned. The doctor may recommend to aspirate the mass to determine what it is and what steps are most appropriate moving forward. I hope this helps!