Why is my cat losing hair, not eating, sleepy, and has diarrhea?

Hello and thank you for using Pet Coach! I am sorry to hear that Stoney is not feeling well. It does not sound like many diagnostics have been performed on Stoney. I would recommend a blood panel to make sure there are no major systemic changes that may indicate disease or infection. Diarrhea can also be caused by intestinal parasites so it would be good to bring a fecal sample to your vet to have it screened for parasites. She may require an oral antibiotic for the diarrhea if she is not improving. If the symptoms persist, I would recommend getting an abdominal ultrasound done to see if her intestines are thickened. Sometimes, ultrasound can pick up inflammation of the intestinal walls that may suggest inflammatory bowel diseases and intestinal lymphoma, which are both something we commonly see in cats. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available to consult with by phone or text if needed.

Hi there! Sorry to hear that Ace is not feeling well. The clinical signs you describe are concerning as they can seen with different gastrointestinal conditions such as dietary indiscretion, pancreatitis, gastroenteritis, among other possibilities. The sooner these conditions are treated the better the outcome tends to be. For this reason, I recommend that you have Ace evaluated by your veterinarian to check for these possibilities and to start therapy based on findings. At the very least they can address dehydration if present and start him on anti-nausea medications. The hair loss is likely unrelated and it is some form of dermatitis which they can check at the time. Good luck! Keeping my fingers crossed for your boy!

You're right, it doesn't sound good. Possible causes for the bloat and decreased appetite include pain from arthritis, hairballs, food allergy, GI blockage, intestinal parasites, IBD, intestinal lymphoma, systemic disease (liver, kidney, pancreas, diabetes), among others. The shedding and change in coat texture could be due to a decrease in nutrition from not eating, but is likely caused by not grooming as frequently. I recommend that James go to the vet as soon as possible. After a thorough physical exam, your vet may recommend additional diagnostics like x-rays or bloodwork to try to determine the cause of his symptoms.

Hi. These are all very concerning signs and can be a sign of a serious problem. Many possibilities are out there for the cause from GI, infections, cancers, metabolic, endocrine diseases, and many more. We would need mode information on history and signalment along with an exam to get us down the right road. I would recommend a exam tonight or tomorrow morning.

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.

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Hair loss can have many causes in cats- skin infection such as a bacterial infection, allergy such as to food or a flea allergy (especially if Simba is not on any flea preventative) or fungal infection like ringworm can all be causes. Sometimes anxiety can cause cats to lick off their fur but this is typically a diagnosis that is made after all other health conditions are ruled out first. The weight loss could be due to due to simply eating less (this would be a good thing if Simba was previously overweight). Of course, weight loss can also be caused by many different underlying health condition such as certain infections, hyperthyroidism, liver, kidney disease, certain cancers and other endocrine disease. I would recommend Simba see his veterinarian soon for an evaluation. Your veterinary may take a skin scraping and hair sample from the area of hair loss and may recommend running blood work or other diagnostics as necessary. I hope this helps!

I'm sorry Mrs. B has had diarrhea! This diarrhea can be caused by eating something rotten, a foreign body, GI illness, or intestinal worms. Make sure she is up to date on her deworming treatments. I would take Mrs. B into the vet today for an exam. When a cat has diarrhea for more than 24 hours, it's time to see the vet. The vet can diagnose what is causing her diarrhea, and can treat her for it. While at the vet, they can examine her for the cause of the patchy hair loss, which can be due to fleas, mites, ringworm, allergies, or an autoimmune disease. Once the cause of that is found, the vet can prescribe her treatment for it.