My cat is losing weight and looks like skin and bones. What to do?

Wet food actually helps cats lose weight. It has a higher moisture content, so it takes more of it to give a cat their daily caloric requirements I would have him seen by a vet today or tomorrow. In a senior cat, this weight loss can not only be caused by dental problems, but also diabetes, kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, or cancer. I recommend having a physical exam, geriatric blood panel, and urinalysis to diagnose what is causing his weight loss. Once the cause is found, the vet can discuss treatment options.

Overall being thin could be a result of an underlying metabolic, endocrine, or gastro-intestinal issue. (such as hyperthyroidism, diabetes,or inflammatory bowel disease) It would be best to have her evaluated by a veterinarian, and consider having blood work and urine tests run to see if there are any abnormalities. She is listed as unspayed--keep in mind that metabolism tends be slower once they are spayed. If everything on her lab work checks out to be normal, I would recommend you have her spayed for her overall health and for pet over-population concerns; another positive for her may be weight gain! Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Poor Lorelei! Sounds like she s has had a bit of a rough go at things recently. As far as the unkempt, greasy coat this could be due to her not feeling well and subsequently not grooming herself well. Alternatively she could also be dealing with an ongoing flea or food sensitivity. I worry about her weight loss and her decreased appetite though. This makes me worried she could be dealing with an underlying health issue such as an intestinal issue such (eg inflammatory bowel disease) or even some infectious disease (eg fip, felv) or even a kidney issue. I would have her evaluated by a veterinarian. They may suggest some blood work to look at her overall health to start and even test her for viral illnesses such as felv/fiv. They may also discuss other tests down the line such as an x-ray or abdominal ultrasound. I hope you get some answers soon and she is feeling better !!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Chica. I recommend that she has bloodwork and urine testing done soon to check for diseases that could be making her so skinny. For example, thyroid disease is a common cause of weight. Diabetes can cause the same to occur. Other cats can have kidney disease. I would also recommend testing her pancreatitis. This can be done with the bloodwork. Fecal testing to rule out parasites can he helpful as well. This is especially important if she goes outdoors. I hope this information helps!

I can certainly understand being frustrated at being told to take Felix into the vet, but there are medical illness that would cause him to eat heartily and still be extremely skinny, and those can only be diagnosed by a vet. These medical illnesses include diabetes, kidney disease, dental problems, feline inflammatory bowel disease, hyperthyroidism, FIV, FELV, intestinal parasites, or even cancer. To diagnose these requires a blood test, a urinalysis, and possibly x-rays. Having Felix seen by a vet is the only way to definitively know what is causing his hearty appetite but extreme skinniness, and that way Felix can be treated so he can gain weight. I will give you some resources that may help you afford a vet visit for him. You can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets

Hi. Im sorry Miyu is losing weight. There are alot of reasons this could happen. High thyroid, parasites, irritable bowel disease, cancer, and some metabolic or endocrine diseases. If the labwork was normal, the tooth was fixed, and she is eating well, i would recommend the following...fecal test, thyroid check, addominal ultrasound and chest xrays. There is a lot of things that won't show up on labs, so these are the next steps. Good luck

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is difficult to tell based on these pictures if he has a thin body condition. Weight loss or lack of weight gain can be seen with gastrointestinal disease, renal or liver disease, among many others. I would recommend that you consider having him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment. Further diagnostics would include general labwork and possibly an abdominal ultrasound and a GI panel. Treatment if any would be based on findings. Good luck and have a great day! I hope you find this information helpful.