My cat lost a lot of weight on his diet. Is it healthy or too much?

Thanks for visiting Petcoach. A lot of vets have a hard time assessing an overweight cat during an exam, mainly because some cats have a short temper and we are working against the clock in a lot of these cases. So sometimes we cannot feel for the ribs, spine, etc. It is very possible that Jasper was overweight to begin with and now is more ideal weight. Without a photo attached it is hard to tell, but as long as his other faculties are intact (i.e. eating well, normal stools), then I would not worry about the weight loss. The weight control food is limiting his calorie intake, and with his activity level, he is likely just going back down to his normal standard weight. He should level off with he weight loss once he has reached his ideal weight soon, if this is the case. Here is a website link so that you can assess his BCS (body condition score) yourself at home https://www.wsava.org/WSAVA/media/PDF_old/Body-condition-score-chart-cats.pdf If however, you are still concerned about his weight loss, and he seems overly hungry, then I would be suspicious of underlying thyroid disease. A thyroid test would be next on the agenda if he meets these criteria. Thyroid disease is typically easily managed in cats and he is of the age where we do see more of this disorder. i hope that Jasper's weight loss is attributed to his new food and that he starts to level off with his weight soon! Best wishes and take care.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I’m glad to hear Grippet has lost the weight you wanted him to, but at his age we would want to ensure all the weight loss is for healthy reasons and not an underlying medical issue. As cats age, they frequently can get an overactive thyroid, diabetes, or kidney issues (among others) that can lead to unhealthy weight loss. I would recommend he be evaluated by his regular veterinarian and have bloodwork done to ensure all his weight loss is healthy and there isn’t an underlying issue that needs to be addressed. Good luck!

Have DoReMi examined by your veterinarian. Submit a stool sample to diagnose intestinal parasites which can affect weight and weight gain. Blood work may diagnose metabolic conditions or endocrine imbalances as well. Your vet can teach you how to assess your cat's Body Condition Score (BCS). This, in addition to weighing, can help you get and keep your cat into peak condition. You can follow this link to familiarize yourself with the BCS prior to the visit to your veterinarian. https://www.purina.co.uk/cats/health-and-nutrition/exercise-and-weight-management/assessing-your-cat's-body-condition

Cats that are losing weight despite eating often have a thyroid condition although there could be other reasons like diabetes or kidney disease which are also common. I suggest you have Simba to your vet for an exam and some blood testing.

2-6 Kg is the amount he needs, if you use the dosage above this one you are risking toxicity. it is not normal at all to lose more than half of his weight, i would say it is very likely that he is suffering from a disease in the background that is causing this, i strongly recommend taking him to the vet ASAP in order to get it checked.

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!

Hi there. Based on these lab results, I don't see anything concerning here - it looks like this kitty's liver and kidneys are in good shape, normal blood sugar (so no diabetes), and normal thyroid. The minor changes noted (slightly elevated protein, and slightly elevated eosinophils) do not generally have any major clinical significance. So this wouldn't concern me at all, as long as he seems healthy clinically. It sounds like he's a pretty hefty boy, so I agree that getting him started on a weight loss plan would probably be a good idea! I hope everything works out well for the adoption. :)