Is my 15-year-old cat's weight loss and dry food refusal normal?

Adding in the wet food while providing her regular dry diet available as much as she wants should help increase her calorie count some. It is common for cats to start to lose weight as they age as their nutritional needs tend to change when they hit their senior years, plus absorption of nutrients overall tends to decrease with age as well. Mixing the wet into the dry may encourage her to eat a bit more and increase calorie count which should help. Your vet can also monitor her weight/BCS (most vets will let you weigh your pets at no charge) to make sure she is gaining/maintaining a healthier weight with the changes.

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.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If Lady Patches is losing weight, it can definitely be due to her dental disease. However, other causes for weight loss include underlying medical conditions such as hyperthyroidism, diabetes, IBD, and cancer - all of these and others can be ruled out by your vet. You can definitely encourage Lady Patches to eat more by moistening her dry food or getting a food that is in smaller pieces. There are multivitamins available for senior cats, but they do not provide many calories. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you have!

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!

Hello, thank you for your question about Whiskers. Based on the symptoms that you are describing and her change in eating habits it is possible that she could be experiencing pain in her mouth. Oral pain can be secondary to bad dental disease, jaw pain, or other conditions. In pets with mouth pain it becomes more difficult for them to chew on the dry kibbles and they often prefer the softer food. I would recommend having Whiskers seen by your veterinarian so that they can examine her and look for any abnormalities that could be contributing to this change. They can palpate her abdomen and look for evidence of constipation. Depending on their findings they can discuss the need for additional diagnostics or treatments. Hope this helps!

Appetite changes and weight loss in older cats are usually due to an underlying medical problem, rather than just "getting old." Some common possibilities would include chronic kidney or liver disease, diabetes, or dental problems. Many of these issues are very treatable once a diagnosis is made, so I would recommend taking Poppy to the vet for an exam when you are able to. He/she can do blood work to help diagnose the problem and get her started on appropriate treatment.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Bingy! I am not sure how old Bingy is but I would highly recommend a Vet visit and blood work first. Losing 3 pounds, that isn't planned, worries me. If her blood work comes back normal, I would deworm her then treat her for presumptive IBD. I would recommend either a novel protein diet (avoid chicken, trying all fish, vension, rabbit, duck) or a prescription novel protein or hydrolyzed diet. I hope this helps and I wish Bingy the best!