My senior cat is thin and has no teeth. What should I feed her?

Good Afternoon...thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I empathize with your struggle and Munchkin's picky diet. I certainly do not want to cause alarm, but many times cats will become "picky eaters" for many other reasons other than their teeth. As a veterinarian, this symptom always give me pause. Cats with dental issues still usually have a normal appetite, even with a bad tooth - they will still eat. There are many other conditions which can cause an older kitty to change their eating habits and influenced "what tastes good to them" - conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (even with no other GI symptoms), kidney disease, liver disease, and many types of cancers (that can be within any organ of the body...) can cause an older kitty to change their appetite preferences. I would want to know if Munchkin is maintaining her weight, or has she lost weight? If she has lost weight, this is also more concerning. I would recommend you monitor her weight very closely - if she is maintaining (and has not lost weight within the past 6-12 months...). You may want to consider a visit to your veterinarian for additional diagnostics including a full senior bloodwork/urine profile, and possibly an abdominal ultrasound and chest radiographs to ensure nothing more sinister may be going on. I hope this helps, good luck!

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.

Lil'Bit may be having some dental problems so eating dry food may be painful. I do not like an elderly cat to lose weight. Increase her wet food so she maintains a normal weight. I recommend a senior exam where they will check her teeth, heart and lungs and do screening blood work and a urinalysis. Then you'll know if there is underlying kidney disease or if the weight loss is due to her being hyperthyroid. There are a lot of medical issues in senior animals that are easily managed once they are diagnosed. Treating any medical problems now will improve the length and quality of her life. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Lil'Bit.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Losing weight despite having a good appetite is a classic sign seen with hyperthyroidism. This is just one possibility among other conditions. I recommend you check in with a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for this and proceed with therapy accordingly. Best of luck!

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.

Hello! Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! So sorry that Maca is having this issue. It sounds painful for her :( Honestly, she probably does have a bad tooth (or teeth). You should get her to your vet for an exam so they can get a better look inside her mouth. It is also very common for cats to ulcers/tumors in their mouth so that is another option. Your vet can check for this as well. In the meantime you can feed her soft foods like canned food or human baby food. The other option is to put warm water on the dry food and let it soak for a few minutes to soften it before feeding it to her. Just realize that this is only helping her chew easier, it is not fixing the underlying problem. Hope this helps. Please feel free to post again if you have more questions! Best wishes!

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.