Best high-fat, high-protein food for an underweight senior cat?

Hi there and thank you for using PetCoach to address your concern. I would increase the amount of food being fed per day. Science Diet Adult maintenance would be a good choice or something high in protein and calories. If you would like to feed a homemade diet to see if he eats better with home cooked food, I would recommend visiting www. balanceit.com If he continues to lose weight or does not gain any weight with the diet switch, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine him so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I would definitely consider testing his thyroid to make sure he does not have hyperthyroidism, which can lead to weight loss or difficulty gaining weight. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

I'm so sorry that Katie was diagnosed with lymphoma. Athough they have not done as significant of studies in cats as they have with dogs, our goals with cancer are to feed a food high in protein and fat, but low in carbohydrates. This is especially important for cats since they are obligate carnivores, so a canned food is ideal. A salmon based diet is a wonderful idea since omega 3 fatty acids can have some anti-cancer effects. My cats love Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon. They also love Wellness Turkey and Salmon. Cats rely on their sense of smell to entice their appetite, so smelly fish based foods are a great idea for a cat with cachexia. I also find that rotating foods on a regular basis can be very useful for cats on chemo, so they don't get turned off to a particular food if they are nauseated. I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.

Oh dear, I'm sorry to hear that you and Bonnie are in this situation. Bonnie's weight loss could be caused both by her lack of appetite, as well as any cancerous process and/or subsequent kidney disease. You can try to tempt her to eat with bits of boiled white meat chicken, small amounts of tuna, or even meat-based baby foods. Also discuss appetite stimulant medications (cyproheptadine and mirtazepine are two commonly used drugs) with Bonnie's veterinarian since they may be helpful. However, if none of these strategies improve her appetite and her overall quality of life is declining, it may be time to consider euthanasia. I hope this helps and that all goes well for Bonnie.

They make cancer specific diets such as science diet N/D. The problem is when you have cancer, the cancer cells steal the nutrients that their body needs and that helps it replicate, so you are essentially feeding the cancer. The main goal is the keep a good appetite and use small frequent meals

Hello. I am so sorry that Oscar has such a sad diagnosis. Unfortunately, either one of these can cause a significant loss of appetite. The only two appetite stimulants we have for cats are mirtazapine & cyproheptadine, & even these are not miracle drugs. Some cats prefer foods that are warm, some prefer them when cold, so you can try this. Hand feeding may work a bit as well. You can also talk to your vet about the possibility of adding some anti-nausea medication like Cerenia. Hopefully, you can at least get Oscar to eat a little more for as long as possible. Good luck & thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It would be a good idea to rule out issues such as thyroid problems, internal parasites, metabolic disease, and organ issues, before switching Bootsie's foods, as just changing the foods may not be enough for her to keep the weight on. A complete exam from your vet along with bringing in a stool sample can help figure out if there is an underlying issue or if Bootsie just needs some extra calories.