What non-prescription food helps my picky senior cat gain weight?

I’m sorry to hear about Oliver. Prescription Recovery diets like Hill’s a/d are a good choice. Mix with water and syringe in. There are also other prescription options such as critical powders that are meant to be mixed with water and fed via syringe or feeding tube. Also talk to your vet about appetite stimulants as a possibility. Best wishes to you and Oliver.

I recommend feeding Hills a/d. It’s easily digestible, cats usually love it and it is very calorie dense so Watson will start to recover quickly even if he doesn’t eat that much. I would also have a dry kitten food available at all times and offer some tasty cat treats to stimulate his appetite. In addition to feeding many meals daily increasing his exercise will help build muscle and also stimulate his appetite and speed his recovery. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Watson.

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.

Hill's non-prescription food is safe, and it's a highly recommend food by vets. There is absolutely no scientific research saying it isn't safe, everything you are reading is anecdotal with no evidence to back it up. It's important that your cat stays on a urinary diet to keep him from getting stones again, so I'd recommend giving him Royal Canin cat urinary SO. It's a high quality food, and he may like eating it. I would have him checked out by a vet about this weight loss, however. In old cats, the weight loss could be due to a medical illness, such as hyperthyroidism, kidney disease, diabetes, or even cancer. He could also have teeth problems making it painful for him to eat. He could not be feeling well from those, causing him to not eat, so it may not be the food, it could be an illness. I recommend having a physical exam, geriatric blood panel, and urinalysis to check his teeth and to see how his organs are functioning to determine if there is a medical cause behind this weight loss and anorexia. Should one be found, the vet can treat him for it. I would have him seen by a vet today or tomorrow.

Most of the premium brands (Blue Buffalo, Canidae, Orijen, Royal Canin) should be fine. Stay away from store or discount brands as these typically contain low quality ingredients and more fillers. Choose a canned food that comes from the can looking like a hockey puck. It should have a named protein source of animal origin. If you must feed dry, choose a grain free diet. Stay away from foods that are minced, diced or have sauces/gravies. these are usually higher in carb content which your cat does not need.

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.

Liver issues can be tricky to treat, and cats with liver issues may be more picky about what they eat. The first suggestion to try is if your cat had a dry (or wet) version of a prescription diet is to try the opposite dry or wet version. (IE if you try Hill's l/d dry, try a can of the l/d wet). Some cats may find the change in consistency and flavor more palatable and may begin to eat without having to completely change foods. If your cat was on a dry diet, a wet food may also be easier for your cat's liver to process. Another suggestion to try is to add a few kibbles of a food or a teaspoon of wet food your cat really likes to his prescription food. While some cats may figure out and pick out the good bits, many cats will begin to eat the whole meal and thus get the nutritional benefit from it. Your vet can let you know if it's safe to try this method depending on the severity of your cat's condition. For over the counter foods, a diet that has a similar nutrient makeup to prescription foods (you can check the nutrition label of l/d or NF if you have a bag handy) may help your cat with his liver issues while still being palatable. This is usually higher protein, contains L-carnitine to promote fat metabolism are low in sodium and have vitamins E and C to support the immune system and liver function. Your vet may also wish to recommend a supplement such as milk thistle which can also help promote liver function without a major change in food.