Why is my senior cat sneezing, coughing, and losing weight suddenly?

A common cause of weight loss in cats is hyperthyroidism. Your vet can run blood work to test his thyroid to determine if he has the condition. Other causes include infections, parasites, liver/kidney disease, endocrine diseases, cancer, etc. Schedule an appointment with your vet for to have a work-up.

Based on what you are describing I would be concerned that something is going on with Cupcake. At her age I would be concerned about 3 diseases in particular: diabetes, hyperthyroidism, and kidney disease. All of these diseases can cause lethargy, anorexia, and weight loss. I would recommend taking Cupcake to the vet to be checked out. Your vet can run some simple lab work to determine if she has any of these diseases. These illnesses can also depress the immune system and lead to additional illnesses like upper respiratory tract infections that would explain the sneezing and watery eyes. Hopefully your vet can determine what is going on so you can start treatment and get Cupcake back to herself. Best of luck.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Andrew! Causes of nasal congestion are: upper respiratory infection either viral or bacteria, fungal infections, and cancer. If the congestion has been going on for awhile he should be evaluated and at a minimum started on antibiotics. The weight loss concerns me in an older cat. I recommend full blood work: CBC/Chem/T4 and urine. Common causes of weight loss in older cats are: kidney or liver disease, hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid), diabetes and cancer. I would take him in to your Vet for an exam and blood work. I hope this helps and I wish Andrew the best!

At this age an upper respiratory infection is less likely, unless she has not been vaccinated in the past few years. i would recommend a vet visit ASAP, it could be something else such as nasal polyps for example.

Sneezing and eye tearing in cats is often the result of a viral upper respiratory infection. Symptoms may include sneezing, eye or nasal discharge, nasal congestion, eye squinting, lethargy, and inappetence. Common causative agents include herpesvirus and calicivirus. The fact that he is eating and drinking normally is a good sign. However, because he is an older kitty, it will definitely require close monitoring to ensure his signs are not worsening. An exam with your veterinarian is recommended to make sure that his vital signs are normal, including a normal temperature. If he'll let you check his temperature at home, you can. I suggest lubricating a thermometer and checking his temperature rectally. Normal temperatures for can range between 100.5 to 102.5. If his temperature is 103 or higher you should consider bringing him in to your vet. Additionally, if you see yellow/green discharge from the eyes or nose, increased frequency of sneezing, lethargy, loss of appetite, or open-mouth breathing I suggest bringing him to your vet right away. Viral infections, just like in people, can weaken the immune system allowing bacterial infections to occur, which requires veterinary prescribed antibiotics. If there are any other cats in the house, I recommend temporarily isolating them from your sneezy cat until his signs resolve. Minimizing environmental stress is also recommended for his recovery. If you have any other concerns or are interested in additional information I'm happy to follow-up with an online consultation.

Taken individually, the symptoms wouldn't be too concerning, but with several things going on at the same time, I recommend getting him seen by your vet for an exam. Since he's been feeling a bit off since the move, it's even more important to get him checked to see what's going on. Also, as an older cat, he could be starting to have some kidney concerns which, if identified early can be managed at home with instruction by your vet. You vet will do an exam, bloodwork, possibly x-rays as well if indicated. Based on these resuts you vet will be better able to tell you what is going on and how best to treat it.

This sounds like your cat has an abscess, foreign body, naso-or oro-pharyngeal polyps, or ulcer or other type of purulent infection in her throat. She will need to be seen by a veterinarian who will need to thoroughly inspect her throat and upper airway, possibly under sedation and then remove the offending problem or lance an abscess. Please make an appointment for her tomorrow.