My senior cat is thin, not eating, losing balance. Is she dying?

These signs are probably not due to old age alone and there is likely something going on with Shadoe. Unfortunately, without a full physical exam and diagnostic testing, it is not possible to determine what could be causing these signs. However, lethargy and eating and drinking very little along with weight loss are very concerning signs that warrant a visit to the veterinarian. Here are some resources that will hopefully help you afford a vet for Shadoe: 1) You can see if your vet accepts payment plans. 2) Look for a low cost clinic in your area 3) Try to apply for Care Credit online (www.carecredit.com) 4) There is an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants (redrover.org) 5) Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website (bestfriends.org)

Your kitty needs to be seen by a vet. These are concerning symptoms in an older cat. They can become dehydrated very easily. Not eating can be caused by numerous things including things with the gi tract itself and diseases of any other organ system (kidneys, liver, etc). Your vet can perform an exam and then likely will recommend starting with bloodwork +/- xrays. This is the best plan to figure out what is going on and to get your kitty feeling better. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Monkey Cat needs to be examined by the veterinarian today. Balance problems are never normal and can indicate many things including metabolic disease, drug exposure, an infection in the brain, cancer, low blood sugar, neuropathy and other causes are possible. A physical exam and bloodwork is needed to begin figuring out the cause and the best treatment. Other diagnostics may also be indicated. I hope it's nothing too serious and that she gets back to normal quickly.

I'm sorry this is going on with Precious but she needs to see a vet. The most common issues we see with older cats are: 1. diabetes 2. kidney disease/failure 3. hyperthyroidism Any of those can cause her symptoms and all are treatable (to an extent). All can be ruled out with simple blood testing. The best one she could have is hyperthyroidism - it is not expensive to diagnose or treat. Of course it may not be any of those and she could have something else going on entirely. First step is you need to know what the diagnosis is. I don't know what prices are in your area but an exam and bloodwork is probably right around $200. All you can do is call around for prices and see what you can work out. Some humane societies these days have low cost services so maybe check with them.

I would recommend the bloodwork if possible. Many of the symptoms your describe could be due to hyperthyroidism which can often be managed with diet or medication. Renal disease diabetes are also concerns. Speak with your vet to determine what they suspect is most likely and find out if it is possible to test for one thing at a time instead of running a full panel at once. The vet will suggest the best options but often if you explain financial constraints we can work with owners. If unable to do the diagnostic testing then euthanasia is a reasonable option to prevent her from suffering. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

I recommend to have her examined. Certainly something like cancer is possible but there are some other conditions that are common in older cats like renal disease and hyperthyroidism that generally respond very nicely to treatment but this does depend on the severity. If renal disease is caught before things get too bad, cats require a special diet, sometimes a medication, sometimes subcutaneous fluids and the average time of quality life after diagnosis is 2 years. https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-care-for-a-cat-with-kidney-disease/ Hyperthyroidism can be controlled with a special diet, with medications or with a permanent solution like radioactive iodine treatment. Many cats with this condition will live normal live expediencies as long as they are medicated. https://www.petcoach.co/article/hyperthyroidism-in-cats/ It's always best to know whats happening. That way you can made an educated decision and prevent any suffering. Bloodwork and a urinanalysis will give you and the doctor a good idea of what is happening inside Natasha's body and then you can make an appropriate decision once you know what your options are. I recommend to get this done within the next day or two since both of these conditions will respond best to earlier intervention. I hope this helps.

I strongly recommend a vet visit for Sam with possibly booodwork. Weight loss and weakness is not a normal symptom of old age. His not wanting to eat and weight loss indicates that he has something else going on. In older cats kidney disease, heart disease or metabolic/endocrine diseases can be common. With treatment Once you have an accurate diagnosis as to why Sam isn't feeling well then you can tailor diet and care to make his golden years as comfortable as possible. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.