My senior cat is underweight, eats a lot, and has a hacking cough. Help!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It would be recommended to have Hooch evaluated by his veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Possible causes of coughing include pneumonia, asthma, bronchitis, among other possibilities. Your veterinarian could also prescribe pain control medications as well as checking for possible reasons for weight loss such as hyperthyroidism, renal disease, cancer, among other possibilities. I really hope that he does well. Good luck!

I would have him seen by a vet as soon as possible. There are a couple of things thing could be causing all of his symptoms. The cough and hoarse meow could be be caused by a respiratory disease, heart disease, heartworms, and cancer among other causes. These causes could lead to him to be very skinny as well, but it could also be caused by kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, and diabetes. I recommend having a physical exam, blood tests, urinalysis, and x-rays performed on your cat. Using these tests, the vet can diagnose what is causing all his symptoms, and then can discuss treatment options with you. Given that he has been this way for a long time, it would be best for him to be seen by a vet today. Good luck, I hope this helps!

I'm sorry to hear of your concerns with Jack. Coughing, sneezing and nasal discharge can be seen with upper respiratory infections, foreign material such as grass stuck in the nose or even cancer. Given his weight loss and upper respiratory signs, I would recommend that you have him seen by your veterinarian. They will perform a thorough physical examination and may recommend blood work to get a better idea of what is going on.

I'm sorry to hear that Midnight is doing so poorly. As Dr. Darvishian mentioned, breathing changes are a medical emergency and should be addressed by an emergency vet right away. It's possible that Midnight's breathing changes, coughing, weight loss, weakness, appetite and drinking changes, and lethargy could be due to congestive heart failure, asthma, cancer, or many other issues. She's likely experiencing restlessness and a loss of appetite because she can't breathe well enough to comfortably lay down or swallow. I strongly recommend taking Midnight to an emergency vet right away. This is not a situation that can be managed at home. I hope that everything goes well.

For weight loss it will be helpful to completely eliminate the dry food and feed only canned food. Gradually reducing the overall amount of food you give will help and slowly trying to encourage Bagheera to play a bit more may also help. There are also prescription canned foods available for weight loss like Hill's Metabolic. I agree that it sounds like Bagheera may be exhibiting signs of asthma. X-rays would be needed to confirm that there are no other issues. I would bring him to your veterinarian for X-rays and then medication or an inhaler can be started if asthma is suspected. Reducing Bagheera's exposure to things that may irritate the airway is also important so be mindful not to smoke in the household, don't use perfumes or cleaning solution with heavy odors and avoid dusty litter types. Asthma can be dangerous so the sooner you can get him examined and started on medication the better. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Bagheera is doing better soon!

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)

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.