Why is my senior cat losing weight but eating a lot with bad breath?

When an senior cat is eating more frequently yet losing weight, this can be a sign of hyperthyroidism. With hyperthyroidism, the thyroid gland is secreting too much hormone which causes an increase in the pets metabolism and subsequent weight loss. Have your vet check Hopes T4 levels to see if she is hyperthyroid and in need of medication to help stabilize her hormones so that she doesn't continue to waste away. This is easily diagnosed and treated with medication (i.e. Methimazole). Your vet will also want to run baseline bloodwork on your pet to make sure no other disease processes are there.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The excessive eating with weight loss is a classic sign of hyperthyroidism which is a fairly common condition in cats so this should be considered as a possibility. This is usually managed well with medications. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. If this is confirmed, medications could be started at the time. The licking could be due to allergies for example and could be addressed at the time. Good luck!

I would recommend taking Oliver Paul into for an exam by a veterinarian. They can do a full exam, and a geriatric blood work panel. They may also take his blood pressure. High blood pressure can cause weight loss in older kitties. It can also cause eye problems. Another common and treatable condition in older kitties is hyperthyroidism. They get benign (non-cancerous) tumors on their thyroid gland that causes them to produce too much hormone which up regulates their metabolism. They will eat a lot and continue to drop weight. A veterinarian can get Oliver on a plan to recovery! Thanks for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

In an older cat, my first thought would be dental disease. This would be painful for Krinkle, cause him to eat less, and subsequent weight loss. It could also be that he has diabetes, kidney failure, or hyperthyroidism. Having him seen by a vet this week is a good idea. I hope this helps!

These are indeed an unusual set of symptoms, thyroid disease and diabetes would be the first suspects for a cat with increasing appetite and weight loss. A specialist ultrasound scan of the abdomen may be worth while to investigate difficulties with food digestion and absorption or even tumours using up the calories

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I recommend taking Tully Mars to a vet for blood work. He could be diabetic or have thyroid disease. Both of these illnesses can cause increases in appetite and weight loss. The blood work helps to rule in and rule out multiple diseases. Good luck and kisses to Tully Mars!

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. So sorry your cat is having this issue. I suggest you get him to your vet for a check up and some blood testing. Thyroid disease is very common in older cats as is kidney disease and diabetes. All of these things can cause similar symptoms and all are easily diagnosed with simple blood testing. You need to realize that at 17 years old he is about 85 in human years. At this age, things start to fail and go wrong. You need to find out what is wrong so you know how to best treat him. Some things are very easily treated with daily medications. I don't think this is something you are going to be able treat at home without knowing what the underlying cause is. Hope this helps. Best wishes!