Adult Cat Won't Gain Weight

In om,
TysonjM composed with style:
I have a 4 year old Persian cat who is underweight. I rescued him
last January from a shelter. He was underweight then, and the vet
recommended feeding IAMS kitten food for a month or so and then
switch back to the adult formula that he was used to eating at the
shelter.

[...]

It could be too many things. It could be the heat, but if you have AC
I'd say it isn't. Could be dental troubles. Has his mouth been
checked by the vet? Does he have bad breath? Are his stools normal,
or runny or is he constipated? It could be a thyroid problem, or a
kidney problem, or just about anything. Has he had blood work done?
You say the vet recommended kitten food -- did they screen him first
before saying that? Sounds like he needs some comprehensive tests to
really tell.

In om,
TysonjM composed with style:
I have a 4 year old Persian cat who is underweight. I rescued him
last January from a shelter. He was underweight then, and the vet
recommended feeding IAMS kitten food for a month or so and then
switch back to the adult formula that he was used to eating at the
shelter.

[...]

It could be too many things. It could be the heat, but if you have AC
I'd say it isn't. Could be dental troubles. Has his mouth been
checked by the vet? Does he have bad breath? Are his stools normal,
or runny or is he constipated? It could be a thyroid problem, or a
kidney problem, or just about anything. Has he had blood work done?
You say the vet recommended kitten food -- did they screen him first
before saying that? Sounds like he needs some comprehensive tests to
really tell.

I'd take him back to the vet...

One of my older cats has hyperthyroidism, but at least he has an
appetite. We are feeding Hills A&D canned food which is a high calorie
prescription food. It helps keep his weight on but it's still touch and
go. You may want to try that

It sounds like your cat may have bad teeth also?

Try this stuff. Nutrical is a high B-vitamin enriched supplement for
compromised animals and it tends to help increase appetite:

http://www.jefferspet.com/ssc/produc...51UA&pf_id=296

Jeffers has it for a lot less than you might pay from your vet. I give
it to ANY cats that have weight loss and they love it. They will usually
lick it straight from the tube. :-)

Hope this helps!
K.



TysonjM wrote:

I have a 4 year old Persian cat who is underweight. I rescued him last
January from a shelter. He was underweight then, and the vet
recommended feeding IAMS kitten food for a month or so and then switch
back to the adult formula that he was used to eating at the shelter.

I didn't weigh him, but he seemed to put on a little weight after
settling into his new home. I had to have him shaved due to matting he
had, so it was hard to tell what was fur coming back versus body mass.
He loved being shaved and stayed pretty active as an indoor cat. By
summertime, his fur was back and tangle free. Unfortunately, we live
in Phoenix where it's very hot from late May until mid-September, and
by June he'd turned somewhat lethargic. He began walking slowly, quit
playing games entirely, and hid out in cooler areas of the house. He
also seemed to eat less. It's been this way for the last couple
months, and he's just as skinny as he's ever been. Petting and
brushing him is awkward because he feels so boney.

He weighs in at just under 7lbs now. I've tried feeding him IAMS
canned food and even the fattier Friskies and tuna fish, but he mostly
just licks the juices off of these and leaves almost all the rest. I
give him small kitty treats, and he will eat most of those. He seems
to have an appetite, as every time I go to the kitchen, he comes up
and nudges me to be fed.

Is this behavior related to the heat this summer? It stays 78-81
degrees inside the house. I've even dropped it to mid-70's but no real
change in his behavior or eating habits. In the Winter/Spring the
house was 65-70 degrees. He's hardly affectionate at all, only
approaching me when there's a chance to get fed, which I'll do. He
also vomits a couple times a week, something I didn't see in the
cooler months when he was shaved. I do give him some hair-ball
treatment and brush 1-2 times a day, and that has seemed to help.

I miss his old self, the one who would sleep on my bed at night sit on
my lap, and lay nearby while I worked or watched TV. The one who would
play hide-and-go-seek or pounce on dangling strings. Now he sleeps in
closets and far corners of empty rooms just about 24/7. I work at home
and don't leave often – could he be sick of me?

One thing I've always noticed about his eating, is that he tends to
grab food up with his mouth and as he chews, most of the food falls
out. The area around both his dry and wet food dishes becomes quite
messy as a result. Is this just personality or is there something
wrong? His teeth and tongue look healthy and normal, so this has got
my curiosity.

Thanks for any suggestions/advice you have. Just thought I'd ask
before calling the vet again.

--
^,,^ Cats-haven Hobby Farm ^,,^ ^,,^

Breast Implants are the Stupidest idea ever. If I wanted to fondle
$10,000.oo worth of Silicon, I'd buy a new computer! --Anon.

Custom handcrafts, Sterling silver beaded jewelry
http://cgi3.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAP...s&userid=katra

I'd take him back to the vet...

One of my older cats has hyperthyroidism, but at least he has an
appetite. We are feeding Hills A&D canned food which is a high calorie
prescription food. It helps keep his weight on but it's still touch and
go. You may want to try that

It sounds like your cat may have bad teeth also?

Try this stuff. Nutrical is a high B-vitamin enriched supplement for
compromised animals and it tends to help increase appetite:

http://www.jefferspet.com/ssc/produc...51UA&pf_id=296

Jeffers has it for a lot less than you might pay from your vet. I give
it to ANY cats that have weight loss and they love it. They will usually
lick it straight from the tube. :-)

Hope this helps!
K.



TysonjM wrote:

I have a 4 year old Persian cat who is underweight. I rescued him last
January from a shelter. He was underweight then, and the vet
recommended feeding IAMS kitten food for a month or so and then switch
back to the adult formula that he was used to eating at the shelter.

I didn't weigh him, but he seemed to put on a little weight after
settling into his new home. I had to have him shaved due to matting he
had, so it was hard to tell what was fur coming back versus body mass.
He loved being shaved and stayed pretty active as an indoor cat. By
summertime, his fur was back and tangle free. Unfortunately, we live
in Phoenix where it's very hot from late May until mid-September, and
by June he'd turned somewhat lethargic. He began walking slowly, quit
playing games entirely, and hid out in cooler areas of the house. He
also seemed to eat less. It's been this way for the last couple
months, and he's just as skinny as he's ever been. Petting and
brushing him is awkward because he feels so boney.

He weighs in at just under 7lbs now. I've tried feeding him IAMS
canned food and even the fattier Friskies and tuna fish, but he mostly
just licks the juices off of these and leaves almost all the rest. I
give him small kitty treats, and he will eat most of those. He seems
to have an appetite, as every time I go to the kitchen, he comes up
and nudges me to be fed.

Is this behavior related to the heat this summer? It stays 78-81
degrees inside the house. I've even dropped it to mid-70's but no real
change in his behavior or eating habits. In the Winter/Spring the
house was 65-70 degrees. He's hardly affectionate at all, only
approaching me when there's a chance to get fed, which I'll do. He
also vomits a couple times a week, something I didn't see in the
cooler months when he was shaved. I do give him some hair-ball
treatment and brush 1-2 times a day, and that has seemed to help.

I miss his old self, the one who would sleep on my bed at night sit on
my lap, and lay nearby while I worked or watched TV. The one who would
play hide-and-go-seek or pounce on dangling strings. Now he sleeps in
closets and far corners of empty rooms just about 24/7. I work at home
and don't leave often – could he be sick of me?

One thing I've always noticed about his eating, is that he tends to
grab food up with his mouth and as he chews, most of the food falls
out. The area around both his dry and wet food dishes becomes quite
messy as a result. Is this just personality or is there something
wrong? His teeth and tongue look healthy and normal, so this has got
my curiosity.

Thanks for any suggestions/advice you have. Just thought I'd ask
before calling the vet again.

--
^,,^ Cats-haven Hobby Farm ^,,^ ^,,^

Breast Implants are the Stupidest idea ever. If I wanted to fondle
$10,000.oo worth of Silicon, I'd buy a new computer! --Anon.

Custom handcrafts, Sterling silver beaded jewelry
http://cgi3.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAP...s&userid=katra

And on the day 18 Aug 2003 17:48:47 -0700, enlightened
us with . ..
I have a 4 year old Persian cat who is underweight. I rescued him last
January from a shelter. He was underweight then, and the vet
recommended feeding IAMS kitten food for a month or so and then switch
back to the adult formula that he was used to eating at the shelter.


I have an (almost) 4 year old mogie who is chronically underweight. She
has a recurrent URI that saps her every 6 months or so. The vet can do
nothing but give her fluids and antibiotics, so we just stay vigilant
and make sure her weight stays up.
To help her retain weight and to make sure she is getting adequate
nutrition, she gets Nutrical every couple of days. She is a picky eater
and when she isn't feeling well, she doesn't eat like she should.

snip

Is this behavior related to the heat this summer? It stays 78-81
degrees inside the house.

I doubt it. My house is near 80 in the day in summer, too, even with air
conditioning on full blast, but all my kids handle it well with proper
ventilation and hydration.
However, Persians notably don't handle heat well due to their short
faces.


I've even dropped it to mid-70's but no real
change in his behavior or eating habits. In the Winter/Spring the
house was 65-70 degrees. He's hardly affectionate at all, only
approaching me when there's a chance to get fed, which I'll do. He
also vomits a couple times a week, something I didn't see in the
cooler months when he was shaved. I do give him some hair-ball
treatment and brush 1-2 times a day, and that has seemed to help.


All that brushing loosens hair. If you brush him, get the dead stuff out
with a follow-up of a damp cloth or a grooming mitt to reduce ingestion.

I miss his old self, the one who would sleep on my bed at night sit on
my lap, and lay nearby while I worked or watched TV. The one who would
play hide-and-go-seek or pounce on dangling strings. Now he sleeps in
closets and far corners of empty rooms just about 24/7. I work at home
and don't leave often – could he be sick of me?

No.


One thing I've always noticed about his eating, is that he tends to
grab food up with his mouth and as he chews, most of the food falls
out. The area around both his dry and wet food dishes becomes quite
messy as a result. Is this just personality or is there something
wrong? His teeth and tongue look healthy and normal, so this has got
my curiosity.


You mentioned he was a Persian. They can have problems due to their
shortened faces (overbites, underbites, other problems with
jaws/teeth/breathing). I'd ask a vet about this when you take him in to
have him checked.
See the following for breed-specific issues.
http://www.tica.org/education/persian/maryLemp.htm
http://www.vetcentric.com/magazine/m...ARTICLE=BREED%
20SPOTLIGHT%3A%20Persian%20Particulars

There are many things that could be happening here. You didn't mention
if he'd been recently checked for the usual suspects, including FIV,
FeLV, etc or if he has been having any problems breathing (stuffy nose,
watery eyes, sneezing). If he can't smell, he is less likely to want to
eat.

My personal guess is that it is a congential problem with his teeth or
jaw, but I can't be very sure without a lot more info (and a vet degree
LOL).

--------------------------------------------------
~kaeli~
Kill one man and you are a murderer. Kill millions
and you are a conqueror. Kill everyone and you
are God.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart/
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace/
------------------------------------------------

And on the day 18 Aug 2003 17:48:47 -0700, enlightened
us with . ..
I have a 4 year old Persian cat who is underweight. I rescued him last
January from a shelter. He was underweight then, and the vet
recommended feeding IAMS kitten food for a month or so and then switch
back to the adult formula that he was used to eating at the shelter.


I have an (almost) 4 year old mogie who is chronically underweight. She
has a recurrent URI that saps her every 6 months or so. The vet can do
nothing but give her fluids and antibiotics, so we just stay vigilant
and make sure her weight stays up.
To help her retain weight and to make sure she is getting adequate
nutrition, she gets Nutrical every couple of days. She is a picky eater
and when she isn't feeling well, she doesn't eat like she should.

snip

Is this behavior related to the heat this summer? It stays 78-81
degrees inside the house.

I doubt it. My house is near 80 in the day in summer, too, even with air
conditioning on full blast, but all my kids handle it well with proper
ventilation and hydration.
However, Persians notably don't handle heat well due to their short
faces.


I've even dropped it to mid-70's but no real
change in his behavior or eating habits. In the Winter/Spring the
house was 65-70 degrees. He's hardly affectionate at all, only
approaching me when there's a chance to get fed, which I'll do. He
also vomits a couple times a week, something I didn't see in the
cooler months when he was shaved. I do give him some hair-ball
treatment and brush 1-2 times a day, and that has seemed to help.


All that brushing loosens hair. If you brush him, get the dead stuff out
with a follow-up of a damp cloth or a grooming mitt to reduce ingestion.

I miss his old self, the one who would sleep on my bed at night sit on
my lap, and lay nearby while I worked or watched TV. The one who would
play hide-and-go-seek or pounce on dangling strings. Now he sleeps in
closets and far corners of empty rooms just about 24/7. I work at home
and don't leave often – could he be sick of me?

No.


One thing I've always noticed about his eating, is that he tends to
grab food up with his mouth and as he chews, most of the food falls
out. The area around both his dry and wet food dishes becomes quite
messy as a result. Is this just personality or is there something
wrong? His teeth and tongue look healthy and normal, so this has got
my curiosity.


You mentioned he was a Persian. They can have problems due to their
shortened faces (overbites, underbites, other problems with
jaws/teeth/breathing). I'd ask a vet about this when you take him in to
have him checked.
See the following for breed-specific issues.
http://www.tica.org/education/persian/maryLemp.htm
http://www.vetcentric.com/magazine/m...ARTICLE=BREED%
20SPOTLIGHT%3A%20Persian%20Particulars

There are many things that could be happening here. You didn't mention
if he'd been recently checked for the usual suspects, including FIV,
FeLV, etc or if he has been having any problems breathing (stuffy nose,
watery eyes, sneezing). If he can't smell, he is less likely to want to
eat.

My personal guess is that it is a congential problem with his teeth or
jaw, but I can't be very sure without a lot more info (and a vet degree
LOL).

--------------------------------------------------
~kaeli~
Kill one man and you are a murderer. Kill millions
and you are a conqueror. Kill everyone and you
are God.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart/
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace/
------------------------------------------------

In tt.net,
kaeli composed with style:

I have an (almost) 4 year old mogie who is chronically underweight.
She has a recurrent URI that saps her every 6 months or so. The vet
can do nothing but give her fluids and antibiotics, so we just stay
vigilant and make sure her weight stays up.

That must be hard. Does the vet know what causes it? Herpes?

In tt.net,
kaeli composed with style:

I have an (almost) 4 year old mogie who is chronically underweight.
She has a recurrent URI that saps her every 6 months or so. The vet
can do nothing but give her fluids and antibiotics, so we just stay
vigilant and make sure her weight stays up.

That must be hard. Does the vet know what causes it? Herpes?

In article ,
enlightened us with...
In tt.net,
kaeli composed with style:

I have an (almost) 4 year old mogie who is chronically underweight.
She has a recurrent URI that saps her every 6 months or so. The vet
can do nothing but give her fluids and antibiotics, so we just stay
vigilant and make sure her weight stays up.

That must be hard. Does the vet know what causes it? Herpes?


No, they told me at first that it was FIP, but thankfully, that appears
to be premature. She's still alive (and well) after 8 months, and most
FIP cases don't live that long.
We think maybe FeCV or FVR. Recurrent.
Since she (Rowan) responds well to home treatment, and she gets very
stressed at the vet (she HATES the vet with a resounding passion), I
don't want to subject her to any more tests. She seems to get sicker
after vet visits; I think it's because they stress her so badly. So I go
to the vet and get meds without her when I can. So far, so good...
She's the one with big red letters on her vet chart that says "BITER" -
it took 4 vet techs and a vet to clean her anal glands once...but she's
just a lovely darling at home. She's my "special child" and my favorite
kitty.

This was her as a baby.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart/kids/rowan4.jpg

And this is now.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart/kids/rowan22.jpg
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart/kids/rowan46.jpg

-------------------------------------------------
~kaeli~
Press any key to continue or any other key to quit.
Who is General Failure and why is he reading
my hard disk?
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace
-------------------------------------------------

In article ,
enlightened us with...
In tt.net,
kaeli composed with style:

I have an (almost) 4 year old mogie who is chronically underweight.
She has a recurrent URI that saps her every 6 months or so. The vet
can do nothing but give her fluids and antibiotics, so we just stay
vigilant and make sure her weight stays up.

That must be hard. Does the vet know what causes it? Herpes?


No, they told me at first that it was FIP, but thankfully, that appears
to be premature. She's still alive (and well) after 8 months, and most
FIP cases don't live that long.
We think maybe FeCV or FVR. Recurrent.
Since she (Rowan) responds well to home treatment, and she gets very
stressed at the vet (she HATES the vet with a resounding passion), I
don't want to subject her to any more tests. She seems to get sicker
after vet visits; I think it's because they stress her so badly. So I go
to the vet and get meds without her when I can. So far, so good...
She's the one with big red letters on her vet chart that says "BITER" -
it took 4 vet techs and a vet to clean her anal glands once...but she's
just a lovely darling at home. She's my "special child" and my favorite
kitty.

This was her as a baby.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart/kids/rowan4.jpg

And this is now.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart/kids/rowan22.jpg
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart/kids/rowan46.jpg

-------------------------------------------------
~kaeli~
Press any key to continue or any other key to quit.
Who is General Failure and why is he reading
my hard disk?
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace
-------------------------------------------------