Weight loss in cat?

[seventeen]

I'm trying to decide if I'm being paranoid or not. Our 9 year old male cat was shaved about 6 weeks ago. He is a long haired cat, and my guess is that his fur is about 1/3-1/2 grown back now.

He's always been between 10-11lbs. He was 10.2 lbs before being shaved. He also had his blood work, urinalysis and fecal tests done and he is healthy as a horse.

I remember thinking he was really skinny last time we had him shaved in 2010 (because it was the first time he was shaved and I was surprised how little he was underneath it all!), but he just seems SO skinny this time, like skin & bones - spine & hips are really bony. I weighed him today and he was 9.5 lbs.

Do you think that the amount of hair he's missing could make up that .7 lbs or do you think he needs to go back for tests? His (full) hair makes him look like a pretty big cat, but he's never been heavy. I think his heaviest might have been 10.8 lbs.

He eats just fine and there have been no food changes and no changes in bowel or bladder habits.

[kellbell191]

At 9 years old I would consider doing blood work, just to be sure and to have a baseline as he goes into his "senior" years. Our 7 yr old just had it done recently.

[monkeygirl18]

I don't usually post here but I happened to read this thread and thought of my cat.

I'd take him back to the vet and have them check his thyroid level. If he's lost weight but eats a lot or if he eats a lot but never gains weight ( my cat) he could have a hyper active thyroid (high t4 level in blood work will tell). It's very common in older cats and it's easily treatable with a small pill daily or twice daily.

[Velvetshady]

I'd have him checked out. That is a significant loss of weight for the time frame. Again, if nothing is wrong, it's not a bad age to get a baseline anyway.

[seventeen]

Jul 19, 2012 10:39:20 GMT -5 kellbell191 said:

At 9 years old I would consider doing blood work, just to be sure and to have a baseline as he goes into his "senior" years. Our 7 yr old just had it done recently.

He did have a full panel of bloodwork done at the end of May when he was in to get shaved and have his yearly exam and whatever vaccinations he needed. Everything was completely normal at that time. I guess I could have them do more bloodwork.

[kellbell191]

I would check to make sure they ran the panel for thyroid and kidney then, if they did, then I would work on making sure he's on a good quality grain free food, probably wet food, to help keep him healthy.

The other thought that comes to mind is his teeth.

[seventeen]

Yep, he also had a dental when he was put under to get shaved. He only has 18 teeth but the ones he has are healthy per the vet after the cleaning. He eats BG (Before Grain) chicken and TOTW wet (1/3 can in the am)

I have to make an annual appt for my other cat so I will inquire about the thyroid & kidney. Thanks!

[kellbell191]

Pre op bloodwork for the dental normally includes both. I have noticed mine losing muscle mass as they get older, which can account for weight loss. We try to keep them on a really good food which helps some.