Older cat losing weight.

Dr. Marie replied:

Aw, poor Bonnie. It sounds like she has been through a lot.

Any time I see significant weight loss in a cat there is some type of medical issue.

Regarding hyperthyroidism, my experience is that the vast majority of the time if there is a thyroid issue then there will be some type of elevation of the cat's T4 level. I have had one case that I can recall (in 13 years of practice) where I suspected hyperthyroidism, the test was normal, but when we repeated the test a few months later it actually had a high level.

Unfortunately, when I have a cat with significant weight loss and normal blood tests I get really worried about cancer. There are some types of cancers in cats that are difficult to diagnose.

I find it a little bit strange that your vet was reluctant to prescribe Metacam. I think it would be reasonable to do a 1-2 week trial to see if some pain relief medicine will make a difference. I usually want to do blood and urine tests first and if there are obvious kidney issues I will proceed with great caution. But if Bonnie's tests were normal then there really shouldn't be any harm. Now, granted, I may not have 100% of the diagnostic information so it really is a good idea to trust your vet.

It's really hard to know where to proceed from here. When I have a case like this I usually give my clients a few options:

1. Have a specialist do an ultrasound to see if we can detect cancer of any type.
2. If the cat is currently eating ok, then another option is to wait for a month and repeat blood tests (i.e. to see if the thyroid level has started to come up or if there are other issues.)
3. Do a trial of pain meds such as Metacam.
4. Do a trial of steroids. This is not usually my first choice...but steroids help to reduce inflammation. They may work if there was possibly inflammatory bowel disease. IBD can be a cause for weight loss, even if there is no obvious diarrhea.

I wish I had more answers for you. Cats are really hard to figure out some times.

Please let me know if you have more questions.

Dr. Marie.


Do you have a pet website? Interested in learning more about SEO for Wix?

---

Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.

Dr. Marie replied:

I'm happy to look at her numbers but really, if they are in the normal ranges then there is nothing that I will be able to determine.

I do find that it is rare that a vet will push to do tests just to make money...perhaps I live in a sheltered world, but I do believe that most vets are above board.

With that being said, if you want to find another vet, here is a good way to find one. I usually recommend that people go to the park and find people who are walking with their dogs. Ask them who their vet is and what they think. Now, most people may say that their vet is a little expensive, but you'll soon get the idea as to which vets are most respected in the area.

I've had a number of cases like Bonnie's that are frustrating where I just can't find a medical reason for the weight loss. Unfortunately in some cases we end up doing a lot of tests and sometimes it takes a long time to get the answer. :(

Dr. Marie replied:

The only thing that's a little bit unusual to me in those blood results is the low platelet count. However, it's really uncommon for a cat to have low platelets. Usually when we see a low level it's because there was some difficulty in getting the blood sample (and that's really common with a cat.)

Plus, a low platelet level really should have nothing to do with the symptoms that you are describing.

The rest of the bloodwork looks totally normal to me.

It never hurts to get a second opinion though!

Dr. Marie replied:

There really is no over the counter medication that is safe and effective to give cats for pain.

If she's eating normally then this is a good sign. Actually, cats that are in significant pain usually have a greatly decreased appetite. I would hold off on any meds until you have your second opinion appointment.