Expert: Charlotte Sherrell, DVM - 11/15/2009

Question
In the past few days my cat, Goldie, has gone from being his normal, social self to being a complete recluse. He stays in the basement all day long and only comes up to eat, which is very seldom. He has lost a noticeable amount of weight in the past few days and the glands in his throat are swollen to about the size of a small gumball. He is also missing a patch of hair on his back right above his tail, but we are not sure if that has to do with his illness.

Answer
Jorge -

The swollen glands you mentioned are most likely lymph nodes.  It seems as though your kitty is very sick - have him examined by a veterinarian as soon as possible. The longer you  wait to have him seen by a vet, the sicker he will become.  

Best Regards,

Charlotte Sherrell, DVM