Ask the Veterinarian/Is my cat ok???

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Expert: - 8/21/2011


Question
My cat has been acting weird lately, she has been a happy healthy cat for a long time, about 10-11 years and now she has lost a lot of weight, she almost bone skin. Also she has been meowing a lot more lately is she ok, i have know her from when she was just a Kitten, and i fell sad not to know whats wrong with her please could you tell me if there is something wrong with her. Oh i almost forgot my Dad's GF has brought in a new cat that a little younger and this cat has been her a little wile but not a year yet. Please help me if you can i'm get depressed by seeing her this way and want to know if she needs a vet look at her or not

Answer
Hi Dave,
At this age a lot of changes can start happening to our cats. Remember that an 11 yr old cat is about the age of a 82 yr old person. Any cat that needs to see a vet right away.

There are many causes of weight loss and kidney failure is just one of them. Cancer, leukemia and even just age alone will cause weight loss.

Have your dad get her in to see the vet soon. She needs care right away. There is nothing more I can tell you online, she really needs to be seen by a vet in person.

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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