Expert: Jessica - 12/28/2009

Question
My cat is at least 13 years old.   She lives with myself and husband and another female 12 year old (who is her offspring).

She is a tortie and has always been tempermental.  Over the last year she has lost a lot of weight and is now down to 2.9kg.   She is forever hungry but giving her more food doesn't work as she just brings it all back in one go.   I am trying to feed her little but more often.   She gets stressed very easily and will then wee in the house.   She has recently had a thyroid test and this has come back as normal.   The vet wants to do more tests but the cost is worrying me.   Do you have any idea what could be wrong with her or is it just a case of "old age"?

Answer
Hi Patricia.  Thyroid would have been my first suspicion, too, but did the vet happen to do a blood glucose test?  Another condition often found in older cats is diabetes, which causes many of the same symptoms as overactive thyroid.  Weight loss despite a ravenous appetite is the first sign most owners notice.  Diabetic cats will also drink and urinate more than normal.  A blood glucose check can be run in-house at most vet practices, and the cost is very conservative.  Here in the U.S., it averages around $15 (about 9.50£).

Sometimes vomiting itself is the cause of drastic weight loss, and while there are a number of things that can cause this, most of the ones that will show up on a test also cause nausea.  If she’s eating more than usual, this sort of indicates nausea isn’t a factor.  Your vet probably wants to test for kidney and liver problems, which I would agree is a good idea.  But kidney and liver patients typically have nausea and a lack of appetite (though no rule is absolutely steadfast), so if cost is a concern, you might choose to forego these tests.  

Parasites such as giardia, coccidia and roundworms also cause nausea and may result in lack of appetite, and your vet may recommend to test for these, as well.  But the treatments for these are so safe that most vets will administer them to any cat with vomiting, even if you decline to have a test run.  Metronidazole, which treats giardia and bacterial infections, is also a great anti-inflammatory and can calm stomach upset as a nice side benefit.

Geriatric cats can have special dietary needs, as some of them become less able to digest their food as they get older.  Low residue diets, by prescription, are usually ideal for these cats.  They are made of ingredients that are already broken down into their simplest form for easy digestion.

Finally, your vet might consider the possibility that your cat could be suffering from a condition called Inflammatory Bowel Disease.  Some cats have vomiting while others have diarrhea, which is so chronic that it causes malnutrition.  The exact cause isn’t known, but diet, gastrointestinal infection, an overactive immune response and stress probably all are contributing factors.  The usual treatment is a corticosteroid such as prednisone, which helps to suppress the immune response and also reduce inflammation.  A diet change can be helpful as well.

Best of luck!

Jessica