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Question
HI: I have a 12 year old female tabby cat which was over weight. So i put her on food to reduce her weight which it did. But now the problem is i've taken her off of the food and she's still loosing weight and now i just noticed about 3 weeks ago that she has sores on along her backside. She seems to be digging into her skin and drawing blood. Since then i was told she could be allergic to gluten. So i just in the last week removed gluten from her food and have been apply waterless shampoo to her back and the sores do seem to be going away. So my question is could having a allergy be causing my cat to lose weight? Also could a allergy be causing her digestive system to be all screwed up. She sometimes vomites up certain food. Tks
Anna,
This is a tough question to answer because there are other medical issues that might be causing her to lose weight given her age. Vomiting can be related to many medical problems including things like food intolerance. The sores on your kitty's backside could have a number of different causes and it's well worth having a vet look at them to determine whether or not they need treatment beyond what you've been doing at home as well as what may have caused them.
I would suggest checking out www.catinfo.org, it's a website created by a veterinarian by the name of Dr. Lisa Pierson who has a very common sense approach to teaching pet parents about the nutritional needs of their feline companions. You will find recipes for an appropriate homemade diet on her site, I feed it to my cats and they do very well on it - if your baby is sensitive to commercial foods this may be the way to go. As for the weight loss I think it would be a good idea to get some blood work done to rule out things like thyroid dysfunction, kidney disease, diabetes or other medical issues common in older cats. If you have any further cat related questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me again - I'm more than happy to help in any way that I can.
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Answers by Expert:
Ali
Expertise
I am the proud guardian of 5 mixed breed cats ranging from 12 weeks to 13 years old and one purebred ragdoll. I have 20+ years experience working with mixed breed cats from a variety of different situations. I have fostered cats/kittens with special needs/behavioral issues. I have rescued/rehabilitated/re-homed a variety of stray/abused cats. I can offer advice on managing feral cat colonies, rehabilitating strays and finding them forever homes. I can help you to determine whether a cat is stray or feral, there IS a significant difference. Improperly introducing a new cat/kitten can result in aggression between newly introduced cats because cats are territorial by nature and they don't like sudden changes in their environment. To learn more about a peaceful way to introduce a new cat into a home with other cats please check out my previous answers on this subject. Proper nutrition for cats can be confusing, I recommend checking out catinfo.org which was created by a veterinarian (Dr. Lisa Pierson) who takes a common sense approach to explaining feline nutrition. Cat behavior and instincts are different from those of humans, I can help you understand your cat's needs so that you can meet them adequately and have a balanced, psychologically and physically sound kitty. Cats vary in personality, energy level and intelligence, different approaches may be required to achieve results in terms of training and interaction with your feline companion. An intelligent, high energy cat must be kept busy or they will make their own fun. I am NOT a licensed veterinarian and I can't offer medical advice. If your cat is ill/injured my advice is always the same: get prompt medical treatment provided by a veterinarian. If finances are an issue I will try to find resources in your area that can help with medical costs or make other choices to ensure the welfare of your cat.
Experience
I have fostered feral and stray cats, rehabilitated and homed cats that many people recommended euthanasia for. I am willing to make an effort to do the research and ask questions because I care enough to find solutions to behavioral problems rather than giving up. I have an interest in the use of alternative therapies to help provide the best possible care for all cats and I can say in all honesty that I've seen some incredible things happen for some incredible cats and their human caregivers when the right alternative therapeutic modality is used by a qualified veterinarian with expertise and experience in the field.
Education/Credentials
I've earned my diploma as a veterinary assistant with honors.
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