Many people worry about their cats getting fat, but unintentional weight loss can also be a serious problem. This could be a sign of a serious health problem.
Depending on the cause of your cat's weight loss, you may notice that your cat's appetite has decreased or disappeared completely, a condition known as anorexia. This is dangerous for cats because they are prone to something called hepatic lipidosis, or fatty liver syndrome, a life-threatening condition that can develop when the liver must process large amounts of stored fat to provide the body with energy.
But there are other medical situations that may cause your cat to lose a lot of weight, even if she continues to eat a normal amount of food.
Regardless of whether your cat is eating or not, if you notice that she has lost weight, it is important to consult your veterinarian. If you are unsure what your cat's ideal weight should be, your veterinarian will be able to provide guidance and suggest a feeding regimen that suits your cat's nutritional needs.
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Anorexia in a cat (the cat refuses to eat)
Anorexia in a cat.
A cat's loss of appetite is called anorexia.
The desire to eat arises in an animal if it receives positive emotions, the absence of illnesses, or as a result of building an associative series, for example, packaging food will make the cat remember about food. Loss of appetite in animals is associated, first of all, with the appearance of a negative factor - a disease that requires immediate intervention from specialists .
Important! You cannot self-medicate or test various techniques on an animal, since the lack of desire to eat can be caused by various diseases.
Health problems as a cause of weight loss
- Dysbacteriosis. Some pets have metabolic problems from birth, while others suffer from it due to poor quality nutrition. In such a situation, it is necessary to adjust the cat’s menu and add vitamins and probiotics to it. The doctor will help you determine which probiotics your mustache needs after passing the tests.
- Presence of microparasites. Deworming needs to be done regularly.
- Dental problems. Inflammatory processes in the gums and tartar cause discomfort and the cat (even a hungry one) refuses treats. Here you need the help of a specialist.
- Oncology. Neoplasms in internal organs have a bad effect on a cat's health. If you don’t understand why your domestic cat is thin and not getting better, then first of all rule out the presence of tumors and do an ultrasound.
- Presence of internal diseases and infections. In addition to emaciation, your pet may experience other symptoms: vomiting, fever, change in stool, refusal of treats, etc. - all this signals some kind of pathology (disease of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys, etc.). At the same time, the cat may have “caught” an infection - panleukopenia, viral hepatitis, etc. Timely diagnosis is necessary here. Curing the disease will lead to weight gain.
Why does a cat eat poorly and lose weight?
The moderately well-fed cat suddenly began to eat poorly and lose weight.
The first and main reason for a cat’s refusal to eat and sudden weight loss is the presence of a source of inflammation or another disease . Therefore, such a condition can be regarded as a symptom that requires special attention. The reasons for an animal’s refusal to eat food or water are divided into psychological and medical.
Psychological factor
Many diseases in a cat can appear after stress. In this case, they say that the cat was latently infected.
If the basis is a psychological factor, then appetite is completely absent. This may happen for the following reasons:
- moving to another place;
- change of owner;
- the appearance of a new person in the environment;
- change of diet.
Medical factors
Medical causes are varied and can only be identified by being examined by a specialist.
The body may experience inflammatory processes, disturbances in the functioning of internal organs, and blood diseases . Painful and unpleasant sensations also affect lack of appetite and refusal to eat. Such reasons are cause for concern and immediate contact with a veterinarian.
Increased salivation may be a sign of an incipient disease.
It is important to understand that there is a difference between medical and psychological causes. So, in case of ill health, the following symptoms are added to the lack of appetite:
- salivation;
- lethargy;
- slow reactions;
- lack of mobility and desire to play;
- difficulty or heavy breathing;
- discharge of pus;
- nausea and vomiting;
- change in habitual behavior.
Gastrointestinal problems and other diseases
Cat's gastrointestinal tract.
Such symptoms may indicate problems with the gastrointestinal tract - indigestion, poisoning, an allergic reaction to a feed component, pancreatitis, problems with internal organs.
In addition, diseases such as:
- kidney disease (including urolithiasis);
- vision problems;
- damage and injury;
- diseases of the nasopharynx;
- presence of parasites.
Each of the possible diseases requires specific therapy, which can be developed solely based on the results of the tests.
Physiological causes of weight loss
- Presence of offspring. If the pet has become a nursing mother, then she will have a strong appetite, but at the same time she may lose weight, especially if there were a lot of babies in lambing. After finishing feeding, mommy will immediately begin to recover.
- Anxiety. When a change of residence occurs or a pet does not see its owners for a long time, it experiences stress, which can affect its body weight, even if it eats well.
- Mating season. This point especially applies to those mustaches who have access to the street. In the spring, when they are looking for a mate, there is a big waste of energy and the fluffies in love lose weight.
- Hunger and change of usual food. If for some reason your pet is starving, then she will certainly lose weight, but a change in food can also affect her weight. Very often, when switching from a natural diet to commercial food, fluffies begin to lose weight because they do not accept the new food. In this case, there is no need to rush - do everything gradually and add food in small portions to the overall diet. When switching to another food that is unusual for the animal, be sure to monitor its weight.
- Age. Older pets lead a less active lifestyle, eat less and, as a result, lose weight (here it is important to exclude age-related cat diseases from a veterinarian).
What should be done if the cat is weakened?
Change the food and watch the cat.
If the cat refuses to eat for a long time, has lost weight and is weak, but has no other manifestations of the disease, then the cat should be left alone for up to 12–24 hours, and the food should also be changed - possibly refusing to eat. only psychological in nature.
However, if at least one negative symptom is added to refusal to eat and losing weight, you should immediately contact specialists for qualified help or advice.
In the clinic, the necessary tests will be taken, an ultrasound examination will be performed - all this will help to establish the true reason that influenced such a reaction on the part of the cat.
The following will also be held:
- examination of the oral cavity;
- palpation of the abdomen;
- temperature measurement;
- weighing.
Examination of the oral cavity.
A general blood and urine test is necessary to identify inflammatory processes, the presence of parasites, disorders of the kidneys, and diabetes is also established. It is important to remember that if there are suspicions of serious illness, then it is best to start treatment on the first day after the onset of negative symptoms.
What to do if your cat has lost a lot of weight?!
What to do when your cat has lost a lot of weight
? First of all, check her for the presence of skin parasites and give her an anthelmintic. If she is nervous and losing weight from stress, it is good to leave the animal alone for a while. If there are complications after pregnancy and serious illnesses are suspected, then it must be shown to specialists. The necessary tests will show the presence of a source of disease in the body.
When the animal is weakened, it is better to call a veterinarian at home to provide first aid and initial diagnosis.
The veterinarian arrives within 2-3 hours after the call during the day and within 1-2 hours at night. you can also call the veterinarian on a specific day at a convenient time.
Treatment and help at home
When treating with antibiotics, it is necessary to determine the sensitivity to antibiotics in the cat's body.
The main treatment is prescribed by a veterinarian based on the results of the diagnosis and tests, since it is specific for each disease. The chosen therapy is aimed at eliminating not only the symptoms, but also the cause that caused the malaise and, as a consequence, refusal to eat with subsequent weight loss.
So, antibiotics are prescribed when there is a need to get rid of parasites and take measures aimed at maintaining the body after surgery.
Help at home should be provided after consultation with a doctor, since the owner may not recognize the true reason for refusing to eat, therefore, the animal may become worse after self-treatment. It is necessary to carefully monitor the cat's condition, as this will allow you to verify the presence or absence of symptoms. You can warm up the food (canned meat) a little, so its smell will be stronger. It is important that it is not very hot.
Complete refusal to eat
Try mixing her favorite food and medicinal food.
Sometimes lack of appetite, weakness and weight loss are due to the fact that the cat refuses new food, for example, dietary food prescribed by a specialist to treat another disease. In this case, you should gradually mix the animal’s usual food with dietary food . Then the likelihood that the cat will not refuse food will be higher.
It is important to remember that special attention should be paid to the feeding process of kittens under six months of age. You can include cow's milk in your diet.
Deviation or norm?
Before taking any measures, you need to make sure that the pet is really very thin. Each breed has its own average performance. For example, outbred cats weigh from 3.5 to 4.5 kg, British and Siberian breeds - from 5-7, Maine Coons - from 8 to 12.
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Lack of weight can be determined by palpating the animal's body. If the ribs are well felt and the fat layer is insignificant, this is a deviation from the norm. In cases where the physiological causes listed below are excluded, consultation with a doctor is required.
An alarming sign is if the cat looks thin visually, its ribs, spine and pelvic bones protrude, and there is no fat layer . The stomach is sunken, and the silhouette resembles an hourglass. Such signs indicate exhaustion of the body. A veterinary examination and serious treatment is required.
