17 month old cat losing weight

[Violet44]

Hi, I didn’t think that I would be on this forum again since the loss of my best girl, but my sister’s cat is now sick and I’m trying to help him as best as I can so that she doesn’t experience the grief that I did so soon in her time with him. She raised her cat Sukie since he was a baby and she loves him dearly.

From what I understand, about 2 weeks ago, she started noticing that he had lost weight, as her second cat, Gogo, who is about 8 months old I think, was starting to look the same weight as Sukie. She took Sukie to the vet on 8/11 because she noticed that he wasn’t eating much and he weighted 7 lbs when back in December he used to weight 8.2 lbs. The vet ran some bloodwork (attached) and gave him a shot of prednisone that is supposed to last him until 8/16. That night when he got home, he started eating again and his appetite returned. However, when she took him for a follow up visit today 8/15, and they weighed him, it seemed like he was 6.8 lbs, so he apparently lost some weight despite eating again.

He also started sneezing a little and her second cat Gogo started having sneezing fits too. So she took him to the vet too, along with Sukie and they gave him and Sukie some antivirals to crush up in their food.

I advised her to take Sukie specifically to an internal medicine specialist in the meantime that will hopefully get her an appointment soon, because the vet is sort of stumped about what’s going on with him. They asked her to bring a fresher stool sample to rule out parasites, but I’m not convinced that’s it.

I remember her telling me a while ago that Sukie was diagnosed with feline herpes a while ago, but he recovered quickly and never displayed any of the weight issues and general malaise he’s having now.

The low platelet counts, low GGT, and low ALKP stand out to me on the blood work, but I don’t know what it means except what I’ve googled, and that seems to indicate malnutrition, but I’m worried that it may be lymphoma or FIV or some complication from the herpes virus? Just trying to brainstorm in the meantime until he sees a specialist.

*EDIT to my first post! She first took Susie to the vet on 8/2 (as the bloodwork shows) and then took him again on 8/15.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I really have nothing of value to offer - nothing on the blood work results really indicates a potential problem other than the low platelet count. The other numbers that are on the low side could simply be how Sukie's counts are/will be normally. You could have the vet run tests for FIV and FeLV, but I honestly think consulting with an internal med vet is the best route to take. Internal med vets are often part of a specialty group, which means they can confer with other specialists in their group to get a broader perspective on any tests they may run and their results.

 

[silent meowlook]

The low platelets can be caused by clumping. It’s a machine error not a cat error.
The weight loss is concerning. I think a specialist is in order. There is obviously something very wrong here. Make sure he has been tested for all the virals. Also a fecal PCR may be in order but wait for what the specialist recommends. Are his litter box habits normal?

 

[Furballsmom]

How are things going?

 

[Violet44]

Sorry for the delay; he’s going to an internal medicine specialist this Friday 8/18 (they got back to her with a pretty quick turnaround). His primary vet also took a fecal sample 2 days ago and he was negative for parasites. After talking to my sister, he was also tested for FIV/FeLV during one of his last visits and was negative for that as well. He was also given an ultrasound at his primary vet and that came away with nothing abnormal.

So we’re not sure what’s going on, as her vet essentially ruled out everything and she’s getting worried, but the internal medicine specialist will hopefully have answers.

 

[silent meowlook]

Please let us know what happens at his visit.

 

[Violet44]

Hi, as an update, Sukie saw the internal medicine/GI specialist today. He received an ultrasound and a gamut of blood tests, including a GI panel for malabsorption and an exocrine pancreatic insufficiency panel (PI), which we’ll have to wait 1-2 weeks to get results for.

They discussed with my sister the following as potential causes of his weight loss: IBD, GI lymphoma (not suspected due to the lack of obvious masses on the ultrasound and his age, but not ruled out without biopsy), and FIP (feline infectious peritonitis (which can’t be ruled out, given that Sukie was obtained from a breeder, and exposed to other animals— however, no other markers on blood work or ultrasound support this at this time).

The ultrasound revealed no masses or lymph node enlargement to support obvious cancer or FIP, but they did note that his stomach was slightly fluid-filled despite fasting, which could reflect slow motility due to underlying inflammation. They said that the intestines appeared normal, but that it doesn’t rule out microscopic disease.

Sukie’s primary vet had put him on prednisolone, so the specialist noted that the steroid therapy could be masking diagnostics, so they may need to taper him off the steroid to pursue advanced imaging in the future. But at this time, they think that his symptoms are likely attributed to a suspected chronic enteropathy (problem with the small intestine), so they’re choosing to treat it as inflammatory bowel disease until they receive more data from the pending blood panels.

For Sukie, they’re suggesting a strict controlled novel protein diet trial to treat his suspected IBD, so they sent him home with samples of novel protein diet (not beef or chicken) and want him to eat them for 2-3 weeks. And that if his weight loss continues despite the diet change, B12 injection, and steroid therapy, then they want to consider endoscopy or colonoscopy.

My thoughts: I’m worried about these potential outcomes, especially the IBD, because Squeeb had the same thing and I know how hard it was for me to treat for 5 years before her eventual passing. Like Sukie, Squeeb also hated that novel protein food and my sister doesn’t have the same funds/support to be able to keep Sukie on a special diet for the rest of his life (if that is indeed the issue) and so this may become difficult if it is the case. I will try to support her the best I can regardless.

The second option of the FIP is concerning because from what I’ve read online, it’s ultimately fatal in cats, and that would devastate her, so IBD is obviously the lesser of two evils (albeit the most time-intensive in treating).

A lot to process here, and I’m hoping that the blood panels reveal something important, given the relatively normal diagnostic findings. Sukie did gain .2 lbs since his last visit, so it could be that the steroids and appetite stimulant are working. It’s just a matter of waiting and seeing.

 

[Violet44]

Hi all, sorry for the delay, but Sukie was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis because of the high PLI and TLI in his blood from the GI panel (with a note that they’re unable to rule out precipitating GI disease (IBD or lymphoma without biopsy). So they’re prescribing him metoclopromiide for 14 days and tapering his off the prednisalone.

We’re also looking into a new food for him that doesn’t have chicken or beef. We were going to get himthe Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach dry food, but I read that dry food isn’t the best for pancreatitis, and he prefers wet food anyway. So we’re looking into the Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach wet food, which doesn’t have chicken in it (unlike the dry).

Purina Pro Plan Specialized Adult Wet Cat Food - Corn Free, No Artificial Colors, 3 Oz, 24 Count | cat Wet Food | PetSmart

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. My cat with IBD, turned GI lymphoma is on a novel protein diet. She gets the Royal Canin PR diet , which is rabbit. I had tried duck but she hated it. Royal Canin also makes a hydrolyzed protein diet that is disgusting looking and I never saw a cat want to eat it. My cat eats canned only.
With the Royal Canin, my cat that needs it eats probably a can a day, while my fatty floof who doesn’t need it eats a case a day it seems.
Really, there are 24 cans in a case and I go through about a case a week. It costs, for me, about $100 a case.
There are probably less expensive options out there. Best to discuss with the specialist before buying.

FIP isn’t a death sentence anymore. There is a Facebook group, FIP Warriors. The drugs to treat are successful most of the time, expensive, I’ve been told, and as far as I know, still not FDA approved in the US. For more info you can check with that Facebook group.

What breed is your cat?

 

[Violet44]

Hi, as an update, Sukie threw up for the first time last night and my sister was sort of worried. He’s doing better now, but we’re struggling to figure out what to feed him that won’t cause the inflammation.

He didn’t like the Purina Pro Plan wet food above, which I was sure would work. She also gave him Instinct Raw Ultimate Protein rabbit paté and he didn’t like that either and wouldn’t eat it. So she’s been feeding him Friskie’s so that he’ll eat. From my experience with Squeeb’s IBD/GI lymphoma, it’s better for them to eat something than not at all.

Does anyone have any affordable diet suggestions that work for pancreatitis/IBD kitties? Thank you S silent meowlook—I’ve heard good things about royal canin—my only concern is that my sister won’t be able to afford it. And it’s prescription, right? Thank you all.

 

[Violet44]

S silent meowlook

 

[Violet44]

Also, I forgot, but Sukie is losing hair on both his ears and we’re not sure why. I’m thinking that it could be due to inflammation. But we don’t want to take him back to the specialist so soon; more of a wait and see as long as he’s eating and the vomitting doesn’t continue. He also didn’t vomit up a meal, but rather liquid.

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. Yes the Royal Canin is a prescription. I pay around $110.00 per case of 24, 5.5 oz cans.

The hair loss may be due to a food allergy but I don’t know.

 

[Furballsmom]

but Sukie is losing hair on both his ears and we’re not sure why

Does he seem itchy at all?