Cat So Very Thin But Eats Well

[catlover100]

I have taken my 14 yr old cat to two vets. The last Vet I was more satisfied with as she ran more extensive blood work. He has lost a good deal of weight since Dec. I don't have scales so not sure how much but he looks like skin and bones. She said it is Stage 1 of Kidney Disease and failure. I started him on Royal Canin Renal food and he is eating about 1 can or more a day but still acts hungry and constantly follows me around wanting more food all the time.

I can't afford to feed him 2 cans a day at about $2 a can. I still don't understand why he can eat so much and be so thin. It's upsetting to look at him because he looks like I am starving him. I wish there was something I could do.

 

[LTS3]

Were B12 levels checked? Low B12 levels causes the body to not absorb nutrients properly leading to weight loss.

Was diabetes and hyperthyroid ruled out?

 

[maggiedemi]

How many ounces is he getting a day? Maybe ask the vet if it's okay to add a can of regular cat food.

 

[catlover100]

I know hyperthyroidism was and I think diabetes must have been also. She ran an extensive blood panel on him. But I will have to ask them about the B12 levels.

 

[catlover100]

He's getting 6-8 oz a day. I can ask the Vet's again but before when he acted like he didn't want to eat this food I just wanted to mix some Fancy Feast in with it and the girl at the front desk said it was defeating the purpose. I think she did ask the Vet. But I'm going to take him back in a month or so and if he's losing weight what's the point. Yes, he should be on Renal food for his kidneys but is it better he eats more even if it's something else.

 

[LTS3]

There's a specific test for B12. I can't recall the name of it.

There are commercial canned foods you can feed that are more affordable than the prescription food. See Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Kidney Disease- Canned Food Data USA

 

[molly92]

It is possible for a cat to be hyperthyroid and the bloodwork not show it-I've actually read a lot of veterinary journal articles on this lately. My cat was ravenous and losing weight but the bloodwork was inconclusive for her for several months, until very recently when her bloodwork showed abnormal levels. But the symptoms were there long before.

A more conclusive test is a scintigraphy scan, but the average vet does not have this equipment. If you can't get the scan done, I would have bloodwork rechecked frequently to watch for changes in thyroid hormone levels. With medication, it is usually very manageable if that is the case.

Kidney disease is associated with weight loss, but normally the cat's appetite is also low which is why I still suscept hyperthroidism (it's common to have both). With kidney cats, most vets will concede that the prescribed, low phosphorus food is important, but it's also important, equally if not more so, to make sure kidney cats get enough calories. It's true that some prescription diets need to be very strictly that food only or they won't work, but renal food is mainly formulated to cut down on the phosphorus levels, so feeding some low phosphorus is better than feeding none. Feeding all low-phosphorus is best, but it isn't an all or none scenario. I would check out the link posted above for low phosphorus foods. They aren't as low as prescription, but they will help. I am in the camp-and my vet is too and has told me so-that it's so important for a kidney cat to eat enough, so that comes first, then if you can get them on a good food, that is best but still secondary.

Lots of kidney cats do benefit from vitamin B shots and regular subcutaneous fluids, but usually not in the early stages, so check with your vet and see if they think your cat would benefit from those yet.

I also caution that if your vet seems too focused on the bloodwork and is ignoring symptoms of the cat-I keep going back to the huge appetite because that is atypical of kidney disease-then a second opinion might be worth looking into.

There are lots of us on this site who have kidney failure cats and we don't feed the kidney prescription food at all. It is expensive and a lot of cats don't like it, plus it has not so great ingredients. Instead we go for foods on the low phosphorus lists that our cats like. Phosphorus binders can be added to food to reduce the phosphorus that the cat is absorbing too, so that is another option to ask about.